{"id":12341,"date":"2026-03-23T22:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T04:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/efforts-to-manage-horses-continue-in-montezuma-county\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:31:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:31:30","slug":"efforts-to-manage-horses-continue-in-montezuma-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/efforts-to-manage-horses-continue-in-montezuma-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Efforts to manage horses continue in Montezuma County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wild
Wild horses Houdini and Maia gallop against a backdrop of mesas and mountains in this archival photo. (TJ Holmes\/Courtesy photo)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Mesa Verde National Park continues efforts to remove feral horses, but work at the park and across stretches of public land in Southwest Colorado is far from done.<\/p>\n

Government agencies and horse advocates are trying to strike a balance between humane treatment and mitigating negative impacts to the land, while facing limited resources to manage wild horse populations.<\/p>\n

The discussion comes amid a larger statewide conversation following a recent announcement of the Bureau of Land Management\u2019s summer schedule for horse roundups. Roundups are occurring across several states, including large-scale efforts in Colorado.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a matter of finding somebody who\u2019s willing to take the horses once they are trapped because that\u2019s what we would end up doing,\u201d said Bureau of Land Management field manager Derek Padilla.<\/p>\n

Padilla and Mesa Verde National Park Superintendent Kayci Cook Collins provided an update to Montezuma County commissioners during a March 16 meeting.<\/p>\n

Horses roaming the region\u2019s rugged terrain do not necessarily fit into one category, which complicates management efforts. Some are recognized by federal agencies as \u201cwild horses,\u201d with genetic links to Spanish settlers. Once introduced to America centuries ago, they survived on the landscape for generations. Through natural selection, these horses adapted to harsh conditions and existed largely without human care or contact.<\/p>\n

Others, according to the Bureau of Land Management, are considered \u201cferal, unauthorized horses.\u201d These animals are believed to come from private or tribal lands. Like stray domestic animals, they may have been released, escaped through wire fences or become lost, later breeding or being born in the wild.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the label, the horses are free-roaming and graze on public or private lands, moving through rugged terrain and in and out of canyons in bands while often relying on limited water and vegetation.<\/p>\n

\"Wild
Wild horses graze in high desert of the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area near Meeker in June 2023. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
BLM navigates new Weber Canyon herd<\/div>\n

Local herds are found in Mesa Verde National Park, a larger known band in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and a newly identified group in Weber Canyon that Bureau of Land Management officials aim to address soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Weber Canyon issue is fairly new,\u201d Padilla said in an interview. \u201cWe found out about that one in the last three or four months. This is just coming from people who have seen the horses, and they\u2019ve estimated it to be 15 to 20 horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Padilla said now is a good time to explore strategies while the herd remains manageable.<\/p>\n

Although BLM has no formal management plan for the area, officials are exploring removal strategies to prevent continued population growth and reopen the land for livestock grazing, Padilla said. BLM has worked with Ute Mountain Ute tribal members in the past.<\/p>\n

\"Whit
Whit Hubbard, a low-stress horse trainer, calmly walks 16 wild horses that were captured through a connected corral at Mesa Verde National Park in 2022. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Padilla added the Canyons of the Ancients population has declined to about 200 horses from roughly 250 in prior years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually provided some funding to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to transfer over to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to assist with their roundup. Unfortunately, in the few days before the roundup happened that money didn\u2019t end up getting transferred,\u201d Padilla said during the commission update.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut a bunch of those horses had been moved \u2013 either somebody moved them or they moved on their own \u2013 south onto Ute Mountain Ute land and got around up off the tribal lands, which like I said we were seeing down there upward of 100 horses south of Road G and the last count we were in the 60 range,\u201d Padilla added.<\/p>\n

The BLM repaired fences following the roundup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a great plan on the Canyons of the Ancients at this time,\u201d Padilla said, adding officials are seeking collection solutions.<\/p>\n

\"A
A young foal is spotted on the first day of spring at Mesa Verde National Park in 2014. The foal, just a couple of days old, was among 15 bands of more than 100 feral horses on the park. (Sam Green\/The Journal)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Advocates emphasize humane removal<\/div>\n

For the Weber Canyon population, a meeting is planned next month with the state For the Weber Canyon population, a meeting is planned next month with the state chapter of the National Mustang Association to replicate strategies that proved successful during the nonprofit\u2019s yearslong work at Mesa Verde.<\/p>\n

Mesa Verde has removed about 60 horses so far, according to Cook Collins. During the March 16 update, she told commissioners the park is continuing removal by moving into additional phases of its livestock reduction plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve removed 60 at this point. We\u2019re doing pretty well but obviously we have more,\u201d Cook Collins said. \u201cWe\u2019ve captured most of the easy-to-capture bands. There are the more wily ones \u2013 not as easy for us to capture based on where they tend to congregate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mustang association advocates for low-stress removal, fertility control and managing and capturing herds in ways that allow for easier rehoming, adoption or future training.<\/p>\n

\u201cBait trapping really is the best option for the park and the horse,\u201d said National Mustang Association president Bonnie Anderson. \u201cThis is because when you use helicopters, you\u2019re chasing these horses that might die or have post-traumatic stress disorder and you\u2019re going to damage a lot of the archaeological sites out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization, which has collaborated with Mesa Verde since 2019, prioritizes rehoming over disposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanctuary spots are very limited. The horses that are adoptable, we send to trainers and we\u2019re able to find adopters for them,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n

Anderson emphasized the need for a balanced approach that considers land health, horses, ranching and policy.<\/p>\n

In a region facing drought, Anderson said overgrazing remains a significant issue, not only from horse herds but also from the livestock industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have enough water and when the native species are hit so hard by grazing they don\u2019t return and noxious weeds like cheatgrass just take over,\u201d she said, adding that it increases wildfire risk.<\/p>\n

awatson@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n