What is the reason for 12,000 horses in corrals? I know at time wild horses were put up for adoption/sale. Do they still do that? What is the cost to keep a horse a year there?

I expect it's a lot, and I heard most are not adoptable, but they can't be slaughtered so they build up....I may be wrong, so NV I'm sure can answer...

If it wasn't for the bleeding hearts, be cheaper to send in a team and just shoot them, or send them to Mexico for burritos, at least it might partially cover some expenses.

Horse meat is pretty good. Most folks here shy off the idea of eating it but I believe most would dig right in if not told what it was. Good dog feed also. Its a real shame that they are not being utilized. Its a vibrant market for human consumption in other countries. Controlling the number of wild horses is as important as controlling any other animal.

Just like a lot of other stuff people watch all these wonderful movies about mustangs. They buy one from BLM and then can't do anything with it. Some are smart enough to hire someone to ride it for them. My grandson has been making some decent money doing that. Riding horses for people that bought domestic bred as well.

There are people with large pastures being paid by the government to board them. Its just nuts the amount of money spent on them instead of allowing people to make money. There are still a few cowboys left that could catch and sell them. If there was some money in it more would learn.

There is getting to be more and more folks that pucker up at the idea of anyone making money from wildlife and I just dont get it.

Using our tax dollars to feed and care for horses, including anyone paid by the feds to do it, is a waste of our tax dollars.

Same can be said for most federal programs and employees and most state and local programs and employees.

Be that as it may, I don't begrudge anyone for taking advantage of federal jobs, they don't make policy, just working a job they were hired to do....

So True

I personally realize taking care of livestock is hard work--but still a waste of taxpayer dollars. Same goes for the money paid to big landowners to foster, or whatever, those horses in Oklahoma and elsewhere.

A lot of the government employees however are not really "working a job." They're lazy government workers with civil service protections and perks. It's been a scam on taxpayers for a long time.

Some obvious exceptions to this general rule exist.

I won't hire former government lawyers or support staff for that reason. I stop reading the resume when I get to that line. You will never get the same level of production from them.

That's interesting....without knowing them , or their circumstances, your showing a bias strictly over where they might have worked before... what happened to hiring the best person for the job?...
Maybe they're not, but you'll never know.

Well this was a civil conversation about the current offers and my job until a lawer had to spout off, what that liar i mean lawyer posted, the reason we have these programs and cant get rid of them or reduce them is due to lawerz.

I refrained from commenting after the first post but if we're getting rid of useless professions i know where I'd start.

Some one needs to go chase an ambulance and not get my thread removed.

NVW, Good for you working such a unique job in all aspects.

There isn't hardly a facet in the horse or cattle industry , BLM, outfitters, show circuit, et al., that doesn't entail hardworking folks to keep it all a success. Right down to the camp cook...of which I have done also, along with other jobs of outfitting . I ended up liking the show circuit , cross-country, and endurance eventing the most.

That's a lot of haarses you deal with. BLM feral horses are as fiery a subject as grizzles and wuffs , it seems. There are FB groups and websites solely dedicated to certain herds of feral horses , all named and followed by who knows who all over the world. I'll bet none of them realizing the work they take and the impact on habitat and surrounding ranches. I wouldn't be surprised if the star actors sport GPS and chip insert bling.

Though there are those horses who are exceptions in training, to me, the majority I see , are not my choice due to conformation preferences that I have . IMO.

Danny is right, the industry here would benefit from feral horse products, as it does in other countries. I ride with a friend in Idaho, who has at any time a decent herd of riding horses , and some of those, due to circumstance , when they are culled, the owners butcher them for their protein usage. It raised an eyebrow for me when I was offered lunch with some tasty bologna , and was told it was from a horse that I rode for them at times .

Regardless of other opinions of what sponsors this job you and your cowboys have, I am glad that you have a niche in this very unique industry .

If there was no one to do this work, there would be other big concerns affecting land and ranching , that would have its own impacts that the antis would howl about. I would think there has to be some balance in this Govt. sponsored work until some kind of solution is possibly reached. It would solve a lot, I suppose, if those feral horse FB groups spent THEIR funds on the work needed to deal with those herds rather than US government funds. That's probably too much to ask.

I agree, I enjoyed learning about your job NVR.

I apologize for offending you and acknowledge it must be hard work. The discussion deviated to taxpayers paying to keep horses. I stand by that being a waste of taxpayer dollars. Same for most government jobs, but again my apologies. I was not commenting on you personally.

Experience having made the mistake. Exceptions exist if you can get them early in their career.

Sharon thanks for the thoughtful post, yes those of us in the animal husbandry feilds don't do it cause its the easiest job out there but because we enjoy it.
Yes there is things that could be done better however its government and the decisions are largely made far away by suits that have no clue .
I have always said that instead of feeding them for life lets package this protein and use it for disaster relief emergency rations. May not be politically correct but not eating vs a case of burger being handed to you , i think some of the reservations about it go away fast.
Congress passed the law and limits what, when and where management can take place, its not going away but like any natural resource it needs managed.

This comment mostly applies to my job (office work within the DoD or other federal entities). I always make the joke that you should not be allowed to have a job in the federal government if you have never worked somewhere else. I call those people institutionalized. They have only worked for the government and they think it is hard work. The same people believe they deserve all of the perks instead of understanding they are privileges

Blain , I accept your apology. I too agree there is government waste and bloated numbers in federal service, but most feild staff are not the issue it s the layers and layers of management and support staff that doesn't actually support .

Its like electing law makers , they feel like they have to creat more and more laws and regulations to prove they are needed, not to review whats already in place to see if they are no longer needed.

Government workers and lawers are both necessary evils on some level, I think we could agree that there are way too many of both.

I hauled explosives and acid for the Hercules powder company out of the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant for about 3 years. There were Army officers there overseeing everything. I quit cause it was hard to look myself in the eye when I shaved. Between the Teamsters Union and it being a cost plus job I only averaged maybe 10 hours out of forty actually working. Seriously. The more money Hercules could spend the more money they made. Place closed a few years later. I suspect there are a lot of government jobs like that. Not all but a lot.

Danny you should see the far books( federal acquisition regulations) it would shoch you there are 2 or 3 books over 6 inches thick with rules on how to spend money, in fact there's a whole industry just to teach us those rules lol.

I agree with this. Most of my professional and personal experience is with the government desk jockeys.

And thank you.

Hey NVwrangler. Thanks for explaining what you do, and I'm sorry that my asking about it painted a target on your back.