Ranchers in the old West saw their horse herds depleted by rustlers. Today people are abandoning unwanted domestic horses on ranches and public lands, noted a story on TheWorldLink.com originating from La Grande, Ore.

High hay prices and the closure this fall of the nation’s last domestic horsemeat processing facility in Illinois may be partly to blame.

At least nine horses have been turned loose on Wannie MacKenzie’s ranch north of Jordan Valley, Ore., in the past 18 to 24 months, and the Malheur County cattleman is bracing for more old and hungry horses as cash-strapped owners in Idaho’s Treasure Valley run out of winter hay.

“It’s a huge problem,” MacKenzie said. “What am I gonna do with them? I don’t want 300 head of horses on my ranch