Sorry for the repeat for many of my cyber friends but I am still a bit agitated. I was in a public meeting today about county business- board of supervisors. The agenda item was on a letter of support for a feral horse gather to take place. A lady in the audience, stated that horse gathers were cruel and they should use alternative means of controlling populations. I am not against using alternative means. It was her suggested way of doing it that was asnine. She wanted to geld all the stallions.
I calmly, tried to explain that gelding all the stallions would require 50% of the herd to be handled. To which she replied- Anyone with commonsense would know that there is only one stallion per herd! I couldn't help it- I became emotional. I told her anyone with commonsense would know that a foal crop is 50/50 male and female. Making half the herd in the area males. That is when the chairmen stopped the conversation.
I was dissappointed because I didn't even get to delve into the science of reproduction. How actually, when they do sex ratios to decrease the amount of reproduction it is the females they put out in lower numbers. I didn't get a chance to explain that it is only the females who bear young. I also didn't get a chance to explain one stallion can breed 25-50 mares per year but a mare can only have one colt... Along with other things. :)
Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. Hopefully, she will do some research and find out how WRONG her basic assumptions are.
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