R.T. Fitch, author of "Straight from the Horse's Heart" and President/Co-Founder of 'Wild Horse Freedom Federation' ~ putting People between Wild Horses and Extinction
“I pledge Allegiance to the Wild Equines
of the United States of America and to the Icon
for which they stand, one symbol, understood,
undeniable, with liberty and freedom for all.” ~ R.T. Fitch
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Wild Horse Freedom Federation, Inc. is a Texas registered non-profit corporation, a Federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and has now registered as a non-profit corporation with the States Attorney Offices of all 50 states. All donations to WHFF are 100% tax deductible. Federal Tax Identification number: 45-2526314
Lenas Buddy Nic, rider Shane Steffen and his wife, Beth Lenas Buddy Nic, a late-blooming horse who didn’t endear himself to his trainer at first, shined at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity today, carrying Shane Stef...
A lot of folks have been asking us about all the wildfires that are happening in the state of Colorado. There are a lot of them occurring. One question on a lot of peoples’ minds: what does this mean for the wild horses? Right now, none of the fires burning in the state are threatening [...]
Please note that several of the photos in the articles are "Extremely Graphic." While we had an interesting debate about publishing the photos, we'd rather show you the reality than just say the words. As the pro-slaughter industry has proven, words said to prove a point are easily twisted to hide the truth, while un-Photoshopped pictures simp […]
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there and to my mine in particular. Love you bunches Mom! (Piceance Creek/East Douglas HMA, Colorado). Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images are available online at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by […]
Join us this evening May 19th, 2013 at 7:00 pm CST! 5:00 pm PST … 6:00 pm MST … 7:00 pm CST … 8:00 pm EST Listen Live HERE! Callin # 917-388-4520 Join us this evening as we discuss the strange disappearance of Florida online guardianship files that ocurred over a two week period. The […]
Sorry for being MIA for the past few weeks. I’ve had a lot on my plate, but will try to keep up a bit better soon. I’m kinda posting this on the fly today but thought y’all would like to know that one of our PSA poster children has been at it again and not […]
On Sunday, I was driving in Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Area in the Red Desert of Wyoming. This area is over 1 million acres in size, vast and beautiful in parts, with power plants, a few ranches, wildlife (which includes deer, antelope, and wild horses), plus cattle and sheep. You can drive for over ...
Water Shortage Used as Excuse to Decimate Paisley Desert Wild Horse Herd
Lakeview, Ore. – On August 20, 2012, a BLM Lakeview District staff member and a local permittee discovered that horses in the Paisley Desert Herd Management Area (HMA) had been out of water for a few days.
Hauling water to horses at dry waterholes began on August 22, 2012. Access in this area is difficult and the expectation of the loss of resources such as engines and water tenders to fire emergencies, led to the decision to remove horses from the HMA.
The BLM determined that the emergency removal of the Paisley Desert wild horse herd is needed to ensure their survival until fall/winter moisture comes. Congregating on limited water sources and traveling great distances to other water sources will begin to negatively affect the horses’ health.
Approximately 200 wild horses will be gathered using a helicopter and then transported by trailer to the Burns Wild Horse Corrals. The Paisley Desert horses will be separated by sex and retained in separate corrals. Depending on environmental conditions, some of the horses may be returned to the HMA in order to bring the wild horse population to the Animal Management Level (60-150 horses.) The rest of the horses will be placed for adoption.
Privately owned livestock allowed to remain on the range while wild horses risk death in helicopter roundup
BLM’s documented cruel Helicopter Stampede contractor “Sun J” tormenting native wild horses during last year’s Antelope Complex disaster ~ photo by Terry Fitch
WASHINGTON (June 7, 2012)—Protect Mustangs, Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF), scores of equine advocacy groups and the American public oppose the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Jackson Mountain roundup, in northwestern Nevada famous for Burning Man, set to begin tomorrow. The advocacy organizations and members of the public are reaching out to elected officals nationwide to come to the aid of America’s wild horses and burros. The BLM has chosen to endanger heavily pregnant mares and tiny foals by stampeding them in a terrifying helicopter roundup. Protect Mustangs asked BLM to continue trucking out water and other aid as needed for the indigenous wild horses. Their request was refused. Trucking aid to them is cheaper than a cruel million dollar roundup paid for by the American taxpayer. Originally the wild horse removal was planned for after foaling season in July but BLM claims the indigenous horses are at risk because of drought conditions even though rain is forecast and private livestock is allowed to remain grazing on the range.
“We need our elected officials to intervene at this point,” says Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “We asked the BLM to continue bringing them water but they refused to wait until foaling season is over. Now the BLM will round them up and jeopardize their ability to peacefully birth their babies.”
“Wouldn’t it make more fiscal sense to remove the privately owned welfare cattle from the public land?” added R.T. Fitch,volunteer president of WHFF, “This is just another clear cut case of the BLM thumbing it’s nose at the public, putting the native wild horses at risk and all because they believe that ‘they can’”.
In March 2012, Joan Guilfoyle, BLM wild horse and burro division chief, announced to the world they would use a new method to capture mustangs—bait trapping. Now the government agency is demonstrating their double speak and lack of human care for America’s wild horses. The roundups, funded by Congress, continue.
“The BLM obviously doesn’t care about the welfare of pregnant mares and tiny foals,” states Novak. “Stampeding them will cause spontaneous abortions and newborn foals won’t be able to keep up. Will they be separated from their mamas and left out there to die?”
Protect Mustangs is calling on Americans to contact their senators and representatives because theses wild horses belong to all Americans. Members of the public are encouraged to ask their elected officials intervene–to stop the Jackson Mountain foaling season roundup and bring America’s indigenous horses aid if needed.
The preservation group also suggests voicing concerns to Nevada’s Congressman Joe Heck 202-225-3252 (fax 202-225-3252) and Senator Dean Heller 202-224-6244 (fax 202-224-6244).
“The BLM is using the drought as an excuse to clear out wild horses while risking their death,” explains Novak. “They are leaving livestock on the same allegedly drought afflicted land to graze, so BLM’s actions don’t make any sense. It just shows how the government agency wants to dispose of America’s icons.”
Advocates ask Nevada BLM to reschedule their ‘public’ hearing
BLM Bird of Prey ~ by Terry Fitch
SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (June 2, 2012)—Protect Mustangs, the Bay Area-based preservation group, has been in negotiation with BLM California and is happy to announce that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has agreed to postpone the California helicopter and motorized use public hearing to a later date. Using helicopters at wild horse and burro roundups is controversial. Americans nationwide call helicopter roundups cruel.
“We want to thank BLM California for their act of good faith to promote transparency,” says Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs. “The American public wants to participate but they need 30 days notice in order to make travel arrangements.”
On May 30th the preservation group discovered BLM California’s press release online. With only 4-5 days until the hearing, they contacted BLM and opened up the dialogue requesting the public hearing be postponed and rescheduled.
The Nevada saga
“Even though 80% of America’s indigenous wild horses live on public land in the State of Nevada, they belong to all Americans–from San Francisco to New York City,” explains Novak. “They are icons of freedom and must not be terrorized by helicopters.”
Previously on May 27th, Protect Mustangs requested for Nevada BLM to kindly reschedule their public hearing, for helicopter and motorized vehicle use for roundups and management, because their public notice was too short (5 business days) and basically no one knew about it.
Unlike the California BLM who took proper action to protect public process, the Nevada BLM refused to reschedule the public hearing on helicopters so the public would have adequate notice (30 days) to attend.
“BLM Nevada shows the American people they want to avoid engaging public input,” says Kerry Becklund, outreach director for Protect Mustangs. “Hiding public hearings from the public demonstrates a lack of transparency.”
Protect Mustangs, Wild Horse Freedom Federation and members of the public oppose BLM’s disclaimer that the agency will not safeguard the personal identifying information PII) BLM requires in order to comment. Clearly thisinvasion of privacy suppresses free speech. The group is asking for the PII to be minimal and for the BLM to withhold the PII if requested by the commenter.
“One of the gems of America is that the people can participate through public comment and public hearings,” says Novak. “We don’t want people to feel their rights to privacy will be violated if they speak out.”
The group continues negotiations with BLM Nevada, to reschedule the controversial Nevada helicopter hearing so members of the public may attend and give oral comment.
Members of the public are encouraged to fax the BLM head office in Washington DC to request the Nevada helicopter hearing be rescheduled with a 30 day notice given to the public. The fax number is: 202-208-5242. They may also email their request to Deputy Director Mike Pool at Mike_Pool@blm.gov .
Meanwhile, the group asks the public to send in their comments about using helicopters and other motorized vehicles at roundups and for other wild horse and burro management. They welcome the public to send them a copy of their comments toContact@ProtectMustangs.org so Protect Mustangs can watchdog the process.
Federal Grazing Agency Bullied Through Meeting but Extended Comment Period
BLM Contract Chopper Cruelty ~ photo by Terry Fitch
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) covert holiday weekend announcement of a planned public hearing on the use of controversial helicopters during much contested wild horse stampedes, to take place only hours later, drew the nation’s ire and resulted in the federal grazing agency conducting the sparsely attended meeting on May 29th while extending the period for comment until June 12th.
The Nevada branch of the BLM, where the bulk of America’s few remaining wild horses and burros reside, claims to “welcome” comments from the public as part of it’s statewide hearing on the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles in it’s failed management of wild horse and burro operations.
The instructions for sending in comments are quite specific so, if interested, attention to detail is a must; particularly when BLM’s inability to accurately count and/or listen to comments is taken into consideration.
The issue is the use of helicopters to terrorize and stampede federally protected wild horses and burros from their rightful public lands and then to use semi-trucks, trailers and pickups to haul them off to parts unknown where the BLM is gearing up to allow all of them to be sold off for slaughter.
If you would care to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves mail or fax to:
Carson City District Office
5665 Morgan Mill Road
Carson City, NV 89701
Attn: WHB Motorized Hearing
FAX: 775-885-6147
And here is a nice touch, in an effort to make you feel safe, warm and fuzzy the Wild Horse Harvesting Machine INSISTS that you include your physical address, phone number, email or other personal identifying information with your comment. Nice touch, eh?
But the destructors of our National Icons are not finished, yet…they have one more twist, or threat, that they want to throw in and this is a direct quote:
“Please be aware your entire comment–including your personal identifying information–may be made publicly available at any time. While you may request we withhold your personal information from public view, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.”
You just gotta love it.
If you would also like to vote in an online poll on the cruelty of the BLM swing by Reno’s NBC News 4 website to take part in their poll, click (HERE)…at the time of this writing 67% were against the usage of helicopters to torment, terrorize and ultimately undo the wild equines of our public lands.
This is the last video that will be posted for a bit. Editing video takes an incredible amount of time. I will go back to archiving the video in case the documentation is required and posting still images. But I think this series of three days gives you an idea how frustrating this is. It will not give you a clear picture of the wear and tear on your vehicle, the damage done to your equipment or the toll it takes on your face.
Day 4 began at holding and the lame excuses about the medical treatment of these foals (that were now euthanized) set the tone. Sometimes my hands will shake from the stupidity. It is like being a teacher in Kindergarten… but the Kindergartners make the rules.
Yes, the tone of this report is terse. But being with this contractor every day but two during Antelope, and now watching this at Triple B, is like chewing on tin foil.
I am usually very patient and quiet. I do my observations and reports.This time I am trying very hard not to allow the frustration to drive me.
On another front there may be some good news soon, but that will have to wait for another day. So pray that sanity can begin to take root somewhere.
Day 4 brought with it frustration after frustration.
It began with the excuses about water and food, with no indication that anything would change. It continued with the absurd assertions about the injured foals.
At the trap the radio was again left so I could not hear anything until one time Heather Emmons left it loud enough that I could pick up a call. It was the pilot asking Alan Shepherd to glass a horse that could not keep up. I was given no further information as to the age or reason the horse could not keep up… and of course I was held to a position that did not allow me any observation.
The horses the pilot drove into the trap came in two groups.
Then 4 runners went out and the pilot. The pilot asked Shepherd the location and was told it should be “right under you.” It was apparently a bush.
I asked if I could go to the rise and look. I said that all eyes should be utilized. I was not granted permission, nor was it denied. I stayed behind the tape. It is my belief that this agency attempts to push the limits of control until we are tempted to break them… only to utilize the unreasonable restraints against us.
After almost an hour of no information, BLM personnel reading newspapers, I asked to go give my dog water and check on him. That permission was granted. I hung out in the vehicle with the dog, as it is much cooler there. I saw two runners beating it back to the trap so I went back to the observation area only to find out that the runners were coming back… not because they had found anything… but because the pilot was driving horses to the trap.
Shepherd had given the authorization for resources to abandon the search and begin operations. The other two runners also returned to the trap. I expressed my outrage in no uncertain terms. I informed personnel that I had called people from my vehicle and the public knew they had stopped looking. I informed them I was not leaving until the horse was located.
After the drive Heather was called down to speak with Alan.
Miraculously the horse that had now been missing for over an hour and a half had been found. It had “run back home” and hooked up with a stud. A trailer went down the road and in less than ten minutes came back… with a load that looked much like it did when it left.
As I am not permitted to travel the same road as the trailer it would take me about an hour longer to reach holding. I would not see this animal unload.
The animal was allegedly a 4 month old that was so deformed it couldn’t run correctly and was euthanized. The same animal that ran almost to the trap and back again… I can not confirm that there was an animal even picked up off that range.
Have you pulled out all your hair yet? Have you gritted your teeth so badly that you have broken molars? Have you bitten your lip so hard it bleeds? Have you vowed to god you will not allow this “spoiled child agency” to continue without challenge… no matter what it takes?
On behalf of all self-actualized and compassionate human beings I would like to extend to you a most heartfelt congratulations, this day, on the advent of your sixteenth year of accompanying us on this voyage across time and space upon the spaceship we call Earth.
Sixteen years ago a wonderful cinematographer and her friend witnessed you entering this world. At that time you probably had no idea of the mantle of responsibility and notoriety that you would bear upon your withers and soul. As a young palomino, born wild amongst some of the most wondrous grandeur known on earth, you didn’t have a clue as to your destiny or the part you would play in the trivial game of human ego, greed and cruelty. And if I had my way, you still would not know.
But like so many of your brethren you were not spared the cruelty of the perverted, special interests of human greed as you were harassed, terrorized, rounded up, imprisoned and ultimately released, unlike tens of thousands of others, to live out your hard life wild but all knowing of what ferments just behind the façade of those who walk on two legs; you know.
You are now the most hated and despised wild horse known to the U.S. Federal Government, specifically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). When Ginger Kathrens began to document your life amongst the Pryor Mountains she, unknowingly, gave the plight of American wild horse a story, a face, a name…yours…and with that, there is now a bull’s-eye upon your head, along with that of your benefactor, Ms. Kathrens.
The BLM has foolishly made you a tool of punishment and manipulation as they have inhumanely chased, captured and terrorized you and your family. If this special interest funded federal agency could make you go away tonight there would be a bullet between your eyes and politically they would do the same to Ginger Kathrens.
You represent all that is good with the American spirit, the sense of freedom and wholesomeness that we once rallied around, but now you are an obstacle and a nuisance that is in the way of the high paying special interests that seek to rape the Pryor’s of their natural resources and line the pockets of the criminals that hold bogus leadership positions within our government and for this, I apologize.
This is not so much a message of cheer but one of apology for the wrongs that have been committed against you and your brethren across the vast expanse of the benevolent horse nation. On behalf of those who care, we are sorry.
We are sorry for the slaughter, the deaths, the injuries, the broken families, the lies, the deceit, the false promises and most of all, I apologize for being human. If I had a way or the power to stand beside you as a stallion that honestly loved, cared and protected his family, I would be there. But my curse pains me to the bone; I am one of them…a liar, a cheat and one who does not speak from the heart. I am human and for that, I am sorry.
Cloud; you have made a mark that even a bullet and the BLM cannot erase; you are the voice, leader and inspiration for the salvation of our disappearing national icon, the American Wild Horse. I thank you for what you are, who you are and where you have brought us as if it were not for you and the pain we witnessed you suffer at the hands of Obama’s BLM we would not be in this fight. Thank you for opening our eyes, thank you for being all that we cannot be and thank you for being alive.
Happy Birthday Cloud, you have changed our lives in more ways than you could ever imagine and you are the engine that drives our advocacy. Never become a martyr but instead continue to be the most powerful driving force in the animal kingdom focusing the spotlight upon humankind’s most despicable and inhumane behavior; the twisted and corrupt actions of the BLM.
Sue Cattor playing to the Cloud Foundation's camera of Ginger Kathrens and Makendra Silverman at the destruction of the Pryor Mt. Herd in 2009 ~ Photo by R.T. Fitch
On January 24th our good friend and college Robert Winkler of The Desert Independent published a guest editorial written by the wife of one of the Bureau of Land Management’s chief helicopter wild horse stampede contractors, Sue Cattoor. I read it, I gagged, I moved on and did not comment. There was a moment that I considered posting it, here, and decided against giving this self-ordained queen of wild horse suffering any more publicity to feed her maniacal ego. But after days of eating at my soul; I just can’t let it go as I sincerely owe it to the tens of thousands of wild horses whose lives have been destroyed, both figuratively and literally, to respond to this trashing of the truth and blatant attempt to further mislead and twist the opinion of the American public.
Now a word of warning about Sue Cattoor, the woman is out of touch with the laws of the land and is seriously attempting to rewrite the First Amendment and quell free speech in the press within our borders. Last year the Cattoors had their attorney send ugly and shabbily constructed (in my pissed off opinion) threat letters to rescues, foundations, publications and bloggers who publicly questioned the high flying duo for their techniques, tactics and methods of mismanaging the costly and deadly Calico Complex debacle. (You can view our letter by clicking (HERE)) These letters laid out demands for retractions, apologies, deadlines and timelines with threats of what would happen if we did not comply. Some caved, some did not, others engaged their attorneys who basically told the constitution assailing Cattoor attorneys to stick it. What ole Sue fails to realize is that she has gone above and beyond the norm to make herself a public “personality” and once that was established we are all welcome to have our own opinions of this very public, controversial, outspoken media Black Hole. As a writer and blogger I most certainly have my opinion and that is exactly what is expressed within this article. (Actually, several of us feel that a suit initiated by the Cattors would be a really fun ride for all of us because the discovery of their books and background would be a riot, wouldn’t it?…enough fodder there for the next several decades worth of Op-Eds)
The title of this “look at me” rant is “Helicopter Roundups are the Most Humane Way to Gather Wild Horses”. That one sentence says a lot, in fact, its double talk. The BLM and Cattoors refer to their helicopter stampedes as “gathers” and they have cringed when more astute individuals use the term roundup. Now we have ole Sue using both terms in one sentence, pretty slick. When we use the term “gather” we are usually using it in regards to flowers, eggs, leaves or maybe something like, “Come children, gather around and we will tell you a fairy tale before you go to bed.” Images of young girls dancing through meadows of tall lush grass with baskets of flowers on their arms comes to mind when we think of gather, NOT the bloody images of stampeded horses running for their lives before a roaring, mechanized bird of prey. The images just don’t mix.
And then there is the intent of the headline; ”most humane way to gather wild horses”. Like there are other ways that are worse or the entire process is inhumane and this is the lesser of the evils? I for one think the later is the implication.
But enough chatter regarding the title let’s get on to the article which is pretty much, yup you guessed it, a one-sided list of lies that ole Sue’s BLM boss Bob Abbey could be proud of. The Cattoors have made millions off from the backs of traumatized wild horses so why would anyone think for a single second that they wouldn’t believe it is such a wonderful and noble thing that they are doing. Sue is pulling all of these starving horses off from the over grazed range so the handful of wild horses that are left can grow fat and sassy. The Cattoors have been drinking that BLM Kool-Aide for far too long.
I won’t answer sentence by sentence but I will counter Sue’s hurt feelings for the likes of us using the term “Stampede” when we refer to their helicopter chasing horses down. That’s what it is Sue, it is not a walk, trot, gallop, stride, nada…it is a head long rush to escape the 100+ mile an hour generated winds, noise and terror from a giant metal bird that is swooping down upon these terrified creatures. Panic, sheer panic is what ensues when your helicopters chase the horses upon our public lands. There is nothing calm, civilized or humane about it and you have actually run the hooves right off from horses in doing so. Documented, signed and sealed so don’t attempt to quote a dictionary to me as to what the meaning of the word “stampede” is, you have taught it to me well, in person and it ain’t pretty.
If you have the stomach for it you can read the article by clicking (HERE) but I won’t dignify it on this website…she has a whopping 9 comments on it at the time of this writing and most of them are from family, friends or maybe even manufactured email addresses as all seem to think what she is doing is so wonderful and kind. Bullshit.
Personally, I believe that the Cattoors, employees of the BLM and DOI should be arrested and tried for thousands of counts of animal cruelty and held to the same standard that the general public is as outlined by very descriptive warning signs on BLM supervised land. But no, our government allows these private contractors to decide what, when, where and who can watch their destruction of OUR wild horses on OUR public land. It’s an outrageous travesty.
We said it before and we will say it again, Sue…we live for the day when you and your indicted hubby just go away, dissolve, disappear, never to be seen again over the blue skies of our public lands. And as we gaze out over the empty plains we will remember that once there were happy bands of wild horses there, living out their lives prior to the cattle and your cruel intervention. Now those horses are in long and short term holding while the bulk of them have been sold off to slaughter to tantalize the palate of wealthy foreigners; our national icons in the bellies of other nations. Thanks for being great Americans, Dave and Sue, you’ll have a whole lot to talk about come judgment day as you sold your souls to the devil a long, long time ago…and that devil, today, is Obama’s BLM.
Lakeview, Ore. – On August 20, 2012, a BLM Lakeview District staff member and a local permittee discovered that horses in the Paisley Desert Herd Management Area (HMA) had been out of water for a few days.
