In early 2010, the Governor of New Mexico announced that he would use stimulus funds to purchase 12,142 acres of land known as the Ortiz Mountain Ranch adjacent to Cerrillos Hills State Park and create a state-owned wild horse sanctuary. While there are a number of environmental, economic, and public input hoops to jump through before horses are acquired, likely from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), now should be a perfect time to look at how these horses are going to be managed in the long-term to keep their numbers in check with the available range.

It’s a rare person in the Canadian equine community who hasn’t heard of Bill Collins. An exceptional horseman, Collins has done more for the horse industry in Canada than perhaps any other individual. Not only has Collins been a great competitor, winning multiple events in roping, cutting, and other disciplines, he has been a judge, a teacher, a leader, and a visionary.

It was devastating when we lost Zona. At 32, our palomino Anglo-Arab, who had been a champion show horse on the prairies in her youth, was still pretty much the boss of the herd. Everyone deferred to her. Yet we knew there was something wrong.