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Commentary by R.T. Fitch – author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart“
DOI Mismangement Continues to Result in Death and Destruction
It seriously frustrates me to sit here and attempt to dig up something good, something encouraging that will enlighten and/or enrich the day of an individual who is engaged enough to check in and find out what is happening in the ever shifting world of equine advocacy. The reason for the pain is that it is so seldom that we have something good or encouraging to report, hopefully today we can make that shift if not for only a moment.
For the bad news:
1.) Obama appointee, Ken Salazar, is still Secretary of the Interior overseeing corrupt and dysfunctional divisions such as the Bureau of Land Management and the Mineral Management Service. Besides sitting back and watching our wild horses disappear into oblivion his well documented and publicized lack of leadership will now result in the death of about everything that lives in our treasured Gulf of Mexico. The tens and thousands of wildlife deaths call out for his immediate ouster. Let’s make it so.
2.) Humane Observers and Herd Watch members Elyse Gardner and Laura Leigh have reported yet another death at the Calico wild horse concentration camp known as Broken Arrow outside of Fallon Nevada. Yearling #1096, Mouse, was euthanized by the BLM for suffering a “broken neck”. Last week the advocates brought to light the starving and emaciated foal which the BLM promptly dispatched versus caring for. This week another unusual death which brings the ever increasing death toll to a staggering 90 horses, less the number of dozens of dead foals. The world is outraged at the inhumane methods of capture and confinement that these icons of the American west are subjected to, yet Obama and Salazar turn a deaf ear on the increasing din and choose to do nothing versus being accountable for the long term travesties that the DOI and BLM have been guilty of committing.
On the good side:
1.) #2, above, is brought to you because Herd Watch is working and advocates are donating their time and resources in keeping an eye on the mismanagement of our wild horses by the BLM. If not for these volunteers traveling to BLM facilities, on their own time and dime, we would be in the dark as to what is really happening behind the closed, locked gates of the BLM. That is a good thing and my hat is off to these wonderful folks who give of themselves in order to bring to light the cruelty and injustices that are inflicted upon the last of our great American icon, the wild horse.
So in a nutshell, crew, the inequities continue to multiply yet there are a few good folks out there attempting to effect change, just as you are by being here. If you would like to become further involved, call the White House and ask for an immediate moratorium on any further wild horse roundups until a true accounting can be conducted and while on the phone ask for the removal of Ken Salazar as the Secretary of Interior; he has dropped the ball and his ineptitude has caused catastrophic death and destruction to our American wildlife, both on land and sea.
And don’t forget about Herd Watch, you can add great value to this budding, grass roots, public organization. Each and every one of you has some sort of talent and/or gift that would benefit the wild ones so join up, today, and make a difference in saving our country’s history for future generations.
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Categories: Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
There is a petition on Facebook & the internet right now circulating to have Salazar removed from office…. Can you link it to your site??
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I called the White House AGAIN today. A man answered who actually said he was familiar with the roundups !! More calls are needed . By some miracle maybe somebody will get the message through to Obama and maybe he will do something. We can hope and pray.
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The fact that the “world is outraged” is a good thing, this is much bigger than just an American problem or issue. If the world is outraged by the inhumane mistreatment of our wild mustangs, our American icons, why can’t we stop it??!! I know patience is a virtue, but by the time Obama & Salazar actually listen & hear us, it may be too late for these beautiful wild horses. I have the most horrible “feeling” that these creatures will go extinct in the wild, in my lifetime, if we don’t stop them ASAP!! Surely, the world is bigger & more powerful than two men.
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Just watched Salazar down in the Gulf, more blah-blah-blah, not doing ANYTHING, he must go!!!!!!!
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Unfortunately, if anything sinks Salaczar, I don’t believe it will be the wild ones. It will be the Gulf disaster and the unbelievable scope of other energy projects already permitted and being planned for some of the most beautiful and treasured parts of our country.
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I don’t care WHY he goes, I just want him GONE!!!!!
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Bad news from IDA, I am so sick of all of this politicalese and double talk from the government, all those beautiful, healthy horses, I wanted them to go home, and now, who knows what will happen to them? How do we get these people out of office, I want someone who will actually listen and help, not more of the same old, same old,
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I cannot comprehend why the Calico lawsuit was dismissed do to “lack of standing” Both Craig Downer and Terry Farley have spent considerable time out on the range with the horses..This is very bad news.
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I really enjoyed the part that said something to the effect that nothing could be done about the roundup, since it had already happened. I can’t stand this, if this is how our government operates, there is no hope for what is left of the horses, the wolves, the bison, the wilderness, it will ALL be lost. this is terrible.
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“The judge explained that while he denied plaintiffs In Defense of Animals, Craig Downer and Terri Farley, a preliminary injunction that would have stopped the roundup before it occurred, they should have appealed that denial. Because they failed to appeal the denial of the motion for preliminary injunction at the time, Judge Friedman said he could not now hear their claims.”
The lawyer should have filed an appeal it appears.
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I agree with savewildhorses. Our lawyer seems to have dropped the ball quite badly in not filing an appeal of the denial of the preliminary injunction. Seems to me he should have known that.
Also, if the plaintiffs didn’t have standing on the issue of warehousing the horses, shouldn’t he have realized that too?
At this point, I don’t know what to think. I’m glad the suit wasn’t dismissed on merits, of course, but by the time we can mount another attack, MORE horses will be removed or dead. Makes me sick.
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Jan, I am saddened by this but we must realize that the powers that be, including the judge, work on a very dispassionate level. The antithesis of how we have been working. If the roundups continue and the horses begin to die and foals are lost in the helicopter chase, you realize how totally black the BLM/DOI will continue to look? Like they are mining in hell… that is not good PR and if they want to improve their image there are some wonderful choices available to them; Release horses, especially older horses and stallions uncut, stop the roundups and the stockpiling of the wild horses at huge cost to the tax payer, allow the wild herds to recover and attempt new management strategies, or get out of the wild horse ‘business’ and leave it to the people across the nation who can create management to suit the horses on their range and based in science. This is not over. There are still many things we need to do as a peaceful coalition of determined citizens.
We want a Moratorium on all roundups and we want it NOW! Let’s stop the deaths of wild horses before they continue on and on… Let’s save the American wild horse and burro in the Wild! Let’s recover our holding horses and create a dignified way for these icons to live. Don’t stop doing as you have been. mar
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I agree with Mar. We need to keep on with what we have been doing. This isn’t over by a long shot.
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Based on the tedious amount of time expended by the judge, I was never optimistic for the equines.
I see someone commented that the judge dismissed because of something to do with IDA not appealing the injunction. O.K. Why did it take this cretin of a jurist so much time to just plain dismiss.
What a coward! He intended on delaying, legal wrangling, etc all along from the get-go.
Is the next court up from this coward the US Supreme Court?
Very depressing.
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