Truth vs. Rumor in Wild Horse Ranch

Fact Checker 

• The Individual Domestic Water Wells in Wild Horse Ranch have a limited amount of water that can be used by each household.

True:  The NM State Engineer Office issues the permits to use Underground Waters in accordance with section 72-12-1 New Mexico Statutes.  Individual Domestic Permits (one household) states the maximum amount of water that may be appropriated under the permit is 3.000 acre-feet in any year.   Do the math:  1 acre foot = 325,851 gallons.  3.000 acre-feet = 977,553 gallons per year.  Anyone telling you different is giving False information.  That is a lot of water!

On April 25, 2024 the Wild Horse Ranch Landowners' Assn. applied for new permits for Phase I and Phase IV Community Outparcel wells.  The "purpose of use" stated on the Applications to the NM State Engineer Office:  Drinking and sanitary uses that are incidental to the operations of a governmental, commercial, or non-profit facility.  Also turned in with the Application was an "Attachment" stating how the Assn. wanted these wells to be used or NOT used by the community.  This Attachment can be seen on the Assn. News page of this website.  The NM State Engineer Office approved the Applications, but required meters be installed and meter readings be submitted and approved only 1.000 acre foot per year.  (325,851 gallons per year)  It should be noted that these Applications were signed by Director Greg Bronowski and not President Allen Dugan. 

• The President of the Wild Horse Ranch Landowners' Assn., in the past, had to be a resident of the subdivision.

True:  (History) The first "local" meeting of the Wild Horse Ranch Landowners' Assn. was held at the York Ranch HQ on July 3, 1999 by Wild Horse Ranch LLC (Developer).  The Director and President of the Assn. was Ranch Manager, Jim Leslie.  Janet Leslie was Director and Secretary, and Louis Christensen (Realtor) was Director.  None of them owned land or lived in the subdivision.   Phase I of Wild Horse Ranch was the only phase available for purchase at this time.  

During the election of July, 2000, Richard McGuire was elected as President/Director of the Assn. by the Assn. membership.  Since Wild Horse Ranch was in its infancy and much of the infrastructure was being developed, i.e. new  roads, new phases, electric lines and telephone lines being installed, it became clear that the President of the Assn. needed to live in the subdivision in order to review, communicate, have input and in some cases approve  the new infrastructure.  On Sept. 3, 2000, the Board of Directors changed the By-Laws to reflect that the President had to be a resident of the subdivision.  This By-Law change was in effect from 2000 until 2022 (22 years), before it was "repealed" by the Interim Board of Directors on 4/4/2022.  It should be noted that this Interim Board was NOT elected by the Assn. Membership and was put in place by two board members, before the July, 2022 annual elections.  The two board members were Jens Swenson, Secretary/Treasurer (no voting rights, as per new By-Laws 2022) and Jessie Childers, Director.

A Wild Horse Ranch Landowners' Association By-Law Committee was formed sometime between January 5, 2022 and April 3 2022.  Members Lila Zurzolo, Jim Feehan, Rick Cooper.  No documentation found on who formed or selected members of this committee.

• Wild Horse Ranch had severe flooding events in 2013, 2021 and 2022. 

True:  The flooding pictures from 2013 can be seen in the Weather Related section of this website.

Catron County issued an Emergency Declaration No 2022-013  for the flooding event of July 22, 2021 - July 23, 2021.   This flooding event made ingress and egress on county and subdivision roads difficult and dangerous, preventing access by emergency responders on some roads.

Catron County issued an Emergency Declaration No. 20-2023 again for the flooding event of August 18, 2022 - August 29, 2022.  Copy below.

 All of these events caused substantial damage to county roads, subdivision roads, culverts, and infrastructure.  The damage to Wild Horse Road is specifically mentioned on page 2 of Resolution 20-2023. 

• All 52 subdivision roads are graded twice a year, once in April after the winter snow melt and again in October, after the monsoon rains.  

False:  since the year 2022, the roads have NOT been graded twice a year.  The grading of subdivision roads twice a year was a protocol set by Wild Horse Ranch Subdivision Association Boards for many years, as far back as 2000.  Association Boards from 2022 forward have not used this protocol.

In 2022, the roads were graded once at a cost of $10,389.99.  In 2023, the roads were graded once at a cost of $14,330.01.  In 2024, the roads were not graded at all.  In 2025, the roads were graded one time at a cost of $31,995.00.  It should also be noted that in 2025 not all 52 roads were graded, 4 roads were left out.

In December of 2021, the Association voted unanimously to have an Exclusive Road Contractor Agreement with a local, licensed and insured contractor at a cost of $16,800 twice a year for two gradings, beginning on April 1, 2022 until April 1, 2026.  However, this Contract was never utilized and was cancelled by the Contractor in mid 2022.

• The Wild Horse Ranch Subdivision Landowners' Association is operating at a loss, after expenses, in 2025.

True:  Their reported Income Statement for the period of Jan 2025 - Dec 2025 reports a $-23,432.17 "deficit" after expenses.  This is compared to Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 $20,027.68 "excess" after expenses.  See their report under menu topic: Association News - Financial Transparency.  

• The Wild Horse Ranch Subdivision Landowners' Association has never been sued, until 2024.

True:  The Association was never sued from the beginning of the Association in 1998 until the year 2024.

It is worthy to mention that the Association Treasurer and two landowners contacted a law firm on January 31, 2022 to try and discredit the Boards of 2019, 2020, 2021 and the appointment of one Board member in 2021, saying that the Association's governing documents were not followed.  Proof that governing documents were followed, using Minutes and Documents filed with Catron County were presented showing the Boards in question were valid, as was the appointment of the one Board member.  We are not sure if the bill for this, around $4,000, was paid by the Wild Horse Ranch Landowners' Association.  The only way to know for sure is from an Audit of the Association books or by a Public Records Request.  The files associated with the year 2022 or no longer accessible on the Associations web page.