Monthly Archives: December 2023

Researched and Written by John Cox, M.A. C/M

There are many interesting situations in horse history, and when we break it down thoroughly, we find some pretty interesting facts about horses. Keep in mind we must develop information from not only good sources, research references, and statistics from reliable resources, but a thorough “interpretation” of the same facts must be accomplished, by and from those with experience, and over many years, have an acquired knowledge of horses.

Our United States military is known for a high degree of mechanization, and in this case, in World War II, as discussed in this paper, develops interesting facts about The Horse. The number of horses used was indeed staggering – and this being only one war, or conflict – imagine our World History of Wars, where horses played essential-roles in all of them, or, the amount shipped overseas and lost at sea (which I am just now being made aware of) . . . But here are just a few examples of how the United States used Horses, as a beneficial element in transporting supplies and items to troops in many, very remote areas.

Answers for the questions we do have, regarding the Safety and Well-Being of the Horse, both Wild and Domestic, can only come from one place: Time In The Saddle – and knowing the horse, well. Statistics are one-thing, but “knowing” about horses inside and out, an entirely other thing.

A word of caution here . . . Today we see too many people, that state they are experts, doing research upon horses of various kinds, but we see their established platforms and their research capacity and knowledge inadequate, and most often amateurish, at best. We then find their time spent around horses to be very little, or, time in the saddle non-existent or very little, as well. Somehow or another, these types of people and their information, is what makes it into the world of horse-references, yet merely misinformation at best. This becomes one of many more factors as to why we are having difficulties in achieving a safe and thorough environment for both domestic horses and wild horses. We waste our time, as Horse Advocates, debating with those who’s knowledge is erroneous of based upon misinformation.

Onward, with good information . . . The United States employed 56,000 horses and mules in a wide variety of combat zones throughout WWII. In North Africa, for example, the United States military used mules to transport supplies through the mountains of Tunisia. The invasion of Italy saw the United States relying on more than 14,000 mules to transport supplies into the very rough and rugged Apennines Mountains. The United States Army Veterinary Service bought nearly 3,000 horses in Australia and shipped them to New Caledonia to work as pack animals. More than 1000 pack mules were sent from the United States to assist the Marines while fighting in New Guinea.

The mules and horses were basically used after many commanders, especially in transportation and supply, acknowledged, the horses and mules were able to negotiate rugged terrain which was inaccessible by vehicles. War and the military can only achieve positive results in accord with how adequate their supply chain and transportation, to move troops from one place to another, exists in real time.

A very chilling detail we find in history, was the significance of mules and horses to China. Like the Nazi allies, the Imperial Japanese Army relied heavily on horses and mules. Prior to the war Japan imported horses from Australia and Mongolia. We then see through history, Japan’s “hunger” for horse-meat also, and we find Japan and China both used the horses for transport, and at the end of their “use”, or transport resolution, they were slaughtered and used as a resource for food, meat mostly, and the hides used for various situations of necessity – leather goods for horses’, or mules’, or, ox tack, for example.

Then we see thousands of horses’, the number is probably more, imported and going directly into the Burmese jungles. This made history due to the astonishing roughness and difficult types of travel within the Burmese jungle, and the number of horses and mules vanishing along those roads and trails. Later, the United States Army purchased 2,000 horses, transporting them into China to be used as cavalry mounts.

This brings to mind a significant situation, that is often ignored, or not know at all, about horses – both domestic and wild . . . “The adaptability of the Horse is often misleading, yet ironically known for being adaptable. For example, Evolution alongside Natural Selection, and we distinguish Open-Range Horses from Mountain Horses, through patterns of receptive traits, and physiology (legs and hooves, for example) which is adopted to each environmental-complex.

Re-adaptation is not easily done for horses taken out of their “Dispersal Range” and horses die – their survival skills nor their physical evolution, not able to adapt fast enough to survive. We see often, even today, Horses taken from their true environment, from the Open Range, for example, and taken to the mountains, then considered as a positive resolution, yet problems exist – and catastrophe strikes. Apex Predators often blamed, or mountain terrain, rather than where the blame should be directed — blame the lack-of-knowledge, the people involved, created. We then observe the “adaptable term” simply invented, to place many non-adapted horses into oppositional-environments. The fact many people are unaware of this circumstance, is based primarily upon ignorance-only, due to misinformation being accepted as reality. . . when people do not know what it is they do not know, is very dangerous for not only horses, but wildlife, also.” – John Cox, M.A. C/M

Then in 1945 we go to Burma, and what was considered a “Special Equestrian Mission”. The United States Army Veterinary Service was ordered to accompany 5,397 pack mules and horses, to carry machine guns, mortars, ammunition and other supplies along the 717 miles, of the Burma Road, that led to Allied military headquarters in western China.

These statistics detail 20 separate groups, consisting between 200 and 300 pack animals each, were formed. This situation was, to say the least, extensive. American aircraft dropped sacks of grain by parachute along the trails. But it did not take long for the imported American pack animals to “learn how to consume” local bananas and bamboo leaves.

When these caravans reached the mountains, the temperatures were below freezing. At one point the terrain was so difficult that the caravan only made 3 ½ miles a day. The challenges along the way, that slowed-down the pack trains, resulted from exhaustion and saddle sores. Some mules drowned while trying to cross one of the swift-water rivers. Despite the difficulties the average rate of travel was 15 to 20 miles a day. Ironically, only 142 animals, or 2.6%, died, or were destroyed en-route, due to disease (which was one of the noted challenges assumed as a priority, to overcome). Many of the mules and horses arrived in excellent condition.

Have we learned anything from this history? Not really, other than both horses’ and mules’, in my perception, should be respected quite a bit more than we actually do . . . As their addition to America was greatly needed, even though imposed upon to do it, at times. (references upon request)

In talking about Natural Selection, which the corrupted DOI/BLM government agencies will never admit to, and the ability to predict where species will disperse, which should always be a significant part of honest, ethical management principles and paradigm, which DOI/BLM do not do — e.g. DOI/BLM does not separate species of Wild Horses; nor, Birth Rate Factors per dispersion-areas and whether positive or negative. . . What they do, is a one size fits all “theory” toward experimentation – which, in truth, is NOT experimentation, nor, any type of research what so ever, which is not perceptive on where they will reproduce, how they will reproduce, or what quantity they will reproduce at.

Ecologists and government biologists have their hands tied, as the modeling applications in DOI/BLM have “No-Data” receptive to Evolution nor Natural Selection — why is that? They also do not have modeling applications that will assimilate-data on how species reproduce, and why, and area-dispersal dynamics – their “modeling applications” do not reflect upon Evolution, nor, Natural Section, and data, that would give us both positive areas of dispersion-rates, as well as out-area of dispersion-rates, and within a negative dispersal rate of little to no growth. Within this capacity, we discover no buffer-zones for continued “dispersal-rate-increase” (which are handled much differently, et al., and how a species will disperse) which we are led to believe “Just-Happens” with their across the board 20% increase yearly of Wild Horses.

This situation of an across the board “dispersal-rate” is NOT of SCIENCE, but of 8th grade math, and the BLM/DOI will still get that all screwed up, and tell the public it’s just the way the science and the modeling-programs spit-the-information out. HERE WE CALL THEM ON THEIR BULLSHIT! And quite costly, this non-science of an 8th grade mentality, given to the general public as a truth, about an over-population of Wild Horses on Our Public Lands that really does not exist at all, and cost $-millions of dollars a year to generate. And by-golly, they will back that up, like good ol’ boys do (dumb-asses to be precise), with a Fertility Management Program because there are so many Wild Horses out there. . . And like good little cowboys, they do a lot of pretending — Yet they asked for $-millions more in the upcoming budget, and yet still they state, not many foals left on Public Lands –

We see within a truthful modeling application here, Wild Horses going Extinct by est. 2028-2030 app. And, using DOI/BLM over-population numbers — these dates transitive, and could develop sooner than later — and we must not leave out those very willing assistants in all those corrupted non-profits that are assisting the DOI/BLM, and the colleges as well, in their fertility programs and endeavors to lie to the general public about the Wild Horses being Over-populated.

So which is it? And why are these same people still in government, precisely in the DOI/BLM? It is obvious they should not be in a responsible position what so ever, and making the decisions they are making. As they have not a clue —

The idea that individuals living near the edge of a species range, might evolve differently than those who live toward the center of a species range, is common knowledge developed through Natural Selection. This situation can cause the individuals around the center of a dispersal-range to become beneficial to a species that has evolved naturally, and in accord with their birth-rate and further evolution, at any given time (proof again Wild Horses, that fit into a group of Indigenous Species – never disappeared for any length of time, at all — is developed quite thoroughly within this synoptic-thesis) and those on the edge of the lower dispersion-range, become better dispersers of similar species, but yet perhaps not quite as evolved as those within the center. This all becomes very evident if accomplished through good data-gathering and good science – but, one has got to have the knowledge to interpret the data-gathered for this type of research – and obviously, the DOI/BLM do not have anyone to interpret-scientific data into manageable results, and to take responsible and truthful actions — they would have to actually “manage” the Wild Horses appropriately, rather than do what ignorant people do when left with the conundrum, of lack of knowledge,, and simply destroy the obvious violation they face, mostly from their own stupidity and ignorance.

We see this extremely important genetic information, not of Darwin but of Modern Science, to be consequential to Wild Horses. How species spread, or dispersal rate distribution accomplished, are simply not within any government mind-set or knowledge-base, or within any paradigms I have read; or, my associates have read; nor, given appropriate information to anyone as insight into their management paradigms. Yet they will use terms (and many advocates that call themselves horse-experts use these terms as well, and yet not have a clue toward functionality at all) such as Rewilding, or, the necessity for roundups or Fertility Control – and yet have no idea the cumbersome situation they have produced, that CONFLICTS WITH Science in total. Because? Easily answered – They are not scientists nor are they Knowledgeable Horse People.

What we do see, and read most often is what the DOI/BLM leave out of their reports to the General Public, or as we call them — the taxpayers that are footing the bill for all of their Misconceptions and Misinformation. I can be even more clear, and precise, and state clearly, they leave out the Evolution of the Wild Horses, as well as the Natural Selection Process accomplished through years, No Gaps, of the combination of Evolution through the Natural Selection Process (i.e. see above on dispersal-range).

Let me be more clear and more precise with a Pluralistic Definition of Species – “A species is a group of individuals that share a common evolutionary history, which often results in similar appearance and similar roles in the ecosystems. For organisms that reproduce sexually, members of a species should be able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring.”

And this is why myself and others discuss how it is that rank amateurs and people that know nothing about Wild Horses, have been placed in charge of Managing Wild Horses. Keep in mind, not as a Science-Based Management, but as a Management Paradigm that is setup to simply “rid” our Public Lands of Wild Horses – they do not “know-of” nor “About” the select species we refer too as Wild Horses, what so ever –

We see very well, we are distracted with saving Wild Horses, all the while our government is sending much of our Wildlife, they feel unuseful (just as the Wild Horses) and keeping the Money-Makers, Deer, Elk, Moose, et al., and trophies of Bear, Cougar, et al . . . so if the numerous Wildlife eat grass or shrubs, or compete in any way, shape, or form with the industrialized developments on Our Public Lands of today, then they will be lied about, demeaned, spoken about condescendingly, tales about them will be exaggerated, they will be outright hated, biasly disapproved of, to eventually have ignorant government employees, and hunters kill them, and be guilt-free of any wrong-doing.

One can give a good debate, on humans being outside the evolutionary positive “dispersal-range” of evolution and Natural Selection. We seem to be heading directly in the wrong direction, toward Neanderthal Man, or further backward, than forward. I was asked by one biologist if most of the Bureau of Lands Management employees were of a select religion, that may not believe in Darwin’s theories, Evolution, nor Natural Selection. That is a separate debate, that American’s and taxpayers should find out for themselves . . . as it is only their vote that can change it, and only by vote, can America get rid of such government agencies, as unnecessary and too corrupted to remain. – John Cox, M.A. C/M