Multiple horses rescued from mud pit this week in northern Arizona
HEBER, AZ (AZFamily) — Multiple wild horses have been getting stuck in the mud in the forest outside of Heber-Overgaard in northeastern Arizona. It’s a dangerous situation for the animals and the people trying to rescue them.
Mud like cement has been trapping the federally-protected horses. For the past week, people like Betty Nixon have spent hours in the forest rescuing and trying to prevent this from happening. “At times like this, when it’s a crisis situation, I spend as many as 50 hours or more in the forest,” Nixon said.
They’ve rescued four horses since Saturday, all mothers or foals. Nixon said the reason the horses keep coming to this area is that it’s the only water source for miles. “They’re actually coming to that water tank because there is still water in it, but it’s turned into a dangerous mud pit for them,” she said. “It’s just scary, and you want to get them out, save their lives.”
It’s dangerous for the horses and the people. Nixon herself got stuck rescuing a baby horse. “I did not think I was going to get out,” she said. “I envisioned myself sitting there and being eaten by a mountain lion overnight. It was almost impossible to get out.”
She’s been asking the U.S. Forest Service to give them permits to haul water for the horses, but so far that remains unanswered. “We are in drought, and Arizona Game and Fish has volunteers hauling tens of thousands of gallons of water to wildlife, but it’s areas where the horses can’t access it,” Nixon said.
Forest Service officials said they understand the challenges for animals in a drought-stricken area, but that’s the current landscape. “The horses are not unique in needing to travel distances for both feed and water, as this is the same for elk, deer, etc,” said a statement from the U.S. Forest Service. “While very unfortunate, this is simply an example of the natural strain on the landscape to provide for an adequate carrying capacity for the current population of animals on the forest.”
Thankfully, Nixon got news on Thursday from the Forest Service that they will be allowed to put water tanks out to discourage the horses from getting close to the mud. “So we want the horses drawn to the safe side and away from the muddy side,” Nixon said.
She said eventually this year, they want the tank to dry out so that the Forest Service can dredge it and reseal it before monsoon rains, so it doesn’t create a more dangerous situation in the future.
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