In the midst of summer heat, wild horses could not drag me away from my air conditioned house. But they almost did! When I first got word of the Saylor Creek wild horse gather, my soul said, “Let’s go!” The gather was held on July 15 at Saylor Creek, 15 miles south of Glenns Ferry. The general public was invited to attend with a 5:30 a.m. departure time. Sadly, my soul was eventually overruled by body, scheduling conflict, lack of high clearance vehicle, and survival instinct.

Although I was absent, Heather Tiel-Nelson, Communications Lead for the Bureau of Land Management, has supplied information and photos. A helicopter maneuvered the horses into a trap that collected 103 of them. Some 16 mares and 16 studs will be released later after the mares are vaccinated for fertility control. The horses have been transferred to the Boise Wild Horse Corrals where they will be held until an auction is scheduled in the fall. I would like to purchase one but I’m sure my donkeys would object!

The Bureau of Land Management manages 6 wild horse management areas in southern Idaho. BLM removes horses as necessary when overpopulation threatens vegetation and water resources. There is no natural water resource in the Saylor Creek management area.

Something draws humans to wild horses… I was driving near Carson City, Nevada, some years ago and had just prayed to see wild horses when I came upon a small herd crossing the main highway. The lead mare had crossed first and stood by the side of the road. She was followed by the oldest, crippled mare who obviously was the sacrificial lamb for stopping traffic. Meanwhile, the rest of the herd boxed in a frisky colt and escorted him across the highway. What a gift to witness wild horses executing a perfect plan to handle their faster replacements!

Fifty years ago my uncle, Edwin Lierman, participated in a wild horse gather on the San Jacinto Ranch just south of Jackpot. He managed to get a stunning photo of two stallions fighting. The photo was in such demand that the negative was eventually not returned. But his granddaughter, Wendy Barckholtz, has preserved a photo and details. And now we can enjoy it!

What we aren’t able to enjoy is horse races down Main Street that occurred in the early days of Buhl on the 4^th of July. As narrated by Len Wiseman in Jim Barker’s Buhl Idaho: A Century of Stories, during one race a horse became confused and frightened and dashed in the front door of the furniture store and out the back without causing much damage. Alas, there is no photograph!

Priscilla Martens