Sands Basin, 2024
WHE volunteer Bobbie Moller went out to visit the horses at the Sands Basin HMA in Idaho. This HMA is one of the HMAs hit with a roundup last fall. Sands Basin is the smallest HMA in the state of Idaho.
A bit about Idaho: Idaho is the 14th largest state in the country with a land area of 83,570 square miles. BLM manages 12 million acres in the state. Only six small HMAs exist on all of BLM land in Idaho. BLM says only 617 wild horses can be managed on 418,000 acres in the entire state, where domestic livestock receive over 80% of available forage. In contrast, BLM Idaho authorizes livestock grazing for domestic horses, sheep and cattle on more than 11,500,000 acres of public land. This includes more than 2,100 grazing allotments, approximately 1,500 livestock operators and roughly 1,900 grazing permits.
A note from the field: B. Moller
The Sands Basin Herd Management Area (HMA) is located in southwest Idaho. It’s approximately 12,000 acres and the BLM estimates there are only 33 wild horses there. 12,000 acres is a relatively small HMA, but finding 33 horses on 12,000 rugged acres is like looking for a needle in a haystack! My husband and I have gone out there numerous times. When we are lucky enough to see them, they are usually somewhere so far away and high up, they are barely visible to the naked eye. We have occasionally over the years seen some lone bachelors and bachelor bands a little closer up, but getting a good view of the entire herd has been a challenge!
There have been many times when we go out there that we don’t see any wild horses. It’s disappointing, of course, but we have learned over the years that with every visit, even if you don’t see them, you learn something that you can use the next time you visit. Basically you build up your knowledge of the HMA.
This week, we decided to give it another try. As a rep for Wild Horse Education, I periodically check in on the herds at Idaho’s HMA’s. We want to know the makeup of the herd, how many there are, if there are any foals, do they all seem healthy, how are they moving through the area, etc.. We have been able to successfully see herds at other Idaho HMA’s, but the Sands Basin herd has eluded us until this week! Wow…we were lucky enough to see most of the herd! They were very aware we were there and matter of fact, the lead stallion came down a hill closer to us to observe and most likely warn us not to go further. After just watching them there for a couple of hours, they all not only relaxed, but moved towards us! We were still a safe distance away, they didn’t come super close, but it was so much fun to finally really see them! Persistence is the key to advocacy on and off the range.
While there, we met an 81 year old farmer who comes 18 miles to visit the horses and eat his lunch! That day, he was celebrating his 81st birthday! Wearing a “Grandpa” sweatshirt, he told us all about the Sands Basin horses. He has followed them for years. He also told us stories about his family including how his mom came to Idaho from Nebraska with her family on a covered wagon pulled by horses in the early 1900’s! He is still living and running the farm she and her family established. He is a very sweet man. What a pleasant afternoon watching the herd that we have been trying so hard to find and talking to a Grandpa who loves the horses as much as we do! Happy Birthday “Grandpa.”
I have been visiting the HMAs in Idaho doing a “spring check-in.” We recently visited Black Mountain and Hardtrigger and look forward to checking in on the rest of the herds. I love our Idaho wild ones so much!
We need your help to continue to document, expose, work toward reform with lawmakers and litigate. Our wild ones deserve to live free on the range and free from abuse.
Thank you for keeping WHE on the frontline in the fight to protect and preserve our treasured wild ones.
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