By Jordan Steffen as appearing in the Denver Post
“They are selling horses to known individuals that operate horse-slaughter businesses.”
BLM at Antelope Complex last year ~ photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Wild-horse advocates are calling on the Bureau of Land Management to suspend its annual roundup following an investigative report suggesting that some animals are being sold to slaughterhouses.
A ProPublica investigative report, published Sunday in The Denver Post, revealed that Colorado livestock hauler — and longtime horse-slaughter advocate — Tom Davis has purchased at least 1,700 wild horses and burros since 2009. While Davis signed the required contract promising the animals will not be slaughtered, he also admitted to maneuvering around Colorado law to move the animals across state lines.
Since 2010, he has sought investors for his own slaughterhouse, according to the ProPublica report.
On Monday, the same day federal officials launched a roundup of thousands of horses in six states, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign called on the BLM to halt the program until it can ensure that no more animals will be sold for slaughter.
“We’re hoping this brings attention to the broken federal wild-horse management program,” said Suzanne Roy, director of the coalition, which includes more than 50 advocacy organizations. “They are selling horses to known individuals that operate horse-slaughter businesses.”
A number of horses gathered during roundups are put up for adoption. A 1971 law declared wild horses as “living symbols” of history and made it illegal to kill the horses on most federal land, the ProPublica report said. In 2004, Congress passed a law allowing thousands of wild horses to be sold for $10 a head. The BLM later installed a condition requiring buyers to sign the no-slaughter contract. Violating the contract is a felony.
The roundup, which will run through February in Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, is expected to corral 3,500 wild horses and burros, officials told The Associated Press. Roy is calling on the public to reach out to lawmakers and demand federal funds be withheld until stricter rules are passed.
“These animals are protected by an act of Congress,” Roy said. “They need to be treated as the national icons they are. The change is only going to come when an army of citizens, willing to speak up for the mustangs, grow.”
While there are no roundups currently taking place in Colorado, the controversial practice has a long history in the state. Officials estimate the wild- horse population to be anywhere from 600 to 1,000.
Ginger Kathrens, executive director of the Colorado Springs-based Cloud Foundation, called the BLM’s management of wild-horse herds in Colorado “shabby,” and said the dwindling horse population is greatly misunderstood.
“The safest place for a wild horse is in the wild,” Kathrens said. “The fate of horses, once they are captured, is murky based on some of the newest revelations of what’s going on.”…continued
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Hoping! Taking a break and giving the horses a break! It’s a win – win – win… peace for the horses, the BLM and wildhorse advocates! Just in time for the holidays! Wonderful!
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What do we have to do to stop the insane slaughtering of Our Mustangs , whatever it is we had better get on it , time is wasting here folks, and has been for a long time !!!!!! We need to figure out what it takes and then resign ourselves to it……….. The time for talking and asking begging they will never listen , we must get it through our heads that they will I repeat never stop, knowing full well that is the case with them, WHAT must we do???????????????????????? They are Murdering greedy criminals and Felons……………The Mustangs belong to America not a bunch of Criminals…………………………. We have presented every reason in the world to save them,…. With the precision of a Philadelphia Lawyer now we need to execute each reason ……………………………….
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I just commented on this article . More comments are needed.
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Will Congressional Rep Jim Moran assist?? This is insane!!!! Congressman C. W. Bill Young of Florida, is one the Budget Committee, which funds these “disasters.” Try contacting his office…
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I will have an update at week’s end on Rep. Jim Moran’s assistance with getting our “Stop the Stampede” letters in front of Obama.
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Thank You RT cant wait to hear !!!!!
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I recently read about the fate of our wild horses. I had no idea that the BLM was treating them so inhumanly. Can you give me any information on who I can contact to help save the wild horses. We need to stand up for the beautiful creature that help us fight for and settle this land we live in. They help fight for this country just as we did and they deserve to live in the land of the free.
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I share you anticipation, Arlene!
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Thanks RT for the updates. I figured that Obama had not seen the petitions and letters..He’s been out campaigning. My theory is that while the cat’s away the rats will play..Salizar n company of thieves. It makes Obama look bad especially that he probably is unaware of any of this and doesn’t know what’s going on in his own white house.
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Tell us what else we can do to stop the BLM!!! How can they ignore our pleas???
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They can ignore our pleas because they can.
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Please reprint this and add the contact information to register protests against the BLM activities.I’ll send it to everyone I know.
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I’ve contacted my reps urging them to stop BLM roundups and investigate the agency. But will they see the urgency? – No.
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When is this going to end…when all of our beautiful mustangs have been taken off the land, which has been their home for centuries? They need our protection now, more than ever or they will become nothing more than a memory. We simply cannot allow this to continue! They are apart of us, the American people….
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Dear Jean, I fully agree with you !!!!!
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I have been in constant contact with Sen Marco Rubio’s office about this matter and they have shown clear concern. When I updated them today that on day one of the roundup not 1 but 2 horses were killed and that a video was forthcoming they asked the video be forwarded at the earliest possible moment.
God bless the 2 who lost their lives today while fighting for their freedom…
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I have shed many heartfelt tears for our Mustangs in the Past, I am sure it is nothing compared to the agony the Mustangs of their losses………..And the Cruelest blow of them all is , they suffer for nothing !!!!!
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As soon as we get the video I suggest we send it to all our Reps. and Senators and to all the media.
Also it looks like the BLM went ahead with the helicopter roundup before the deadline for comments on the EA was up.The wild horses were only 200 over the AML and cattle outnumber the horses 9:1. The EA was for water bait-trapping but also mentioned the possibility of using helicopters. It included the Triple B and Maverick-Medicine HMA’s also. Now 2 horses are dead already and those are the ones we only know about plus no tellings how many were injuried. Why didn’t the BLM remove the cattle and haul more water ?! This is not balancing the use of our public lands.
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Dear Barbara, sometimes I forget how unnecessary this whole Murdering Rampage is,,,,,,,,,,, in the first Place the complete waste of Money , and the most important thing how absolutely devoid of any rational thought !!! It is INSANE to do what they are doing , there is only one place these Total Criminals belong and that is in a padded cell…………………….
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That’s not their plan. It is to eradicate ALL free roaming mustangs on the range so that other interests can run it. Their plan is to send these same mustangs to slaughter and make $10 per head because Salizar in Washington says so. Their planned excuse is that it costs too much to keep these mustangs in captivity. This is the end if our mustangs. This is the end of our rights and freedom. This will look bad for Obama who they don’t like anyway.
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