(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ volunteer Executive Director of the HfH Advisory Council
Wild Horses Know No Sanctuary from the BLM
Image courtesy of John Holland
It didn’t take long; only several weeks ago New Mexico announced plans to purchase 12,000 acres of private land with the intent to turn a portion of the property into a wild horse sanctuary and already the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is attempting to interject itself squarely into the middle of the state’s proposal.
Don Glenn, chief of the BLM’s rouge and dysfunctional Wild Horse and Burro program was quoted in a recent Santa Fe New Mexican article saying:
“We are interested in a partnership with the state if they buy this land.”
That single sentence is enough to send cold shivers down the spine of every wild horse advocate in the United States who earlier held great hope for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s sanctuary plan. The main point in establishing a state owned wild horse sanctuary was to protect the few remaining NM wild horses from the Obama administration’s BLM “Wild Horse Harvesting Machine.”
Across the west the BLM has instigated an unprecedented assault upon America’s fast disappearing wild horses and burros. Currently the BLM holds 40,000+ sterilized wild horses in mostly privately owned and undisclosed concentration camps with 12,000 stripped from their rightful homes in 2010 and 11,000 more to lose their freedom and lives in 2011. The BLM publicly admits that they now hold more wild horses behind corral bars than are allowed to run free on the public land allocated to them by Congress. Governor Richardson has noted that once healthy herds of wild horses in New Mexico have been decimated by the BLM down to only a few hundred remaining free souls. It was thought by many advocates that the action taken by the governor was a prudent step to wrest control of the lives of these horses out of the proven failed program of the BLM and into a protective sanctuary on state land with the assistance of a qualified non-profit organization. The American public embraced New Mexico’s concept as long as the special interest driven BLM was not involved. Obviously, the feds have other plans.
What was once a good idea has suddenly taken a turn for the worse with the potential influence of the BLM’s proven junk science coming into play.
“We do have to remove a lot of horses every year,” Glenn said. “They’re destroying their own habitat. We do need to find places to put them, let them live out their lives. Some are not adoptable. Some are.”
Don Glenn is the same federal official who promised transparency, on camera, to the American public yet the BLM continues to deny public access to view their inhumane roundups and allows contractors with criminal records to dictate trap location/access on public land while attacking the taxpaying free press through legal harassment.
Governor Richardson’s plan called for managing a free and intact herd of wild horse families while Don Glenn’s BLM perspective is to turn the sanctuary into a wild horse death watch as “Glenn said the parcel proposed for the sanctuary would only support a small nonbreeding herd”.
The mark of the BLM on the grave of the American wild horse is one of the greatest American crimes of all time.
May God be with you, New Mexico.
Categories: Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This idea went from a true sanctuary where people could watch generations of wild horses and the natural interactions of family units to as you rightfully said a death watch. I don’t think I would be interested in going to see familiar horses die and be replaced by just any other selected horse that is not even a family member. My coffee suddenly turned sour when that pic of Glenn showed up ugh
LikeLike
One would think they wouldn’t want much involvement considering they have 45,000 in captivity already to worry about. Control freaks.
LikeLike
Laura, You are so right! If the governor buys 12,000 acres of land, that land becomes his, privately owned land. If he can secure that, why couldn’t he, &, other interested state officials, family, friends, other wild horse advocates, buy, &/or, adopt, the wild horses, thus making them privately owned, & let them live intact & freely, on this land?? The BLM would have no power or control once the horses are bought/adopted, & placed in a private sanctuary!! There has got to be a way to stop the damn BLM!!
LikeLike
Yes! Thank you Valerie… this is what I have been saying. Adoption and sale authority of horses we can request the stallions not be cut and we start this off with the wild ones actually belonging to the Public! Our wild horses and NO BLM!
Land is needed, now! mar
LikeLike
And lets not forget any of these sancturary type LTH facilities are subject to signing a contract with the BLM and exchange for monies paid per horse you follow BLM policies, that includes madelines who is asking double for the LTH fees..500 per horse AND the lowest fees currently paid to LTH facilities- these are all Sale Authority horses subject to sale @ $25 a head sold in lots of 40..semis back up to the corrals and start loading the first 40 rounded up..worse than cattle and where do semi loads of horses go..to rodeo wild horses races or to the borders for slaughter..maybe the zoos are buying them for meat..but someone is killing them..at this point the american taxpayer is invested in each horse about 20-30,000 in tax dollars from the roundups helicopters and holding exp..thats damn expensive zoo meat.
LikeLike
Exactly! Governor Richardson’s idea was to help save the horses from the BLM’s mis management!
LikeLike
I so agree. Governor Richardson needs to tell the BLM that this is New Mexico’s PRIVATE land. We purchased it free and clear and WE don’t need any help from YOU! We can hire our OWN specialists to monitor the last remaining WILD, INTACT mustangs living in New Mexico. We don’t want YOUR help in doing anymore damage to these poor animals.
Where did this man, Don Glenn, come from? I haven’t heard his name before? He even looks like a “weiner.” You can even tell he’s lieing through his teeth by just looking at him. We all know that “they” won’t let ANYONE near those gathers! I know, the next time one is scheduled, and someone asks to be allowed to go, they should post their request and then post if they were allowed to go or not. Then we should go before the appropriations committee with this evidence and ask them to investigate the BLM’s actions. This kind of stuff has got to stop!
LikeLike
Isn’t there anything to stop this fungus of the BLM? They all seem like low life criminals.
LikeLike
The only use the Dead End Gang BLM has for our wild horses is “dead”. New Mexico would just have another long term holding. Not interested–not going there—
LikeLike
The BLM is like the Mafia. They have to have their dirty hands in everything. Wish I were Bill Gates! What I could do with all that money………
LikeLike
This is not about money. If it were just about money, Madeleine Pickens would have all these horses safely in a sanctuary. It’s about Power, Control, and a very carefully conceived destruction of the environment.
LikeLike
I hate to say it but that man (Glenn) actually looks evil. God help the NM horse sanctuary and keep the BLM out of it.
LikeLike
That’s because he IS evil.
LikeLike
Why shouldn’t they. Its taking money out of there pockets.Money from the horses shipped across the border for slaughter,or big ranchers paying them to rid the range to make room for their precious cattle.
LikeLike
We have to fight this on three fronts. One is to get them to quit over estimating horse numbers with their old data. We also have to get them to quit reducing the allowable horse numbers while adding more cattle. The other is to make them use humane methods when they actually have to gather horses and allow everything to be recorded/witnessed by observers.
On the estimated numbers they are not required to have an up-to-date census, but they are required to use the best information available to them. At this point they are using old data and estimating the growth since then. When they gather horses and keep finding less than they expected by as much as 50%, those reductions should be part of the best information available to them. Also there should be a minimum accuracy they must achieve in order to continue with their methods. Continued high estimates and low gathers should require them to adjust their methods. Since they are only allowed to gather when there there is an excess, they can not be out there gathering every time they think there might be an excess.
On the issue of reducing horses and increasing cattle, they have a guideline built into their long range RPMs (Range Management Plan) that is designed to remove horses in favor of cattle. It says:
You would think they would put this in as a general guideline to hide their intent, but they actually put it right in the section on guidelines for Wild Horses and Burros
Horses and cattle will both graze on young tender growing grasses and keep them from reaching maturity rather than eating the more mature grasses. Horses are capable of biting the grass much closer than cattle, so the horses will be considered the “causal species” for this problem.
The thing is, this isn’t even a true problem. Both species will eat more mature grasses when the young tender grasses are too short or quit growing. Both species will spread seed from the mature plants through their manure. Horses spend so much time on the short tender grass that they leave plenty of manure there. It is a false premise to believe that every area has to produce seed in order to grow grass the next season.
HMA’s are to be managed primarily for the horses and burros so these animals should not be penalized for preventing direct reseeding of some areas. This is the way horses have always grazed. There is nothing wrong with indirect reseeding through the manure. The guideline above should be taken out of all RMPs as it is designed to remove horses and is contrary to the WFRHBA.
With these things corrected there will still need to be some gathers from time to time, so we have to make sure they are done in a humane fashion. The contractors are the hired help. They are not charged with protecting our wild ones. They are paid to gather, dead or alive. In order for the BLM/DOI to protect the horses from harassment, the contractors need to be given strict guidelines as to what they can and cannot do in a gather. The contractors have no business picking a spot for the observers. That is a conflict of interest as the contractors don’t want their methods to be seen. I don’t see any reason media reporters shouldn’t be able to pick their own spot and be given a a piece of the trap fencing to hide behind to minimize their impact on the gather.
Chasing wild horses with helicopters is a crime punishable by $2000 fine and/or a year in prison. There is an exception written into the WFRHBA that allows for the hire of helicopters to do the gather, but the law states it must be done under humane guidelines as proscribed by the Secretary (of the Interior). If Ken has issued these guidelines they either aren’t being followed or are not strong enough to insure humane treatment. If the guidelines haven’t been issued the helicopters need to be grounded immediately as they are not allowed to gather without following these guidelines. Penalties for contractors not following the guidelines should be the same as above.
Next in the humane guidelines there needs to be more knowledge put into lowest stress and safest (for the horse) methods for handling horses that have been gathered. It probably won’t happen until the Academy of Sciences steps in, but their study needs to include improved methods and equipment for handling the horses. Temple Grandin has spent a lifetime looking at facilities and procedures the way animals see them. Most of her work has been with cattle, but she works with horses too. If she isn’t the one we need an expert on her level to completely go over the procedures and facilities and dictate what must be changed. We also need wild horse trainers and veterinarians to weigh in on the handling and care of these animals that are under stress just from being gathered.
Well that’s my laundry list. I’ve tried to relate much of this to what is now in the law. Hope we can get some traction on some of this sooner rather than later.
LikeLike
BLM is not following protocols at all these days. The point of overestimating numbers is to remove all the horses they can and zero out a herd, like Calico, Owyhee and nearly Twin Peaks and Not release the number of horses stated before the roundup began. Cindy MacDonald addressed this last winter because after Calico she challenged BLM and reported this to the FBI. Where were our horses to be released? They just do not do it. That horses were released back into the Wyoming roundup at all is amazing but how many horses really were left out there?
New Mexico is not required to have anything to do with BLM and they are just wanting to control the presence of any wild horses in our West. Time to be Rid of BLM. They are horses exterminators. We have to start over on OUR OWN terms. If BLM intends to now insinuate itself into the private sector to control wild horses on private lands they are over stepping their bounds. ‘Feral/Wild’ horses must now be protected from the predatory BLM!!!
BLM Has No Right To Decide The Fate Of OUR Wild Horses!!!!!!! That Is For US To Decide! We say Let Them Run Free! They want them all gone forever!
If you can adopt a wild horse or can help adopt a family band and have lands to let them be free for their lifetime, please help them and adopt them and request the stallions not be cut. mar
LikeLike
Why does there have to be a partnership with the BLM at all? Aren’t we allowed to buy our own land & do what we want with it? Can’t we just tell the BLM to get out of our business & leave us & these Wild Ones alone. There is no law, that I’m aware of that says we have to share any private land with them!
LikeLike
I know this is going to upset my fellow advocates, but I’m going to have to do more research and thinking before I take a firm position. My initial thought was, “This was supposed to help NEW MEXICO’s wild horses.”
Did some digging, which only added to my confusion.
Funding from alternative sources could potentially run into big trouble, but there are possible solutions if the legislature is willing to explore them. Be sure to watch the video.
http://newmexico.watchdog.org/3978/alternative-sources-of-funding-for-a-wild-horse-sanctuary/
Another story includes: “Herds sizes can double every couple of years when foals are born.” More bad info. Evidently “fact-checking” is a thing of the past.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Cerrillos-Hills-state-park-BLM-backs-wild-horse-sanctuary
A quote from the following opinion piece: “The sanctuary would accommodate 25-30 wild mustangs that are under the care of the Federal Bureau of Land Management at a cost of approximately $96,000 per horse. ” Can someone please tell me where $96,000 might have come from? Note the comments from John Holland and “meepdog”, who has obviously done allot of homework.
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/10/monkeys-wild-horses-and-child-care/
I’ve also read 20-50 head. The BLM has been out to do an inital assessment of the land. I don’t know what that’s about, since this isn’t BLM land. In fact the Geo map doesn’t show much BLM land in the area. Are they the only agency that can do an EA on this?
Anyway, my takeaway so far is, “It’s complicated.” The more I find out, the more complicated it becomes. More later.
LikeLike
BLM probably doesn’t want to release control of a single horse because they don’t want a precedent set. On one hand they can’t get rid of them, and then on the other, they won’t give them up. It’s really just nuts- like trying to reason with a drunk who thinks he’s thinking clearly, but is so out of his mind that nothing he says makes a bit of sense.
LikeLike
Perfect analagy elaine! good job over @ the ‘big house” of posting..we didn’t get addressed but i think we alerted mr Axelrod, that huston-we have a problem, and it is growing..he got an ear and eye full, not the sort of info he is getting from Abey or Salazar..GREAT JOB everyone…facebook is a great organizing tool..it started with Annie Mond last night around 9:30 and caught like a wildfire!
LikeLike
I’m confused on why BLM has anything to do with this sanctuary on STATE Parks Land – not Federal Public Land?
Just a few notes about BLM in New Mexico – they have joined our discussions here a few times – they only bait trap – they keep bands together and horses that are returned are returned in their bands – they always return older horses. I don’t know if they use PZP or sex ratios or not (I hope not). On the other hand, the numbers of wild horses, it has been reported, are very small which allows them to do the bait trapping and take the time with the bands. Does this mean they use helicopters in the past to get to these low numbers?
Anyway looking like stimulus money can’t be used for this – or that a proper business plan for the subsequent eco tourism and new jobs created was not fully explored or included in the proposal for the stimulus funds?
LikeLike
Dan Williams needs to be informed that horses ARE native to North America, and I left a comment to that effect.
LikeLike
I’m with Dawna…What, on earth, gives the BLM anything to do with private land bought by a state? It’s like saying, “Yes, Hitler, we’d love to leave the care and feeding of our little Jewish children in your hands…”
Here’s the ONLY response…
“Thank you for your offer, but I’ve seen the way you take care of wild horses. I’ll pass.”
LikeLike
The more I learn the angrier I get, and the more I understand that this is waaay not about the horses- or the grass- or the cattle- or the environment. Can you smell… I mean- spell- ‘BP’??
LikeLike
Hey, don’t forget- only an hour and a half left to go on FB and post questions for David Axelrod’s 1:00 Q & A session. We need to keep piling on the questions about the wild horses so he’ll have to respond to it. Lots so far- need more! (Try copy and paste link below, or just go to White House on FB, and post your questions at the post on the page.)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/10/22/tuesday-talks-david-axelrod?utm_source=email82&utm_medium=image&utm_campaign=tuesdaytalk
LikeLike
Mosre questions please!
I hope he doesn’t use the BLM supplied answer q-cards. Perhaps we can ask him to have the Pres call call some of the avocates. All the thousands of letters,years and years of the BLM blocking access, the DOI filtering what the Pres. knows.
Yes we need more questions, pray to God the answers not the same BLM spin to soothe the masses- ‘herd doubles in size’ ‘they will starve’ (as the BLM continues the same dirty tricks (IMO) makes the herd areas tiny, thins herds out so much they increase conception rate, and blocks enough graze/water to make them suffer emergency)
LikeLike
I offered to testify at congressional hearings, and gave him my credentials as not a right or left radical, not anti government, but some one who worked for the Assist Attorney Generals office..I asked him for a simple acknowledgement as to where he stands on this issue..Look nothing gets in to the oval office that is not decided by his chief of staff..axelrod..altho he did not address it..we hammered him..at 330 am we had 500 “likes” which was how we knew the size of our hoofprint on this..by 10 am there were 750,000 likes-many of us made more than one comment..still that is alot of questions, and last night other people posting were asking what who and how is this wild horse thing an issue..and believe me we covered everything you can think of in terms of a question..very proud of everyone..and see judy Levy was still posting this am so the FBI did not haul her off for questioning..love ya judy!!!
LikeLike
I can’t figure out how to see the program. I hope I can get to see it. But I don’t have facebook (and like Whoopie I don’t want it) – that was required to send questions. And now when I go to the link someone provided the latest thing is dated Oct. 23.
Anyone know how to see the program anywhere? I think it is on right now.
If that is not possible would you please all report on it for the rest of us?
LikeLike
Roxy, I didn’t want to either, until i saw what a great organizing tool it is and information dispenser..you can influence and inform many people not involved currently..i think it is invaluable-as long as people don’t waste my time with farmville stuff and you can now block that..I am using it to diseminate to a wide audience..the government is using it..we need your voice out there in the wide open spaces, its our voice -or their voice..in order to defeat the propaganda we need to be there…
LikeLike
Isn’t it time for Don Glenn to retire already? I mean really. He’s done enough damage in his career. Same for old Dave Cattoor.
LikeLike
David Axelrod is holding a “call in” today at 1 pm–you can submit your concerns right now–call him–facebook him at the white house page NOW. Every one bombard the White House NOW!
LikeLike
You can leave your question in the comment section prior to the show…I have inserted mine. Any idea as to what it might be?
Here’s the instructions..
Tuesday, October 26th, the White House is holding a live call-in show where President Obama will answer questions from the public. Please go to the White House’s Facebook page NOW. http://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse.
“Like” it first, then scroll down to where it says: “Ask David Axelrod: Use the comments section of this wall post to ask your questions in advance & tune in to the live chat on Tues. 10/26 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.” Click on “comment” and fire away!
(After you make your comment, it will be automatically deposited at another page with a longer URL, which you can view by simply clicking onto “view all comments”).
We need a lot of question to bring the wild horse and burro issue to the President’s attention. It is easy and fast to do. If you do not have a Facebook account, I bet you know someone who does. Ask them to post a question for you.
LikeLike
so many questions going through the lag was tremendous. I tried to ask questions the BLM doesn’t have set answers for everyone to give.
I compaired the distance a horse race is to the BLM death runs.
I pointed out the states animal cruelty laws for shelter to the BLMs no shelter facilities.
and then other questions untill the lag was so intense. So weird many people were asking for money, over and over. Maybe if the DOI stopped squandering all the taxes people could get some assistance, america could get out of debt.
LikeLike
Excellent article on cooperation and finding solutions by a nobel laureate. She uses the example of public pasture lands in the article. Can we enlist her for help with our never ending issues of land management for our horses? Food for thought.
http://www.utne.com/article.aspx?id=2147487864
LikeLike
Where or where is Don Glenn? Who is Don Glenn? Why is there Don Glenn? What does Don Glenn do? When Does Don Glenn do anything? How does Don Glenn do anything? Is there really a chain of command or is there just time in service? Twenty or thirty years of one year of experience. Killings , deaths and Sterilization are not data entry for spread sheets and power point presentations.
As an old cowboy told me when I was young. Your job is not to be useless as teats on a boar hog now get to work.
November 16 th New Mexico Board of Finance meeting in Santa Fe. Agenda not posted yet. This is for the State of New Mexico funding of this land purchase.Nature Conservatory are partners in this.
http://www.nature.org/
The exact details of their involvement has not been researched or verified.
http://board.nmdfa.state.nm.us/content.asp?CustComKey=292927&CategoryKey=450056&pn=Page&DomName=board.nmdfa.state.nm.us
LikeLike
Perhaps it is time to work with the Nature Conservancy and start buying up wild horse HMAs one by one.
LikeLike
I would have to agree on that idea!!!
LikeLike
With the number of cattle allotments, mines, not to mention new projects- buying the HMAs is impossible. The presence of all these industries is why the horses have been squeezed off their lands in the first place. But Buy LAND is a real option. The wild ones need a place of their own directly under the control of the Public… so keep thinking along these lines, please. mar
LikeLike
RJ, are you going to this meeting in New Mexico? The Governor needs to know that the horses to go on the sanctuary must be declared owned by the state or purchased from private owners or even purchased from BLM. One way or another it must be established that the horses are accounted for and owned and not under any BLM attachments.
There are state and private range scientists in NM who can doe an environmental assessment. I hope they do it and not BLM. mar
LikeLike
What happens if someone becomes governor down the road who is not horse friendly? Are these horses protected in perpetuity? Or can state politics come into play?
LikeLike
State budgets come into play. It might be smart to have a partnership with a foundation that would care for the horses if the state had to close the park. This has happened in NM. But it does not mean anything in the park was lost. It is rare a state park is disbanded and lost. But money would be a factor before politics. mar
LikeLike
What is the salary of this man?
LikeLike
It doesn’t matter. All these old school BLMers need to retire. We need younger, open minds, not these old school coots.
LikeLike
I’m agast! The BLM Nazi like machine’s blood lust for wild horses sees no bounds!
LikeLike
Richardson,,,, listen to Laura Leigh.
This makes me sick
LikeLike
It is good to know how much they are getting paid so that we know where SOME of OUR TAX MONEY is going. They need to be FIRED
LikeLike
If we (the horse advocates) bought up all the lands that make up Calico (or did) minus the BP pipeline mess–and then turned it into some kind of land conservancy thing–like no one could own houses–it would be like a co-op, or we could rent “cottages” for the summer–with the monies going back to the conservancy for the benefit of the horses. Could we then buy back some of the Calico horses and turn them loose ON OUR BOUGHT FOR/PAID FOR LANDS?
And if it were a conservancy type of deal–do we have to pay fair market value or can we can get a good deal?
How about the horse advocates LEASING all the lands that make up Calico and they Pryors. If we are paying for them–then the Feds can’t tell us when we have to round them up or whether they can breed or not etc
LikeLike
Of course, Margaret. But it would not likely be that land as there are cattle allotments all over it. But we have the ability to buy government land if it is for sale… and other properties. I think we need to be scoping this out and begin a Public Foundation and get funding from private grants and go for it. This crisis is unprecedented and it is a real emergency. We are losing our horses very fast. This is a rescue operation. Every single individual matters now. Any land that can support a band/herd until we can get the horses free of BLM is desperately needed. Adopting and buying these horses isour duty and our right. mar
LikeLike
Margaret, Mar Wargo said: “With the number of cattle allotments, mines, not to mention new projects- buying the HMAs is impossible. The presence of all these industries is why the horses have been squeezed off their lands in the first place. But Buy LAND is a real option. The wild ones need a place of their own directly under the control of the Public… so keep thinking along these lines, please. mar”
I’d also add, in the case of Nevada and cattle allotments, that with the checkerboard land configuarations (wish I had that link again to what that looks like – but basically look at a checkerboard the black squares are owned privatley, the red ones are public lands and that is exaclty the way it is, with a few easments running around) and the “requirement” to graze cattle – yes “requirement” – apparently it has been reported that if cattle are not grazed the lease is broken. The land value is dependent on the adjoining public land lease. It has been reported that many have asked BLM not only not to graze cattle, but to turn out wild horses and BLM has historically denied that request (Pickens and Kundra may be exceptions – we’ll see). Soooo. Thats why I agree this is a mobster type formation, a scam, done all ‘legal’ starting as far back as the turn of the century, perhaps earlier, but a scam non the less against the american citizen and the wild horses. Look up scam in the dictionary and tell me it is not so. Wild horses are only 2% of all large grazing animals on Public Lands, yet they are blamed for everything – so why all the roundups? Money! Incomes of BLM employees, of Cattoor and Cook livestock, of cattle grazers and hunters (notice their animals are not being rounded up – the 98%!), mining, oil, etc. etc.
LikeLike
Okay so forgive my lack of understanding all this contract law stuff. A lot of us came on board last year because of Cloud. And not to take anything away from any other HMA–could we start some kind of land conservation thing for Cloud and all his family up in the Pryors. Make sure they are protected from roundups, harassment. That they’ll be left alone to breed as they so choose.
I use Cloud as an example because he’s famous. But I don’t want to denigrate any other horse that someone else has fallen for. Perhaps BLM could be convinced to let us try with Cloud and see what happens. Like a 10 year study if you will. No roundups, no harassment. Open the Pryors for people to come watch and enjoy the horses. No interfering with breeding.
What do we need to do to start some kind of land conservation deal? Is this even possible with us being grass roots? What about if funding from us dies off? Are there grants available–guaranteed for some amount of time/money? Sorry for all the questions–this is way above me. I’m in the deep end sinking fast…
LikeLike
The biggest problem we have with the powers that be is; NO Real Dialogue. We did cooperate with them and it only gave them ways to attempt to head us off. We ask. They say no and then we have to fight to get heard. The Pryor horses are not exactly accessible to us as a study group. BLM will return. None of our horses are safe any where.
If the White House ever acknowledges this crisis they will then have to deal with us. But DOI/BLM are not negotiating because they are carrying out the program they want to; eradication of producing wild horses and burros on their designated ranges in order to take and use those lands all the more easily. The land grab. The decimation of a protected species.
There is NO Easy answer anywhere. There are some of us who will being there for these horses as long as they or we live. At least they have us. I do not know what we are capable of but I know we could do all that is necessary if we put our minds and hearts to it. Don’t you? mar
LikeLike
Liar, liar, pants on fire. Didn’t Don Glen also back the secret plan to kill the wild horses in holding ?
LikeLike
It has been my observation to date that if Glenn’s mouth is moving he is lieing – he seems to me to be a point man for that for BLM – he does not have and never will have any creibiltiy or trust from me (not that he cares) after the Board meeting statment that all gathers would be open to the public, while a secret roundup was taking place at that very moment.
LikeLike
I think it’s time to move this entire blog to the White House fb page. Our questions were not addressed. We need to hold many conversations there–clog it/crash it. Frankly I give the broadcast about a C minus — it just didn’t cut it for me –way too slick and slimey. ( A lot of BLM-like cover-up–IMHO) Every American needs to go to Washington tomorrow with a poster –Listen to ME ! Meet with ME! OK I’m going to that page every day from now on– leaving messages — the “regular” contact page is probably a waste of time. At least on fb, the public can view your concerns– and we might actually get more people to think about the future silence of the west–no wolves,no horses,no bison.
LikeLike
Ann, I gave the broadcast about 15 minutes less the late start. Suits,desk, flags…it did not speak to anything other than Obama agenda issues. I sent my question days before and over and over again while live.
A veteran of two armed conflicts I respect the office of the President but I am not required to endorse sitting administrations.
I stand firm in my conviction to sue the bloody bastards into the dirt. It’s our last and final chance to stop the massacre of the mustangs.
Any takers?
R.T. Fitch Author – “Straight from the Horse’s Heart” The Force of the Horse, LLC 1-800-974-FOTH http://www.hfhadvisorycouncil.org http://www.rtfitch.com http://www.sfthh.com
Sent from R.T.’s iPad
LikeLike
RT, What can I do to help with a suit? I have very little money and winter will take more of it than summer did. Please tell me how I can help? Many of us want to. mar
LikeLike
garage sales and fundraisers..ask to put a donation jar in your local store , tack store or feed store..put a sign on it with a magnificent mustang on it..when our pockets are empty..we still have our brains and time we can use..join with a group to have a garage sale..if you only get $5 dollars-it still 5 to donate.. i am thinking of donating my brain to science for what its worth..but how about giving blood?? think about all the things you did in college to get some coin..it won’t screw up your budget and you can make converts by your dedication
LikeLike
RT, I have some questions about lawsuits being the route to go right now. I think what Pauley did exemplifies what is likely to happen every time right now, until there are many thousands more voices who are as angry and as pro-active as a relative few are now. We can raise the money, but I’m starting to think that the best thing to do now is to get to a very high profile publicly with a huge ad campaign that consists of TV ads, full page ads in NY Times, etc to bring more people, voices, and dollars into the fold. . As long as current advocates are seen as ‘buzzing flies’ by the powers that be, there is probably no chance to prevail. With hundreds of thousands of citizens screams, we become a dragon that won’t be waved away. When bus loads of people show up at gather sites, willing to be arrested for the cause, then things will start to change fast. There’s so little time left. Little victories in court only work when there’s a lot of time to pull them in, and as we all know, lawsuits are long, drawn out, and a very risky use of funds. We’re fighting BLM, BP, El Paso Gas, Dept of the Interior, Dept of Energy, Dept of Agriculture, and several Departments of Idiots. We need an Army to fight that beast! Just trying to think through all options to find what will REALLY make a big difference at this point.
LikeLike
Elaine, By the time you spread the word, which is very difficult to do without an inquiring press, the horses will be gone. You will never get bus loads of people out there to get arrested either. I do not think you realize how few people are really out there doing what is needed. Our numbers are strong at the computers and not in the field and we had this past summer to find that out for certain.
No one should be willing to sacrifice anymore precious lives to plans that will take another year to develop unless it entails Helping the horses directly Right Now.
Why are we not Helping the Horses? Hands on for real, as they come off the range, get them, adopt and buy them, and find temporary/permanent range for them! Request stallions remain uncut. Save them for pity sake! This we can be doing Right Now! mar
LikeLike
Ann, Yes, I think those of us with the energy and the stamina should be commenting at the White House FB page as much as possible, and also Huffington Post, and every Tuesday we should do what these good advocates did last night and today, swamp the place and get them to Hear even if they ignore us again and again. Sandra is right, the advocates did great and DC needs more of it! mar
LikeLike
BE AWARE OF UPCOMING ROUNDUPS:
Click to access roundup-fy-2011_9-1-10.pdf
LikeLike
What an idiot…. too stupid to be the devil incarnate but still dangerous.
LikeLike
Speaking of sanctuaries, can someone please give me a solid update on what is going on with Madeleine Pickens’ project? I heard, “It’s a done deal!”, and then stone silence. The web site is an ad for the effort, but contains no real data. It seems to me that the horses that are being rounded up right this minute could just be shipped to her location and freed on the spot. New info would be appreciated. Anyone know the latest?
LikeLike
Hello,……every anti-horse slaughter advocate knows that the most profitable way to dispose of “un-wanted” horses is to ship them off to slaughter…the BLMs own rules say to dispose of the “excess” in the most “cost-effective” way, so naturally they dont want to give them away, free-lease them out, or sell them too cheaply,……whats the mystery? Nothing new here. Its all about the almighty buck,..the green AND the four-legged kind. What is needed is PROOF and/or an admission from them that the wild ones are being quielty shipped off to slaughter, and then we will have more fuel for the anti-BLM PR fire…
I think if we had that proof and spread the word far and wide,….I dont think Americans wouldnt stand for it.
Meanwhile, what else can we do except sue sue sue and keep watchful eyes on all BLM WH&B activities.
LikeLike
Yes, the scandal against BLM would be delightful! Can’t wait. mar
LikeLike
..Yeah, were talking about you, you EVIL bitches and bastards of the Bureau of BS, Lies and Mis-managment. What goes around comes around and the gods of justice will get around to yous,…on THAT you can bet. May the bloodthirsty woman among you have their money-boxes swell up so tight they aint no good for nothing but pissin no more, and the men, may your dip-sticks turn black and drip purple puss just before they fall off. The best part of people like you ran down yer mommas legs….
LikeLike
Have you all seen this powerful video? Please distribute far and wide.
LikeLike
I recognized several horses that Ginger has videotaped.
But one thing I liked was the guy who was whipping that horse–the horse gave it to him with both hind legs. And I don’t even care if the guy is ok or not!
The loathsome BLM bastard who picked the foal up by his tail–that video still makes me sick. I wonder if how that man would feel if someone grabbed him “down there” and yanked him around? I get dibbs on being the first in line if we are allowed by the courts to “pay this man back”.
LikeLike
yanking and lifting animals by the tail can cause damage. Shows just how untrained the BLM contractors are. Later in life when the foal grows and never can swing its tail normally..someone can look back on the stupid blm employee lifting a colt by its tail and know where the damage occured!!
LikeLike
Great video! Thanks for sharing this. That “big bad man” grabbing onto a baby horses tail – don’t have anything adequate of your own to grab onto? And that goes for those rodeo scum bags too – feel like big strong men because you can destroy a horse? Pathetic!
LikeLike
Next time you put up a video like this please tell people just how awful it is, Please!
Powerful? NO, Violent and disturbing. Please beware of this very upsetting video! mar
LikeLike
? You have not seen images like these before?
LikeLike
Of course I have, but I always put warnings up at my blog for things like this. You used the word “Powerful” and that is not how I would describe it… One does not want to walk blindly into violence and I did not need it at the moment. The video should have had its own warning when it opened and did not. It is like being ambushed. I hope you understand. We have many here who won’t watch something until someone tells them it is OK or not. Elyse and Laura will always warn people and it is the right thing to do. There is so much violence at you tube but this is so intensely violent and the use of horses striking back is also very disturbing and will give many the wrong idea if they do not have any context to put this in. Because there is no narrative there is no way to know why some of these images are used. I just wanted to warn the casual viewer and those who might not expect this here…. people like me. I prefer to choose wether or not I see violence online. mar
LikeLike
Sorry, didn’t mean to upset you Mar. I find it a very powerful video.
LikeLike
SWH, please do not misunderstand me. When I say people get bushwacked, I really mean it. The majority of people who read hear do not write here and do not expect that even if you want to stop at Powerful it is- powerfully violent and powerfully disturbing.
peace between Epona’s daughters. mar
LikeLike
That you for this vid on youtube. We need a thousand more just like this!! Someway we need to make much more NOISE and pictures in the public eye!!
The BLM is skipping on their merry way killing off all the last of the real wild horses!!
Need more comments, we do know and its easy to see the public comments are ignored by BLM except when the BLM wants to say stuff like “so and so didn’t comment” or “we only got 2,000 comments”
Do think we could use a good cartoonist so we can make the movies of the BLM killing horses. Its time to shove their crap in their faces to get them to stop. If its going to take a political cartoon and political cartoon graphic movies to show the truth..that should be the way to show running horses off cliffs, breaking legs, choaking down mares trying to protect their broken leg foals.
Even if its in cartoon graphics..its the freaking truth and the public HAS to see it now!
LikeLike
There is a great documentary, “Disappointment valey, a modern day western, that has actual footage of not only the ghstly roundups but the slaughters. See clips on yutube or savetheamericanwildhorse.com and see for yourself. Hames kleinert is doing his best as film maker and activist to bring sattention to all of this horror through government, film festivals and whatever way he can. check it out.
LikeLike
I hope James Kleinert is able to have a real opening for this film and it needs to be released and that takes money. We all wish him well at the festivals… mar
LikeLike
I agree with Elaine that we need many many more people in America to be informed/educated about the emergency our wild horses are facing. One creative way to do this is to create fun(d) raiser events which will also attract people who may not know a lot about horses, but are open to learning… Fun events that include live entertainment, speakers, music/poetry, dancing, educational videos like the Disappointment Valley trailer and hopefully soon the whole movie, posters, brochures to hand out – that also raise money to donate either to legal efforts, and/or to further efforts at mass outreach through billboards, PSA’s, posters to go up in feed stores, etc. We have to reach out to a broad swathe of the American public who I believe WOULD care about what is happening if they only knew and understood all the ramifications. Plenty of Americans cared 40 years ago, in 1971, when the #2 issue that received letters and phone calls to the White House was the issue of wild horses, second only to the Vietnam War! We must accumulate numbers of people to attend effective protests and the only way to do that is for them to know what is happening! These protests will attract the attention of even more people…Look at EVERYTHING as an opportunity for advertising and skilled rhetoric ( in the most positive sense of the word). Everyone could have flyers that they distribute everywhere they go – like the way people do who are advertising for a dance event stick little notices under your windshield wiper in the parking lot. We have to start being really creative and break out of the image – what many other people likely see – of a bunch of spoiled rich people who can afford to have horses. That barrier has to be smashed before we can build something even close to a mass movement, which we must do. A few thousand wild horse lovers are not going to stop the BLM/DOI from kissing the butts of large energy and mining corporations who want to rape our western lands. The horses are the guardians of this land. People need to be made to understand this. A lot more is a stake here than 20,000 or so wild horses. They stand in the way. The BLM knows this.
LikeLike
This is what a demonstration look like – Toronto, Canada – Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010
LikeLike
Only congress can stop the roundups and that is the Law ! so even though a Judge may temporarily suspend a roundup
only CONGRESS can actually stop the BLM Rodeo sadistic clowns
(you don’t need money to send emails and videos to congress; just find out the name of your rep and 2 senators; each state has only 2 senators find their names and send them blm abuse videos!
just press Contact Us on your rep or Senators homepage; its ez!
and the best thing you can do for america’s wild equines ! imo A.
LikeLike
Does anyone find it curious that the BLM equine murderer is even being quoted in this article?….looks like a PR stunt to me. Anyone also notice that no one, especially the reporter mentioned that these animals ALREADY HAVE LAND AND MONIES TO MANAGE THEM!?!? In fact, stimulus monies ARE being used to “manage” these animals.
Factor in the outrageous and factless nature of the data quoted (notice no references) and the knowledgeable subject reader (that would be advocates) is left with nothing more than a propaganda piece from the vicepresident of land theft, cattle conspiracy, wild equine murdering, wildlife whackin’, given away the resources store lyin’ maggot…Don Glenn.
I really hope and pray there is a hell; maybe then the wild equines will get the justice they deseperately are entitled to.
Comments are allowed after register and Morganlvr posted a good one in response to the horse hatin’ anarchists that have posted….talk about morons!
LikeLike
At least the police didn’t attack those protesters in Canada like they did us in Louisville, KY some years ago when we protested the Iraq war when Bush was in town. The horses refused to push us so the goon squad attacked .
A good protest was held in D.C. for our wild horses and no doubt was seen by DOI when they were in front of the building and the police on horses didn’t attack them.
At this point it looks like nothing has worked so far. The BLM is breaking the 1971 WFRH&B Act but there has not been a Congressial hearing ( investigation) of the BLM YET. The 1st GAO study had damning evidense in it and now the BLM is trying to refute it. Salazar, Abbey and Glen all ought to have their sorry asses drug before a Congressional hearing with some really tough questions and demands put to them. However it doesn’t look like anyone in D.C. has the balls to do this. JMHO.
LikeLike
The protestors in front of the DOI Hall of Shame that I spoke with were not only thrilled when the jerks called in the Park Police (mounted, no less)…they were HONORED to be in the presence of these magnificent servants. It only contiues to support our contentions that these are noble animals, unique like no other (exception, maybe dogs) that have a bond with Man that deserves respect.
Watched a movie that depicted WWI and featured the artillery horses. That those animals served and willing did their duty for us and many died horrific deaths is testament to their rightly deserved elevated status…IMHO.
LikeLike
The Park Police in the D.C. protest rode in and faced the crowd in the same way that a mounted unit faces the judges’ stand in a parade–a sign of RESPECT. There was MUTUAL RESPECT shown between the Mounted Unit and the Protesters at the D.C. protest. They have jobs to do, but their hearts are on our side.
LikeLike
to RT and any others I am offering $100 dollars to any person/political party that can stop BLM. Any one want to join me? I find it odd and horrific that — (why is BLM a corporate entity? I thought it was a govt. agency) — that no one –not even the President of the USA –can stop BLM. Why are they afraid of BLM? or are they all in with BLM– oil/mining/water/solar/Ruby pipeline/foreign investors raping my USA— good lord –we’ve been sold to the highest bidder! I am offering $100 to any person/political party that can STOP BLM ! If you join me, your word/name is your pledge.
LikeLike
I’am with you Ann! I join you in offering $100 to any candidate, individual, or political party that vows to take on the BLM. I am new to this cause, but, I am bewildered by the power wielded by the BLM and their total disregard for public opinion. You mention
the president, and that he is unable to stop them, has he tried? He certainly has the power to stop them as they are a department under his executive control. You have a good idea and I join you
and agree that my word is my pledge.
LikeLike
I’ve been researching Land Trusts, Conservation Easements, etc. Wondered how they work, and whether this might be some kind of stop-gap for protecting the wild ones, even temporarily.
Congress will be “lame duck” as of November 15th. The “ducks” will be free to speak their minds and attempt to push through legislation they feel is important. If this legislation doesn’t make it, people will lose a valuable option for controling the future of lands they love.
This is a post about what’s happening:
http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/taxincentives/federal/advocates/adv-101510
And this is a map of which members of Congress are already in board and some tips on how to take action:
http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/taxincentives/federal/cosponsors
LikeLike
Linda, help me out please Land trusts are for private property only (and there are criticisms of land trusts – perhaps unfounded) and other than for conservation, mostly for tax protections/incentives (like those that make up part of the 1 billion a year for welfare public land grazing). How would this help our wild ones? And temporarily? Have some existing land trusts take in the wild horses? They would want rent and land management most likely.
Just some ramblings: I’m also skeptical and probably overly paranoid – in reading the site for this particular “alliance” I find one board member who is on the Colorado Cattleman’s Association – does not necessarily make him bad, perhaps representing a pocket that are not anti wild horses? Most other board members appear to be career board members which is usually only possible with corporate backing (beware of the hidden lobbyists among us – what many baords are made up of) – and we all know corporate America would just as soon there be NO Public lands – see or read The Corporation – and that all private property should be owned by corporations. I wonder what WWP thinks of this group? Maybe I’m overly paranoid but nothing on their web site indicates where they get their money – are they in favor, for example, of Public Lands grazing and are they supportive of the Nevada checkerboarding, etc, etc.? They do seem to be agriculture pron. Maybe they are all hunky dory.
I guess bottom line – How would supporting this tax incentive bill help the wild horses?
LikeLike
Okay, Roxy, maybe this particular organization isn’t the best example. My point is, if this federal program disppears for one, it disappears for all.
I’m going to pose a scenario here and let the debate commence!
_____
I’m a “working” rancher. I raise hay, have some cattle, some personal horses, and also wild horses on my ranch. I happen to like wild horses and want to make sure they’ll be allowed to continue roaming the ranch in the future.
Developers are buying up the area for “ranchettes”. I could sell out and make allot of money, but my property would be “sliced and diced” and cease to be the place my family has lived on for generations. And our wild horses would be carted away.
I want to stay on my ranch for the rest of my life, and I want some of it set aside for my kids. They like wild horses, but I know their circumstances may change after I’m gone. I’ve decided to set things up so the ranch will remain pretty much intact and out of their reach (sorry, kids).
I’ve teamed up with some folks who want to help make this happen. The family ranch will continue to be a historic demonstration “working” ranch, with the provision that the wild horses stay.
_____
I know this is “doable” because it’s been done.
This is the Equine Land Conservation Trust Library of Resources page. There aren’t allot of stories, but those that are here are SUCCESS stories. Maybe we could learn some things from them.
http://www.elcr.org/index_resc_C.php
And a tidbit from the HSUS. They’re supporting people giving land to help save the wild donkeys in Hawaii. Maybe they might be a resource.
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/09/waikoloa_nightingales_hawaii.html
So Roxy (and everybody) have at it. This is a learning process. The more ideas we put up (and shoot down), the better. There has to be a way to make something positive happen for wild ones.
LikeLike
I didn’t mean to imply anything. I was asking questions. Maybe this organization is the greatest and this bill is just what is needed. Its only I can’t make the decision to write my congress reps to support this particular bill based on what they have on that particular web site for yet more tax cuts for a few. Trusts are already in existence and an apparent growing trend since the 1970s – this appears to be only for the purpose of additoinal tax breaks for ag, conservation and the like. I wonder what WWP thinks about this bill?
Maybe by your example many groups will do what you are doing and it will spread (are the tax breaks necessary for this to occur?). Great – if anyone wants to set up a trust to secure a place for wild horses infinitum or just during their lifetime – or just temporarily – those that can rescue the horses do it – take all 33,000 + from holding – whether private land on trust or rescue or whatever, like the Freedom Fund horses, and the more recent ones from either Calico or Twin Peaks – can’t remember (and they are all asking for money).
I thought perhaps you thought Trusts had some impact on our Public Lands – and was some way to secure the land that is already rightly theirs that I already pay taxes to support.
This could be very usefull in Nevada in the ‘checkerboard’ where ‘wild life’ easement corridors already exist, but not with BLM’s roundup lust because they still have the right to take the horses (and have, apparently as reported on this site, even under objection from land owners where the wild horses roam) from private land as well as Public Land and they apparenlty still ‘require’ cattle grazing on the Public Land portions in order to keep the use of the Public Lands – that has been part of the stumbling block for Pickens and Kundra – not to mention land sales and leases and roadway easements for energy projects and mining scattered all over creation.
Seems like Congress could get the right minds together and just properly manage our Public Lands and wild ones. Or the States – like what New Mexico is attempting to do.
What has become of the Mega plex (is that what it was called?) idea anyway?
LikeLike
The Nature Conservancy is NOT the org. to go with IMO because they turned land they obtained over to the US gov. They had to do with a ranch also but it was long ago and I can’t remember the details.
I don’t know anything about the Public Land Trust but with a trust they take ownership of property. With an easement you still own the properety and have some say over it but a trust has to oversee it.
The HSUS has an easement program but since they have the PZP deal with the BLM we decided not to allow them an easement on our farm. It would have prohibited development , logging and hunting which we liked but as long as HSUS has not helped the wild horses and actually hurt them IMO I will have nothing to do with them. The PZP-22 is for 2 years now and with herd levels below genetic viability and sutainability IMO PZP should not be used at all.
LikeLike
There is an idea that the Nature Conservancy never sells lands but it does. They partner with many agencies and foundation/trusts.
The PZP-22 is an experimental drug and it has been misused and the mares are often sterile after administrating it. This is criminal activity and business as usual for the rabid BLM. Maybe ASPCA will have something to say about this??? I wish they were more vocal and openly supportive of the wild horses. mar
LikeLike
Forgot about the whole HSUS/PZP relationship. I sure am glad folks are out there to lend a hand when my frequently-fried brain locks up!
LikeLike
I chose to think the PZP experiment was done with good intentions on the part of HSUS – to reduce roundups. However, it was done too wide spread – it should have been used only on selective herds until the results were known – My God, what kind of rational experimentation is done on an ‘entire’ population! How obscene! Anyway, it has failed. They need to acknowledge that and stop it now.
It has failed, not only because it messes with the fouling cycles and social structures and causes some sterilization, but because they used it in conjunction with removing horses – which evidence indicates ‘increases’ reproduction in the over all scheme of things and when the PZP wears off.
Its just a huge mess that BLM has created on every front – but based on evidence at hand I am not going to blame HSUS for trying something to stop the cruelty – I’ll blame them for using it too wide spread and continueing to use it going forward.
LikeLike
I would say put an end to public ranching and set the wild horses free (get WFHBA of 1971 UN-amended and ENFORCED.
..and sue the state of Nevada in the California Surrogates Court for Breach of the Leo Heil Will. Thats what started it all, you know, the Nevada / BLMs Monopoly Over the Wild Horse & Burro Managment Program.
LikeLike
I am the originator of the proposal that resulted in the state park sanctuary plan and followed every development. It was a brilliant plan and would have saved 100 horses and created a model that you could have created in your state, with the appropriate number of horses for your ecosystem. In NM desert, you can only put 1 horse on 100 acres, as is the case with the outer banks of VA where the Chincoteague Ponies live. It’s ecosystem reality here.
in my opinion, this plan failed because horse enthusiasts were uninformed and unwilling to consider a positive collaboration with the BLM that could have changed the direction and future of wild horse management.
Right now, the goal is to get 50 thousand horses out of non reproducing corrals and onto the land where they are seen and supported by the local communities and have a decent quality of life. We cannot wait for the BLM to transform itself, and suddenly create perfect sanctuaries across the country. We have to make space and create sanctuaries.
I would like to see wild horse enthusiasts becoming active in positive solutions. The BLM was willing to fund a public oversight driven wild horse sanctuary. Too many people complained without having full information, and the horses are still in corrals years later and will stay there until they die unless people engage in creating positive alternatives. I did not say perfect alternatives. I said positive alternatives.
Please get involved with positive solutions. Create a sanctuary in your state. If every state created sanctuary for 1000 horses, the entire problem would be solved. As far as the non reproducing herd debate, the horses in BLM corrals are already gelded. They deserve to be free, too.
LikeLike
One more thing, as originator of this plan, it is my opinion that your post is detrimental to the cause of wild horses by making such a hopeless, negative presence. Please consider reformulating your post to give the world a vision of what we want to create. We already know what we don’t want.
LikeLike
Equineashram, where have you been ? Evidently you have not been keeping up with the “managing for extinction” that the BLM is doing. Read the latest please about bait-trapping. What good will sanctuaries be if all they are are places with non-producing wild horses ? In a few years the horses will die out. Horses are already in long term holding on ranches.The HMA’s were supposed to have been lawful areas where wild horses could be free and population IF excess could be controled ONLY if necessary with PZP–which is reversible. Gelding the captured stallions is just more “managing for extinction” also as the gene pool is already too low. Most HMA’s are not genetically viable and sustainable and after this year none may be. See http://tinyurl.com/4evvefn
LikeLike