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  NEVADA WILD HORSES RETURNED TO THE RANGE
Part Four

Storey County Nevada, February 15th, "high noon."

The Nevada Department of Agriculture Volunteers arrived at the Reno Tahoe Industrial Center with six trailer loads of horses for a release suitable for the old west, at "high noon." Developer Lance Gilman led the procession back to an area where the horses could be safely released and find both grass and water. 37 of the horses were being released near Bitterman Canyon. A decision was made to release the remaining horses farther south on the property to prevent overcrowding.

Mr. Gilman explained that the development stepped in when it became clear that the Nevada Department of Agriculture was planning to consign 55 Virginia Range horses for sale, an action that typically attracts "kill" buyers. The industrial park consists of some 104,000 acres which will give the horses room to spread out and flourish. UNR veterinarian David Thain treated all the released mares with a temportary birth control known as GnRH to prevent rapid reproduction among the horses.

Present at the release were Mr. Gilman and his staff including Miles Ottenheimer and Susan Austin, NDA Virginia Range Estray Program Manager Mike Holmes, Let 'Em Run President Lacy J. Dalton, Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Assn. President Jeanne Gribbin, Least Resistance Training Concepts President Willis Lamm, along with a cadre of volunteers. The groups worked together to facilitate the logistics required to carry out the release.

Trailers of horses waiting to be escorted to the release point.
Trailers of horses lined up to release the horses.
Horses in the first trailer are released.
And off they go.
Horses in the second trailer are released.
Horses in the third trailer are released.
Third load horses spreading out. Previous bands can be seen in the distance to the right.

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