During the 1980s and ’90s when I lived in northeast Mesa, I often encountered the Salt River wild horses when horseback riding in the area or driving along Bush Highway. There was nothing more exciting than to see one of God’s most majestic creations on the move or just grazing in the sun light. The herds were often encountered crossing Bush Highway at a large wash just east of Ellsworth Road, headed for the river to drink. That is until the area was fenced off due to the increase of human activity. During those days one would also witness Hereford open range cattle roaming freely; just part of what is Arizona.
Man is guilty of many pleasures and three of the most blatant are political ambition, greed and irresponsible procreation which has had an overbearing negative affect on the world’s natural resources.
The Salt River horses, no doubt, have a long past history in the making of this state and it’s history. It’s only natural and justified that we should leave them be to continue carrying on that history and natural beauty. It was unfortunate enough when government entities fenced their ‘free range,’ but to remove them entirely is a cruel injustice to them. This being proposed so that we humans may have more room to “play” in an area that is now deemed overcrowded on weekends and holidays ... WRONG! Move those who are disrupting Arizona’s natural heritage.
Careful consideration must be made in making a decision of this magnitude. Common sense must prevail, allowing the horses to remain free in the park.
Barry P. Jones
Queen Creek
Dale Whiting posted at 7:21 am on Fri, Jun 15, 2012.
Barry,
Sounds picturesque, even sentimental. But aren't horses European? At one time in our past, we had camels free ranging Arizona, too. Should we set some free from the Zoo?
Arizona Willie posted at 7:40 am on Fri, Jun 15, 2012.
Maybe 13 years or so ago, when fishing on the Salt one day, I was startled by a sound to my right and looked and there was a herd of wild horses who had walked across the rocks almost as silently as ghosts.
They weren't concerned about me, just wanted a drink. I suspect they knew I was only armed with a fishing rod :)
I just stood there with my mouth hanging open watching them until they moved off on their own.
One of those things you never forget.
An experience that should NEVER be denied to any Arizonan or winter visitor.
Let the horses be. They aren't bothering anyone.
Since this issue is coming up ( again ), I wonder who wants to build something along the river somewhere that considers the horses a nuisance.
Don't let 'em. Horses were there first. No buildings should be allowed along the river. Possibly that tubing outfit is behind this?
chatmandu002 posted at 10:58 am on Fri, Jun 15, 2012.
It looks all majestic and beautiful until one night one of the horses runs in front of a car and many people are killed, then it's not so beautiful or wonderful.
Arizona Willie posted at 12:28 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
chatmandu002 ... is there any record of that having happened? I've lived here since '95 and I've never heard of anyone hitting a wild horse.
They are VERY smart creatures.
mrconservative posted at 6:43 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
Dale, you are so naive. Not all horses are European. Haven't you ever watched "SPirit - Stallion of the Cimarron"? It's about an AMerican horse. Repeat: AMERICAN horse.
Actually, Leon, there were horses here long before the Spaniards came. This is a proven fact.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:35 am on Sun, Jun 17, 2012.
"...there were horses here long before the Spaniards came."
WHERE, WHEN AND HOW MANY ???
If there were horses then why weren't the indigenous Native Americans riding them ???
If there were horses then what breed were they Choctaw, Sioux,Pawtowatomi, Seminole or Anazazi ???
If there were horses in the 48 States then why didn't the Aztecs have any of them, Atzlan extended into Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico...the Aztecs were great scribes but there are no depictions of horses except for the ones showing Conquistadors riding them ???
WE NEED SOME MUCH DELAYED "TOUGH LOVE" FROM THE FOREST SERVICE TO ERADICATE THE FERAL HORSE, DONKEY AND BURRO POPULATION ALONG THE SALT RIVER AND LET THE DROUGHT-ENDANGERED NATIVE FOOD SOURCES REPAIR AND REPLENISH THEMSELVES TO SUSTAIN THE "TRUE" NATIVE DESERT BIG HORN SHEEP AND DESERT MULE DEER POPULATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN DECIMATED BY THE ...."FERAL LIVESTOCK"...IN THE WILD SPECIES ENVIRONMENT.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:44 am on Mon, Jun 18, 2012.
mrconservative [and not Barry Goldwater, my ideal of real conservatism],
Leon is making fun of you. I'l be more to the point. The horse was introduced to the Americas by the Spanish Conquestadors. It was rapidly adopted by the native American population, particularly the plains Indians [who as you know are not Indians, but are native Americans - that was a Christopher Columbus mistake and although Columbus was Italian, he was sponsored by the Spanish Crown]. Now the horse introduced was European [Spain is in Europe - last time I looked anyway] and was a part of the IndoEuropean cultures dating to antiquity. But not in the Americas.
So when you say "Dale, you are so naive" most members of the crowd on this site are thinking "mrconservative, are you as missinformed about your politics as you are about your natural history?"
Dale Whiting posted at 7:54 am on Mon, Jun 18, 2012.
Now mrconservative,
Care to tell us the history of the camel in Arizona? It's interesting!
Dale Whiting posted at 8:35 am on Mon, Jun 18, 2012.
mrconservative,
Thought you might not believe me. After all, I am naive! So read this!
The only evidence of horses on the American continent dates to pre-historic times,[1] (between 12,500 and 10,000 BC.[2]). It is widely accepted that horses were extinct in the Western Hemisphere over 10,000 years ago and did not reappear there until the Spaniards brought them from Europe.[3] Horses were re-introduced to the Americas (Caribbean) by Christopher Columbus in 1493[4] and to the American continent by Cortés in 1519.[5][6]
1. ^ Guthrie, R. Dale. "Rapid body size decline in Alaskan Pleistocene horses before extinction". Nature. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v426/n6963/abs/nature02098.html. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
2. ^ Baker, Barry W.; Collins, Michael B., Bousman, C. Britt. "Late Pleistocene Horse (Equus sp.) from the Wilson-Leonard Archaeological Site, Central Texas" (PDF). Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080227230023/http://www.txstate.edu/anthropology/cas/journal_articles/crp.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
3. ^ R. Dale Guthrie, New carbon dates link climatic change with human colonization and Pleistocene extinctions, Nature 441 (11 May 2006), 207-209.
4. ^ Kirkpatrick, Jay F.; Fazio, Patricia M.. "Wild Horses as Native North American Wildlife". Archived from the original on November 29, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061129200009/http://www.saplonline.org/wild_horses_native.htm#_ftn2. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
5. ^ Singer, Ben. "A brief history of the horse in America; Horse phylogeny and evolution". Canadian Geographic Magazine. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061029004405/http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/Magazine/ma05/indepth/naturalhistory.asp. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
6. ^ Mitochondrial genomes from modern horses reveal the major haplogroups that underwent domestication, "PNAS" (January 30, 2012).
Since this is consistent with what I learned in highschool, then college, I have not verified the sorces. But the citations are there and you can check for yourself.
So long, mr illinformed conservative. Is being ill informed a characteristic of all neocons?
Aquanovena posted at 1:55 pm on Sun, Jul 8, 2012.
I am a tour guide and I send people to the river just so they can see the last of the wild American Horses..Because that is what they are now..Leon would you like to see all Euro Americans being sent back to Europe? Those horses or many breeds would have landed up here eventually...just like fire ants and diseases...Get over your hate, of feral, or are you afraid of things wild? According to the UN's Agenda 21, commie agenda, YOUR people want to open all borders and eradicate all living things that are non indigenous to south and north american continents including the white tail deer.....Their next step is to move all people into cities and far away from the country side..To allow nature to replenish itself..As I see and what Science has taught me that all things on this planet evolve, people like you need to learn how to evolve with it and embrace the change...The earth fixes herself with or without OUR help. And so do added prayers of acceptance to all change..;-)
CupOfJoe posted at 6:06 pm on Thu, Aug 16, 2012.
They are not wild horses. They have been coming off the res for years due to cut fences from multiple use areas. I am a horse lover, wish they could stay "wild" forever, however, they are a major contributor to the damages we see along the salt. Try reading up on important vegetation in riparian areas. Don't see any cottonwoods very much anymore, I wonder why. These "wild" horses take away from the natural vegetation that sustains other wild animals as well as the ecosystem. It's not about evolution, it's about where we as humans take a stand on keeping what is left of our resources intact.
Corky55 posted at 3:00 pm on Tue, Feb 26, 2013.
Leon I feel sorry for you if a few wild horses make you this angry you should see someone. The Mustangs are very beautiful, and not just to liberals, i am a republican, I photograph them (as a freelance) so guess you are wrong there. the Native Americans (my grandmothers people) did not chase deer and other animals on foot (you fool) how do you think they caught their food? I applud any one who fights to protect them (the mustangs) and will do as much as I can to further that effort. Also the state of NC has protected their horses and made them a state horse. I may just spearhead legislation to do the same in AZ so look out.
Corky55 posted at 3:03 pm on Tue, Feb 26, 2013.
[beam] at camels in az to funny