(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch
The Bloody Facts Speak Volumes
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to move forward with its legally challenged wild horse roundup of Colorado’s North Piceance wild horse herd and killed yet an additional 2 horses during alleged illegal activates, yesterday.
By their own accounting the BLM euthanized a 7 month old colt after it broke its leg during the stampede and another mare was put down due to “heart” conditions after being roped. Two horses killed with the total tally gathered for the day standing at only four. 6 horses terrorized and only 4 survived. That is a 30% mortality rate!
Click (HERE) to view report
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
rt, do you know who the helicopter crew is for this one? & are there ANY observers of the non-blm variety? (i know that the blm says on the website that their only planned observation day was the 11th but i keep hoping that SOMEONE is watching….)
LikeLike
There’s also supposed to be an Observation Day on the 16th.
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo/wrfo_wild_horses/template/publicviewing.html
LikeLike
thanks, linda! do we know if anyone non-blm is going????
LikeLike
Jo – I think Mar Wargo is there ……..
LikeLike
No she is not. I was given No Information and No funds when they had been offered initially… I am mad as hell. I was given a phone number a day ago. I am a full days drive from this roundup. I do not own a 4×4 and this is very rugged country up there. There are people there or we would not be hearing anything except BLM posting. There is a very strong group of Advocates in Northern Colorado (I am alone in Southern Colorado) and I do hope they are there.
Please see my comment below.
I have my hands full. There is so much work to be done and so little coordination.
If you want people at these roundups Organize and Fund them and get some good equipment for them. This is a travesty. mar
LikeLike
There were some folks there last week. Some of us from northern CO plan to go this week–this roundup is a travesty, but as usual the observation point if a mile from the trap–impossible to see anything as there is dark fencing around all of the trap and the pens so there is no seeing there either.
LikeLike
OK friends, I am cooling my jets. Just a bit frazzled and you know why. But it was not you RT and what I hope folks realize is there is a need for a real funding for field work and equipment. If there is a reader out there who has wondered how to help and that sounds appealing come and talk to any of the groups here and someone can help you.
Grass Roots Horse and HfHAC here. If you are sending donations for field work just say that is what you want it used for. It is all needed and all appreciated. mar
LikeLike
My contacts at the BLM have told me that the Cattoors are the “least bad” choice for gathers, and when other contractors have tried to do it it is usually significant number of “casualties”- that is why I was wondering if it were the Cattoors or someone else.
LikeLike
It’s not the Cattoors. I don’t know the name, but I think it’s some initials–apparently they’ve already made a name for themselves “notorious for killing horses.”
LikeLike
The least bad contractors. Now, that just about sums it up, doesn’t it?
LikeLike
Too horrible for words !
LikeLike
This is absolutely horrible and should not be happening….not ever. Those horses deserve so much better. I wish I had the means to grant them the peaceful life they so deserve.
LikeLike
Me too! If I were a mega-millionaire, I would buy off whomever it took to stop this.
LikeLike
All deaths are unacceptable…afterall, aren’t the roundups for the “PROTECTION” of the wild equines, as BLM contends? Right? Protection? MY A**!
They are cattle hacks killing wild equines because the process is predicated on speed and convenience for the human garbage effecting the roundup, not for the wild equines.
I’ll bet you that the contracts have NO limits or conditions on the number of deaths allowed AND, AND! the human garbage equine killers get paid for dead AND alive! You wanna bet!?!
LikeLike
Interesting BLM document about media access and the length of time that could be allowed. Noticed the New York Times is prominently mentioned.
Click to access Media%20access%20guidelines%20for%20WHB%20roundups.pdf
LikeLike
Pardon me, but what a bunch of CRAP that document is. It has so many loopholes a mosquito could fly thru it!!!!!!!
LikeLike
The sad thing is that people like Richardson, Pickens and others have or are finding sanctuaries for these protected animals all the while the wild equines already have millions of public acres on the books granted by federal law and protected status that is already being paid for with taxpayer dollars…it’s just insane that advocates have to do this in the first place.
LikeLike
Agree. Since we have already own the public lands and pay each year to maintain them. But bless them for doing what they can to draw attention to the complete insanity of the BLM.
LikeLike
Has anyone (horse rescue) thought about obtaining a grant to fund BUYING property around these Public Lands to maintain the horses?
LikeLike
A great idea, BUT most of the RANCHERS WHO OWN that land abutting BLM land will NEVER sell for that reason…. and in some other instances, homeowners wouldn’t give up theirs either…..
LikeLike
truth is: the ranchers who border the public lands are often the very people who call up the BLM and request the BLM remove Wild Equine from their lands; the ranchers often depise Mustangs
but not because Mustangs and Burros eat their crops; the ranchers often depsise the Mustang because that is what they were taught by their parents; that Mustangs are the scourge !
its just a mythical illusion passed down from genertation to generation; THE IDEA THE MUSTANGS ARE BAD is the same type of ILLUSION; which is the horn of a Rhino is a medicine !
we know Rhino horn not medicine; we know mustangs are good…
LikeLike
I don’t know what folks think about The Mustang Heritage Foundation. Some (don’t know how much) of their funding comes from the BLM, but they have other sponsors as well. As I understand it, they’re mostly about training/rehoming horses in holding.
http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org/
I’ve cruised around their website and many links either send you directly to the BLM WH&B Website (which has no relationship to the info I wanted) or I can’t get the pages to open. What’s up with that? I’m going to contact them to try to find out.
They seem to have had success with showcasing the potential of the Mustang at Extreme Mustang Makeovers. From what I’ve read, the EMM adoption rate is about 98% for amounts well over $125 – some for over $1,000. I believe the Pickens adopted at least one for over $4,000.
They also have info about their Trainer Incentive Program. I want to contact some of these people directly to see if the program has worked for them.
“Mustang Magic” is another organization.
http://mustangmagic.org/
Again, their links don’t work for me and I want to find out why. They held an event at this year’s Fort Worth Stock Show. Top prize was $3,500 to the trainer and the horse was adopted for $10,000! Only 10 entries, but 10 that hopefully went to good homes.
Click to access 2010MustangMagicAdoptionResults.pdf
Anyway, just would like people’s opinions – yea or “neigh”. IMHO, it’s going to take a combination of things to save our Mustangs.
LikeLike
WHEN WILL THE KILLING AND INHUMANITY TOWARDS OUR PRECIOUS NATIONAL TREASURE,’THE WILD MUSTANGS “END?THIS IS WAY TO MUCH.THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED NOW.
LikeLike
Can’t any of the courts put an injunction in to stop this. Maybe if we asked for an emergency hearing before the courts in recent light of these deaths & others the judge would act more quickly on a restraining order & a warrant to get this done????? God this has to stop. They will wipe this horses & burros out in such in inhumane way & do not understand why we are not able to do more for them?
LikeLike
Mr Fitch : I said this once to you already; Thank you for your writings. There is lots of good words with your writings. BUT people ,you included, have to stop using NICE words. These are the words; used totally wrong. Stampede, that is where people go to pay and watch Pro ‘s abuse other animals. Round-ups, that is what we do with cattle. Runs, that’s a term bikers use for party time or other business; which may or may not be NICE. So I use runs in the true wording of this mustang business; DEATH RUNS; not stampedes, not round-ups; Death Runs; pure and simple. Theses wild animals are going to their death in one form or another. Death to the foals. Death to the unadoptable. Death to the stallions fighting the killers of their familys. Death to the freedom of thousands of years of the wild horses genes. Death thru sterilizers. Death to the American Peoples Freedom thru the loss of this ICON…That is why NICE words have to stop being used. People have to understand, there is nothing NICE happening to these Mustangs.. NICE words are beautiful, wild and free on the lands they learned to thrive in and survive, undisturbed for hundreds of years. My final word is EXTINCTION.. That is what the BLM is doing to these mustangs.. All for cow grass…ENOUGH NICE !!! Extinction thru death; the ones dying in the death traps are the lucky ones !! It is quicker than the HELL, the living ones will be going thru for the next twenty, thirty years. The ones in the death pens have no chioce but wait for it; waiting for their death sentence. And in reality the people who care; Who have this blood on their hands also.. Who only sat crying ,wringing their hands; asking the goverment who issued these orders to annilate the mustang to begin with…Please Stop.. Save Our Mustangs. I have always felt e’mails, petitions, letters, phone calls; even the courts are useless. I amoung others said Rally, Take it to the public, on the streets, it is the only way.. Even this is a dismal failure. The Great State of California is calling to march; to rally.. LAST I checked there are 11 ya 11 women signed up to storm the streets !! Not one man.. Not thousands.. 11 ladies with the true warrior’s guts to stand up and be noticed. And the goverment ?? Mite say pathetic few who really care.. EH ?? Enough NICE words.. Enough hand wringing.. Stand Americans and don’t just sit and let your women do your fighting..
LikeLike
Are any of you getting e-mail political flyers asking for money?? reply to the senders immediately– refusing to give them anything– tell them you are sending your extra $$ to grassrootshorse to support the lawsuits against BLM . Tell them it’s your “cause” and that you can not support other programs until this issue is resolved. Oh– and send some $$ to grassroots. This carnage on our public lands must stop.
LikeLike
I do that all the time, Ann! I don’t know how I got on the lists in the first place, but I often reply stating I will not fund a penny to their campaign until they take action on several items, all of which include wild horses and horse slaughter plus whatever else has a bee in my bonnet at that time. Keep it up!!
LikeLike
I fully agree we must stand for them the wild mustangs now like never before….Enough nicey nice , it is now time to STAND OUR GROUND FOR THE WILD MUSTANGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sick and tired and heart broken every day over this, I have no more tears left !!! !!!! We are American people we rule the US and we need to stop this horror once and for all…………………… We need to know just what exactly will stop them and proceed whole heartly, relentlessly just as the BLM is Doing , If they can do it , we certainly can after all we have the American people on our side for OUR BELOVED WILD MUSTANGS ………….. MAJORITY RULES HERE !!!!!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! We dont need to take this crap !!!! There is no Need to torture the Wild Mustang !!! Thats all we need to know !!!!!! UNITED WE STAND, the Mustang flourishes !! Divided the Mustangs will FALL ……………………………….
LikeLike
True words Jim, I have felt the frustration for a long time. I’m new to this horrible situation—just learned of it two and a half months ago. It seems like eternity. I am so grateful to those who are out there. I’m 65, disabled and on social security. I’m so limited as to what I can do. I use the phone alot. I talk regularly with BLM in Boise and the corrall manager. They rounded up the Saylor Creek herd a month ago. Supposedly because of a fire. I also talk with Pat Williams who oversees all the horses held here in the midwest. Just so they know someone is aware and watching.
Of course i make the phone calls and send emails. I’m thinking about hitting the streets myself.
LikeLike
Ellen, I too am very interested in the Saylor Creek HMA horses, the RMP I just refered to was the Jarbridge RMP, if we have no advocates in that area who can check on the status of those horses, I will-we need to have photos and descriptions of those horses, unbranded mustangs are showing up around the country, we must track where they are coming from, Horses gathered are not arriving at destinations and are nowhere to be found-they are not being offered for adoption..they are just disappearing. We should demand mane or tail hairs be pulled for DNA tests from individuals to get a data base that will tell us where they came from-this way we can trace every unbranded wildhorse that is found in a kill pen..Many of the horses being rounded up today are not being processed immediately, they are being shipped cross country before being “processed” and are MIA
LikeLike
If you have adopted a mustang, please have a DNA test done, it is simple pull afew hairs by the roots, it costs around $35 for the test, and we can start our own data base, maybe we can fund it for those that cannot afford it..a microchip only identifies an individual..the DNA test identifies the whole family unit on an HMA, and can trace members from the whole HMA who generally share distant relatives.
LikeLike
Ellen, We may have our handicaps but we need more advocates like you to take the initiative to stay on BLM and not give up. You are a proactive wonder. So glad you are there. Please tell us more about these horses from the ’emergency evacuation’ and tell BLM we are watching them and they better not misplace 200 Idaho wild horses. mar
LikeLike
AS always, there was NOTHING wrong with these horses until the BLM and their contractors got their hands on these horses, mares in the wild are living to ripe OLD ages(25-30 year old mares-stallions- rounded up @ calico..defying the notion that the horses can’t survive on the land..they are living longer than most domesticated horses..we are not finding dead foals with broken legs in the wild before these roundups start, or horses going off of cliffs, they are most dying natural deaths, or mancaused deaths via the blind hunters or drunk redknecks-who I refuse to call cowboys-a real cowboy has respect for animals and women-or die in cattle gaurds- the brutality being seen at these “raids” on the horses-is no advance in civilized behavior. The wild horses live in a land they know how to survive, despite all the fencing and crossfencing on their HMAs that make these areas look like a fricking subdivision..And everytime they attempt to touch these animals someone dies or is brutilized and then shot..I am as disgusted by the people who are standing by and not helping as I am by the rogues who are commiting the acts..Nothing you are doing can be justified, it is a Lie from begining to end, starting at the RMPs, where their are alternatives proposed for every possible use for the land..except the wild horses, on their own HMA..NO options listed..just a constant squeezing from all other interests.
LikeLike
animals are being destoyed because they are “blind in one eye” or missing a part of an ear..yet they were doing just fine in the wild, they completed the long and ardous run for miles chased by a helicopter that other horses with 2 eyes and their ears donot survive..Any Vet who recommends this needs to be castrated in the field with an arrowhead-then sent crawling back to their cattle feedlots to test for ecoli, samonelli and stop allowing downer cows into the food chain of americans..Government Veternarians..clean up you act or be replaced with real vets.
LikeLike
Jim, have you watched George Knapp’s STAMPEDE TO EXTINCTION? You can find it on most any of these blogs. You can also find the inside BLM documents and minutes that were obtained through the Freedom Of Information Act. Those are posted on almost all of the sites–try Equine Welfare Alliance first. You are right–none of it is nice. It that isn’t enough to get your blood pressure up and your patriotic blood boiling–read the peer review papers and THEN explore some of the intentions for OUR PUBLIC LAND.
LikeLike
Sandra is right. They set the rules and tell the Public what it Can and Can’t comment on.
The GAO just issued a report citing them for NOT keep a record of letters of protest regarding land sales and leases.
LikeLike
Those horses were alive BEFORE the round-ups.
LikeLike
When our few organizations want people to attend these roundups and say they will raise funds to get them to the roundups and then withdraw the funds or wait to the last minute to say they want someone to attend they are allowing this to go on without observers.
Why is there not a list of those who can go or are willing to? I am not naming names as I am supportive to both groups I have heard from on this. But you Must Plan Ahead. My own attempts to surmount the obstacles of money and attendance to the roundups was met with promises of money to be raised last winter and this fall. There should be good equipment made available and locals with 4x4s to get people out in the field with BLM. I have tried to stay on top of this for an entire year. I have helped in any way I could with information and BLM contacts and encouragement as well as funds from my own family. What Have You Done??? Made promises that have evaporated every time.
Get your act together out there and FUND observers properly. Stop doing things half assed. mar
LikeLike
Ellen, what you are doing is IMPORTANT! Thank you. The round-up of the Saylor Creek herd did NOT go unnoticed. They hauled those horses to Boise and THEN WHERE? For HOW LONG? They didn’t take any of the other wildlife out of that herd area—JUST THE WILD MUSTANGS.
LikeLike
There is hardly a square inch of that land in and out of that HMA that is not covered with a cattle allotment..looks like a feedlot..There must have been a big barbque if they didn’t remove the cattle..However if you read a judges decision posted on the right hand side..BLM can continue to graze cattle on those allotments-without reducing or removing while the restoration process is ongoing..but they will remove the horses and even say only “a few” may be released back..how very convient
LikeLike
What I don’t understand is why when a stampede is being challenged in the court and a court date is set, why is the BLM allowed to continue business as usual with the contested round up? By the time the case is heard in court, the stampede is over, horses are dead or sent to prisons and it is a moot point. Why is a restraining order not demanded until the case is heard? What am I missing here?
LikeLike
Great question, savethewildhorses…………….Cant wait for the answer?????
LikeLike
I am a Canadian and even these Mustangs are Icons in a lot of our lives. We grew up with the Wild West in our young lives, The Duke, Lone Ranger and THE Mustangs..these icons formed a lot of our lifes ways of thinking. Now we can only watch them being slaughtered like low life forms.. I am Canadian; an Albertan; who found out about wild horses way too late.. Our wild mustangs in Alberta are now annilated to 650 or less in the wilds of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains; 500$ bounty per horse; still trapped and slaughtered… We don’t have the BLM. We have a group called Natural Resources; same kinda people; all directed by cattle barons; mostly from the states; leasing our land; for our grass; for their cows. Getting our political puppets to lease that land to them for pennys. And annilate our wild horses to stop them from eating COW grass…Now it’s our wolves who don’t have horses as part of the food chain; they too, are being hunted down now; for eating COWS. Trappers now shot horses for wolf bait… These wild horses are finished; in a few years they will be complete inbreds and won’t survive the wild. This why I RANT … It’s too late for our wild horses they were lost in this same way of the USA mustangs; letters, petitions; people not caring; too few who did but still didn’t do enough soon enough.. You still have some left, get outa your chairs and do something, besides wring your hands. Get out there and support them 11 ladies in California or any where there are Rallys…..EH??
LikeLike
Thanks for your input Jim..I watched the 5 part canadian National Geographic on canadas wild horses having disappeared into the forest..trying to survive as the last of their species, canada, with all of their vast wilderness-has no excuse for not sharing-and neither do we..greed is a virus that knows no borders..and after they take the horses and the public lands…they will drool over something I have..we are not immune to the hunger and greed of government and corporations..It was only by one vote that the committe supported a no “no taking” of eniment domain of private property..by CORPORATIONS..for the transmisson lines for the new power being generated by clean energy sources..Something so positive they have turned into a ugle festering sore…stop clean renewable energy until the government has been bitch slapped for the underhanded way in which they are handling it.
LikeLike
The REAL irony in this is that the reason given for the needed 1 no vote..WWP had received a big settlement from ruby and the comittee member felt private land owners deserved more money as well..the vote was not cast “no” because it was the right thing to do..allowing a corporation to seize your land for their purposes should never be an option, should NEVER set a precedent for that kind of behavior and unlimited power.
LikeLike
and they call this progress. Ugh!
LikeLike
Ever listen to the song “they called it paradise” by Don Henly???? its the kiss of death..
LikeLike
Does anyone know if it is possible to bring a lawsuit against the death run companies and BLM, as a private citizen, since all of this is taking place on public lands.
LikeLike
There has been much talk in the past about a class action suit. I do think it should be ventured. ALL of us could participate. But as one person you should still talk to the best lawyers you can find and see if it is feasible. mar
LikeLike
Don’t go thinking that T.Boone Pickens or his wife are talking of doing something FOR the mustangs…..that man MAKES HIS MILLIONS from the minerals he can obtain, whether it be GAS, OIL, or WIND……..do a check on him, his wind machines and where out West here that he has been seen. They are NOT advocates for the horses as such, only trying to bandaid a spot so that when he moves in, he won’t hit so much conflict because of his “prior good deeds”…..
BLM is out to ERASE FOREVER ALL of our mustangs, and I want to know WHY NO ONE within this government, who have been talked to by those 54 colleagues who ARE against this, still refuse to act!?!?!?!
Having spoken to one BLM employee named Debby, yesterday, I was CONSTANTLY reminded to chech their site for information and updates that would tell me exactly what was going on. The others out there “observing” were the radical ones who were just trying to cause troubles. The horses being brought in were being rated on the scale at around 2 and 3, and I caught THAT lie because their photos taken BY THEM, NEVER showed ONE horse that extreme in condition!!! Something has to give, they are going to do all they can over the weekend to bring in as many horses as possible, in case SOMEHOW one of these suits to stop them actually get READ, HEARD AND ACTED UPON BY BEING HALTED, our mustangs are in dire jeopardy!! I am disabled or I would love to be up in the Baggs Wy. area to keep an eye on these killers…….I try and maintain my help by emailing and phoning those in the gov’t. to try and wake them up and do something RIGHT for a change. We DON’T need any more “sanctuaries”…. the MILLIONS of ACRES that BLM says wasn’t allotted to the mustangs when the laws were passed, STILL BELONG TO WE THE PEOPLE and as such WE should be able to determine HOW IT IS USED, AND by WHAT SPECIES be allowed there to live. STAND UP AMERICA!!!! Our horses need us!!!
LikeLike
This man has already made his billions. His money is allowing his wife to help the wild horses she loves. It’s a good thing to do with some of his billions.
LikeLike
I feel a small twinge of GOOD with what Madeline is doing, only cause it will stop the BLM from shipping them all to Mexico. What are her real motives ? I can’t judge on that, cause I don’t know. I do wonder if she has enough money to keep it going and for how long.. 20-30 years is a long time to sustain that many horses on a small plot of land she has compared to where they came off of. Who will maintain the fence lines alone?? And now winter feed ?? These aren’t rocket scientist questions just the same thing any horse owner faces… Costs and lots of them some years.. These mustangs are going to be on view with paying public. Not much wild will be left. As they are all going to be sterilized before they are set free, they are the last of the line of these mustangs…What happens after Madeline pass’s on; will the kids take over ?? And if it’s all for the Mustangs and they have that much money ..why not fight them in the highest courts they can ? Big money means they already have the best of the best in lawyers ? Why not buy land that has lots of wild ones left out there ? These Mustangs are going the way of the buffalo; only luckily them first few buffalos were not sterilized first.. EH ?? This is only a few of the issues with Madeline and her ranch..America has to stand up for the Mustangs fast and real soon and in the thousands as there are fewer and fewer of the true Mustangs left… if calclations are close this to me figures out to be less than 10000 and being cut down more every day…
LikeLike
Click to access SAM_pospectus.pdf
This is just the prospectus from Madeleine’s Ranch. We all need to read this and debate what we find. We also need to see the contract and at least give her feedback about what we see.
mar
LikeLike
Possession might be 9/10ths of the law..but when you rob someone of their property and you go to court…you have that property seized an it is returned to its rightful owner..that would be us..the taxpayer
LikeLike
Look, I don’t think Madeleine Pickens plan is a perfect plan, but it sure beats what is happening to our wild ones right now. Madeleine Pickens plan at least would allow us to see our wild ones and keep an eye on the horses that BLM traps. Yes, Madeleine is an advocate for the horses. She has worked her fingers to the bone stopping the slaughter houses in the U.S., she has set up a retirement fund for the retired race horses so they would not be sent to slaughter, she has lobbied the jockey club to prevent race horses from being transferred for slaughter in Mexico and Canada, she has show cased the wild mustang at National events and SHE has bought the farm. So, please stop on Madeleine Pickens and thank her for what she is doing.
I am so sick of people sitting around commenting but refuse to even send in $5.00 a year to help those out in the field. I know most of you think I Just joined but I have been around quite a while on this issue. I have just began posting publicly.
LikeLike
Does anyone want to even put this much effort in: Here is my plan. We have all written letters, some of us have attended meetings with the BLM, we have protested and advocates have filed lawsuits. Now, on Oct. 19th we will call, call, call. Let’s follow up the calls with a photo. A one full page photo of our horses to every Senator and every Representive. Put a simple caption on the page. MAKE them see what they are doing to our horses.
I originally thought I would have the photos professionally printed and then Laura said that as long as it was for the horses we could use her photos. I realized most of us do have the capabilities to print a decent photo right in our homes. This is very generous of Laura and she said that she would post even more photos. It really costs very little to print from our home computer.
We could mail the photos or I could make a trip to Washington, D. C. and deliver them to each. What do you think. My email address is whitmore@fastbytes.com.
Reply
LikeLike
So, is Herd Watch funding anyone to travel to these round ups? That would be a good use of Herd Watch funds. There needs to be people present at each one. With a really good zoom lens.
LikeLike
If we want to get more people to the roundups we need to raise more money. Laura does all she can. mar
LikeLike
I think most all of us are funding ourselves, it gets a little tougher in the winter..sleeping in your vehicle requires a snowsuit and some prospector long underwear..do they make an electric blanket that plugs into a cigarette lighter?? I suppose if I caught on fire it would give a whole new meaning to pigs in a blanket..LOL..then I COULD scare the pants off the BLM lightweights. Look we all need to do what we can..we are a ‘grassroots organization” and things are not easy, but they are necessary..The people who work the computers and the phone lines are as critical as the field work..it does no good to investigate without our “Paul Reveres” out there lighting up the switchboards and e-mails of the politicians and media..Everyone has an important role to play. I want to say this about Madelines plan, what it lacks is independance and reproduction..You cannot pick up a paycheck from the BLM without following “their” dictates.. The truth is, for all her amazing efforts to help the wild horses, it is a longterm holding facility, only this one we can visit, I assume for a fee. Unlike Return to freedom in which stallions and mares roam and reproduce- Madelines like all longterm facilities will be sterile herds of geldings and mares..where herds will live until their genetics die out..will I visit..NO. For me it would be too sad-a symbol of what was-and what we failed to accomplish..as long as there is a horse in the wild-I will visit them there.
LikeLike
Sandra, these horses are already non-reproducing. All the stallions were gelded long ago, right out of the chute. This is an opportunity for them to live as naturally as possibly rather than the squalor they live in now. Plus, try visiting these long term holding facilities and the short term ones which morph into ones were horses are held for years and years. They are privately run. YOu need a FOIA to find out where they are and then you’d need to be approved by the CIA-BLM to go see them. This is definitely better than where they are. Remember, out of sight, out of mind for 99% of Americans. Madeleine is trying to solve one part of the carnage by the BLM–the part where 45,000 horses are languishing in black holes. And we know Ms. Pickens would never accidentally sell any horses to slaughter. Can you say that about these independent, private contractors?
LikeLike
We know nothing about any of the long term holding facilities altho locals visit them.They may be doing a fine job of caring for the horses..we have no proof they are not at this point….Madeline will sign a contract with the BLM in order to get the $500 a year per horse..that takes away her ability to be independant..will that be like all the others and be a 4 year contract..you do know they have been picking up the horses from one contract and moving them across the country to another LTH facility that offers them a “better deal”? Had madeline done this the way return to freedom has-independant of the BLM, in a natural state, I could whole hearedly support it..for instance take all the horses being gathered at Adobe as an entire Herd, before the stallions were gelded..she could do that..It was done on a small scale with the calico horses..that is within her power to do.
LikeLike
I totally agree and fully understand the anger, frustration and helplessness we all feel, because of the abuse by the BLM to our majestic wild horses. I’ve been asking myself WHY? And, why so many and why so fast? On February 9, 2009, President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel made this statement: “You never want to let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before.” I want to share with you what I recently read in a special report by The Conservative Caucus. I believe this will shed some light of what may be in the plan. ” Sen. James DeMint uncovered a 21 page Obama Administration document wherein the President sets forth his plan to seize more than 10 million acres of oil and natural gas-rich land in the Western United States by placing it under “protection” of the Department of the Interior. “While Presidents have in the past abused the Executive Order to seize lands for public parks and other public purposes, this land grab Obama is now planning is on an unprecedented scale.” Many of you are probably already aware, but after reading this, it sheds even more light on this horrible tragedy and is part of the answer to WHY?! RT…you will continue to have my total support until it’s no longer needed!
LikeLike
Is the non-profit groups allowed to have a raffle to raise money? Perhaps, we can have a raffle for a custom made saddle as 1st prize. A tour with accomodations to view wild horses (if we can find any) to Nevada or Colorado 2nd prize.
Let’s all start thinking hard on how to raise money to help Save our wild ones.
LikeLike
I wish we could band together and do the same thing the Pickens have done.buy 200 or 300 square miles of land for the wild ones. A wide path method can make a 800 mile hike trail, envision hundreds of miles of an overhead travel/viewing method. Some family bands left alone only helped where they need it.
I wish we could save some before the blm kills them all. So tragic the blm killing off the last of the horses, natural selected for endless generations. even the last of the 15 yr plus branded horses seen going through auctions, the meatman gets them. we need to save more before its to late!
LikeLike
http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/4086
since no one is discussing this dispicable act committed by the wildlife and parks dept in texas, I am guessing most have not seen this..they have done this before in Texas at the parks, you would have thought they would have learned their lesson..they are shooting burros from their pickups, the employees as they see them in the park..intending to eradicate them before they bring in the bighornsheep, who will no doubt struggle to survive there..They are a sheep for crying out loud..if you want one to stick in your boots in texas,,for crying out loud..go to farmer johns..leave the animals who are suited and do well on the land..and they wonder why the little animals are so shy and have taken to the mountains..YOU ARE SHOOTING AT THEM..you morons.They are hiding in the hills to survive..of course you couldn’t bait trap them..you thick headed slugs,,they know you and anything that stinks like you is a …predator
LikeLike
And Texas-haven’t you got a decent group of cowboys amongst you who could go out on horseback and round them up without mutilating and brutalizing them??want me to send you some Oregon cowboys??? You all killed a million mustangs in Texas back in the Day-you have nothing there but some frickin oil wells and ratty weather, and no wild horses..but boy howdy..you gonna have yourselves some sheep..sorry Fitch, but at this momment I would gladly trade texas to mexico for a box of donuts. hows that for Texas hospitality????
LikeLike
Texas is a lost cause and getting worse. Zoning has killed off horse ownership close to any city. I think its so wrong of zoning and ords to class a pig/cow/goats the same as a companion riding horse. To hard/expensive to change zoning once its in, to late. Taxes (land) are so high even boarding stables can’t survive.
People have to see horses, touch them to love them. The only time many city/ town people see a horse is in some parade or on TV. There is no ‘work’ out in the countryside far from cities. Lord knows it would do the general public much good to ride horses, society is fat and lazy, getting worse. Zoning kills growth and progress of ‘the people’
LikeLike
Big Game Hunting in Texas for big, wealthy Oil and Gas tycoons? Could that be the reason for shooting Burros and bringing in NON NATIVE SPECIES into Texas?
LikeLike
I just looked at what the hunters pay to shoot sheep. For one hunter with two guides, the price is $6,500. For two hunters and two guides, the price is $12,000.00. A sport for the wealthy. So, they are shooting all the burro’s. The poor little things.
The hunters than pose with their sheep like the sheep is sitting next to them. What idiots. Wouldn’t a camera safari be much more satisfying. Texas has no reason for me to go there.
LikeLike
Our entire country is turning into a playground and profit making ground for the wealthy.
LikeLike
This is so true. It has been happening these past 40 years like gang busters. m
LikeLike
And send the BLM, their armed guards and their helicopters to the border along with them–the Border guards need help. They are fighting drug cartels–big time. People living on the border are scared. Place this agency where it is needed.
LikeLike
Why don’t they just hunt each other–that would be so much better sport. They are all predators so they should be very good at it.
LikeLike
They are a bunch of “girly-men”-who would soil themselves if someone pointed a gun at them, they shoot defenseless harmless burrors and desert sheep and god knows what else in their free time..not a redblooded man among them.Maybe Fitch could loan them his Camo thong..LOL
LikeLike
I like that statement.
LikeLike
and by all means..take your children to this park so they can see the dead bodies strewn around..are you people completly nuts??? Smokey the Bear aught to kick your A**
LikeLike
Debra, this is from the Cloud blog–you might not have seen it yet:
Fall Auctions to benefit The Cloud Foundation
September 29, 2010 by thecloudfoundation
Greetings to The Cloud Foundation and wild horse supporters. Thank you for a successful online HerdWatch auction in August. I am gathering donated items for an October and November online auction now. We are requesting handcrafted or unique items that could bring $100 or more. Please contact Christine at Christine@thecloudfoundation.org
LikeLike
These online auctions could become VERY successful–and it really wouldn’t have to cost much for people who have items to donate.
LikeLike
The “Smokey the Bear” people are too busy building an unnecessary fence accross the Pryor Mountain habitat which is home to Cloud’s herd–thereby cutting off the grazing pattern of these horses that have been there and grazed those meadows for generations.
LikeLike
I just made two more converts, today. They were both VERY interested and wanted to know more. This was all news to them and they will now find the information for themselves and pass that information on to others. That is the way a ground movement
starts and then gains momentum and continues to build.
LikeLike
Are there any here that are good at organizing online auctions?
R.T. and Terry are putting a LOT on the line for this…..an online auction could help raise some much needed funding. The Holidays are coming up and people are starting to look for gifts–especially when the purchase goes to help a good cause.
LikeLike
How about ebay?
LikeLike
I did some research about online auctions and the costs usually outweigh the benefits. Plus they’re complicated to set up. I think doing this through CF would be best, since $$ would be direct – no middle-men.
Another idea – I received a mailer from a company many years ago. It involved mainly craftspeople. Items were ordered through the company and sent directly from the crafter so the company didn’t have to deal with inventory or shipping. % to the individual, % to the company. Today we wouldn’t need to print or mail anything thanks to the Internet.
Just a thought.
LikeLike
I also think we should start spreading it all over Twitter and Facebook what the Texas Parks and Wildlife is doing…….killing all the little wild burros by gunshot, or by running over them with their pickups for the sheer fun of it since they have the go-ahead to kill them anyway (I’m almost sure we will all be reading about THAT, too, in a few days…All for the big fat TEXAN SLOB PLAY_HUNTERS. Post articles on message boards, etc.
LikeLike
This is an article from The Desert Independant and normally I would just post a link, but this is too vital to take a chance some will miss it:
——————————————————————————–
BLM Declares Their Land “Non-Public Forums”
An Editorial by the Publisher
——————————————————————————–
By ROBERT WINKLER
The Desert Independent
October 15, 2010
In a response filed in a Nevada court on October 14th the Bureau Of Land Management (BLM) revealed that “herd management areas” and perhaps other areas of public lands at their unilateral choosing can, be considered by the government “non-public forums.”
This is interesting news to the rest of us who have considered these lands public, open and freely accessible. It would seem, according to Ken Salazar, Bob Abbey and those they lead at the Department of Interior and BLM, the we, the press, and by extension, you the public have no have no right to know how the government manages your public resources.
The government is controlling the content of the information that reaches you, the public, by prohibiting journalists who may portray them in an unflattering light.
Our interest at this moment is wild horses on public lands. Next year it might be gas pipelines, uranium mining, or nuclear waste storage. The public has a right to know. The government behaves when citizens are watching.
They know that. They know that. They know that.
That is why Ken Salazar and Bob Abbey are fighting in court to prevent public access.
Shame on Ken Salazar.
Shame on Bob Abbey.
Shame on the agencies doing their dirty work hidden from the light of the public eye.
You cannot tear down such a national monument and not be remembered Ken and Bob. We shall not forget you; and, history shall not forget both of your hideous rolls in this.
LikeLike
=( we need more photojournalists there to witness these. This is disgusting and shameful how we are treating our animals, wildlife, civilization anymore. we all have to stand up and say enough is enough together if this matters to us. how about us targeting the Int’l buying market too ~ those eating horse meat ~ lets tell them what they are eating and show photos
LikeLike
It’s unspeakably terrible that still more horses have to die for still more days, but the Federal judge’s failure to approve the latest restraining order may actually be a good sign. During a seven year legal battle in which I finally prefailed after the case slowly made its’ way to our State Supreme Court, going through level after level of appeals (with us losing most rounds), I learned that on occasion a judge who is actually sympathetic to your position may have to let the legal wheels grind along in a way that seems to have you headed for defeat, only to later reveal that your preperation, trust, and patience was your key to victory. I have my fingers crossed that this will turn out to be one of those cases.
LikeLike
Sandra Miller Says:
October 18, 2010 at 2:04 pm | Reply
Yes, Louie, we have participated in that initiative by IDA. I went back to my “Trash” to make double sure that I sent out the same petition, and I did.
Thank you for posting the comment by Sandra Longley from the “Horseback Magazine” site. THAT I did not know about. Sandra does a wonderful job of capturing the passion of this incident, which IS despicable! I would add, “and they wonder why we have a abundance of private citizens breaking our fish, game, and humane laws.” You need to look no further than the poor examples set by our federal and state government workers!!
Everyone should be sure that he/she is familiar with the basic animal humane and protection laws in their state of residence. Recently, in response to a petition (probably about the horse slaughter bill), I received these statements in a letter from my Indiana Senator, Evan Bayh:
“As you may know, the regulation of the treatment of animals takes place on the federal, state, and local level. On the federal level, the most significant animal protection laws are the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It may interest you to know that in the State of Indiana there are animal cruelty laws that prohibit the intentional torture, beating, mutilation and physical abuse of animals. Therefore, individuals who engage in these activities are committing a crime. Should you become aware of incidents involving the intentional abuse of animals, I recommend that you contact your local animal control agency or local law enforcement officials. I am hopeful they will be able to more effectively address your concerns.”
My question is, why is it so difficult to investigate and prosecute under state/federal law when companies (corporate farms and ranches, for instance) are obviously doing something that may well be in violation of state/federal humane laws? There seems to be a two-tier system in operation in this country – one for corporations and the government agencies, and one for the rest of us. What if my neighbor’s burros in Indiana strayed on my private property and I proceeded to shoot all of them (because they might interfere with my domestic sheep)? Would this be OK? Would I escape any punishment? Shooting the burros, however, is like the present campaign in some of the western states to shoot all the wolves. The state/federal governments think they can do these things without any repercussions from the law at all. Are they all above laws which only apply to us peons? By not setting a law abiding example, which includes attention to HUMANE law, these agencies are simply encouraging private citizens to break the law and thus making their over all job all the more difficult!
The dear little burros. I try never to write about the wild horse issue without ALWAYS referring to the “wild horses AND the burros”. Thank you, Sandra, for writing about this with such passion! Louie, post this on the “Horseback Magazine” site where Sandra left her comments if you like.
LikeLike