Northern Colorado Back Country Horsemen
Dear fellow equestrians,
A fellow horse owner needs our help in a big way. The Wild Basin Ranch has 49 horses stranded at the ranch and the hay was washed away. This is NE of Allens Park off Hwy 7. The horses have been on pasture and have had a limited amount of feed carried into them by air and ATV. The road has been washed out since the rain in Sept. The owner has just secured a place west of Loveland for the winter until repairs can be made next spring.
I was contacted by a horse rescue and asked if we can help with this situation. I’ve been working with the ranch owner for two weeks to determine the best plan for the horses. It was decided to move them to Loveland. So now all we need is help moving the horses to a holding pen, loading them in trailers and transporting them to Loveland. Sounds easy, but you all have been around horses and know they don’t move as easy as cows. I’m asking for help from people who know horses, ride well and have a good dependable horse for this operation. We also need trucks and trailers for the transportation.
Date and Time: Sunday Oct 6th at 9AM.
We’ll meet at Meeker Park on Hwy 7 north of Allen’s Park and guide you in. There are two ways to get there. The route is long. Golden to Blackhawk hwy 72 (peak to peak hwy) to hwy 7, go left (west) to Allen’s Park and north to Meeker Park. Make sure everyone in your group/truck has food and drink for the day.
Here is what we need:
Ten to 12 riders (wranglers) to escort the herd a couple miles to a holding pen.
A few horses may have to be haltered and lead out because of age and condition, they are a bit slower. It would be good to double up with another rider if you can. We’ll have many vehicles up there so parking may be an issue, but we’ll manage, we always do.
We need twenty-five trailers for transport.
The best trailers are three or four horse slant load or stock trailers. The trucks must be four wheel drive. The owner said we can get in on what’s left of the road but it is down to a single lane in many locations. Each truck/trailer needs a reliable person with horse know how; a horsemen, should there be any need to help the driver while transporting. All theses horses have been transported by trailer to the ranch. Bring extra halters and lead ropes if you have them. A hay net for feed might be good as well.
We also need people to take names and keep track of people and equipment so ride along with a friend in a truck and come help if you want to be part of this. I don’t think we can have too much help.
Important issue.
Please do not bring dogs or children who need care or need to be watched. Teenagers with horse experience are certainly welcome but we need to concentrate on the project and not be worried about where the kids or dogs have run off to. This won’t be a ride in the park. It is serious work and will take a team of good people to get it done.
I will be helping and supervising, however, the ranch owners and their employees will have the final say as to how things go. Complete cooperation is necessary by all who sign up to help. This will be a rewarding, fun and successful event but it has to be well organized and well orchestrated.
CONTACT ME DIRECTLY: ohmsad@yahoo.com
If you feel that you are qualified to help with this round-up, or have questions, please contact me ASAP at my e-mail address. I’m looking forward to meeting and working with members of the different groups from Larimer and Boulder Counties. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Officers of the various organizations please pass this info onto your fellow members. You don’t have to be a member of any particular group to help. More information to come if you volunteer to help, addresses, cell phone numbers, etc.
Thank you,
Al Ohms, President
Northern Colorado Back Country Horsemen
ohmsad@yahoo.com
BCHA Nicker 
By now, the folks who volunteered for this fiasco will know that there was no emergency. In a couple of days, the roads would have been totally passable with truck and trailer. The horses were on pasture, overgrazed that it was, but adequate certainly for more than a few days-probably for a few more weeks.
My horse is pastured between the Wild Basin Ranch and where the “rescue trailers” were parked (blocking the road most of the day illegally) at Johnny Park Road. No one notified the ranch through which the horses were to be herded that this “rescue” was in the works. We only got word of it accidentally and had to enlist law enforcement help to keep probably well-meaning but ignorant folks from putting our horses as well as the Wild Basin Horses in danger. Fortunately, the ranch owner was able to corral our horses and get them out of harms way. Herding 50 or more horses through a strange herd is asking for injury and problems. This is also open range country….lots and lots of acreage without ANY kind of confinement–herding is not easy and sometimes not even possible in this kind of situation.
Anyone who knows anything about herd dynamics would not have even suggested pushing a large herd through another large herd. I can only hope this plan was from lack of knowledge rather than malice. Fortunately, it was recognized that herding would put the Wild Basin horses in more danger by going over washed out roads than anyone had recognized. The decision was made to pony them out. Still going on as I type.
There was no winter hay for the large herd of mares at this ranch. That is a myth. There was some hay at the ranch for the stallions who were housed in tiny (8 by 10–maybe 10 x 12) pens with no shelter winter and summer. Their hay, certainly less than 100 small bales judging from the size of the tarped pile, was washed away. The owners of Wild Basin Ranch waited three weeks before checking on their horses after the flood. Really, really concerned owners. NOT. Neighbor ranchers fed the one stallion that wasn’t killed in the flood in the interim. If the Wild Basin Ranch owners had not burned bridges with their neighbors and most of the community, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of grassy acres right next door to the Wild Basin Ranch where horses could have grazed until the roads were dry and passable. When you aren’t a good neighbor, folks don’t jump in to help. However, there was NO immediate danger to the horses-ever. The folks in the mountains don’t let animals go uncared for, regardless.
Your organization is probably filled with well-meaning and caring folks. Unfortunately, you got taken and used . This was a manufactured crisis. Check things out next time before you jump in and create all sorts of problems. While I am glad those of you in this organization were caring about the Wild Basin Ranch horses, I significantly resent that you did not give a damn about my horse and the rest of the herd at the ranch where they reside. Somewhat inconsistent, don’t you think.
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Hi Vicky we appreciate your comment on this. We are not
responsible for the actions of others. We only post and allow comments and opinions. Thanks for your feedback.
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they would have had to have had hay for it to be washed away
I don’t mind folks helping folks but it should be based on truth
and reality not on imagination. You can walk their property, and I challenge
you to find a spot you would stack hay, and it would wash a way with out
a trace.
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