Archive for June 12, 2012

Wild Horses: BLM Wild Horse Long Term Holding Tour in Kansas

Posted: June 12, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Tags: , , , ,
17

Report by Carol Walker, WHFF advisory board member, as posted on Wild Hoofbeats

“There was absolutely no mention of cattle or sheep on the range, who vastly outnumber wild horses”

“Mares on the Ridge” by Carol Walker of Living Images

On Saturday morning, I drove to the Walmart in El Dorado, Kansas to go on the tour provided by the Bureau of Land Management of one of the largest Long Term Holding facilities for wild horses in the country.  With 4400 wild horses on 3200 acres, Bob Buford’s Shadow 7 Ranch is known to the BLM as the “Teeterville Complex.” There were lakes and plentiful waterholes and very green grass, almost so green it hurts your eyes, completely unlike the arid, sparse range that these horses are used to.

Over 200 members of the public signed up for the tour, and there were more BLM staffers than I have ever seen in one place before, including  from Washington D.C. Lily Thomas and Joan Guilfoyle, new Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Division. Many of the people on the tour had never seen a wild horse, but there were also people wearing mustang club t-shirts.

While on one of the 5 huge air conditioned buses, we were given explanations about wild horses on the range and the need for holding facilities, and shown excerpts of the shiny new BLM Propaganda DVD “The Story of America’s Wild Horses and Burros.” We were also told that the main problem facing wild horses was overpopulation. There was absolutely no mention of cattle or sheep on the range, who vastly outnumber wild horses.

At least they did not include portions of Lili Thomas’ video where she claims that wild horses are far better off in long term holding than in the wild, and that the BLM is “removing them from stress” – in case you missed this gem, here it is: http://www.thehorse.com/Video.aspx?n=behind-blm-pasture-gates&vID=578

Some of the rhetoric made it seem as though the horses in this facility would never leave, no longer eligible for adoption, but live out their lives in idyllic splendor in the rich grass fields of Kansas.  But I did ask and clarify that the 10 and older horses could be sold without limitation, and were at risk of ending up who knows where – at risk of being slaughtered.  Paul McGuire from Oklahoma told me that only 1000-1500 horses were sold per year from long term holding, but when I had an opportunity to speak to Bob Buford myself, those figures seem low.  He told me had had just sent 200 to a couple of different states, and this last year had sent 1700 to Hutchison Correctional Facility. He told me that the mortality rate is about 3 – 4% and the horses can live to 25 or even 30, which is a good 5-10 more years than in the wild.

35 million dollars from American taxpayers is spent every year keeping these wild horses in short term and long term holding facilities, instead of leaving them free on the range.  Many more millions are spent each year rounding up and removing them from their homes.

With 5 buses, you can imagine that wild horses might not be easy to get close to, and you would be right. We started in the mare pastures, with horses being segregated by sex, as in all the holding facilities.  At the first stop, as people piled off the buses cameras in hand, the horses ran, stopped, moved around, and got further and further away from all the hullabaloo. Some of my closer images were taken out of a tinted bus window.

We got off the buses two more times, and were treated to a large group of mares curious enough to run a big circle around the vehicles.  Then we headed to a huge machine shed for lunch, mercifully not being treated to a long lecture by the BLM – they though better of it given the heat and so many people packed into the building.

After lunch we headed for the gelding pastures in another part of the ranch.  The geldings seemed far more skittish than the mares, and every time we saw horses they ran. They also were in much smaller groups, and we saw two or three horses together as well.

Bob Buford attempted to get a group of geldings to come closer with the help of 4 wheelers, but the wild horses were smart enough to get away, and keep going.

During the tour, I was very aware of the absence of one of the most vital parts of wild horse society – family.  It was odd seeing groups of mares all by themselves – they formed in large groups, very unlike the usual small families of 2 to 10, with the stallion, mares, youngsters and foals. It is a beautiful, sterile environment, and reminded me more watching of a group of ranch horses than wild horses.

The horses seemed to be in good condition, and many people asked me about their feet, which I was not able to get a good close look at, but zooming in on the photos showed wear and tear that looked like in the wild.

After this, the decision was made to head back to Walmart and our cars, including mine with my “Save America’s Wild Horses” magnets on the side – I received quite a few thumbs up on this. The BLM stayed to answer questions, and I was happy to get on the road heading toward home, and my three adopted mustangs.

Click (HERE) to visit Carol’s site and to view her outstanding photos
Related articles

Update: California Equipment Rental Company Bought Oregon Land for Horse Slaughter Plant

Posted: June 12, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Tags: , , , ,
33

By R.T. Fitch ~ president Wild Horse Freedom Federation

Secrecy Behind Possible Horse Butchering Operation Evaporating

Anti-Horse/Pro-Slaughter Activist Dave Duquette from Hermiston, Oregon.

Public records reveal that Liberated L&E LLC, an equipment and machine rental company based in Palmdale California bought a 252-acre parcel of land in Hermiston,OR for $600,000 last March with the expressed intent of building an alleged horse slaughter plant on the location.  Hermiston, OR is the hometown of Dave Duquette, president of an anti-horse/pro-slaughter lobbying organization,  announced in March that a horse slaughter plant was to be built in his community and that the land would be donated; Duquette was, and still is, short on details.

Internet sources and the California Secretary of State indicate that listed managing members of Liberated L&E LLC are Robert Joseph Zamrzla and Jonny Lee Zamrzla who are also directors of the California firm Stone Roofing East, Inc.

According to a recent report in the Hermiston Herald City Planner Clint Spencer sent a memo to City Manager Ed Brookshier alerting him to the possibility of the proposed intent of a horse slaughter plant being built upon the purchased parcel.

“There has been no movement with Umatilla County in terms of meeting with staff or submission of land use applications for the horse slaughter facility,” Spencer was quoted as saying, however he did go on to clarify that the land sale has been completed.

Mayor Bob Severson and councilors Frank Harkenrider and Jackie Myers spoke out against such a facility in the Hermiston area. Severson has also voiced opposition to such a facility in recent weeks.

“I cannot see where a horse slaughtering plant would do anything to improve our community or our image for attracting new business and industry,” Severson wrote in a letter read May 14 to city council in his absence. Severson wrote in response to a letter to the editor from Kaye Killgore of Portland published May 17 in the East Oregonian. Killgore, who described herself as a frequent visitor to the area and with friends here, wrote that slaughterhouses elsewhere can be environmental nightmares, among other criticisms of Duquette’s plan.

“The biggest thing I’m concerned about is, I don’t want anything with odor or anything like that to detract from the community we have today,” Severson said, “To me a horse is a recreation animal or a work animal. We don’t need to slaughter them for food.”

Click (HERE) to visit Duquette’s hometown newspaper and to Comment

 

Related articles