Spearheading the off site breeding program for the Corollas is quite a responsibility. We owe the highest duty not only to the strain, but to the individual horses. If a horse must be removed from the wild everything possible must be done to insure that that horse has a great quality of life. That means that we must work to insure that it has the opportunity to live as natural of a life as possible as a domestic horse. It is a shame for any horse to live a life of stables, shoes and sugar, but it is particularly sad to see a once wild mustang consigned to such an existence.
We have to consider the quality of life of every stallion that has to be removed from the wild. We have to consider whether he can be properly managed and cared for as a stallion by a potential owner. If not we have only one ethical choice, to seek an owner with the necessary skills to manage a stallion safely so that he can remain in the breeding program.
The best hope that we have for the program is that, with proper motivation and instruction, these skills can be learned.
On Saturday the little rider depicted above had her first 25 mile ride. She rode the first 15 miles on Manteo, a Corolla stallion, and the last 10 miles on Trade Wind, another Corolla stallion.
She is only 7 years old. Manteo and Tradewind each represent hope for the Corollas. So does their little seven year old rider.
That is the main reason I am looking into equine vasectomy instead of just gelding my stallion, with only 250 Sulphurs left in the wild and being a foundation bred stallion his genes, mind, and conformation are very desireabe. The horse market being what it is and not likely to rebound anytime soon, I would like to be able to use him in the future. Now He need to live with his Mares and not produce. Have read about the vasectomy reversal of a Prezwalski(sic) Horse Minnesota (he was 20), so the expertise is there to reverse this.
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time Giz gets to be with his Mares and not reproduce. I don't know what this does to the herd dynamic, but is sure is a way to preserve the genes until g
they are needed and sure does give help to the herds that are closer to extinction.