For several years, a controversy has surrounded the popular, free-roaming horses of a New Mexico mountain hamlet in the Placitas area. Many say that the horses have outstripped the ability of the land to support them, and some residents are complaining that horses are tearing up yards and causing public safety risks because of rising population numbers.
Wild horses in the hills of Placitas, New Mexico
The horses are a divisive issue in Placitas between residents who believe the animals should be allowed to roam freely and those who say the population increase is unsustainable.
© 2014 by Flickr
The horses are a divisive issue in Placitas between residents who believe the animals should be allowed to roam freely and those who say the population increase is unsustainabl.
Placitas residents estimate the horse population to be around 200. But the horses do not fall within the category of "wild" horses - as defined by a 1971 federal law.
Finding a workable solution to the thorny issue of free-roaming horses has been difficult. In September Sandoval County leaders awarded New Mexico First a $23,500 contract to work with a task force of community members and government representatives to find mutually acceptable ways for dealing with the horses.
Placitas residents have been sharply divided between those who support the horses' right to roam free and others who claim they damage property and pose a safety risk to local traffic.
Government agencies such as the federal Bureau of Land Management and the state Livestock Board have taken a hands-off approach because no one claims ownership of the horses.
But after the initial meeting with the roughly two-dozen-member task force, New Mexico First dropped its planned group information-gathering strategy, amended its county contract and canceled further group meetings. It will instead gather input through individual interviews with task force members to determine how to best move forward with deciding what to do with the growing number of wild horses in the area.