Calico Lawsuit Secured Reprieve For Wild Horses; Now Plaintiffs Move To Rescue Horses From Lifelong, Zoo-Like Holding
Calico Wild Horses, healthy upon capture - Photo by Laura Leigh
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 31, 2010 – In a final brief filed today, wild horse advocates are asking a federal court to order the government to return to the Nevada range approximately 1800 wild horses who, after being rounded up earlier this year, await their fate at government holding pens located approximately 200 miles from their home range in Nevada’s Calico Mountain Complex. The international law firm of Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, on behalf of plaintiffs In Defense of Animals (IDA), ecologist Craig Downer and author Terri Farley, highlighted the Honorable Judge Paul L. Friedman’s preliminary analysis that long-term holding of wild horses in the Midwest is likely illegal when asking for the court to order defendants Department of Interior (DOI) and Secretary Ken Salazar to find room for the captured Calico horses on the more than 30 million acres of public lands designated as wild horse herd areas.
Early in the case, Plaintiffs secured a reprieve for the captured horses ensuring that no horses would be moved to long-term holding and that no stallions would be gelded (castrated) until Judge Friedman issued a final ruling. This ensures that the horses remain in suitable condition to be reintroduced to the wild.
“It’s time for Interior Secretary Salazar to acknowledge that warehousing wild horses in Midwestern holding facilities is illegal and that new approaches to wild horse management are urgently needed,” said William J. Spriggs, lead counsel on the pending wild horse lawsuit filed pro bono by Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney. “The place to start is with the return of the Calico horses to the wild Nevada rangelands where they belong. Next, the Interior Department must shift its resources toward minimally feasible on-the-range management of our wild horses, as Congress intended when it passed the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act.
To date at least 79 horses have died as a result of the Calico roundup and more than 40 heavily pregnant mares have spontaneously aborted. In addition, an unknown number of Calico horses at the holding pens have been reported to have “Pigeon Fever,” a highly contagious bacteria-based disease which is known to be spread by flies. The bacteria lives and multiplies in dry soil and manure.
Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for April 30. A final ruling in the case is expected by May 26.
The Calico Mountain Complex roundup of 1,922 wild horses is one of the largest roundups in recent years. The BLM removed at least 80-90 percent of the Calico wild horse population, leaving behind an “estimated” 600 horses on the 550,000 acre (or 859 square mile) Complex in northwest Nevada. The roundup ended on February 4, 2010, 500 horses short of its target for removal. The roundup proceeded despite a ruling by Judge Friedman in the lawsuit brought by Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney questioning the legality of the BLM’s long-term holding facilities and suggesting that the BLM postpone the Calico roundup.
Wild horses comprise a small fraction of grazing animals on public lands, where they are outnumbered by livestock nearly 50 to 1. The BLM has recently increased cattle grazing allotments in areas where wild horses are being removed. Currently the BLM manages more than 256 million acres of public lands of which cattle grazing is allowed on 160 million acres; wild horses are only allowed on 26.6 million acres this land, which must be shared with cattle. The Obama Administration plans to remove nearly 12,000 wild horses and burros from public lands by October 2010.
There are currently more than 36,000 wild horses warehoused in government holding facilities and only 33,000 wild horses free on the range.
Website: www.idausa.org
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Thank you to all who have filed this lawsuit.
I just hope the outcome is positive.
Marge
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I am praying that this happens, these horses deserve so much more than this,
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Powerful film Laura, you told it like it is!!
The rest of this message is for the BLM and Catoor, since you like to read our blogs. No wonder those mares aborted, being ran so far….BLM you wouldn’t do that to your pregnant wife would you? And Catoor, you and your helicopter, your just a damn cowardly BULLY.
Trish Kerby
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It would be a nice to see some of these horses turned back out to their home, where they belong.
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For every horse that died in every roundup in any fiscal year — that many get turned back.
Make it the law.
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What happened to my navy blue WordPress chevron? I don’t know what that means. Am I assuming a new identity?
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Dare I believe this is happening!!!! OM Gosh this is awesome, I am praying that it has a positive outcome. Does this mean that they can’t do anything with these horses until the lawsuit is finalised? Can we insist that people who care and know what they are doing take over the day to day care of these horses, seeing that they are now so sick????
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Lori, who are we going to insist to? the BLM, who claims only a “few” cases of Pigeon Fever are there and has no mention of it on their Calico update website? The same BLM that is now trying to skew facts(again) and say that they noticed some horses with old abcesses when they were rounded up? in other words, that the horses already had this disease, not that they caught it from the unsanitary conditions they have been forced into. I have no idea how they can continue to prepare for a mid-May adoption event when the lawsuit has put a hold on these horses until the judge decides their fate, and when the likelihood of this disease being gone is nil. These horses are infected for life, if they develop internal abcesses, there is a 40% mortality rate. This is just the most awful fiasco i have seen in a long time, and it gets worse every day. I feel so much sadness for these horses.
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I pray every day that these precious angels are set free. I hope IDA can get the judge to release these wild horses from the cruel fate of the BLM. Personally I think the blm injected our wild horses with the pigeon fever because the temperatures are too cold for flies or mosquitoes and supposedly that’s how it is carried. So you put 2 and 2 together, winter conditions too cold for flies, abcesses at injection sites. The blm wants our horses gone to make room for more cattle what better way but to inject them with a virus especially one that is highly contagious. Just another reason they can shoot our wild horses. IDA please get access to our beloved wild horses and set them free!
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Pigeon fever can lie dormant in the soil, and a horse can get infected through open wounds. This is most likely how these horses got infected, because, as you pointed out, there are NO insects around at this time in the winter.
I have NO idea what the BLM is thinking – thinking? them? – but they certainly can’t adopt any of these horses out at the planned time, even if they have recovered. I also worry greatly about the ones that develop the internal form. You KNOW the BLM is NOT going to give them reasonable vet care, so… What? Just shoot them?
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I was thinking the same and remember, with the cuts and stress the equines experienced, it is very possible the disease spread quickly in confinement; not to mention the sloppy hygiene practiced by many livestock meatmen (to include clothing, trailers, panels and lack of isolation with the mixing of family bands, etc).
Watching a train wreck folks, watching a train wreck without a cell phone AND a responsive 911 operator even if you had a cell phone.
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As Suzanne mentioned the virus that causes pigeon fever can lay dormant in the soil for many years. It’s spread mostly commonly by bitting flies and is EXTREMELY contagious. If you haven’t read my post on the other page specifically about it, 10 years ago I had two horses come down with it, my pregnant mare and my two y/o gelding.
While flies are often the carriers and some are wondering that it’s winter in NV and there aren’t insects, in Fallon the temperatures are much more mild due to their elevation. It only takes a week of mild temps for flies to come out in droves, especially in places like a retired feed lot that the so called new holding facility is. Additionally, contaminated ground that has lied dormant, contaminated equipment, waterers, tack, even corral panels can come to life with the virus if the conditions are right. Keep in mind that flies can travel up to 5 miles to find a host, and a blood host isn’t picky.
I am sure that BLM is not doing any sanitation measures, quarentining horses, cleansing wounds, equipment, ground, or even removing manuer. This will just spread through all the horses there. Of my five that were in the barn the time my two came down with it, no one else contracted it, but they were EXPOSED! In my experience and my vets conclusion with all the cases he dealt with (there was an epidemic of horses cases when mine came down with it) that antibotics are useless.
So the trash talk the BLM will be using next to appease the public is that they are trying to control it with antibotics in the water. It’s a waste of time and tax payer money, the disease has to run it’s course.
If ANY horses in the future are adopted out from there, it should be noted on their health records that they either had, or were exposed to pigeon fever. Health issues do arrise and have lingering effects from having this disease prior. My mare developed severe reactions to fly bites that either abcessed or encysted. Thru the years of owning her until her death at age 27, she would have reoccuring abcesses in the same spots every fly season. Some that were encysted I even had surgically removed. My neighbors horse wasn’t so lucky for managment, she developed an internal reaction and had to be euthanized on the surgical table. When they opened her up for a colic surgery they found so many abcesses that they couldn’t save her.
It seems as though the only real solution for these horses is to turn them back out, but now I fear BLM will find use this as an excuse to destroy them all instead.
This facility should NEVER taken in another horse. The ground and facility itself is eternally contaminated.
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BLM (and Forest Service) has been cruelly and illegally rounding up wild horses for years, using various LIES to justify the roundups: (A)”the horses are inbred and in very poor condition”; (B)”There is not enough forage or water for them on the range;” (C)”They are destroying the range and water sources for wildlife.”
The truth: (A)The horses they remove are in good condition over all until BLM or Forest Service ruthlessly chases them (pregnant mares and young foals included) for many miles over rough ground with helicopters just above their heads. Wild horses are leaner than domestics because they are always on the move and are not fed rich grains and hay. (B)The 8 million or so cattle that continue to graze those public ranges seem to get along just fine on the available forage and water (that isn’t there). (C)A few thousand horses versus millions of cattle on OUR PUBLIC RANGES – wonder which group is really destroying the range. Too bad wild horses don’t employ lobbiests or have rich ranchers to make those campaign contributions.
The number of horses that died in the recent Calico roundup grows daily and is approaching 200. Ask the BLM why their vet they are using is not accredited. Ask BLM how many mares miscarried during and after the roundup or why young foals rand their hooves down to the quick and had to be killed. Ask BLM why these horses are now sick, why they have no windbreaks in the freezing cold, or why their water troughs weren’t refilled when the terrified animals kicked them over at Fallon, imprisoned and left there. Where was the Humane Society of the United States that begs for donations weekly when this cruelty was taking place? Where are they NOW? Yes, they have a lot to deal with, but are these horses less worthy than other animals? The American Taxpayer is footing the bill for these attrocities. BLM is losing money on their grazing leases, therefore WE are subsidizing the beef industry because WE fund BLM’s operations through taxes. Time to get MAD and get our political representatives (employees) on the line and tell them to stop this cruelty NOW. They’ve had plenty of time to learn about it all these years. It’s time to man up!
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Barbara; you’re absolutely right.
Where is the HSUS? Where is PETA? Both were established by stopping cruelity. The only thing HSUS is concerned about is spaying and neutering EVERYTHING. They have partenered up and have actually paid for BLM to go out in the field and give fertility drugs to be to wild horses! Depsite the facts that wild horses are becoming increasingly endangered, they continue to buy into BLM propaganda that the horses are over populated.
The fertility drug is so detrimental to horses the University of Nevada Reno who was doing a study gave up the ghost. What college do you know wouldn’t go after available grant money? I am happy to say that atleast the college has some integrety because their findings were negative on all aspects of this drug, they dumped the program.
So WHY IS HSUS continuing to support BLM with PZP drugs? Makes you wonder who’s side their on. When I found out they were doing this I haven’t given them another dime, and refuse to do so in the future. HSUS and PETA both need to get off their corporate butts and join in the fight to save our wild ones, not support their demise!
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I am sharing this on a few of the articles on this blog so that I am sure everyone sees it if they havent already, please forgive me if this is old news but it has got me so hot under the collar, this is what our politicians think of all of our faxes, e-mails and phone calls!!!!
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/04/missouri-lawmakers-horse-slaughterhouse-mr-ed.html
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Wild Horse Roundups are horrific. Nothing less than murder and quite despicable. Those who participate are just as stupid as they are evil. I hope that one day they experience the same tragic and traumatic consequences for their actions.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE!
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