Wild horses roam Okanagan neighbourhood

PENTICTON — Wild horses couldn’t keep me away…but who’s responsible for keeping the horses away?

That’s a question many residents are asking in the West Bench neighbourhood of Penticton.

“The whole situation is just not acceptable,” says resident Theresa Nolet.

One of Nolet’s neighbours did a count to see how many feral equines were found roaming around.

The total? 43 wild horses in the small area.

Nolet has also seen herds cross Highway 97 by West Bench Drive.

This highway is the artery of the Okanagan, which many locals and visitors use to get in and out of Penticton.

“Some of these horses weigh 1200 pounds or more,” says Nolet. “If you’re in a small vehicle travelling at night and you don’t see them, you could easily be killed.”

Penticton Indian Band Chief Jonathan Kruger says the horses are allowed from the reserve to other areas.

“It’s been like that since the beginning,” says Kruger. “But our community is talking about range management.”

The Indian Band does recognize that feral horses are a safety concern and some members have been selling the animals to help reduce the population.

Over the last two years, about 225 horses have been sold.

But this season, population control doesn’t seem promising.

“They’re talking to me about the market not being very good for horses right now,” explains Kruger.

A possible, but expensive, solution may be to put fences around the reserve.

Kruger says each meter of fencing costs at least $7 and he has 46,000 acres of reserve land.

Adding up to a hefty bill, which he hopes the local and provincial government can help with.