Horses on the highway

[openrange]

is wondering just how long the Penticton Indian Band is going to be allowed to abuse their feral horses. No food in the winter, no vet care when sick or broken, causing damage on the highway... did you see the horses splatted across the highway today???? Sick and disgusting. I went looking for an injured foal this summer, and in a ten minute walk found 9 horse skeletons. I don't care who you are, you should not be allowed to let your horses wander a busy highway at night. How long till someone gets killed there, never mind how many more horses are killed and maimed. I have to fence my horses and i am liable for any harm they do to others.

[fluffy]

There was more than one? I drove past there mid-afternoon and there was nothing left but rubber and blood. Serious rubber and blood mind you.

[openrange]

Nothing in the news yet, but i heard it was multiple horses hit by a semi.

[Lore]

So sad for the horses.
This should not be allowed to go on as it has for years.
I'm wondering if its just continuing because the horses belong to the natives
and they are on native land so no one has any control over this except the natives
who are doing nothing about it.
You would think if they cared about their horses they would protect them better.
This was in the news three days ago.

http://www.chbcnews.ca/hooved+highway+h ... story.html


Hooved highway hazards
Blaine Gaffney, CHBC : Tuesday, March 05, 2013 12:00 AM
Photo Credit: Jeff Martin , CHBC

Motorists throughout the Okanagan have to be alert for deer on local highways. In a few areas, drivers have to watch out for big-horn sheep.
And in the West Bench area of Penticton, it's semi-wild horses.
They were on Highway 97 yesterday at the northern entrance to Penticton.
At times, the horses were standing on the highway, forcing drivers to stop or slow down to avoid hitting them.
The horses belong to members of the Penticton Indian Band, who allow them to roam free in search of food.
Police say there's not a lot they can do to control the hooved highway hazards.
"We're working with the Penticton Indian Band and area residents, trying to come up with solutions, doing the best we can but it's like trying to fence in deer and sheep. If there's a way out, they'll get out,” says Sergeant Rick Dellabuur. “People have to be cognizant of the fact that animals may be out on the roadway."
For years, West Bench residents have complained about the horses being road hazards and sometimes damaging their properties. The local indian band and regional district have had little success in trying to coral the problem.

[sammo]

That is so sad. Whatever happened to the old game farm land? If there is any space there not being used, maybe some of the horses could be put there. It seems like the only possible effective solution is to capture and sterilize all of the horses- after finding a location that is large enough to keep them in and completely fencing it in. Of course, they would have to be fed , watered, etc. and have some vet care, which would require time and money to be spent- but what other choice is there? . I do know however, that not all of the horses belong to the natives- so they aren't completely at fault. It would be nice to see someone start a program that makes sense - I'm sure there are people who would be willing to donate time and money to help something get going. Unfortunately, this is the terrible result of a problem being left unchecked for too long- it is a shame to see such beautiful creatures paying the price for human stupidity.

[Lore]

The story is on Castanet now.
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#88539

Penticton
Horses hit on highway
by Adam Proskiw - Story: 88539
Mar 8, 2013 / 7:15 pm

A pair of wild horses was killed by a semi Friday morning on highway 97 north of Penticton.

The incident happened at around 8 a.m. near the Redwing housing complex.

According to West Bench resident Theresa Nolet, the horses “came down from the hills owned by the Penticton Indian Band.”

“I see them on and around the highway quite often,” she said.

“It’s really unsafe.”

[Ken7]

In Saskatchewan on Native land they posted for one week the date of "Dog Day". If you own a dog and you wish to keep it, you better pick it up and take it off the streets.!

I think it's time to have HORSE day. Get a group of riders and have a round-up.

Take them away if would be better for the horses then be suffering for food and water. How many horses are in the herd to date does anyone know?

[motorhomebabe]

What happened to the poor truck and its driver?What a terrible thing to happen ,for both the driver and the poor horses.

[SexySadie]

As "Crazy Horse" the Sioux chief said. hoka-hey....let's do it....or It's A Good Day to Die.

Don't overthink it. They were born, they lived, they died. No need to always find blame.

[Graham Adder]

Nice job on putting the road smear on the front page Castanet.
No, I won't bother writing this letter to their editor.
If there was any level of professionalism in this group of amateurs, they'd know better than to put up an image that looks like it came from some disgusting shock site.
If that was a human meat smear, you wouldn't see it front page.
Gross.

Nasty enough that this happened and the reasons why.
Double the displeasure by seeing it burned into your retinas.

[Graham Adder]

Don't overthink it. They were born, they lived, they died. No need to always find blame.

Nope...not gonna play on your team.
I'm sickened by this.
Pathetic representation of a people that overall care about all creatures, great and small. These horses needed better treatment to have a good quality of life, and it showed. Now they've been left to face dangers they are not intelligent enough to know to avoid and you want them to be considered as having lived and died so move along.

I'm one seriously disgusted Native.
These are supposed to be "my people", and I am once again shamed into wishing I could hide my identity.
I don't want to be associated to this kind of act or inaction, yet I have no choice.
Tomorrow I will face my peers and they will inevitably ask what my opinion is. It's just the way that goes.
I'll have to explain that "we" are not "like that", and then I'll listen to their disgust and discontent with the ever present rift we have developed with equal parts from both "sides".

[Graphite]

Nice job on putting the road smear on the front page Castanet.
No, I won't bother writing this letter to their editor.
If there was any level of professionalism in this group of amateurs, they'd know better than to put up an image that looks like it came from some disgusting shock site.
If that was a human meat smear, you wouldn't see it front page.
Gross.

Nasty enough that this happened and the reasons why.
Double the displeasure by seeing it burned into your retinas.

Agreed. Disappointing in seeing this photo front page of Castanet (or anywhere on the site). How tacky and vile. Taking another step down on the respect meter. Actually, something like this kicks this news site face down in the dirt.

[prairieflower]

Nice job on putting the road smear on the front page Castanet.
No, I won't bother writing this letter to their editor.
If there was any level of professionalism in this group of amateurs, they'd know better than to put up an image that looks like it came from some disgusting shock site.
If that was a human meat smear, you wouldn't see it front page.
Gross.

Nasty enough that this happened and the reasons why.
Double the displeasure by seeing it burned into your retinas.

Thank you for posting what many of us having been feeling.

I read this page because it is local, but after seeing this tonight, I have actually started looking for other online pages to read, become part of etc.

If we wanted sensationalism to read/look at, I am sure we would be reading the Enquirer or Star.

On the subject of the horses being killed, an absolute waste, yet typical.

[jimsenchuk]

The horses sometimes get close to the highway to feed, and not to often do they get hit. Try going up north with the moose and buffalo on the highways, now that's a challenge, worse at night time. This is just sensationalism at its best.

[Always Sunny]

The horses sometimes get close to the highway to feed, and not to often do they get hit. Try going up north with the moose and buffalo on the highways, now that's a challenge, worse at night time. This is just sensationalism at its best.

Except the moose and buffalo don't belong to anyone.

The concern is that it's irresponsible and inhumane to the horses (and the drivers) on the part of the band.