GROUP RESCUES MUSTANGS, SAVES THEM FROM SLAUGHTER.

Byline: Greg Botonis Daily News Staff Writer

Wild mustangs have long represented America's past: herds running together in the freedom of nature, climbing the rocky slopes of the West and splashing through the streams of a shadowy woodlands.

Now, more of these wild horses are being seen on the auction block, sold for slaughter in the United States and as gourmet meat to foreign markets for human consumption.

This is what sparked the fire for Lifesavers Inc. Wild Horse Rescue. Formally organized in 1997 as a nonprofit organization, Lifesavers was founded by Jill Starr to stop wild horses from being abused and sold for slaughter by rehabilitating, training and caring for them, as well as providing an adoption program in which horses can go to a home where ``they will be cared for.''

``I've been an animal nut since birth,'' Starr said. ``Taking in stray dogs and other animals was a pretty normal thing. We had even rescued a couple of horses before all this started.''

The Lifesavers ranch is funded solely through donations. Located 20 miles east of Lancaster, it has the space for more than 100 horses but because of limited funds only about 10 can be properly cared for now.

``When we adopt some of these horses out, the money immediately goes back into feed, fence, stables, or purchasing another horse,'' Starr said. ``To adopt a horse, it's about $400 to $500 depending on the training and skills the horse has. Sometimes it's more but we keep the prices just above meat prices to discourage ulterior motives.''

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management captures and offers wild horses for adoption, but they can be resold after they are titled and horses that are crippled or aged are not adopted as easily.

``These beautiful horses are being bought up by meat dealers,'' Starr said. ``I don't have enough funds to buy all of the mustangs at an auction. When I get the money I can usually only buy one because on top of the price of the horse, it's nearly $1,000 to feed them per year.''

Currently there are about 42,000 mustangs still free roaming on public lands spread throughout Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 was passed to stop ranchers from capturing and killing wild horses that compete with cattle for food, but the BLM can capture them and offer them at a nominal adoption fee to the public.

Lifesavers was the beneficiary of a concert last weekend in Victorville headlined by country music singer Dwight Yoakam. Starr said the net proceeds haven't been calculated yet.

Currently there are more than 30 inactive volunteers and six active, full-time volunteers working with the rescue program.

For information call [phone].

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color in AV Edition only) Jill Starr, founder of Lifesavers Inc. Wild Horse Rescue, offers a carrot to a horse at its ranch east of Lancaster.

(2--Color) (Ran in AV Edition only) Jill Starr hugs 20-year-old Comanche at her ranch.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News