Jonnie and Maryanne, I always quote Matthew Mackay Smith on this one, "There are worse things in life for a horse than death." While I agree with all of your sentiments, Jonni and Maryanne, this is an issue that RC will never agree on or come to peace with. Animal rights extremism is a religion. The belief is deep and heart felt and non-negotiable. Tragically, you might as well be arguing that muslims and christians should agree and get along. Unlike some people who have never even seen real wild horses nor seen them standing crowded in "holding pens" for years, I have. I absolutely support us having some wild horses left in this country. I'd like to see our money go toward supporting the truly wild and most genetically "Spanish" herds, like the Pryor Mountain herd in Wyoming. There are many "wild" horses out there that are just decendents of ranch horses that got loose or where thrown out to fend for themselves. Otherwise, it's just romanticism and fantasy that has little basis in reality. Honestly, I can't believe that Steph and John haven't stepped in and shut this down 'cause it's become increasingly personal and mean spirited. Let's let it go and accept that we will never agree 100%, even though we have more in common than differences. This thread is not what new people should see when they open RC for the first time. JMO. Cindy
