mr. chairman , i am pleased to support the amendment to the department of the interior appropriations bill being offered by mr. rahall and mr. whitfield to help save a national treasure -- the wild horse . 
the wild horse is known throughout the world as a symbol of the american west , and we should be doing everything we can to protect it . 
at the turn of the 20th century there were more than one million horses roaming the vast lands of our west , however by 1971 that number dropped to approximately 60 , 000 due to the actions of their main predator -- humans . 
public outcry and the work of a group of citizens lead by wild horse annie forced congress to find a solution and pass the wild free roaming horse and burro protection act to protect the wild horse . 
throughout the years this law has been eroded , and currently , there are only 35 , 000 wild horses living on our lands today . 
current law will only make this number decrease more rapidly . 
i was saddened to learn about the provision in last year 's omnibus appropriations bill that would allow the sale of any wild horse that has been rounded up and is more than ten years old . 
because of this provision , at least forty-one wild horses have needlessly been slaughtered . 
if we do not pass this amendment to ensure that no tax dollars are used for any sale of wild thousands more could lose their lives . 
there is no need for this senseless slaughter . 
there are other options that we can explore rather than killing this majestic animal . 
the bureau of land management could reopen over one hundred herd management areas or use animal contraception methods to keep the size of the herds manageable . 
there is simply no reason for these horses to be slaughtered for use as meat in other countries . 
the horse is more than just an animal to our country . 
it is a beloved literary figure , a character in a movie or television show , a symbol of adventure , a friend of the cowboy , and an important part of our history . 
william shakespeare once stated that horses were , `` as full of spirit as the month of may , and as gorgeous as the sun in midsummer. '' i can say it no better and encourage all of my colleagues to join me and support the rahall-whitfield amendment and help save the wild horse . 
