Residents in Damonte Ranch have seen a recent influx of cars hitting horses and many are asking why. Horse advocates and developers are at odds at what to do about it.
“A baby horse had been hit on Veterans Parkway,” said President of the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund, Shannon Windle. “I went over there and found several local residents who were very concerned.”
This is something she has been doing a lot lately.
“The driver is always traumatized.”
She and her group in just the last 10 days have been called out to several crashes involving horses in the Damonte Ranch area. It's the time of year, she says, as the animals head to lower elevations to stay warm during cooler nights and look for food and water. It's an issue she believes can be better controlled.
“We do our best to run around and mend fences that we've already installed.”
Through keeping gates closed and fences tight, Windle says rapid development can keep horses out of construction that continually encroaches on once wildland.
That's a solution developer Perry Di Loreto says doesn't help as much as he would hope.
“We have gates that we have tried,” said Di Loreto. “We’ve tried everything to keep them closed including putting up a sign that says please close the gate if you're going to go through it.”
He wants more drastic measures to be taken.
“More round ups. Very humanly, very well done.”
As a horse enthusiast himself, Di Loreto worries the problem will only get worse as horses become more and more comfortable around humans.
As for rounding them up, Windle doesn't want to see that happen since it is their land too.
“Keep the horses at bay or up on the hillsides where they're safe and they should be wild and free.”
If you'd like to have your voice heard regarding this ongoing issue in south Reno, there is a Neighborhood Advisory Meeting Tuesday night from 5:30 to 8:30 at the Moana Nursery at 1100 West Moana Lane.
