Calico Roundup Week 1: Freedom Escapes
January 4th, 2010 | 
Author: On New Year’s Day, the BLM rounded up 10 wild horses but only captured 9 because a 6-month old foal died en route. APHIS vet at the scene, Dr. Al Kane, reported that after being chased by the helicopter for “1/4 mile” the little foal was behaving strangely, lying down periodically. It is reported that the pilot radioed Dr. Kane that this foal was having problems and Dr. Kane went out to see the foal who was found dead. Dr. Kane said that he did a necropsy in the field and discovered congenital heart defect and said that foal couldn’t have handled any exercise and probably wouldn’t have lived to adulthood. They left the body in the field and refused to allow the public observers to witness the body.
Below are the photos of the roundup that took place today (Saturday, January 2, 2009) showing how the captured band stallion, “Freedom,” valiantly fought for and regained his liberty although he had to leave his family of 8 adult mares and 2 colts. Jumping a 6-foot fence and immediately thereafter breaking through a barbed wire fence and injuring himself, this was an awe-inspiring, do-or-die effort demonstrating the loathing of captivity to a wild horse and his need for freedom. We can only pray for his recovery from the injuries the sustained from the barbed wire.
Before his escape, he became hung up by his front legs when he reared with all his might to attempt an escape from the narrow fenced area where he was being examined by BLM contractor Sue Cattoor and her wrangler.
Also included here are shots of the capture of his entire band, the 11 horses including Freedom himself.
The capture of Freedom and his band by helicopter, 11 horses.
Band stallion, Freedom, in the lead. You can see the Judas horse, trained to run into the pens so the wild horses will follow, being released.
Desperate horses, Freedom and his family huddle together.
During examination, Freedom attempts escape and gets caught up on the fence.
Preparing first failed attempt to clear 6-foot fence to freedom. He fell on his back during this attempt but pressed on to try again...
Preparing for final herculean effort to clear 6-foot fence to freedom...
...only to have to crash through barbed wire...
...to a bittersweet return to freedom, for leaving his cherished family behind
More to come. Right now we are just sending stills. We have videos and interviews, but these photos really do capture the anguish and drama of the roundup for these majestic icons, our treasured American wild mustangs.
For video of the capture on 12/30/09 visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl0keG49kQU
This blog was contributed by Craig C. Downer, Wildlife Ecologist and Elyse Gardner, Public Observer
Posted in Featured News, Wild Horses & Burros, Wildlife | 
Tags: Burros, Horses, Legal, Nevada, Wildlife
53 Responses to “Calico Roundup Week 1: Freedom Escapes”
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This is really appalling. It seems that a lot of our federal agencies are doing the opposite of what they should be doing. BLM should protect wildlife. Instead they are decimating them. The USDA should enforce the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Instead they are refusing to enforce the law. What exactly are we paying for with our taxes? I called and wrote to the White House to register my complaint about this illegal roundup. I hope everyone calls and contacts their senators and representatives. This abuse must be stopped. I was literally sickened to read how that poor little foal died and her body left all alone out there. Just horrible!
I’m fuming. By Federal Law these horses are to be left where they are, free for life. Stockpiling them to make more room for the evil beef industry should not be an option. The BLM and other federal agencies don’t follow their own laws and continue their cruel practices of “management”. Boggles my mind how laws can be broken at will by the gov’t without being stopped.
Fuming isn’t the word for this. The BLM should be gone. This is unnecessary and inhumane treatment of smart and Beautiful animals. I don’t know how they can live with themselves. I believe It takes a monster to do this to such graceful animals and not care a bit.the I believe foal died from being ran to hard. They killed it. I don’t believe it really had the problems they say. You can’t run a young foal that way.
As for Freedom what will happened when they catch him again. He will return to his heard. Will he be tortured because he was smarter than them? Will these horses wind up in Mexico on the Slaughter slab? This is sickening what they have done. Greed, Money, Power to all the Ranchers who buy the Government. Over hundreds of thousands of acres and they can’t give our Horses a few. Our Wild Horses, Wolves and Buffalo are treated badly. Ken Salazar should be forced out of office. He is being bought by the money that is running our Wildlife into the ground. We need someone who has heart, who understand the word Control not abuse. I pray the Freedom isn’t hurt to bad. I pray for his safety.
es una verguenza, lo que el humano destruye… estos caballos merecen su libertad, ellos no eligieron su destino. y vivian felices… solo el humano es el mayor depredador de la tierra. ver esto me provoca una gran tristeza, espero que se pueda detener de alguna forma.
Por favor, haga oír su voz al Presidente de los EE.UU. aquí: http://www.whitehouse.gov / CONTACTO
Él necesita escuchar directamente de que la gente de todo el mundo ven esto como una farsa brutal, el mal y el mal. Los americanos están diciendo a él, el mundo tiene que decirle. Sólo el envío de una carta de correo electrónico podría hacer la diferencia – por favor hablar a favor de estos inocentes.
hope that came out, not a Spanish speaker but maybe the translation software worked properly…. need more to tell the rest of the world to join us!
It is a very helpless and frustrating feeling when people of America need to continue fighting to uphold the Federal Law that protects the rights of the wild horses and burrows and continue to be ignored by the Federal Government. The BLM continues to deceive the American people and ignore the law. Where is Obama in all of this?
this is very sad and those people are so selfish and greedy all animals are just like us who feel pain and fear I’m ashamed to be human races very very ashamed
Sisters and brothers of the USA, you have recently elected a new president – make him work for his money. Get Obama to sort this bloody massacre out once and for all. Oh my God. I am disgusted at such blatant hatred of animals – if the horses are to be left alone, why weren’t they? Why was a sick foal terrorised into dying? I am completely ashamed to be a human being.
I’m all the way down under in Australia, but please let me know how I can help.
NEVER SURRENDER, FREEDOM!
Thank you. God bless Freedom.
Please write to our president here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT
Tell him what you think of this. Tell him to do what is humane and right. He needs to hear from the rest of the world who watches this brutal tragedy with us Americans who have been speaking out but who are not being heard.
Please use that simple form to email your thoughts – do it for these innocents, we need every voice!
Gee, how great to have you care! I hope you never have to deal with this brutality in your country.
Thanks
30,000 HORSES IN GOVT PENS: THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS OUTRAGED: PROTESTS ARE ONGOING WORLDWIDE, IN MAJOR CITIES THROUGHOUT THE USA. PLEASE GO TO http://WWW.THECLOUDFOUNDATION.ORG FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION. TO ALL OUR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS, PLEASE LET THE WORLD KNOW, THIS WILL NOT STAND. START A PROTEST RALLY IN YOUR CITY. GETS THE KIDS TO WRITE LETTERS AND SEND DRAWINGS TO:SASHA & MILIA OBOMA (INFO AT THE “KIDS CORNER” ON THE BLOG.. TELL THE FIRST FAMILY TO FREE THE WILD HORSES.. AND RETURN THEM TO THEIR FAMILIES. SIGN PETITIONS FOR MORITORIUM ON THE ROUNDUPS. TELL THE SENATE TO VOTE ON THE R.O.A.M ACT(passed in the house)IMPOSE AN INTERNATIONAL BAN ON THE SLAUGHTER OF HORSES. FREEDOM.. LONG MAY YOU RUN.. they are learning!
The way I see it, there is only ONE way to eventually stop this insanity: STOP EATING BEEF! That’s the ONLY way to stop those #*)@ing cattle ranchers who are the cause of all this. There is NO LOGIC left in our government. You CAN make a difference by not eating beef. It ultimately kills you anyway, disguised as heart disease, cancer, etc.
What the government wants the government gets, I thought that maybe this administration would be different, but I guess not! The same thing happened to the Native Americans,didn’t it?
President Obama is very busy. He said when he received the Nobel Peace Price, it is difficult to stop all atrocities. He is not given complete control, to change everything that goes wrong in the government. He said, changing the policies of the United States is like turning around a larger steam ship, it takes time. How many Presidents have had as much to contend with? The minute he was elected he started working, with a strict, extremely busy schedule. Most elected presidents take a break right after being elected but not yet in the White House, he did not. President Bush left office, throwing up large road blocks as he walked out the door. We are still trying to undo them. Continue the fight and know that President Obama is with you! Check out http://www.themystic.org with 32 free life lessons to help us on a deeper and deeper level.
These people are rednecks, that is what rednecks do. They profit & get off on the murder & abuse of animals. The world needs to wake up to that reality & see these people for what they truly are!!!!!!!.
Well, so much for your new president. And we all (including those of us in Canada) wished he was our P.M. We really believed in him, that he was going to “change” things and undo what Bush did. We were especially hoping for relief for all of the animals who were being betrayed by the Bush gang. But here we are again, money talks and politicians listen. Obama can stop this with pen to paper or a phone call. Why is he not doing this? What happened to ethics and morals? My heart cries for these beautiful animals. What a horrible tragedy. Shame on all who participate.
The laws Congress pass to protect wildlife are worth less than the paper they’re written on. Money talks louder than law. We’ve been fighting to protect these beautiful creatures for decades and STILL they suffer harassment by our own government needlessly. What’s particularly galling is that it’s MY tax money that’s used to kill them!!!
Keep contacting Washington. Don’t give up. Fighting for our wild horses is worth every effort!
Americans know dirty business when they see it.
These animals, this land, belongs to the people of the United States, not the BLM or any other government agency.
Since the BLM continues with their “will not be held accountable to the law” mismanagement of wild horses, we as Americans will continue to challenge their crooked policies and methods.
Freedom for wild horses !
Please can this story get on Oprah? She is a horse lover and perhaps would air this nationally…
We need as much positive media attention as possible…This brought me to tears…Hooray for the stallion that escaped and so, so sorry for those that hve lost their lives and their freedom…Someone has to step up and stop this Now…These horses do not have the time to wait. The BLM does not give a damn about them and only wants to coat their pockets with blood money…Just look at the history, they have shown their true colors time and time again.
This is like having the fox guard the hen house…anyone who believes differently is blind or chooses to be blind to the truth.
There has to be justice and the BLM cannot be trusted to put these horses best interest first
If you google Oprah and then click on the link, contact us, Oprah’s staff askes us to send show suggestions:
http://www.oprah.com/contactus
Let’s all do it and she will be more likely to help us here. Also, check out http://www.mysteries.net to help humanity by tuning in.
Not only our our tax dollars being used at the behest of private interests such as rounding up our mustangs, we’re also funding the beef industry as a loss. So we’re losing our magnificent horses, but getting an overabundance of beef that goes bad and gets tossed or stays on the shelf too long.
Rossi, the truth is that all of these “welfare ranchers” put together only produce 3% of our Nations beef. Most of our beef comes from Canada these days. What the BLM never tells us is what it costs taxpayers to administer the welfare grazing program: upwards of $500 million per year! Also, alot of these “ranchers” dont even own any cows, but sub-let their allotments to others for profit. So our wild equines are eliminated off of our public lands, the welfare ranchers profit, and, as usual, the taxpayers and the American Public in general loose. It is a Great American Disgrace!
I am so upset, my heart breaks for these poor, helpless, defenseless horses ! I feel like my hands are tied, & all I can do is watch them suffer….&, I cry like they were my own pets ! I write,send emails,sign petition after petition,called the White House to leave messages for Obama…..for what? I strongly agree with Jeanette Donato, you are so right ! Since they rightfully belong to “all of us”, we need to take them back….we need to lead a “revolt, or, a kind of Boston Tea Party”,Americans need to stand together & fight back !I wrote a poem for our wild mustangs to share: “Wild Spirits” In the silence of my dreams,I hear their hooves splashing through the streams,Thundering through the canyon,not one, but a team,Their manes & tails, like banners it seems.Their beauty is awesome,their wild spirits matched by none,The earth shakes at the sound of thundering drums,They are free at last,to live & to run.Now silenced by fresh fallen snow,They are a majestic sight to bestow,Against the moonlight,they seem to glow,Wild spirits,wild mustangs,gentle souls,I know.Why does mankind hate what he can not own or tame?,Why must the horses always get the blame?,This is life or death,it’s not a game!,We must not put out the wild spirits’ flame.In the silence of my dreams…I hear their hooves splashing through the streams…. I hope this gives hope & inspiration to all !
hello don’t worry too much; the days of the BLM hiring the Co. they did may be over…have hope and say prayers for the Calcio Colt in the pen that he may be adopted either by a Resuce or good person…thx
[...] foals and older horses will be injured and/or killed, just as they have been in Calico. Please see IDA’s blog, which documents the BLM’s “euthanasia” by rifle of a mare, orphaning her foal [...]
The bastards that do this ought to be rounded up in the same way. I doubt they’d like it very well. This is criminal. Our government being bought and sold by greedy ranchers who’s appetite for “more land’ is never satiated! It’s disgusting!
The cattle industry is very powerful and it is taking precedence over the freedom of wild horses. On a mountain in Santa Margarita, California, wild horses not knowing I was lying in the grass, when I suddenly sat up, they lifted off the ground a foot straight up, an amazing sight. Land was given to the horses and it belongs to them and for us. Please act swiftly in saving the horses. The horses have a very intricate social structure, due to reducing populations, inbreeding could destroy them and often they go to slaughter after capture.
I am never surprised at anything, at any lie the BLM does or says. Look what they did to the Native American people…it is far-fetched to think they would care more about our Wild Horses…WHO ARE HEROES that served humanity through time ever-lasting….The GREED of the BLM is fact…and for most of their existence, they have been OWNED by the Livestock/Cattle Association, who pays them very well to lie and kill all who are perceived to be IN THEIR WAY. THESE MURDERS NEED TO BE STOPPED ONCE AND FOR ALL, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT STOP EVER.
Where the hell is Obama during all this mess,its so sad how our goverment can stand by & let this happen to our horse’s Cattle Association do what they want
I agree with Redhawk the HORSE’S are our HEROES Were would we have been with out them. Our GOVERMENT SUCK’S
I too feel helpless, sad and have cried and prayed for these horses. It is especially tragic that these men feel no compassion, empathy or emotion but rather feel obliged to play God and shoot the mare all because her body index was two. She would rather die out in nature doing what horses do than being shot to death only to leave an orphaned foal. Not only did they needlessly kill her mother but then when she bonded with another mare in the holding pen, they took her away and put her in another pen alone apparently so she “would get enough food.” WTF! They seem to specialize and take “pride” in causing pain and anguish to the horses. I cannot understand how they can isolate a young foal “to make sure she gets enough to eat” at the cost of love from another horse. Science has demonstrated many times over babies without mothers and mothering die. This foal must be terrified being alone and missing her mother. So the blood on their hands continues with a count of two and there will be more I’m sure. I go to bed thinking of the horses and waking up thinking of the horses. I have contacted all the people the Cloud Foundation says as well as the people from Madeleine Pickens website.
Contessa is right; we must continue to contact friends and family and anyone that will listen, making phone calls to senators, the president and protest in our individual cities that we live. They will only listen when our collective voice is loud enough. Yes, get Oprah involved, other stars that love animals, radio talk show hosts, etc. I sent an email to CBS 60 Minutes but I’m no body so I doubt they will answer. I agree that we should all contact Oprah’s staff.
There are so many layers to this corruption, greed, deceit and illegal doings that only huge public outcry will move Congress and the president. If one woman, Wild Horse Annie, could move a nation to pass The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 certainly we can move the nation too!
Human greed at the fore again.
tears of frustration….. I just do NOT understand. I am nearly at a loss for words and cannot express here the ones that come to mind. Continue to fight my friends. This will be a never ending fight it seems. Thank you all for everything you do.
I have contacted oprah and they don’t care about the horses either, what are we going to do . I written the presidents, senators, 5 care, its sad
imo: try contacting Mrs. Madeline Pickens; she is difficult to get to with email; however; someone like Madeline has the money to create a Refuge; not too many do; and she truly cares; “as phoney as she looks ! ps anyone know who the other Lady is who travels with Madeline?; almost looks like her sister!
I am trying to get Madeline to buy Fortified Feed and Supplements for the Horses @ Calico; so they regain their health; esp. for the ones in the “pens..thnx. A.
summary:
first they came for my stray cat; and I didn’t say antying becuz I was worrried ’bout what folks might say or think about me…a lone swf age 50 living in Ct
then they came for the pitbulls but I did not say much I was never much of a pit bull fan anyway
then they came for the wild horses and I wrote some emails sent videos of the downed horses with no feed or hay to many Senators and reps; such as Great Star Scrambles thru Chute…
and this is why I have been an “ovo lacto vegetarian for 41 years with no “meat fish poultry crustaceans or mollusks…becuz I wanted to be on the side of the animals; the birds; the fish; the crabs and the clams;
and here I am…age 59; on the side of the Critters !
and I will continue to write; send emails until “man’s disrespect of the critters is abolished;
even if I am the only one; even if I have no support !
final post: (since I am not getting any feedback;
it is my humble opinion; the root problem of all wars; all fighting; all disagreements; all problems on our planet between us and nations; the root prob.:
MAN’S RELATIONSHIP W THE CRITTERS IS NOT JUST OR FAIR; and this is the root cause of all problems on earth; and until Man get Right with the Animals ?
Our planet will continue to “be a loser! imho; Anna
ps case in point: In just one animal shelter in southern usa last winter; the Shelter “killed by gas OVER 100 DOGS AND CATS IN ONE SINGLE DAY ! (in the us
and recall: This shelter is never open on Wed. and the other shelter is never open on Fridays; this is becuz; Wed.’s and Fridays are the Shelters’ “gas days!
think about I have written and try to get inovlved;thx
Anne Bridgeport conn us 06/04/1951 vegetarian 203 335 6342
This has got to be the stupidest thing to hear about.So these stupid BLM horse haters say the free roaming horses of nevada are running out of food. Great idea lets round them up only to scare them to death then put them into a pen or better yet kill them cause you stupid BLM people say we can.t afford to feed them SO LEAVE THEM ALONE STUPIDS .These horses have been alive and roaming free for ever and have been fine It pisses me off to no end that we can keep feeding the killers and baby molesters but we have no money for the safety of the horses.SO makes good sence LEAVE THE WILD BEAUTIFUL HORSES ALONE.I say no more thank you
To all the people who say are wild free roaming horses tear up their land STAY OUT OF THEIR LAND AND BUILD SOMEWHERE ELSE.PROBLEM SOLVED
Keep calling and writing. I read on one of the wild horse websites that a call is like the voice of 1000 people. Don’t give up!
We must expose the truth about the BLM – THAT THEY DETERMINED TO EXTERMINATE ALL WILD HORSES & BURROS and that they have already illegally sent thousands & thousands of our National Treasures that they were supposed to be protecting to to hellish slaughter houses and destroyed over 100 herds so that they can replace them with 9 MILLION of their parasitic cronies welfare cattle that have destroyed our public lands. Its too bad we can’t still; hang horse thieves like SLAUGHTER HOUSE BOB (Bob Abbey- Head of BLM). All cruel round ups are unnecessary and must be stopped now.
Having the BLM responsible for our Wild Horses is like having Michael Vick in charge of all the dogs in the country. Here is the TRUTH- Since 1971 when Wild Horses came under BLM’S murderous “care” there was over 270,000 wild american horses & burros, the BLM has abused and sent to slaughter through their “adoption program “ THOUSANDS of our beloved Wild Horses. They have done this to make room for 9 MILLION WELFARE CATTLE. There are now less than 40,000 horses left, most imprisoned in crowded pens. You do the math……. lets see way over 200,000 thousand wild horses abducted, most deviously sent to slaughter houses & NOW less then 40,000 HORSES left versus 9 MILLION PRIVATE WELFARE CATTLE!
(and the horses were supposed to be protected, and these cattle cost the tax payer MILLIONS-don’t be thinking we are making any money by having these cattle on our public lands- quiet the opposite & thats not even to mention the monumental destruction these cattle have done to our public lands.
The BLM also has brutal convicted animal abusers taking charge of these imprisoned terrorized horses. WILD HORSES & BURROS are supposed to be protected by the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act ( enacted by Congress after Wild Horse Annie, American school children and the people rallied Congress to protect our Majestic living legacy. There IS NO need for relocation. Why is nobody addressing the real issue? 9 MILLION cattle are decimating the land. The welfare cattle are privately owned and belong on their owner’s property. Horses do not overgraze & do not destroy water areas- CATTLE DO !!!! How could anyone believe that 30,000 WILD HORSES & BURROS are doing more damage than 9 MILLION corporate cattle?
WE WANT A PERMANENT END TO WILD HORSE ROUND UPS -THEY ARE CRUEL AND UNNECESSARY. AS THERE IS NO WILD HORSE OVERPOPULATION -THAT IS A FACT !!!!!!!
Preserve and Protect our WILD HORSES for future generations-tell the Senate to pass SB 1579 – the R.O.A.M. ACT NOW !
Stop the BLM’S CRUEL ROUND UP & SLAUGHTER OF OUR WILD AMERICAN HORSES. Urge Congress to hold a hearing or investigate BLM’s management of America’s wild horses and burros and tell the BLM to IMMEDIATELY STOP rounding up and killing or removing our wild horses and burros or selling them for slaughter and return them to the lands where they were living in 1971.
We want those who have perpetrated this tragedy to be fired and prosecuted . We no longer want all our remaining Wild Horses and Burros to be under the control of the agency that is abusing and murdering them ALL ! We want all herds destroyed by the BLM ( OVER 100 HERDS ILLEGALLY DESTROYED ) to be restored and all the horses currently imprisoned by the BLM to be freed.
We want all cattle removed from the land stolen from the wild horses & we want the corrupt-subsidized destruction of our public lands by the corrupt BLM & corporate cattle & other parties ended and our land and water cleaned up and those who have done the damage to our public lands to pay to restore our land to the way it was before they let their cattle destroy it. In short we want justice.
hello Shari;
I read your well written post and I am glad someone is telling it like it is…I learned a lot…
Thank u ofr the informaiton; my comment is: the BLM must be dismantled and restructed thru the US Congress
comment: Go Freedome Go; run brave one; U can make it!
Thanks for posting all this. Useful information.
I will paste it into a comment to the White House.
Perhaps someone can get the ALF involved in this and they can stop Sue Cattoor and Bob Abbey in their tracks which would buy us and the horses some time.
Who are the senators sponsoring the R.O.A.M Act?
Perhaps Jeff Merkley (D-OR) would sign on as a sponsor.
Keep getting the word out about this legislation.
I have not heard about it in any of the coverage of this issue.
plaease give and leave freedom for all horses!!!
if we respect the nature, she respects us…
in a future not far we’ll see our actions and the results that will be catastrofic!!!!!
maybe they could give the blm some of that bailout money to hire park rangers, or some better system to manage the “system” they have now….may be some of the goverment bailout money that is going to fat bonues for people who ran there companies into the ground..gm,merill lynch, counrywide, aig….mybe that money should go to the wild horse and the park system so when my children are a little older i can take that to see nature …not down town detriot….like the wise songress said many years ago they paved pardise and put up a parking lot
It is what it is and all of your spouting off isn’t going to change it!
Be part of the solution and not the problem! Adopt a wild horse or burro today! We set up our whole farm soley for that purpose and it has been the most wonderful experience of my entire life working with these horses. My children and grandchildren… will always have the spirit of the wild horse in their lives, and there will always be free roaming horses in this country. The problem is the back yard domestic breeders we have in this country flooding the market with junk horses leaving no room on our farms for these horses which are natures perfection. The San Francisco protesters brought a “mini” to the protest! (Rediculous act of human intervention in breeding!) If every horse person would go right now and adopt a mustang there would be none in holding and the remaining horses on the range could survive under management. I have no respect for anyone’s opinion who doesn’t have a mustang in their barn. Have you ever been to a holding facility or an adoption or talked to the dedicated “horse people” that have given their lives to the preservation and well being of “our” horses? These people work for the BLM! Be part of the solution and adopt a wild horse today!
hello u wrote: If every horse person would go right now and adopt a mustang there would be none in holding and the remaining horses on the range could survive under management. I have no respect for anyone’s opinion who doesn’t have a mustang in their barn. Have you ever been to a holding facility or an adoption or talked to the dedicated “horse people” that have given their lives to the preservation and well being of “our” horses? These people work for the BLM! Be part of the solution and adopt a wild horse today!
my comment is: I don’t have the money to adopt a Wild Mustang because I would have to pay to board the Mustang; which I am working on a plan to do; my point:
“I have seen about 100 pix of the BLM Calico Roundup; and other roundups; about 500 pix of Mustangs I have;
and I have seen about 10 Videos of Calcio Roundups; and have studied these videos and pix very carefully;
U wrote: Have you ever been to a holding facility or an adoption or talked to the dedicated “horse people” that have given their lives to the preservation and well being of “our” horses? These people work for the BLM!
According to my studies and research since about 2005;
I have seen this: a. horses being hit; slapped and yanked by their manes (Great Star Scrambles thru chute
b. foals way too young to be put in pen away from Mare
c. horses held in pens with no Hay in sight for miles
Young foals being left to perish; no pellets; sandpits
so you see: IF the BLM had: Stalls; Barns; Run in sheds; big hay bin feeders; fresh forage; Salt Blocks;
Fortified Feeds for Vitamin B1 which makes a horse eat
and the salt gets the mustangs thirsty to drink water;
IF the BLM had mini barns for the sick foals; a competant Veteranarian; IF the BLM gave the Mustangs
Fresh HAY instead of ORCHARD GRASS CLIPPINGS MIXED WITH SAND; where the wind blows the clippings from the Pens and where the horses do not have Hay to eat;
IF the BLM wasn’t like this; where they leave sick Foals and Mares to perish in sand pits with NO HAY !
then I wouldn’t be typing this and would be working on another project YET I CANNOT DENY THE THINGS MY EYES HAVE SEEN OF DOWNED HORSES DYING WITH NO FEED; HAY OR PELLETS TO HELP THEM regain their health !
so bluntly speaking: The BLM “starves sick or lame Mustangs; just look at the “pens where the lame foals;
THERE IS NO HAY FOR AS FAR AS YOUR EYES CAN SEE ! WHAT TYPE OF A CORRAL IS THAT ? TO KEEP HORSES AS “PRISONERS IN PENS AND THEN NOT GIVE THEM HAY?
This is my complaint ! the aphis vet is a “kook ! ! !
(he starves mustangs by putting them in pens with “grass clippings which you can see with your own eyes; the grass clippings look like bedding; those little 1″ layer of grass clippis IS THE MUSTANGS FEED?
Horses need Hay ! to survive; Not dried orchard grass!
(source: BLM Vet report:”Failure to adjust to new hay”
finally, I could find this post once again. You have few useful tips for my school project. Now, I won’t forget to bookmark it.
Hello,I love reading through your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.
Dear Rebecca,
I agree with you about back yard breeding. I also know that there are many in the BLM who adopt and care for wild horses.
I don’t agree that a person cannot speak their opinion because they do not stable a wild horse.
My barn holds one horse, just one.
He is a grade horse I bought at an auction. He was to be someone’s dinner. He was 12 and is now 26. Over this period of time, we have shared many happy times. When he became un-rideable due to arthritis he was “retired”. I cannot even begin to tell you how strong the bond is between myself and this horse. During our time together I gave him as much freedom as I could without endangering either of us. That was the greatest joy.
Due to an injury recently, the bill from the vet hospital was well over $16000.00. That is 1/3 of what I make in a year.
Why haven’t I put him down or brought him to an auction? Why didn’t I spend my hard earned money on a young horse who’s future is bleak? Because to me, every life is unique and special. Because I respect the horse as an individual life form and not a product. And when my horse passes due to natural causes I will know i did all I could to make his life as comfortable as possible. After all he gave to me it is the least I can do.
I think the unfortunate reality of backyard breeders is part of a bigger problem. That is, the trend in the horse industry to treat horses as a commodity. When that commodity is no longer useful, it is discarded. We are a nation of consumers. There are many who don’t view animals as sentient beings.
That also why there are so many horses at auctions. The AQHA is a good example. They promote horse slaughter. They want to be able to sell an animal for as much as possible. Something they can’t do when the “market” is flooded with unwanted horses.
IMO, the wild horses have become another “unwanted” commodity. Despite possible good intentions by the BLM at the start, I believe it has gone very badly. It is clear that they are out of options. Hence, horses in holding pens, caring people like you who establish sanctuary, and others who adopt just one animal. But it is still not enough.
So I can’t help but wonder why the BLM doesn’t stop the roundups until better solutions can be found. As long as a horse is living on the range nature will provide.
The thing is if we just throw up our hands and say “what can we do?” nothing about the government’s actions will change at all.
I believe people who protest wild horse policy are doing as much as they can. This is how they contribute to the solution. Speaking out about BLM policy is what they are doing to be part of a solution. That is their contribution. Not everyone can afford to adopt or stable a horse, especially if you consider the financial aspects of long term care. Unlike wild horses, domestic horses can live to be 30+ years old.
I wish you success in your endeavors and people like you are part of the solution, no doubt about it.
But again, I can’t help but wonder:
Will you be keeping these horses or will you be adopting them out ? If they are “yours” how long will you keep them? At what point will the cost outweigh the benefits of keeping them? 5 years? 10 years? When do you say it is time to end one animal’s life to save another’s?
We are their guardians and there are no easy choices. At least while free on the land, they are part of the natural cycle of life and death.
a wonderful story; so your horse is 26 yo; nice to know…so when the BLM says a “horse is old @ age 10 and way to old to survive @ age 20; and since I have read of numerous other accounts of horses living to be 30’s; 40’s even 50’s ! (esp. Ponies); I have to say
BLM ? you Lie through your “rottin’ stinkin’ Teeth ! imo; Anne of Conn. ps BLM ? Congress is “watching you!
ps the BLM scours remote mountain tops to “flush out Wild Mustangs; and then they say: “there is a small herd of 40 horses down by Hi-Way so and so and we do not know what our plans are…duh ? are we on the same planet? You RoundUp the Mustangs who have strayed too far into civilization; put them on the range; such as is done with other WildLife who stray;
and u “fine the folks who leave Hay by the hi-way; imo