by Capt. William E. Simpson II - USMM Ret.

In the latest cooperative effort with a handful of visionary politicians, natural resource advocates and supported by noted wildlife biologist Craig C. Downer, rancher-author William E. Simpson II has opened a new line of communication with Siskiyou County, CA.

Here is an open letter by Craig C. Downer, Wildlife Biologist, followed by a response from Capt. Simpson.

"The pilot test of the Wild Horse Fire Brigade as proposed by Mr. Simpson is both ecologically and economically sound and solidly positioned upon well-established science ^[1]. Cultural and paleontological evidence from the locale shows that wild horses lived in the area of the Soda Mountain Wilderness area of Southern Oregon and Northern California for millennia and up until recent times.

"I spent 3-days on-site touring the landscape on foot and have evaluated the conditions of the local flora and fauna. From my findings, I concur with Mr. Simpson that there is a severe depletion of large-bodied native herbivores here.

This situation has led to super- abundant vegetation to become intensively established throughout the landscape, a major portion of which is rocky and of rugged, accentuated topography. At present, the wild horses here are well below their carrying capacity for this particular ecosystem, and this ecosystem could greatly benefit from their increase.

Other native herbivores have been and continue to be depleted by a robust population of lions and coyotes. The predated remains of adult and sub-adult wild horses are frequently encountered in this reserve along with scant remains of deer. I concur with Mr. Simpson that the use of livestock for fuel abatement would result in significant loss of animals and financial investment.

Read more: Wild Horses Can Re-balance The Ecosystem: Good For Outdoor Sports; Reduces Wildfires & Toxic Smoke

by Carlos E. Medina

The new University of Florida Equine Acupuncture Center in northwest Marion County will focus on treatment, education and research of the ancient healing art.

Dr. Huisheng Xie grew up in a family of Chinese herbalists who prescribed custom mixtures of herbs and plants to treat any number of human maladies. But he decided to apply the ancient practice of traditional Chinese medicine to the veterinary field, particularly to horses.

After 35 years practicing acupuncture and refining herbal medicines for animals, the doctor of veterinary medicine and a clinical professor of integrative medicine with the UF Department of Comparative, Diagnostic & Population Medicine, is celebrating the newly opened University of Florida Equine Acupuncture Center in northwest Marion County.

The center, a partnership between Xie and the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, includes a 6,240-square-foot barn with an attached 12,500-square-foot arena. It is located between Irvine and Flemington, on County Road 318.

For Xie, the growing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine by the West is in stark contrast to what he faced when he started as a professor at the university in 1998.

"When I first started the job at the University of Florida, people talked about acupuncture like it was a joke. Now, over 90 percent of the faculty accepts it and refers cases to us," Xie said.

In the 20 years since he started with the university, a growing number of studies and continued research back the anecdotal benefits of acupuncture.

Read more: Getting to the Point: Equine Acupuncture