Press Release from The Cloud Foundation
New York Federal Court to Hear Wild Horse Case
Cloud - the face of the American Mustang
New York, NY (October 15, 2010)—A New York Federal District Court Judge will consider a request on October 20 to stop the federal government’s roundup and removal of Colorado’s North Piceance wild horse herd. Second-string contractors, hired by the BLM, already have killed one mare who attempted to escape with her baby. They roped her, choked her down, kicked her and then dragged her into the trailer. Yesterday the mare was shot. An application for a Temporary Restraining Order/Preliminary Injunction was filed yesterday by the plaintiffs, Habitat for Horses, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Cloud Foundation, Toni and Don Moore, DVM in order to stop the roundup. This legal action is co-funded by Habitat for Horses Advisory Council and the ASPCA.
“The wild horses already rounded up need to be returned to the range now. The BLM must take responsibility for the violent treatment and death of the Colorado mare and the hundreds of mustang deaths this year alone,” asserts Cloud Foundation Director, Ginger Kathrens.
A hearing has been scheduled in the U.S. District Court in New York City for October 20th where the BLM will be required to defend its North Piceance roundup which is in violation of multiple federal laws .
Wild horses and burros are now mismanaged at levels far below genetic viability across the West, contrary to the guidelines in BLM’s own management handbook. The BLM selectively uses and repeatedly distorts the actual number of wild horses and burros on the range while dismissing their most effective natural predator—the mountain lion—as non-existent. Wild horses are a return-native species to North America and add to the biodiversity of our public lands, improving their ecosystem. There are currently more than 40,000 wild horses and burros in government holding and BLM continues with plans to roundup and remove more than 11,000 this fiscal year. The herds are often replaced with energy development and welfare cattle. More than 100 herds have been completely eliminated since the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, along with the theft of more than 24 million acres of land designated for their use.
54 members of Congress asked the BLM to cease roundups in July, joining the call for an immediate moratorium on roundups. A congressionally-requested National Academy of Sciences investigation will begin early in 2011 but will come too late for thousands of wild horses and burros without an immediate halt to the taxpayer-funded roundups.
Kathrens continues, “In my opinion the BLM has lost the privilege of managing America’s wild horses and burros. It is time to create a new Bureau that works to sustain and protect our celebrated herds—not eradicate them.”
Links of interest:
Legal documents at HfH Advisory Council http://bit.ly/HfHACdocs
Lawsuit filed to save Colorado herd http://bit.ly/COmustangSuit
French TV reports on wild horses http://t.co/4jKWYJg
Congress Sends Letter to stop roundups to Secretary Salazar http://bit.ly/54sign
Roundup Schedule http://bit.ly/roundupsched
Unified Moratorium on Roundups Letter http://bit.ly/MoratoriumLtr
Stampede to Oblivion: An Investigate Report from Las Vegas Now http://bit.ly/Stampede2Oblivion
Short link to this release http://bit.ly/NYsuit
Photos, video and interviews available by request from the Cloud Foundation
The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. 107 S. 7th St. – Colorado Springs, CO 80905, p. 719-633-3842
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Oh my gosh! Are there no bounderies where this BLM would take this to? They shoot a mare after they torture her because she wants to escape with her foal? These people should be imprisoned for the remainder of there days. It makes my heart break. I can only pray that this will resolve in a victory for the horses and burros. It is a shame that many innocents will die until this is resolved.
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Very disheartened to hear about this poor mare, trying to flee with her foal, only to meet yet another inhumane & cruel death. Did they say “WHY” they shot her? Was it for trying to remain free, or did she break her neck trying?
Otherwise great vocals from Ginger. I agree, its time for BLM to step down from the charge of wild horses and burros. A new and humane agency needed to protect and preserve them is a must! The moratorium is needed NOW, for all the herds. Thanks R.T, for keeping us updated, always!
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Another needless death. Another orphaned foal. What disturbs me beyond the fact this mare was shot is the heavy-handed way she was handled prior to her death. If folks aren’t allowed close enough to observe what’s happening (seeing a cloud of dust from up to a mile away is NOT a “reasonable distance”), there’s absolutely no way of knowing if horses are being treated humanely. Obviously this mare was not.
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Well said Ms. Kathrens…thank you TCF.
Sadly, because of the interest demonstrated by new advocates in recent years information regarding deaths, abuse and cruelty is coming to light, but this has been going on for decades folks…we just thought that the 1971 Act was being enforced and the wild equines were legitimately being protected. We know better in recent years that this is the furthest thing from the truth.
The BLM, USF&WS, USFS, et al are not managing the public lands with the required multiple use mandate…they are special interest, extraction lackeys and it’s the land and specific species that get the ax (wild equines, bison, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, etc).
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After reading the email about the poor mare being shot by BLM contractors, it made me sick. How can any working with animals be so cold hearted? I think criminal charges should be made against the person that murdered the mare. A full investigation should be demanded.
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Two more East Douglas horses were killed Friday according to the BLM. One was a colt whose legs were broken when they roped him, and the other one had a “weak heart.”
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This was a quote from the Denver news this morning.
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Weak heart. Translation, new heart that was not fully developed to withstand the brutality of a stampede coupled with the sheer terror of being chased for miles by a HUGE MONSTER in the sky. Translation, killed by the BLM. Same goes for those new, forming legs on the other beautiful new colt who was only allowed to live a very short life because the BLM hates wild horses.
Sick bastards.
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correction. Guess it was a mare with the “weak heart” and not a colt. So a healthy, wild horse was basically terrorized and run to death.
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This is going to the press. They may not print it, but I am sending it.
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We need to press for ASPCA reps, PETA reps, ALL Animal Rights and Animal Advocacy Organizations reps AT THE SITES!!!! The BLM CAN NOT DENY ACCESS to them! Also reps of these organizations have the authority to STOP any actions deemed INHUMANE or causes UNDUE SUFFERING of the horses! Christie you are right about sending letters to the Press. It is a SHAME when the President and Congress turn DEAF EARS and the PEOPLE have to turn to the MEDIA for CHANGE!!!
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This is NOT Vietnam or any recognized war. You can’t kill a horse for trying to escape. She wanted her freedom. Whether she was killed by accident or by someone acting out of frustration this is NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.
Kicking her for trying to escape? What did they think they were working with? Domesticate horses? Wild horses act out of fear for good reason–they know 2 leggeds are not their friends. Why do you think it takes a long time to earn their trust.
Recently someone told me that the easiest and fastest way to gentle a wild horse was to tie him up tight to a pole and make him rely on man for food and water. That it takes 3 months. Not sure that I like this method. I think I’d prefer to have a domesticate horse in a pen next to this horse. Allow the wild one to watch me working with the domesticated one. Picking hooves, feeding, brushing and just loving on him. Let him observe that this is nothing to fear. And allow the horses to talk to one another to converse about this confusing issue.
I want those responsible for this mares death fired. I want them charged with animal cruelty and to pay the price no matter how big or small that actually is in the end. I want it put on their personel files so that any future employer knows that they are hiring someone directly involved with the brutual death of a wild animal.
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These people are only showing what I have said before, they (BLM employees and their contracted people, helicopter companies and others) should be loaded into helicopters and dropped in the middle of Death Valley. They are running emuck and have to be stopped. This agency needs Governer Richardson to oversee it. A complete firing should be done from Salazar on down, it should be disbanded, and all working for them should be held reponsible for the “killing spree”. That they would do what they did to this mare for trying to protect her family is a disgrace, These people are KILLERS. If they will do this to a beautiful mare, they would do it to anything or anyone. Let’s demand a STOP NOW AND FOREVER the roundup of our wild horses and dismantle this run amock agency.
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I’m disgusted by what your BLM is doing. I’m encouraged and in awe of the way Americans are fighting for mustangs.
In Canada, we’ve never had the barest law to protect ours. In fact, the government put a bounty on their heads. There were never big roundups we could view. It was done a few horses at a time over decades: by ranchers, bounty hunters and poverty-stricken Aboriginals the gov’t quietly paid.
In 2008, the British Columbia gov’t paid Aboriginals to shoot mustangs for wolf bait. The Canadian two-for-one special. In the ways mentioned, we lost thousands of mustangs. We now only have about 200 in the entire country.
Please know Canadians are praying for you. We’re fighting as hard as we can to close the slaughter plants so no more can die here. You’re doing an amazing job of utilizing the law to protect mustangs. Every day, I think about American horse lovers with cameras and pens, documenting this atrocity.
Keep fighting. The world is watching and praying for you and the wild horses.
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This just keep getting worse, I am angry, sad both at the same time. BLM must stop this madness.
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What can we do to stop this?? What have we the courage to do?
Please help fund Grass Roots Horses who is in the field and attempting to get more people out there.
Call and tell them you want people in the field for your donation. mar
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They really need to give the management of wild horses over to another agency, one that has the best interrests of the horses at heart, values them as a part of North America’s past, understands their right for existence and sees how they enhance our wild lands at the same time as empathising with human needs. This agency would study the horses more, deciding on how many the land can sustain in good health and ballancing this number with human and other wildlife needs. Their goal would be to keep the herds at a sustainable number using birth control methods. The easiest would be vasectomies for a certain number of the stallions. They would still be stallions, round up mares, protect them from other stallions, breed them, there just would not be any babies. As a result round ups would only have to happen every five plus years, where vets in field hospitals would perform the simple operation. The costs would be offset by much fewer round ups (may one every five plus years), no transportation costs and minimal holding costs. All the horses could go back into the wild and families could stay together. Since the welfare of the horses is cared about, less traumatic and dangerous round up methods and equipment would be used. Except for a few abnormally greedy ranchers, this would be a win win situation for all………..
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Absolutely sickening. The more I learn the more disgusted I become. This has got to end!
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BLM lying, murdering thugs belong in prison !
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I don’t know how many times and in how many different ways we can say it, THIS MUST BE STOPPED AND NOW!!!! It is so frustrating to over and over again sign petitions, make phone calls and express our outrage at these continuing round-ups and intense suffering of these wild horses and we are being ignored!!!! We are not going away and will not stop the fight until this ends. Thanks to each and everyone of you that keeps us informed, can’t begin to imagine what it is like for you! My heart is broken for the beautiful mare in today’s story and all the mares,stallions and babies before them! To all of those working for the: BLM =B ullying L owlife M onsters. One day you will be held accountable for your actions here on earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Choking, kicking and executing a protective mother — is this not animal cruelty? Where are the humane societies? The Bloody Lawless Murderers need to go down NOW!
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These beautiful horses deserve to be free. They have to fight wild animals and the elements on a daily basis just to survive.Now man comes along and chases them with helicopters and crams them into pens where many are injured.They can not speak for themselves we have to do it for them. What a shame that man’s greed has come to this and that man and animal can’t live as one.
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so the goverment wants to run how to keep wild horses and burros in line…what is wrong with this? These horses have been wild for many many years and they have never done anything to deserve the treatment they are getting now..BLM needs to quit using helicopters to round these animals up they are wild and they need to stay wild…let nature take its course like it has in the past…
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http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/10/17/Group_Hearing_set_in_lawsuit_to_halt_wild_horse_roundup/
More information on this mare..unbelievable, and they really think the evidence will support this conclusion..she was able to run many miles in a high speed chase-and the vet put her down because he said she would never survive in the wild?? You lieing sack of S***. she carried a foal 11 months in some pretty rough country and ran a marathon..you bastards crippled her and there can be NO other conclusion..who is the crappy vet..whats his name? I want some incompetency charges brought against him.
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Please excuse my American, but, where the hell is HSUS?, PETA?, IFAW?, & all the other animal welfare organizations!!?? I greatly applaud those that ARE doing something, but, there is power in numbers. I, as well as everyone else, am growing very tired, angry, & STRESSED to the max, over all the seemingly endless sad, tragic news, concerning our wild horses. This is more “icing on the cake”, killing that beautiful, innocent mare!! When is this madness going to end!! Will there be any wild ones left, when all is said & done? These people aren’t people at all, they have no souls, no compassion, no hearts, they are pure evil, sent straight from the devil in hell!! I only wish I had the power to do something myself, besides the national call day, & all the other “things”, that fall on deaf ears. The switchboard will probably be jammed, & no one will get through, & those that do, WHO will actually listen & “DO” something!?
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You all need to realize it was not the BLM that did this. I read nothing in that article saying they were fighting for the people that did this, instead of just as upset.
Avoid propaganda and generalizing statements. Stick to the true facts. Avoid calling them liars or thugs, calling names doesn’t ever get you anywhere. If you’re trying to win an argument, you don’t resort to calling your opponent a dootie head, expecting that to really support your case, do you? Worse, do you expect to WIN with that kind of behavior?
What’s the difference? Focus on what you can do about what we have NOW before trying to stop a river.
Horses are not a “return-native” species. They were introduced here by the spanish conquistadors, and a mountain lion may be a predator but it is not a NATURAL predator.
Don’t you realize that the natural elements does in deed kill off animals all the time with weak hearts and legs? an animal should be able to withstand running for hours on end.
Fight for the freedom of the american mustang all you want, i agree, wild horses are beautiful, and have a right to their established habitat. But there’s a whole other side to this coin.
What about the ones already in holding pens? The Mustang Heritage Foundation will PAY YOU to gentle them so they can go into forever loving homes, instead of miserable holding pens and perhaps euthanasia when they cannot be managed.
A forever loving home can care for a horse, pay for it’s vet care, provide supplements that a horse is no longer free to range for in the wild.
Understand that the BLM rounding these horses up is probably not really their choice. It’s their assignment. Unfortunately, they only have so much control. We all need to look higher than the BLM for this solution. They KNOW it’s a shitty situation, and they are doing everything they can, all the time, to make the best of all they have.
Let’s all find a way to help make it better, instead of fighting what is bad. Ever punched an oncoming freight train? How’d that work out for ya?
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I find this so horrible, and have a hard time with understanding WHY, and how some humans can be so heartless and uncaring. Perhaps they should be lined up and watch it happen to one of their own.Then perhaps they may think.
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I expect us to be respectful and ready to come to solutions. Making threats is not the way to achieve this.
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And Sue Catoor apparently just published a picture of a second mare that was shot. IDA posted the picture. Thanks for doing this R.T ….Godspeed Ginger in court.
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My comment above is inaccurate. It was an old photo.
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