Commentary and Photography by Elyse Gardner – Wild Horse Humane Observer
More Frustration over the BLM’s Total Lack of Accountability
"This girl is hurting, passing placenta of previously miscarried foal. She is the one who told us what was happening to her friends"
I must address BLM’s April 8, 2010, “Daily Update.” They admit, because they were outed by the Humane Society’s vet’s comments, that on March 6, a mare and foal died in the birth process. Â They claim their failure to include this fact in their “Daily Updates” then — or anytime up till now — was an oversight issue. Â Oh, please..
But I agree; it is an oversight issue: Â The BLM needs oversight.
Cases in point:
— Was it an oversight to omit mention of 15 to 20 spontaneous abortions? They never said boo about all the miscarriages until advocates saw it and documented it during a visit to Fallon. Â They then admitted 15 to 20 had happened. Â They then started reporting them on their “Daily Updates.” Â They then called off the Ely roundup because of the late-term pregnancies, which of course they knew would be happening that time of year anyway. Â Scheduling that huge Ely roundup for that time of year (February) must have been an oversight…
— They didn’t report the Pigeon Fever outbreak until two weeks after it was a known problem and advocates were on site at Fallon asking questions. And now BLM is saying the horses came in off the range with it. Â Oh, please. Â BLM is trying to say, “Oh, yes; we saw it when they came in off the range. We’re on top of things. Â We knew that.”
All I can say is I was there when the horses were being rounded up; other advocates were there, and we were asking direct questions about the horses’ health because we were all concerned about respiratory distress from running these horses in the dead of winter. Â No mention of Pigeon Fever. Â They said they were ready and watching for strangles. Even in the Humane Society vet’s visit and report as late as of February 13, and then March 6, they mentioned one horse in quarantine for what they thought might be strangles: never a hint back then to suggest, “We see evidence of .25 to .50 percent of this wild horse population having had Pigeon Fever,” as they are now claiming. Â Why not post it in the Daily Updates? Â The public is interested in all things wild horse. Â It was not posted because I’m thinking they didn’t have one stray thought about Pigeon Fever. Â Oh, wait; I know: Â It was an oversight.
"No mention of Pigeon Fever when we were asking about the horses' health"
They wonder why the public doesn’t trust them:  well, they need wonder no more. Calling this omission an “oversight” — failing to report the deaths, DEATHS, of two horses —  is either:  A) major slovenly incompetence, or, B) a lie by omission.  So which is it, BLM:  are you incompetent, or liars?  Pick one.  I don’t see an option “(C)”;  sorry.
Do I seem angry?  You bet. I am angry because we just want to know about the horses, and getting information is like pulling teeth, and I am heartbroken and tired.  I don’t like things to deteriorate into petty rivalries and grievances and the like.
BLM, we would like to know how many mares are birthing. Â And dying. Â We would just like to know. Â We really would like to know if a mare dies in the course of delivering.
Some of us follow certain horses. Â We would just like to know these things. Â Why is it so hard? Â You now have tag numbers. Â We want to know what tag numbers you see giving birth. Â And, sadly, we want to know who died trying. And who has new babies. Â Let us volunteer to come out and log these things if you have manpower issues.
"Exhausted, ill palomino mare I watched exit the trailer literally five minutes earlier when arriving at Fallon holding. She and her herd were rounded up the previous day."
I bring this out here in my Humane Observer blog because it highlights the need for public observers.  BLM has demonstrated too high a tolerance for the suffering of the horses, for deaths, for injuries, for living in sand.  BLM has forfeited its right to public trust.  People feel strongly, demonstrated by the fact that a lot of advocates have been signing up and coming out to monitor the captured wild horses.  All 10 slots for the Sunday tour are full again.
That being said, BLM people are not all bad guys, and I hope to build toward working together for the best outcome for our wild horses.  IS THERE ANYBODY LEFT IN BLM WHO WANTS TO SEE WILD HORSES IN THE WILD?  I’m looking for you. You’re the one I want to talk to.  THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT.
Here is the crux of the matter: Â I am not seeing a will to work with the advocates; I’m not seeing a will on BLM’s part to advocate for the horses, to get them a more fair share of the range, to increase their “AMLs” (appropriate management levels) and reduce the number of grazing cattle and sheep in the original wild horse Herd Areas so more horses can live free.
Well, that’s the truth: Â I am not seeing it. Â I am not seeing transparency. Â I am not seeing access. Â I am seeing arbitrary AMLs. I am seeing a dangerous, unnecessarily close helicopter on a straggling, limping colt in obvious pain who would rather die than lose sight of his family. Â I am not seeing, and neither is Craig Downer, Terri Farley, or Don Molde, 600 wild horses left in the Calico Complex
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Elyse – you have remained patient & kind throughout the Calico debacle, more patient perhaps than anyone.
It breaks my heart to hear your angry words but it IS more than enough.
Not one indication from the Bureau of any wrong-doing. No words of regret from anyone on anything that has happened to the Captives since the Bureau zeroed in on them. Never anything positive about the Wild Ones on the range; only thinly veiled contempt.
If there were any supporters among the Bureau, would they even be able to speak?
I started out villifying the Bureau as an opponent to a cause I believed in. We tend to think of those who don’t agree as ‘bad’. But in the past 5 months, it’s become more than an impression; if any other government agency, in this country or another, were to conduct themselves with such utter contempt for the law, the Public or the discarge of duty the BLM has shown, we would be horrified.
But they’re only horses, right?
Each day brings us one more opportunity. Another chance to bring this mess into the light; another chance to save lives. And I appreciate what you do so much.
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I read this yesterday on Elyse’s blog. It just made me sick. It’s the indifference, the total lack of concern one way or the other that bothers me more than the deliberate lies and disinformation.
Covering your tracks is one thing, but having no feeling at all while these sensitive, sentient, intelligent Beings are suffering and dying all around you – well that’s something else again. They give me nightmares.
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Elyse, you have hit the nail on the head for me. Right on. I too hold out hope that there are at least a few who do not come forward that will eventually somehow turn the tide within BLM. BLM simply cannot go on business as usual.
And, folks this is spread even throughout many of the volunteers. As I read You Tubers who claim to be BLM wild horse volunteers many say awful things about the horses in their charge. First question in my mind is why volunteer to care for animals that you hold in such distain? Then, I wonder did they start with that attitude or has it been instilled in them? Where do you suppose that attitude comes from? Hint – it starts with a B. In this case the B is for bull *hit.
PS Wonder what happened to our young blogger who was going to BLM volunteer school? They were going to report back to us. Hum?
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This is absolutely pitiful!! Where are the just and moral leaders of our Country?!
Where is our President who was elected by us, in HOPE and in trust?
Heath care means nothing to me right now, because it will never be able to fix my broken spirit. A band aid will never mend the knife that has been driven into my heart.
How dare they do this to these horses and how dare they do this to us!
I too am angry, and I am totally ashamed. We are having to pay these people’s salaries to injure, kill, terrorize, imprison and to take away any hope of freedom and of life from these innocent animals. And they are taking this from us as well.
This has got to stop!!! If our government is treating us and our protected animals in this way, what else are they doing which we are not aware of and is also being hidden from our knowledge?
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Jill;
I guess that it does not matter whether you voted for this current President or not, everyone thought that there might be change. For me, the only shinning light on the entire election was that I was certain that we would finally have an “animal friendly” President in the White House. To date, he has been anything but, in fact, the conditions for the horses has gotten gravely worse.
Perhaps what offends me the most is the total silence, being ignored, not caring enough to give even so much as a nod to us. That omission of courtesy pushes me right over the edge and I now stand with the folks who pulled the lever to elect the man and feel betrayed.
But I am still not going to let him off the hook, they will now me by name, soon, at the White House hotline. Rather expect a detailed IRS audit in the near future, but we have nothing to fear…honesty and transparency breeds great confidence.
Keep the faith
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To survive, the BLM WH&B program has to be perceived by elected officials and the general public as totally competent and taking the lead on wild horse issues. Cooperating with advocates or any other independent experts would indicate a lack of control on their part. If things seem to be getting out of hand, politicians (even those who know little or nothing about wild horse issues), could begin to question their suitability for managing the program.
Anyone without real rank or power within the BLM/DOI who openly expresses doubt or opposition to their policies and practices will soon find themselves out of a job. Mid-level managers and those on the lower end of the totem pole are easily let go for any number of reasons. Nobody but their peers will take any notice, and their dismissal will serve as a warning to others.
The government, military, and corporations all operate under a cloak of secrecy. Disloyality is not tolerated. I once managed a department in a huge, unethical, and wasteful corporation that received a great many government no-bid contracts. I resigned after a year because I couldn’t take the corrupt “corporate culture” anymore.
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There needs to be a lot more emphasis on securing the place and resources of the wild horses and burros in the wild in their rightful herd areas and working on self stabilizing populations through Reserve Design, rather than treating them more like livestock. This is contrary to the true intent of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act
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I envison Sancturaries and Reservations for America’s Mustangs and Burros as a huge expanse of land IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT; this is the whole key; no Salazoos in the east or midwest
land is not conducive to the vast expanses of land Mustangs like…
Keep the Mustangs wild and free on the mountains; deserts; plains
and figure out how to build wells and watering holes to collect rainfall; and how to keep the Sage; their favorite food; in balance…
ps Sage is a weed; grows like a weed; there is plenty of sage ! ! ! so don’t the blm go saying there is not enuf Pasture out there; not only is Great Sage equal in protein to Alfalfa; Great Sage has Omega’s (Essential Oils) ‘9 X’S GREATER THAN ALFALFA !
as i continue to rant: Mother Nature has the answer; not the BLM !
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