I recently read in the SF Chronicle that Madeline Pickens bought a 14,000 acre ranch with grazing rights on BML controlled land for another 540, 000 acres on which she proposes to establish a wild horse sanctuary with a trial of 1,000 head of horses. This spread is reportedly located 70 miles east of Elko Nevada; she is said to be negotiating on another 4,000 adjacent acres with 240,000 acres of grazing rights. on which she wants to eventually place some 35,000 wild horses that are currently in government-funded holding areas. The idea is that she would form a non-profit foundation, a Wild Horse Eco-sanctuary, that would I suppose be open measureably to Americans to visit. The facility would be fenced to contain the horses and would be probably sustained to some exent by a $500 per head government stipend.
...The Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard was formed in 1967. In 1988 the Marine Corps first adopted a BLM wild horse called "Okinawa" for the mounted color guard. I am informed that today the Marines ride five adopted formerly wild Palamino mustangs. Apparently, several of the mustangs received training by the prisoners in Carson City, Nevada.
...I just have the notion that if the sanctuary does become a reality--and I have read reports that the BML wants the wild horses completely out of Nevada and back East; and, I have also read recent reports that they have approved the sanctuary--that perhaps someday Madeline Pickens will be in charge of US Marines; or at least the horses they ride in the Mounted Color Guard may formerly be charges of hers; anyhow, for us, it is hard to say what that outcome may be when you combine a blond, palamino horses, and the Marines!
