Westwood Properties

Regional director wants to rein in wild horses

  • Posted on: 25 February 2009
  • By: Michael Brydon

Joyce Langerak - Penticton Western News Published: February 24, 2009 (link to story)

It’s time for the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to do something about local wild horses tromping on lawns and skittering around on roadways, says West Bench director Michael Brydon.

He will introduce a motion to the RDOS board during Thursday’s regular meeting.

“All livestock are regulated provincially under the Livestock Act, but I’d say residents on the West Bench are unhappy with the provisions of that act,” said Brydon.

Issues: 
horses
news
Neighborhoods: 
West Bench
Westwood Properties
Husula Highlands

RDOS director looks to rein in West Bench horses

  • Posted on: 25 February 2009
  • By: Michael Brydon

JOHN MOORHOUSE, The Penticton Herald 02/25/2009 (link to story)

Practically every unfenced yard is festooned with horse apples.

Now, the area‘s Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen director is looking for ways to rein in the free-ranging animals. Michael Brydon has issued a notice of motion to be debated at this Thursday‘s RDOS board meeting, suggesting a task force be created to search for a solution to the growing horse population.

Although conflicts between residential property owners and wild horses wandering between the West Bench and the adjacent Penticton Indian reserve have been ongoing for years, Brydon said Tuesday it seems to be getting worse.

“I don‘t know if there‘s a reliable count of how many horses there are,” he said. “I‘ve heard numbers of up to hundreds of horses.”

Issues: 
horses
Neighborhoods: 
West Bench
Westwood Properties
Husula Highlands

Roaming horses

  • Posted on: 4 February 2009
  • By: Michael Brydon

Background

[This is an attempt at a brief history of the horse problem.  If you know more about it, please let me know and I will update this posting.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to find much information at the RDOS since the RDOS has historically considered this a Provincial / Penticton Indian Band matter.]

Wandering horses have become a serious problem on the West Bench in the past 20 years. The horses normally roam First Nations land and crown land on the hills above the West Bench.  In the winter, however, the horses move down in to populated areas, where they leave a surprising quantity of droppings, dig up lawns, damage trees, and trample on the occasional in-ground sprinkler head.

Issues: 
horses
Neighborhoods: 
West Bench
Westwood Properties
Sage Mesa
Husula Highlands

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