Another example of an early BLM financed Sanctuary 1987-89. (Long Term holding was not a term at the time) The Rex ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills was purchased in 1987 and the Mustang Meadows Ranch near Frances, SD in 1989. In addition to cattle he ran 1500 BLM (U-brands: unadoptable or whatever was deemed so at the time). The BLM awarded him the "Lifetime Steward of the land" title.
"...he watched so many ranchers grow old and bitter over government policies that shackled their lives and he decided to quit trying to reconcile ranching with bureaucracy..."
In the third paragraph below (from 2002) he describes how the directions changed 3 years in a row, from sorting out the old and weak and feeding them extra Hay to sorting out the old and weak and shooting them. He argued for the BLM to come and shoot them - they insisted it was part of his contract and so he did. The third year they had them sorted out and implant microchips, which were never again read or recorded...
"...Day had believed that this example would help reconcile government policies with the ranchers knowledge, experience, and feel for land and livestock. He had trusted his government to keep its word and renew its permits every year..."
..Like most ranchers he agreed to housing the horses more out of sympathy for the horses than out of financial interests. But it became a difficult praeposition for him...
...He says it was always the hardest thing for him to shoot the horses...wonder how it feels to the Drummonds and the Hughes when orders to kill are issued.? ( How good of a shot does one have to be to kill a horse from a distance since these horses don't halter or lead?)
In this article he does not speak about what happened to the Horses after these three years. Supposedly he lost the contract with the BLM (short notice) and the horses were moved to another facility.
"He thought he had escaped hindrance by government policies, but then he ran into new examples of government supervision that did not work.." (this must have been in the late 80's early 90's, the same time the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary was established...and also the Hughes LTH in Oklahoma.) Where did these horses disappear to? A feedlot, were they all shot ? -- At one point he speaks of having 1500 mustangs? Surprising for sure that if these horses were so rogue, he could just lead them out and shoot them while the others would look on...
After four years Day had to submit a new bid to keep the horses. He kept his bid at $1.15 a head a day, but an Oklahoma rancher bid $1.14. So, despite the thousands of dollars in shipping costs incurred by the taxpayers, the mustangs were shipped to Oklahoma and Day was out of the mustang sanctuary business five years after he started. (http://www.elynews.com/2014/03/07/days-horse-lover-bumpy-ride/)
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