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47 U. Mich. J. L. Reform Online 1 (2013)

handle is hein.journals/caveat47 and id is 1 raw text is: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN JOURNAL of LAW REFORM ONLINE COMMENT IF ALL OTHER OPTIONS FAIL: THE PLIGHT OF WILD HORSES AND THE DUBIOUS CASE FOR HORSE SLAUGHTERING Brendan Vandor* Robert Redford recently joined forces with former presidential candidate Bill Richardson to stop the return of horse slaughtering to the United States. Few among us would bet against that duo in their fight for a cause that appears on its face to be unassailably just. Yet, horse slaughtering is a highly complex issue that boasts its fair share of credible supporters, and the activity is poised for a revival after a six-year ban if Redford, Richardson, and various animal rights groups do not win a recently-brought federal lawsuit. This Comment recommends a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem of wild horse overpopulation-the most commonly-raised justification for horse slaughter-but also supports a highly regulated return of slaughter if the wild horse crisis proves to be unsolvable by less bloody means. I. The Problem For centuries, horses roamed the vast expanses of the American West, as much a symbol of the open frontier as the cowboy. Over the years, however, wars, droughts, and the steady rise of population in the West led to a loss of habitat and grazing areas and drastically reduced the wild horse population. Loss of habitat also pushed wild horses nearer to cattle ranches, rendering them targets for capture or slaughter.2 In 1971, Congress responded to growing public outrage at horse slaughter by passing the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, legislation * J.D. Candidate, May 2015, University of Michigan Law School. 1. Max Bearak, Wild Horses and Hard Choices, N.Y. TIMES (Oct. 11, 2011), http://gree n.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/wild-horses-and-hard-choices/. 2. See Cloud's Legacy: The Wild Stallion Returns, PBS.ORG, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/n ature/episodes/clouds-legacy-the-wild-stallion-returns/wild-horse-roundups-why-are-they- conducted/64/ (last visited Sept. 13, 2013) [hereinafter Cloud's Legacy]. 1