Horses in the Fox Hog herd area. © BLM
The horses are staying close to a water source that has dried up due to drought conditions in the Fox Hog Herd Management Area and their condition is deteriorating, the bureau says.
“These horses have been adversely affected by severe drought conditions for the past four weeks,” said Tim Burke, acting manager for the Surprise Field Office.
“We’ve been trucking water to a trough for them three times a week and we were hoping they would move to nearby water sources like other horses in the area are doing, but this group hasn’t.”
Bureau wild horse specialists plan to set up a temporary water trap this week. All going well, the operation should be completed within a week.
Water hauling will continue until the animals are moved. Once captured, the horses will be transported to a new location within the Fox Hog herd management area that has a constant and natural source of water and adequate forage.
Northeast California, like much of the West, had an abnormally dry winter and seasonal stock ponds, springs and other water sources are drying earlier than normal.
The Surprise Field Office has been monitoring closely drought conditions in high desert herd management areas in northeast California and northwest Nevada. In all but the above situation, horses and burros are moving as they normally do among various water sources.
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