Guest Op-Ed by Simone Netherlands of Respect4Horses.com
Bob Abbey’s BLM “Horse Harvesting” Machine Continues to Roll
From the highway it is a beautiful sight. A giant blue lake, with greenery all around and the desert mountains behind it in the stark blue summer sky. Its hard to take your eyes off of the scenery, so be careful driving. Far off in the distance you can barely make out some moving dots next to the lake. They are easily mistaken for a large herd of cows, many blacks and some whites and greys. But they are definitely not cows, they are a most magnificent herd of wild and free roaming horses living in a most spectacular peace of nature, still untouched by man.
Kudo, (founder of Animal Recovery Mission in Miami, working to close the horrendous illegal slaughter farms there) and myself, (founder of Respect4horses in Arizona), have decided to temporarily veer off of our main courses a bit to join forces and go document the wild horse roundups in Twin Peaks, CA. As we are driving on the road towards Fallon, where we want to visit the broken arrow holding facility, we noticed the lake and the dots along side of it and we decide to turn around, just to check in case they might be horses. I am so glad that we did.
As we descend down the hill and approach them carefully in a zigzagging manner, we are starting to see more and more horses. First we estimate about fifty, then another twenty, then another thirty behind the reeds. We are in awe of the size of the herd, as they are all together, not separated and not hostile towards each other. It is very interesting, as herd dynamics usually don’t allow for this large of a grouping together without altercations between small bands. The sounds of their soft whinnying, the sight of the bachelors playing together, and the feel of the harmony of all of them grazing as one large family; these are by far the most peaceful and happy animals I have ever had the privilege to come across in my life.
All of a sudden a gorgeous black stallion with a white blaze and a pink nose looks up, turns towards us and blows his nostrils furiously. The entire herd looks up from their dinner. Looking at us and trying to estimate the amount of danger we might present, he looks back and communicates with the herd. It seems that they don’t see people often, they are untouched, and no brands. Still they maintain undisturbed and are patiently waiting for his judgment call, it is clear that they rely on him completely. He must be quite a horse having gained the trust of so many.
All the horses have beautiful confirmation; they are quite fat and very shiny. We counted approximately ten babies of varying ages and two mares still very heavily pregnant. I noticed the adorable mare and baby pair closest to the stallion because the baby is a remarkable black and white paint with funny marking and a white face. There are also some beautiful greys and two pure whites, but the bulk of the herd is black and dark bay, many with very similar markings on their faces, just like the brave stallion.
He starts to paw the ground, makes himself large and starts to prance from left to right and back and forth. We back up a little to make him more comfortable. This gives him courage and he trots around so magnificently, with his posture and extension and reach, that he would have won best in show at any dressage competition. He gets braver and comes closer to us, all the while still blowing his nostrils loudly.
It is such a rare glimpse into the lives of these very happy horses, and such a magical experience, that I am thinking, this might just be the perfect spot to start with ecotourism. They are very easily accessible off the main highway 95 and easy to spot because you can overlook the entire valley. There are not many areas where this would be a possibility. A viewing deck overlooking the meadows and the lake would be perfect for an audience and at the same time perfect for the horses’ safety.The stallion has decided he is not going to let us run them off, the herd goes back to their dinner as he starts to walk in a big circle around us. His attitude and his face are so beautiful, he will be engrained in my memory like that forever. We named him Walker, after the lake that he thinks is his. This is the Walker Lake Herd.
According to the BLM they come from the Pilot Mountain and Pine Nut HMA’s. We were absolutely horrified to find out that they are slated for roundup and complete removal, in November. (BLM comment period is open now, please read this article till the end to find out how you can help)
For the ones who know better, the BLM strategies are easier to see through than our dirty truck windows, but for mainstream America whom are occupied with their own lives and worries, they are pretty clever. The overpopulation claim fabrication is a brilliant front for ridding America of the last of our remaining wild horses. Masterfully hiding true reasons and motives, the PR writers make the BLM look like honest to goodness hero’s, utilizing the concoctions of starvation, dehydration and range deterioration.
In the case of the Walker Lake Herd obviously none of these perfectly fine reasons can be applied as there is absolutely no damage to the rangelands and no one would argue the other two points. So I wondered what they could possibly come up with. But not for long, when I read it I wondered why I didn’t think of it myself …public safety hazard, of course. Plus also, according to the website, they have wandered outside their HMA’s. Really? What is the reason that the lake is not within their HMA? Obviously horses will congregate towards a lake, it is more than a little sneaky not to include it in their HMA. And, according to the local people they have always been there. It is so pointless and discouraging. If their concern for the public safety was of an honest nature, then why not put a fence by the road? That is a lot less costly than a roundup operation that is not necessary, even by any of their own standards.
What is really scary is that it is not just our horses that are at stake. It is our wildlife, our water streams, lakes and groundwater, ecosystems, nature etc. Just like the rainforests of the world are being destroyed for their resources, so is the BLM selling our public lands for its minerals, natural gas, forage and don’t forget, water. The BLM is well on their way to turning America’s beautiful pristine wildernesses into giant filthy cattle farms scattered with mining pits, water extraction and gas pipelines.
According to a little 1872 mining law, also known as the General Mining Act, which is still in effect today, (can you imagine if we still lived by all the laws from 1872?), mining companies can mine what they want without the need to pay royalties to the federal government, paying only a small annual claim fee. You can imagine that this makes America the Mecca for foreign extraction companies to make a fortune. As BLM has full deciding powers over 245 million acres of public lands, the power this gives them is limitless. It puts Ken Salazar’s bank account right up there with rainforest Gorillas, on my list of most interesting things I’d like to see in my lifetime.
No one can really say for sure, until an independent count has been conducted, but according to the BLM there are over 35,000 horses left in the wild, according to some wild horse protection organizations there are less than 20,000. I personally tend to believe the wild horse organizations, but let’s compromise and take the average of those numbers and say it is approximately 27,500 that are still roaming wild, not costing anyone a dime while they live their lives in peace and harmony.
We have over 654 million acres of federal land in America of which 245 million acres are (mis-) managed by the BLM and 190 million by the Forest Service (who are also decimating wild horses). Of those 245 million acres the BLM has designated 134 million acres for cattle grazing solely. Meaning, no wild horses or predators are allowed and very few wildlife.
If a horse dares to wonder onto those acres, he is removed immediately, and predators like wolves, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions and bobcats, are allowed to be trapped and exterminated, or even worse, used for sick (yet perfectly legal) canned hunting games and coyote and fox penning, where dogs gang up on the scared and injured animals and tear them to pieces being cheered on by an audience. (Yes, here in America)
Of that 245 million acres, they have ever so graciously left approximately 26 million acres where horses are allowed to exist. It used to be 19 million acres more and 330 HMA’s instead of 180, but they have taken those 19 million acres away from the horses for all kinds of mysterious and inexplicable reasons. These are some of the explanations on the BLM’s own website for the missing acres: -Urban expansion. -Land was unsuitable for wild horses and burros. (really? If they lived there, apparently it was suitable) -Habitat fragmentation. -Land withdrawals. -Serious conflict of resources. (Serious, ok) -Exchanges transferring land from BLM ownership to other parties. Oh, you mean you sold the land that you were supposed to protect horses on??
Of those 26 million acres left for the horses, you might think the horses could live in peace, but no, they have to compete with the cattle and the ranchers for water and forage. Only 4 out of 180 Herd Management Areas’ have no cattle on them and are managed principally for the horses, the rest are principally managed for the cattle. The cattle (even in AUM’s) outnumber the horses in all those herd management area’s, sometimes by as much as 50 to 1! In the case of Twin Peaks, the horses have been allocated 18% of the resources and this is actually more than some HMA’s.
Our public lands are public and so one would assume that everything on it is public, but the opposite is the case. The most crucial and valuable necessity for all life: WATER, and the rights to it, is privately owned and controlled by the ranchers. Yes, they privately own most of the wells, springs, creeks, aquifers and ponds, on our public lands, pretty much every green place where horses and wildlife like to hang out. So the horses depend on the kindness and goodness of the ranchers who are in control. Many are not so inclined to share fairly and fence the horses off from their water sources.
Now if the BLM used half way humane methods of rounding up horses, perhaps we all wouldn’t have sat up and noticed and gotten this outraged. Using a contractor that has been convicted of killing wild horses? Using Walmart bag whip sticks instead of natural horsemanship? Stuffing scared wild horses in trucks and driving them for hours right after they ran for miles and miles? Rounding them up in the middle of foaling season, in the middle of extreme temperatures? Dusty, filthy holding facilities that provide no shade or cover whatsoever? Only one veterinarian for every 3000 horses? Shooting them from the air and calling it euthanasia? Shouldn’t our government be the poster child for normal modern standards of basic animal welfare, in order to rule by example?
If they would insist, and we had to compromise, we can offer far better ways to rounding up horses than chasing them with low flying helicopters. As a horse trainer and behavioral expert, I positively think that better ways would be fairly easy and as a boon, a lot less costly to apply. We would lure them into one giant 5 acre large meadow with some food, over a little bit of time so they could get used to the meadow, and then close the entrance. It could be done with accredited natural horsemanship techniques, instead of by cow herders with walmart bag whip sticks. It could be done with zero mental trauma to the horses, and zero physical trauma to their ligaments, bones and hooves. It could be done with 0% fatality rate as apposed to 6% fatality rate. This is the year 2010, we have better ways. An independent agency should look into this method and I’d be more than happy to explain it to them and conduct a study on it.
27,500 horses on 26 million acres is a ridiculously low number, if you understand how vast 26 million acres of land truly is, it’s larger than some European countries. In the case of Twin Peaks, 450 horses are allowed back in an HMA which spans close to 800,000 acres. This comes down to 1 horse per 1770 acres! In all reality one horse could roam on 100 acres and never be able to eat all the forage on it before it grew back.
So good luck finding a horse if you would like to go see one in the wild. Ecotourism is really not an option if it is more difficult to find a wild horse in America than it is to find an elephant in Africa.
These 26 million acres constitute only 4% of all federal lands in America. (not counting private lands of course) Meaning, 96% has not one wild horse on it. What we want is for the horses to be allocated at least 50% of the resources on their own HMA’s where they are supposed to be managed principally, but not exclusively. I don’t know which dictionary they have on their bookshelf, but according to any that I have ever read, principally means, given most priority, the bulk, mainly, most importantly, most of it.
We basically want, what they already have a lawful right to, and what is already clearly stated in the law, and it is pretty outrageous that we have to ask for it. We also want the horses where possible to be separated from the cattle, so no one has to compete for water, no one will be fenced off from water and no one has to argue who is deteriorating what. We want 50% of the 26 million acres only, because we wouldn’t want to be unreasonable towards the ranchers, now would we.
So in all seriousness, we are asking for a mere 2% of federal lands in America. 2 percent for them to be left alone and live in peace, and we would save ourselves a whole lot of money and effort at the same time.
In regards to the Walker Lake herd, they are a perfect example of how ludicrous the BLM policies and excuses are. They are a herd that needs to be studied and documented, a herd that the public should be able to observe, a herd that should be allowed to be un-traumatized and untouched. We need untouched and untraumatized herds, if for nothing else, for the research value of their behaviors. None of the BLM excuses apply here, none of them.
So please submit your comments now. Write your letter specifically for this herd. We will ask them nicely to solve the public safety hazard risk by placing a fence by the road. We will ask them nicely to place a viewing deck for the public and we will ask them nicely to leave them the heck alone. I hope you will all join me in sending many letters, but please make sure that you copy them to Respect4horses (simone@respect4horses.com) to Salazar, and to the president and to your own Congressman and Senators, because otherwise, they say they never got them. (I have a PR person on film saying that they didn’t get any comments) I will meet with a high ranking BLM figure in regards to this herd, but I need lots of letters (please send to my email above) Contact info for submitting your comments to the BLM are below this article.
For their overall management strategy, lets make the message clear and simple. 2% for the last remaining 27,500 truly wild horses. Is it really too much to ask? Do we not owe them one grain of gratitude for carrying us into this day and age? They are an unbelievably beautiful sight to see, they have miraculously survived on their own for hundreds of years and have evolved into an amazingly tough and beautiful species. The untouched herds have wonderful family structures and amazing herd dynamics, they need to be studied and documented and appreciated. It is truly a sight that future generations will want to see.
2% of America,.. for the ones on whose back we settled it in the first place.
“At which point do we start prioritizing our compassion and humanity over power and greed? For it is precisely at this point at which the world starts to become a better place.” – Simone Netherlands.
****Written comments for the Clan Alpine/Pilot Mountain/Pine Nut Gather Plan and EA will be accepted through September 23, 2010, should be directed to: ccwhbEA_2010@blm.gov (note there is an underscore in between EA_2010) or mail to Stillwater Field Office Manager Teresa Knutson and Sierra Front Field Manager Linda Kelly, 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 89701. Direct phone inquiries to Steve Kramer, Planning & Environmental Coordinator, 775-885-6005. Only email comments received through the identified e-mail addresses will be considered. Written comments for either EA can also be sent via FAX to 775-885-6147.
Link to BLM site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_programs/wild_horse_and_burro/pine_nut_mountains0.html
Simone Netherlands, Respect4horses Organization http://www.respect4horses.com
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
http://thisisreno.com/2010/08/blm-seeks-public-comment-on-proposed-wild-horse-gathers/
Comments for these Herds to be ‘gathered’ this fall and winter. These horses are simply disappearing so fast that this stalemate with BLM PR has got to bust loose. BLM manages a non existent program and expects people to believe the horses are fine???? The lies promoted must be put down once and for all. This disgrace and annihilation has to end.
This is how people need to see wild horses and it is thrilling to your sould when you have! mar
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soul has no ‘d’… pardon, mar
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Thank you for a fact filled article from which we can glean comments, to use in defense of these beautiful wild horses. I like that you stated facts and figures and not only presented the problems, but also potentially viable solutions. I will be glad to share, write, e-mail and call on behalf of our wild ones! Thanks again.
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This is one of the best true life articles I have read and I thank you. It inspires us who cannot actually go and see what you go and see … which is life’s longing for itself … the wild ones.
We will not give up … everything from the little colt “Honey” on to the recognition of the power of BP and others to take over our public land … all of it needs to be recognized and dealt with the best each one of us can.
I will be sending your message to those who care and those who NEED to care (BLM, governmental officials, media and friends and children and grandchildren) in hopes that they will look in the mirror and realize that the world revolves around them but is not ALL ABOUT THEM. It is our duty to pass on our knowledge about right vs wrong … and you example is great. Thank you.
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Good Lord, Simone!! You are a fabulous writer! That is an awesome piece! I am so looking forward to having everyone I know read that! It’s so concise, organized, thoughtful, and inspiring! You really have some gifts girlfriend. Can’t wait to meet you in person. In the meantime, “All for the Horse”!! And I’m takin’ some tips from YOU! 🙂
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Wonderful article, Simone. Articulate and touching.
I love Walker’s pink nose.
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What a great article covering facts, proof and solutions. Thanks for the insight and to both you and Kudo for going out there!
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Beautiful wild horses and beautiful Walker Lake … “an ecosystem in crisis”.
Found lots of info on why this lake is so endangered. For one thing, it has NO Water Right of its own, although attempts have been made to obtain rights to save the lake. Because of decreased inflows since 1882[?] the water level has fallen as much as 160′, and dissolved solids are about 6 times higher, contributing to increasing salinity that will eventually kill the lake. Salt concentration not yet as high as Great Salt Lake. Does anyone find that comforting?
The Walker River Paiute Tribe has the most senior Water Right for miles of the Walker River immediately North of the lake. MANY acre feet of diversion to Weber Reservoir and agricultural irrigation channels. They raise allot of cattle, but I have no idea if they’re required to pay AUMs. Of course they get BIA subsidies, which may make AUM payments of little consequence.
The University of Nevada, Reno, has been doing study on marketing these horses (adoptions, SALES, other options like Ecotourism) for a number of years.Guess they won’t have to continue much longer.
So say goodbye to these beautiful horses. Going, going … GONE … like tens of thousands of their wild cousins.
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Well, I do not want to say good-bye to anymore j=horses who are on great ranges. This group at the University needs to be used to help keep them there. We need to contact the program director and and see if the students could also campaign to save these horses. They have connections. Intercollegiate.
Linda, give us some specifics if you have them on the program and department/instructor. Whatever you found….. let’s use this and see if we can kick up some interest and make some noise!! mar
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MAKE SURE TO READ THIS ONE!!! It’s about the “Honoring the Horse” exhibit at the university NOW through March 2011. Mentions Terri Farley as one of their “Special Collections” authors (did she put this info up before?). They’re showing and discussing “The Misfits” in February. http://www.unr.edu/news/templates/default.aspx?a=5534&template=print-article.htm
This is the UNVR “Featured Research Projects” page about marketing wild horses and burros. The link is at the bottom. I searched for a report/thesis/whatever on this, but didn’t find anything. Remember, this is ECONOMICS, not ethics, so I don’t know if anyone involved would be willing to help. Also, I don’t know who funded it. http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/RE/Research_List.aspx
This is the “Nevada Rangelands” page from UNV Reno, with info and interesting theses I haven’t had a chance to read. http://knowledgecenter.unr.edu/subjects/guides/range/feralhorses.html
This is the link to the Walker Lake Working Group. Don’t know if they’d be any help at all, but you can read more about the issues threatening the lake and its ecosystem. http://www.walkerlake.org/index.html
This is an article on the history of the lake from the Nevada Wildlife Federation website. http://www.nvwf.org/web/issues/iss_wlkr1.htm
I also have some info on the Paiutes and technical and confusing stuff about water (believe me, you don’t even want to go there!). This should be enough for now.
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This is great. It is the Department of Resource Economics, actually. mar
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Wild Horses (and Burros) as a RESOURCE? What an interesting concept. Perhaps the BLM should look into it.
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Great Article!
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Here is a prime example of a herd and a location that are begging for help. People have ‘tried’ and ?failed? I do not understand how anyone could fail to develop this herd as a tourist attraction. I do not want to see these horses taken. BLM/Cattoors are the most violent handlers and managers of wild horses on earth and need to lose their jobs yesterday.
Where is every one? I cannot believe we are missing so many commentors here. Thank you so much for this information and your wonderful experience, Simone. I am shocked that our group has not been here talking about this. What better example could we find??
Am I missing something?? mar
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Only email comments received through the identified e-mail addresses will be considered.+
What does this mean, “THE identified e-mail addresses”??? I want to write.
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It just means that any other email for the BLM will not be accepting the comments Shirley. Write to the email address it says there.
Dont forget to copy me so I can bring the comments to my meeting and they cannot say that they didnt get any comments!
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Marilyn and anyone interested in helping me make a big stink about this, please call me 928 308 6718
We need a lot of people to show up at the advisory board meeting on Nov 4th about these HMA’s. I am bringing the media. This herd is a perfect example of how ludicrous the BLM policies are, and it will help shed light on the rest as well!
And thank you for the nice comments!
Simone.
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where is the meeting Simone? I might be able to join you, I will call you. What better place to promote the viewing of the wild horses in our state. Thank you for this wonderful fact filled article, I will be printing it out shortly. I can’t believe they won’t let the horses stay where there is water aplenty for them, they aren’t going to suck up the whole lake. this herd should not be rounded up. there should be signs for people to slow down, horses crossing the highway if that is what it takes & even that is alot less expensive than zeroing out the herd. I am so sick of our government I don’t want to live here anymore.
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The BLM is violating the law and the strongly-stated will of the American Public. Not so long ago they were considering killing all the horses(about 35,000 at that time) in private holding facilities for lack of money, and yet they continue to decimate herds, break up all-important family bands and injure and kill many horses in the process. The reasons they give for doing this are lies, and we have to assume that the various special interests in these lands, cattle, hunting, oil, etc., are who are really being served by the BLM. The “adoption program” is a joke. The head of the BLM is a cattle rancher. The American People should be screaming, but a surprising number of U.S. citizens don’t even know that there are still wild horses on the range. While one well-known advocate struggles to create a preserve to hold the already-kidnapped horses, another has submitted a sensible plan for on-the-range management, in collaboration with a rancher holding grazing allotments. Still, the carnage goes on.
Clearly, the roundups need to be halted until all these potential solutions are evaluated, but it seems to me that the only way this will happen is by a Presidential decree. And I don’t think the President has this very high on his list. So all we can do is be as loud, unrelenting and informed as we can be, let our elected officials, including the President, know that their action or lack of it on this issue will dictate our next vote, and let every person we know that they need to do the same. And then, however this turns out for the horses, we need to keep that promise at the polls.
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Above the Law?
When the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed, the U.S. Senate stated: “An intensive management program of breeding, branding, and physical care would destroy the very concept that this legislation seeks to preserve […], leaving the animals alone to fend for themselves and placing primary emphasis on protecting the animals from continued slaughter and harassment by man.” Sadly, this Congressional mandate has been ignored.
Another critical piece of federal regulation states: “If necessary to provide habitat for wild horses or burros, to implement herd management actions, or to protect wild horses or burros from disease, harassment or injury, the authorized officer may close appropriate areas of the public lands to grazing use by all or a particular kind of livestock.” (43 CFR 4710.5 (A)) This provision is also routinely ignored. ~American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
Sonya, aka Mustang Meg
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Simone, this is an ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. Thank you for your eloquence and thank you for bringing your talent here. You have no idea just how much your words help to inspire everyone. Be ready for phone calls.
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Go back to this article SFTHH–very important to reread it. There is a great deal of information concerning the water in the Twin Peaks area:
The BLM’s Snow Job About Water on the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area
June 24, 2010
By Debbie Coffey
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I had a different Walker Lake in mind. There is one near Susanville.
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Excellent article. Although I am getting so tired and frustrated with this, I keep posting and posting hoping that I make ‘just one more’ average person aware of the truth. This article has many great truths. It’s really gotten to the point where you don’t have to really care about horses to care about what the BLM is doing. It’s about the horses, of course, but it is so much more and that is why people need to be educated. Well done (as always), Simone.
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Putting our American Mustangs and our Wild Burros under the jurisdiction of the BLM was a mistake from the beginning. The BLM was originally the United States Grazing Service.
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There are “Open Range” signs and “Watch for Deer” signs all over this country. Everyone knows to drive carefully when in those areas, or at least they should.
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Other lake-preservation measures that the Walker Lake Working Group has undertaken include a request to intervene in case of United States et. al. v. Walker River Irrigation District. In this the Federal District Court case, Mineral County is seeking to argue that any allocation of water within the Walker River Basin must be consistent with the Public Trust Doctrine. That doctrine requires that water resources be preserved for public uses including navigation, commerce, fisheries, recreation and wildlife.
As evidenced by the fact that the water in the Walker River system is allocated to out-of-stream uses, and the dire ecological condition of Walker Lake, the state of Nevada has not managed this public resource consistently with the Public Trust Doctrine. As a result, the distribution of water in the basin must be reevaluated in consideration of the public’s interest in Walker Lake and the state of Nevada’s obligations to manage these waters in the public trust.
The Walker Lake Working Group and its conservation partners believe that it is poor public policy to allow a unique desert ecosystem to collapse as a result of human-caused activities. Somehow, we must get water to Walker Lake to save this important wildlife habitat that contributes up to 40 percent of Mineral County’s economy through tourism.
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The above information came from here:
Walker Lake – Hawthorne, Nevada
Information about this large freshwater lake, including natural history, tourism and recreation, the lake’s native fish, loons and other migratory waterfowl, Native …
http://www.walkerlake.org – Proxy – Highlight – 3 more top results from this site
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Thank you Louie, can you call me tomorrow please?
928 308 6718
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Great article filled with all the reasons to LEAVE THEM ALONE!!! The BLM give us opportunities to comment, solutions other than their’s and yet, this is a perfect example of why they need to leave them alone…A simple fence erected is a simple solution and it s right there in front of them, so we know, there motives are not what they keep claiming.
Thank You Simone, for all your hard work and I know after being there, seeing these majestic horses and that Stallion with his flairing nostrils has given you even more motivation to fight the BLM…
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and keep the Wild Horses Free to ROAM on the land that is PLENTY……………
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and also thank you Richard Couto for taking the time from your mission to BUST those Butcher’s in Miami and to see the Plight of The Wild Mustang’s, we are standing up for…Thank you Simone and Richard
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Yes, thanks to both Simone for this insightful article and Richard for making this extremely long trip to witness for America’s Mustangs. I hope Kudo will post his observations, as well as his progress on saving Florida’s horses from slaughter.
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Frustrated, weary, disgusted and totally pissed off. I’ve been fighting this battle for nearly 30 years and it just gets worse because for some reason, unlike in the past the government agencies KNOW they are getting away with murder and in fact have the blessing of the higher ups to do so. I don’t know what it is going to take to stop them from decimating our herds. There is really nothing left out on the ranges, not anything sustainable. They’ve reached their goals of devoiding our PUBLIC ranges of horses…for what I don’t understand other than the greed that they can and do get away with it.
I HOPE all the letter writing will do something, but generally it doesn’t. What we really need is laws that have been broken to be proscuted and a judge with some balls and out of the pockets of corporates to enforce it.
Sorry I haven’t been as involved lately, I’ve had to take some time to rest my brain and heart from the devistation and escalating round ups and slaughter auctions, concentration camps, and infesting diseases that our government has bestowed on our wild ones!
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Very well stated, thank you for all that you do for our horses! 🙂
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We have missed you Kate, and noticed your absence…what we are suffering is nothing compared to the devastation to the wild horses…thats what keeps driving me thru the pain..we will win this in the end, and hopefully before the end of the wild horses. There are people who will allow this to happen-but it will not be us!
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These round ups need to be stopped immediately! In this tough economy, our tax dollars have better uses than to harass America’s wild horses.
These horses are the very symbol of the American spirit. They are a symbol of our strength and flexibility. They are a symbol of our freedom.
The lands on which they roam are OUR public lands. Big cattle and big oil need to go play on their own land. I say “play” because they are acting like school yard bullies.
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Simone! YOU ROCK Girlyfriend!
What an amazing article you wrote! Full of facts, figures and sarcastic (I LOVE it!), humor!
Just watching the video.. WOW! What a handsome ‘devil’ that Walker is! Dang! I could almost FEEL the air from that boys snorts! (I gotta tell ya, I love lots of ‘stuff’, but the sound of a TRUE Mustang ‘snort’ is a favorite thing of mine! My Chevy Boy’s snort could knock a small child over! ;o) They are all gorgeous, fat and extremely HAPPY!
So, yeah.. I’m writing for sure! Ever so nicely while I say nasty things in my head. So, we keep being nice. Just for conversation sake, when do we get to be not so nice? Sonya, (Mustang Meg) and I were wondering when it would be OK for us to chain ourselves to one of the Cattoor’s Hell Machines? I know. A litle extreme. But it’s fun to entertain the thought.
I’m just wondering WHAT would be good for a little media attention in our direction. I realize anything we did would have to be ‘good’. I’m still thinking LOTS of ‘us’ should ride in on a round up on our own Mustangs. Like a big ‘ol posse? OK, so I have a really vivid imagination.
Anyway… Mar.. I’m kinda wondering where all of our ‘comments’ are too? We are a group with all kinds of things to say? I can vouch for my whereabouts.. My Kokomo, we think, got into a nest of yellow jackets… NOT a good thing. Poor guy had hives the size of my hand and bigger all over his belly, chest and legs. They were weaping serum also. Totally ewwww… A couple steroid shots later and he’s back to his sweet, rotten self. I was tending to him for the past few days and now back in the advocate ‘saddle’ again.. (We tried to avoid the steroids but everything we tried just wouldn’t work. They would come back w/in hours. We started to think if they didn’t go away completely they could compromise his airway if they got worse..)
Also, Mar.. That is an awesome idea you have about the kids from the school that did the study on this herd! They, I’m assuming, would know these guys well and would be able to give us invaluable information about them. I’d imagine they would LOVE to make some ‘noise’ in protecting them too? (They need to learn that you just don’t take NO for an answer. Especially when it comes to their Government!) Bad influence? heh heh heh!
So, I’m gonna start my ever so ‘nice’ letter tomorrow. (I’m thinking we can ‘take’ pieces of your article, right Simone? If not, let me know…?) Tonight, my pillow is calling for me..
Can’t wait to see LOTS of pictures! Thank you for accompanying ‘our’ Simone, Kudo! Be safe on the road and have as good a time as you can on your ‘mission’!
Whew… I rambled.. I AM tired!
xoxo
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I don’t understand how in this day and age we are not able to have compassion and respectful caring for the wilds in our lands. Shame on YOU BLM, Shame on YOU any and all who have allowed this “harvesting” of our wild horses, especiall of the Walker Lake Herd. Appalling what has been happening in our communities, in our backyards, in our wild lands while we entrust to you to the safe-keeping of our wild horses!
I hope Everyone will get involved, write letters, attach comments on this needless animal cruelty, help us protect and preserve our wild horses!
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When will humans ever learn to leave nature and wildlife alone. Why does man have to act like they are so superior to every other living thing. I’ve wrote many emails to politicians. Its who has the most money. The politicians don’t think beyond their nose, only in the moment that the ranchers might re vote them in. Well, there are more of us than ranchers. Wild horses are being slaughtered as the man slaughtered the buffaloe, with out thought to history. If they even had a heart, they’d think about their kids/grand kids. I wonder how their kids/grand kids/other family members would feel about them if they knew their daddy or mama made that determining vote to rid american of this spectacular herd. What a thing to boast about “I got rid of all the horses-slaughtered them mercelessly” Yep, thats something their kid will love and resepct them for. And it will be a story handed down for generations.
When I see how man behaves with such cruelty to an animal species, gods creation, I think god takes tally. They may not get their Karma on earth-they may get it at the pearly gates.
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Thank you so much for your efforts for the wild horses. They are a treasure we need to respect.
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I still don’t get why anyone thinks they have to go to such lengths to torture and murder the wild horses. They are not bothering anyone or costing anyone. They are just minding their own business, without causing any problems to anyone. Yet BLM feels compelled to deliberately and systematically put the most unimaginable trama and harm on them, and to murder them in cold blood. It is criminal what they are doing, and somebody better make them stop. If someone has the power or authority to stop it and refuse to stop it, then they are accessory to the murder of those completely innocent creatures.
NOTE: It is a proven fact – people who have such disdain and lack of respect of life as to senslessly torture and murder animals are capable of, and often do the same to their fellow humans. BLM is perpetuating that murderous spirit.
I would not trust one of those BLM horse murderers for ten seconds, in any venue. They need to be stopped and put in prison for what they have done.
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great article simone… i enjoyed reading it so much !
i agree with you 100 %…
the BLM needs to stop ALL it’s roundups !
corruption at it’s finest in the works. ;{
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The BLM refuse to say how many ranchers are on their lands…..hmmmm… could it be that they would rather have cattle on there? Its the almighty buck again.
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These beautiful works of nature need to be left on the wild lands where they are ment to be, they are just as important to the Bald Eagle and smelt fish they are withholding the water from the farmers in California for … its to crazy what is happening to our heritage…Please think about it really hard and relize just what you are doing, its just wrong…BLM please get back to what you are designed to do… manage… not killing innocent horses…
Thank you for your time…but not to much time the horses need you now!!! do the right thing.
Connie
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Connie,
Obviously you feel strongly about the Wild Horses and Burros. May I suggest that you send your ideas directly to the BLM. Their email addresses are posted online on the BLM website – everyone from Washington DC to the local offices. They need to hear your thoughts – and often.
Also, when you write to them, you can ask them for a receipt, you can ask them to respond and you can ask them to answer specific questions. I also know that if you are polite [this is not always easy to do, under the circumstances] to them when you write, you will be a better spokesperson for the Mustangs and Burros and that is what it is all about. Good luck and don’t give up.
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I work at the Hawthorne Army Depot and I live in Fallon I see these hoses every day everyone I work with want to save these horses.We had a meeting today to let people know what is going on we are trying to save these horses we need help.I have also seen them auction off wild horses and have seen the horses crammed into the holding pens here it breaks my heart what can we do ?
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