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Be Heard by BLM: Urge an End to Wild Horse Roundups

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by Wayne Pacelle ~ President of the Humane Society (HSUS)

Yesterday I asked you to contact Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in response to the reported plans to kill more than 150,000 geese in New York state (please do call 202-720-3631 if you haven’t done so already). Today, I need your action on another urgent concern—urging the Bureau of Land Management to stop the cruel and senseless roundups of wild horses and instead to develop humane, sustainable programs for managing the herds, such as fertility control through immunocontraception.

Over the past 10 years, the BLM has removed some 74,000 wild horses and burros from the range, and it intends to remove a total of 12,000 horses this year. The current program is costly, illogical, and has also had tragic consequences—you may have heard about the rising death toll associated with the BLM’s current Tuscarora wild horse gather in Elko County, Nev., where at least a dozen mustangs have died from dehydration, water intoxication and related complications.

The federal government has submitted a new policy proposal for wild horse management and is now accepting public comments. Please take a few minutes to make your voice heard—the deadline for comments is next Tuesday, Aug. 3, and we’ve provided instructions and guidance on our website.

I’ve asked Stephanie Boyles, a wildlife scientist with The HSUS, to elaborate on why the BLM must seriously reconsider its current policies and procedures given the program’s track record and the recent tragedy in Elko County.

So far this year, 18 wild horses rounded up by the BLM in Nevada have died. The BLM claims on its website that 16 of these horses died due to preexisting dehydration-related complications, congenital deformities or physical injuries, and that only two died as a result of “gather-related operations” (one horse was euthanized after sustaining a leg fracture in a temporary holding corral and another died from a neck injury).

Based on several factors, however, we can’t help but question the BLM’s assertion that all but two deaths were unavoidable, and that the agency was blameless and practiced due diligence prior to the gather.

First, the BLM has failed to answer the most basic, pertinent question posted in a Questions and Answers section on its informational site: “Why is the BLM using a helicopter to chase and capture wild horses in the summer’s extreme heat?”

Instead of answering the question, the agency simply describes the procedures used to conduct gathers during summer months—with no explanation for why they’re held in the hottest month of the year as opposed to the fall or winter, when the mares are not foaling and the new foals of the year are older and stronger.

For years, The HSUS has urged the BLM to use passive gather techniques, such as nutrient baits and/or water trapping (placing nutrients or water in an area where they are scarce to gradually lure horses, then building a large corral around the animals), to alleviate, to the greatest extent possible, the suffering, stress and trauma inherently associated with roundups.

In its Environmental Assessment for the Elko County gather, the BLM acknowledges that “water trapping can be very effective when water resources are scarce…”, but dismissed water trapping from detailed study for this gather because it claimed, among other factors, that the area has an abundance of public and private water sources.

Of course, we know now that at the time of the gather, water sources on the range were, in fact, scarce. So not only was water trapping a feasible option, it would have been preferable and should have been used once the BLM realized the targeted horses were suffering from dehydration due to inadequate water. The agency also knew that animals already suffering from dehydration are susceptible to toxic hydration if they drink too much water too quickly once it is made available.

Having contingency plans in place in the event of a crisis of this nature is one of the many critical changes that must be made to the BLM’s broken wild horse and burro management program. Instead of constantly defending its policies and procedures when things go wrong (and they clearly did in Tuscarora), the BLM needs to conduct a fair and objective evaluation of its procedures and make changes that will alleviate unnecessary suffering and save lives in the future.

You can help the BLM better serve the treasure it has been mandated to protect—our wild horses—by submitting comments on the agency’s recently released proposal.

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40 replies »

  2. Louie If you signup for HSUS alerts you will receive email alerts on all animal issues. I have about 150 ducks and geese. The Canada Geese mate for life and are the most terrific parents. They are very intelligent and recognize not only me but my truck even from the air. When I come they will circle in the air and land because I feed them. If they are sick or injured they will come in the barn to look for me to help them. I just love them. I do not understand why we need to kill anything and everything. It was hot today so about 30 of them came in the barn to lay in front of the fans. I have many aged equines so mine stay in on hot days and go out at night. It is amazing to see the horses tap dance around the ducks and geese so as not to step on them.

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  3. I’m sorry I think some numbers here are being skewed. For instance the writer says in the past ten years 74 thousand horses and burros have been rounded up. That I believe is the total number of horses and burros both captive and free. He also goes on to say that the BLM is going to round up 12 thousand more horses and burros this year. I thought that number was suppose to be 6 thousand.

    Possibly at the time that this piece was written he didn’t know about Laura going out to the range and the fact THERE IS WATER ON THE RANGE.

    I however do absolutely agree that the horses should not be rounded up in the dead of winter or in the blistering heat of summer–with foaling season HAVING JUST ENDED.

    Supposedly BLM is no longer accepting online opinions about roundups. There was that huge dilemma yesterday. So I’m not sure how the HS is able to have a workaround…

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    • The BLM has rounded up over 70,000 horses in the past decade. The BLM is rounding up 12,000 horses this year. 6,000 this summer alone. The author of this piece is Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States. There are over 36,000 formerly wild horses in long and short term holding. By October that figure will be closer to 50,000. It is a national disgrace.

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      • Okay 70 thousand horses. Have 34 thousand been adopted. Have that many been slaughtered? 12 thousand horses being rounded up. Who’s left? No one? I still have questions about where the BLM is getting their numbers from. If no one is on the gound how can they tell what’s what? Oh I mistook all those cattle (1500 for example) for horses. That just skews the numbers.

        Calicio is a great example. They said approximately 3000 horses. But they suddenly stopped at 1922. They were going to round up all of them and turn some back out. Other than being really confused I don’t know what to think.

        And I for one have no idea how you guys go about researching out names, numbers and so forth.

        Just feeling very confused this morning.

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  6. I received a post from Madeline Pickens with a procedure to submit using the BLM’s confusing electronic system. Has anyone tried her method and what were the results? I’m thinking about submitting both electronically and definitely by snail mail tomorrow morning. Will they accept a registered letter or should it be regular mail with a delivery confirmation?

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    • Linda I used the link that MP supplied– it is cumbersome and sticky–but do-able. I have also printed out the letters on the IDA and Cloud sites ( I think that’s where I got them) and also my own suggestions to BLM and will mail these to the White House. I live in Mass.–it’s sometimes difficult to get people in the east angry/activated over issues in the west— but wild horses/burros/geese belong to all of us– and a “kill everything” method is cruel and inhumane. And Un Human ! I suppose Portugese water dogs aren’t on the “gather/kill” list…..yet.

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  7. If HSUS did not send anyone out to investigate the Owyhee deaths I do not think they should accept BLM reports. What a shame we have no other source of information but from the agency responsible for the deaths of dozens of foals that did not make it PVC with their mothers. Remember, BLM will not count foal deaths or deaths in the field. It is still my belief and opinion these horses died from being run to death and that is why there were no foals with the 40 mares. They had milk. Their absence speaks volumes.

    These blogs are the best way we have have to tell our nation what is happening. This is the place to say all you want and need to. The public are not to be ignored. What we are doing matters.

    Don’t forget the deaths in Owyhee. mar

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  8. Please call Sec. of Ag Vilsack at 202-720-3631 to tell him to stop the 2 mile fence being planned in the Custer National Forest that will keep the Pryor Mt. horses out .
    You may be transfered to animal services. The man there didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.

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  9. Could someone please give me a link to the snail mail letter to the Wild Horse and Burro Document, BLM Washington Office.
    I made copies and mailed them now can’t find it to download more of them. Please help an old forgetful Grandma.

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  11. Something else we could do is send the form letter plus another letter in our own words I have, at times, sent handwritten letters when I didn’t have access to a computer.

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  12. Keep in mind, this crisis on the Owyhee was manmade, from begining to end..It was a massive cover up from the momment it happened..Sue and the BLM knew how bad it was going to play that around 94 horses died within 2 hours from heat exhaustion from being driven in the 100 deg. heat,,,phone calls were flying before it every hit the BLM page…everyone involved was scrambling..someday I would like to write a book on what happened in those hours and days..a wounded knee..sequel..In those first hours and her first words..”I am going to be blamed for this” and rightly so..her helicopters drove those hoses to their deaths..there is no speculation involved..there is proof in the autopsies done…not the water intoxification ones which are posted..but on the heat exhaustion, heat stroke of those that died in the field..maybe that will be revealed in the internal investigation..but we need to be asking for those results with an FOIA

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    • This is the Water-Loo for BLM and Sue Catoor..DO NOT let this story die..Being “stupid” is not a legal defense, “what should have a reasonable person known” comes into play..all these people involved are guilty in one way or another. We have them by the throat….keep squeezing…

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      • I’ll start the FOIA’s as soon as I am done with the comments and get that in an envelope. I am going to send separate ones as they are known for ignoring them and if several issues are in one then all will be ignored. Taking suggestions on exactly what information everyone would like to know. I’ll combine like info and separate out the others into different requests. I’ll let you know when each FOIA is sent and 2 years from now when I get the info I’ll let you know the reply. Please send me your ideas for info requests as my brain has entered the outer limits

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      • I think we need to know the location of each and every long and short term holding facility. These horses do not cease belonging to the American people just because they are private property. It would be such a good project for a team to go visit each facility and document conditions of the horses and the numbers at each. I visualize a year long project in a Winnebago visiting each site. Someone needs to fund something like this and I am surprised it has not been done yet.

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      • Morgan, this is wonderful and I am asking off blog about what people need to know. Thank you. I am wondering if flight logs from contractors might be asked for. And the number of horses euthanized away from the trap site.

        SWH I have been asking we do this search since last fall on the blogs. I have put the list of LTH facilities up right here and gotten Few responses. I am very surprised that so little is Done. Maybe we can use the Google Maps ‘I’ and find all these places. Hundreds of horses and thousands of horses will be highly visible in pens.

        This fall Salazar will ask for more money for the WH&B Program. I hope he won’t get any. And I hope he won’t ever have any horses euthanized to save money. mar

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      • SWH, This is the Feb. 10th 2010 Facilities List;

        file:///Users/roger/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/FacRpt0210%20holding%20facilities.pdf

        I hope this works… mar

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      • Janet, excellent I’ll add your request. They have the right to block out identifying information but they can still produce the contracts.

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      • Ok transport is good too. I want to know the horse #’s and freezemark #’s of the horses like the ones that went to the prison and then a FOIA to the prison of the #s on the horses currently in population there. Just to make sure none of them jumped off the trucks and went on a site seeing tour down south a ways.

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      • We need to get in touch with Cat Kindsfather and ask her about the numbers and freeze brands . Those who have been going out to PVC may have or can get them. The horses, stallions, who went to the Utah prison were not freeze branded and were shipped from capture pens to Utah directly. Not very secure and I think it is illegal to transport a WILD horse over sate lines. I think the horse needs to have been processed to leave the state and have Coggins tests and such??? mar

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    • Sandra, I missed something which showed the 94 horses dying. This was at Owyhee?? I want to send some letters and I want to make sure of my info. Thanks for any info you can direct me to.

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  14. Thanks savewildhorses (forgive me if I shorten you to SWH?) I will include that. I think I have seen a list somewhere but I know it is incomplete. They won’t release the info on those on private property but I could get a copy of their refusal in writing to add the to growing evidence of hiding behind privatization.

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  16. Any person who was involved in the roundup of the Owyhee wild horses down to the pencil pushers who were involved in writing the Bogus EA on this area should never be allowed to participate in any part of the WH&B program again..ever..including those 2 independant observers who were obviously not qualified to recognise the situation for what it was, and did not think for themselves, but followed and accepted the propaganda of Sue and the BLM regulars..to the Vet who was not even on the premises when this gather started..but had to be called in to euthanise the mare with the fractured knee…AND then failed to recognise the signs of heat exhaustion and resulting water intoxification for 24 hours until 4 dead horses were discovered and autopsied..I say..find a different line of work…go be a tree doctor, or better yet an archeologist, work with things already dead

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  17. Pingback: Insist BLM Stop Bloody Helicopter Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

  18. I did start looking for the locations of facilities and didn’t get very far. I ran into dead ends. It is one of those things on my “to do” list. There hasn’t been much let up and we have had to keep moving forward–fast. We now have Herd Watch and that gives us a centralized data base. It helps to have others to work with who have the collective years of knowledge and experience.

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  19. <q cite"…… manmade, …a massive cover up from the moment it happened..Sue and the BLM knew how bad it was going to play that around 94 horses died within 2 hours from heat exhaustion from being driven in the 100 deg. heat,,,phone calls were flying before it every hit the BLM page…everyone involved was scrambling…….her first words..”I am going to be blamed for this” ….her helicopters drove those horses to their deaths..there is no speculation involved..there is proof in the autopsies done…not the water intoxification ones which are posted..but on the heat exhaustion, heat stroke of those that died in the field…maybe that will be revealed in the internal investigation.”>

    Did I miss a PR or news report? 94 horses died at Owyhee? Not 22 as I read in the reports? And these other 72 horses died in the field? Where was this reported? When did an internal investigation begin and who announced or revealed that? I guess I’m not catching all the right places to read the latest reports…

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  20. Stop killing our horses. Humans should be protecting and taking care of the wild horses. Let them run wild and free, unharmed and taken care of. These wild horses are beautiful creatures in the wild. Stop killing and use the human intelligence to move forward in a positive direction saving the wild horses. Real problem on earth is an extreme over population of uncaring, heartless humans abusing and killing the innocent and helpless animals.

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