Spring Creek Basin Herd
To date, NMA/CO has invested more than $175,000 of private funds
into the Spring Creek Basin HMA and untold amounts of fuel and labor.
The Spring Creek Basin Herd
The National Mustang Association-Colorado (NMACO) has been instrumental in the successful management of the Spring Creek Basin Herd of the Disappointment Valley in Colorado for more than twenty years. NMACO has also played an important role in rescuing mustangs and other wild horses around the Southwest. To date, NMACO has invested more than $175,000 in the Spring Creek Basin and countless hours of volunteer time and labor.
The Spring Creek Basin herd includes bays, blacks, duns, sorrels, grays and pintos. Legend says that in the early 1900s, a Montana rancher came to Disappointment Valley with a herd of stolen horses that he raised to sell to the U.S. Cavalry and other groups. When the law began to close in on him, he gathered some of his horses and quickly left the area. A nineteenth century Colorado resident purchased a well-known race horse named Jim Douglas, and won races with Jim Douglas in several venues around the country, setting a new world record in Chicago in 1886. Since Jim Douglas was turned out to stud on the Johnson ranch, speculation has it that some of the wild horses in the Disappointment carried his genes. According to BLM literature, local ranchers managed the remaining horses by culling undesirable horses and adding their own stock, and now the BLM manages the herd under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971.
Gather
The Park has agreed to utilize a plan of low-stress gathering methods that will hopefully mitigate any animal welfare issues, and prevent the necessity of disposing of horses through other methods. NMACO is optimistic that these low stress gather methods will translate into better domestication and successful training for these horses, ultimately affording them better lives.
Disposition
NMACO will be coordinating with the Park to take title and possession of the gathered unclaimed horses after the requisite holding period (up to 30 days). We will be seeking appropriate adopters, sanctuaries and trainers who qualify to take horses. Horses determined to be inappropriate for adoption (e.g. too old or poor dispositions) will be released to sanctuaries. We will also be offering opportunities for qualified adopters to have their horses gentled and begin their training before taking them.
Funding
The memorandum of understanding between NMACO and the Park requires NMACO to share some costs and assume others, over the basic costs NPS will bear. NMACO will have costs involved in transporting horses, holding facilities (for gelding studs, holding mares with babies, and waiting transport), veterinarians, feed and supplements, and payments for trainers and facilities. We need and appreciate your financial support for this important project!
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Upcoming Events
Sept 24 - Event Number one
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Sept 24 - Event Number one
All Day Nulla porttitor accumsan tincidunt. Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuad aporttitor tincidunt sollicitudin.