Pryor Mustang Removals - My Opinion

So they are doing some minor removals of horses in the Pryors. All of the horses are young enough to be adopted and made rideable. And yes they get ADOPTED. Not just to anyone. You must apply to be a family for these horses.

YES - we ALL would all love to see them all run free forever. I would love to see that without a doubt BUT the truth of the matter is that if that were the case, they'd ...likely end up starving and horribly inbred.

I used to be against the idea of the Pryor removals... But they do it in a way that is not as awful as most. The BLM does a good job at tracking the horses and controlling the herd size to ensure that they are healthy and sufficient. They administer birth control to the very young mares to avoid babies from having babies and to the older mares as they have paid their dues as mommies and their bodies deserve to just be theirs through their golden years. They choose horses that might not be genetically strong to be adopted out so they can keep the strongest horses wild. They make sure the horses they remove go to wonderful homes. In a world where places are wiping out entire herds with no regard to what happens to the horses after the fact, I think how they handle the Pryor horses is pretty good.

I wish some of the folks who are commenting and outraged really understood the reasoning. I wish they would take the time to educate themselves on the unique situation in the Pryors. I have seen some very ignorant and uneducated comments regarding the removals. Having been out there and having taken the time to listen and learn, I understand that in reality it is the only way to ensure that the horses that are left do thrive. This does not make me "pro round up". This means I understand the situation in the Pryors. And it gives me peace to know that they make sure that these horses go to good homes... Homes where they have a purpose and have a chance and bring joy to those who are lucky enough to get chosen to have them.

 Meriweather was removed

Olivia was also removed.

My Day With The Pryor Mustangs

What can I say about the day I spent amongst the Pryor Mountain Mustangs?

It was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. The whole trip was fantastic, but there was something so incredible about those horses.

I went with Steve & Nancy Cerroni of the Pryor Mountain Mustang Center and 5 other folks - 4 from South Carolina and one from Ohio and I don't think I could have shared that experience with a better bunch of people!

We managed to see 118/120 of the horses up there - which was a one day record for them! The weather was beautiful, as were all of the wild flowers that were in bloom up there. They smelled so amazing - I wish I could have bottled that scent and brought it home with me.

Of course - we saw Cloud. I got a little bit of a lump in my throat when I laid eyes on him for the first time. Having watched him grow up as I grew up, it was truly an emotional and magical moment.

He is certainly showing his age - battle scars and all. But he is still spunky and full of life.

The horses are so trusting and accepting of people coming into their home. That makes the experience that much more special. I was sitting on a little rock ledge just watching Cloud graze. It was like sitting in my own yard watching my horse graze. He was close enough to walk up to and touch.

Watching them interact and just BE horses was so fascinating! They truly are majestic creatures and it was so mumbling to watch these guys in person.

NOW - before I even got this posted - I ended up with 2 extra weeks off in between quitting my job ad starting at my new one so I decided I was going to go back to Cody. Then - I asked the folks at the center if they had any room for me to go and they had ONE spot left for the 23rd. I said "I WILL TAKE IT!!". So - back to the Pryors I go!! I cannot WAIT!!