Tag: Jackie Hughes

Lovingly named Tiger, this handsome buckskin horse was captured from the Apache National Forest in Arizona in June 2022. His story is one of transformation—from a life of uncertainty on the range to one filled with purpose, care, and opportunity.

Free-Roaming Arizona Horse Series: Episode 2 – Horses & Habitat in Crisis with Jackie Hughes on the Sitgreaves National Forest. Dive deep into the forest with us and discover the reality of the Heber horses, their habitat, and the delicate balance between herd health, wildlife, and the future of the land we locals call home. 

Mountain Daily Star continues its Free-Roaming Arizona Horse Series with an upcoming look at the conditions of the Heber herd and the land they depend on. In Episode 2, federal contractor Jackie Hughes shares her firsthand perspective on herd counts, habitat conditions, and the broader challenges facing both the horses and the landscape in northeastern Arizona.

A decades-long conflict over free-roaming horses in Heber/Overgaard and surrounding areas in northeastern Arizona is reaching a turning point, as federal officials prepare to begin enforcement actions that could significantly reduce horse populations across the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. This article examines the question now facing the region: how did we get here?