(In My Own Words) by Terry Fitch ~ Chief Photographer “Horseback Magazine”
Pretty to the Eye – Sterile to the Soul
Tulsa, OK Nov 11, 2010 – (SFTHH) The much anticipated “press day” for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Long Term Holding Tour started out by meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel (Airport) at 8:00 am in Tulsa, OK. Debbie Collins, National WH&B Marketing Specialist; Lili Thomas,Wild Horse & Burro Program Specialist; Pat Williams, WH&B Facility Manager; Art from the Media Division of the BLM; Janet Jankura, Public Interest Representative from the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board; two gentlemen reporters from Tulsa World and me.
We drove for about an hour and a half where we stopped and picked up 3 more people along with a local film crew (Channel 6). We continued on our journey until about 10:45 when we got to our first destination. The ranch was located out in the middle of virtually nowhere. We could see herds of wild horses before we even entered the ranch. I must admit, it was very picturesque; like something out of a movie. We were greeted by Ladd Drummond of Drummond Land & Cattle Co., a fourth generation rancher. The Drummond family (according to The Land Report) owns approximately 120,000 acres which, according to Debbie Collins of the BLM, 24,292 of those acres are dedicated to the approximately 3400 wild horses living out their lives on this land.
If I didn’t know the first thing about wild horses, I would say that this is a paradise for the horses; however, I do know a little something about wild horses. The BLM attempts to portray this living arrangement as a paradise for the horses with their videos of the horses frolicking through the pastures. If these were domestic horses, it would be a perfect environment; but, they’re not. They are wild horses that belong in the wild. I guess; however, it is better than the alternative feed lots and 3-strikes $25.00 sales to kill buyers.
While all looks completely natural to a non-horse person, you soon realize that the mares and geldings are living in separate facilities; hence, no family units. The reason, according to the BLM, is that some of the geldings could still reproduce due to Cryptorchidism and other such oddities; therefore, foals were being born, adding to the alleged problem.
The ranchers, per Ms. Collins, are paid $1.35 to $1.50 per head, per day. For these 3400 horses, that equals to $4590-$5100 per day or $1,675,3500-$1,861,500 per year. Out of these moneys, the ranchers are required to pay for everything from feed, hay, pasture maintenance, fencing, vet care, etc. In addition, they are required to provide chutes to unload the horses and small corrals to acclimate them to their new environment. From there, they are moved to a paddock and then to their final pasture.
The horses are vaccinated, only once, when ‘processed’. After that, they virtually live out their lives as ‘wild’ horses. Once the horses are at the long term facility, there is no hoof care nor vaccinations. The BLM does, however, require there to be adequate amounts of rocks in the pastures so that the horses wear their hooves down naturally. A potential long term facility must add rocks to their pastures in order to be accepted into the program. At the two facilities we visited, both had rocks in the pastures and, from what I could tell, their hooves looked naturally worn. There were natural water sources such as ponds and creeks, along with water troughs.
The ranchers seed and fertilize the pastures along with ‘managed burns’, if necessary. And, to help them sustain in the winter months, the horses are supplementally fed pellets along with hay. Of course, being in captivity, it doesn’t take them long to recognize the feed truck and chase it, which they did in our presence.
All in all, it’s the perfect place for domestic horses not wild horses that are ripped from their family bands, separated by gender, and living their days out. The horses do live longer in captivity.
There are 16 such long term facilities; 10 of which are in Oklahoma. The BLM plans to add 4 more next year for a total of 20 facilities in 5 states.
The second facility was a reiteration of the first facility; only there were 2500 horses on 19,295 acres.
Related Articles
- Commercial Interests, Not Overpopulation, Behind Largest Wild Horse Roundup of 2010 (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Employee “Animal Abuser” Issues Email from BLM.gov (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Bloody BLM Wild Horse Roundup Exposed (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Updated Roundup Schedules (thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This would be perfect, if they were all put together like they were living in their natural ranges. The separation is disgusting. The supplement feeding in winter is what should be taking place in the range areas, by helicopter, not the chasing down of the horses by a helicopter. And, of course, making sure they have plenty of water. If I had the monies, I would try to have land available for them that replicates their natural environment. I guess, if you’re getting horses from the BLM and adopting them, and putting them in their natural environment, you could do as you please with keeping them together in family units and letting them run as if they were in their natural habitats before the horrible roundups.
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I have not heard of the wild horses needing supplemental feeding but for the worst of winters and then they have rarely been given anything. What makes them so amazing is their ability to thrive as they have in some of the harshest places in the West. They have not been treated like domestic horses except in captivity.
Thanks Terri. Did they not say anything about sale authority there? I have seen 2009 contracts and it also states horses must be able to be loaded and removed at anytime as well as off loaded and acclimated. Were there any statistics on these horses as they have a monthly review? I believe… sales horses leaving and horses dying… ?
mar
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If Debbie said anything about ‘sale authority’, I did not hear it. What happens to these horses in the future is ultimately up to Congress; whether the WH&B program suffers a budget cut due to the current debt in Washington. The horses, once delivered to long term holding, pretty much stay there. My understanding is that there have been a case or two where certain horses have been pulled to go to nonprofits. However, this is not the norm due to the logistical nightmare of trying to round up and separate the horses. The BLM does a tally once a year on the horses. How they do this, I don’t know. Supposedly, they match the brands up to their spreadsheets for a count. I would think this to be a logistical nightmare. The ranchers are supposed to check on the horses at least once a week. If they find a dead horse, they are supposed to contact the BLM immediately. Any removal of the horses from the property must go through the BLM.
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Dear Mar, I have a perplexing question, i would like to know why we are indulging this Jesse Person, She refers to Our Wild Mustangs as Feral, and other derogatory remarks against them…..do we really think we can change this person, and is it really worth the 2 weeks of trying, when are Mustangs are on the line here……. Have we all lost sight of what really matters here. shouldnt we be devoting all our time to only The Plight of our Wild Mustangs…… And how we can SAVE them…………………Shouldnt we be making phone calls to Congress instead of what i believe is a waste of precious time, this person continues to ramble on, in 2 weeks none of us have changed any of her twisted thoughts of the Wild Mustangs……………………….that I could see i have read all this persons posts she needs to take her research to the real world……………………………
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Thanks for being there, R.T.. And for sharing your first hand observations with us. ❤
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Oh no, Susan. This is my wife, Terry’s work. She drove up there by herself and did it all. I am traveling in other directions.
But there is something missing as when we travel together I am usually in charge of taking pictures of the woman who is taking the real pictures so there was none of that in this report.
Hats off to Terry.
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So essentially there is no purpose to the lives of these horses? Did any of the many BLM personnel out there on taxpayer money lend any eloquence to the sitaution – like why the horses are there or why they are being managed like every other horse farm?
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My take on the situation and their comments is that they think this is a paradise for these horses. Why would they ever want to leave?
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No MARES with FOALS and no COLTS to watch frolick with each other and horseplay–no STALLIONS—ever alert and protecting their MARES AND COLTS.
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‘Das’ it.
Geldings in one location, mares in another…basically a First Class concentration camp AND these horses know different.
You might be able to take the horse out of the beauty of the wild but you will NEVER take the beauty of the wild out of the horse.
Sheer torture.
R.T. Fitch Author – “Straight from the Horse’s Heart” Director of the HfH Advisory Council The Force of the Horse, LLC 1-800-974-FOTH http://www.rtfitch.com http://www.sfthh.com
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Also, are the mares able to breed still? mar
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Yes, they can still breed. They do not use PZP on the mares in holding as “it’s a waste of taxpayer money”.
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Thank you, good to know! mar
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Ah, celibacy. It’s the DNA that matters. These horses will likely live in heaven 10 extra years and good for them. But the more valves that open the more water will flow. We need at least 50,000 of them wild in diverse places, for someday their 500 year old DNA will be needed. Once lost there will never be another place for another 500 years to happen. Yet the BLM feel good at taxpayer expense plan dose make one feel better, just ask the American Wild Mustangs.
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Frank, their 500 year old DNA is already needed, today! For the past 11 years I have been working with the Sorraia Mustang Project (www.spanish-mustang.org). MtDNA studies in 2002 proved the descendancy from a horse that is now endangered on the Iberian peninsula, the Sorraia (www.sorraia.org). There are mustangs in the wild that look identicle to those horses, and the project centers on preserving them so that they can be used if necessary to help the horses on the Iberian peninsula reclaim their full spectrum of genes. Or, should that population fail, remain as the most related population of those horses. So, it is not later that the horses are valuable to the rest of the world, it is NOW. I am quite sure other rare genetics are within the mustangs, and I was told by a gal in England that many colors that are common amongst the mustangs used to be common in Europe but were wiped out by the World Wars. A concept most people never even conceive of. The wild horses here are a value to us and to the world.
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I strongly believe we will run out of oil before long. Nothing can or will replace it. In the late 1800’s a sickness claimed the lives of many of Americas horses and brought the country to a complete stand still. My fear is that if we ever need to breed into Mustangs to help mankind survive in a world without oil. (a world that existed 100 years ago) we might not have any left. 100 years ago we had no oil and horses 100 years from now we may have no oil or horses. In any case 500 years of survival of the fittest and natural selective breeding in the most rugged terrain has perfected the breed and earned them a place in this country.
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The very reason that I don’t commit any crimes is that I could not abide to be in prison and lose the freedom that I have known. The ability to be around my family and friends, to move from one place to another. I would wither and my soul would die with my physical body waiting to catch up. This is what they have subjected our horses to, only they never committed any crime. Unless you count being available to be used as a political ploy a crime. I also got it into my head as a child that if I went to prison they would probably force me to eat oatmeal, oatmeal was responsible for my decision to be crime free. They probably feed the horses oats in those pellets, yuck!
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Great report Terry.
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Thank you. Writing is not my forte and there is probably more information that I forgot to include. I hate it when that happens! 🙂
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Just to add to Mar’s post…
Unless it’s a really tough winter in these ‘sterile’ pastures.. These Wild Ones (at heart), really do NOT need supplements. I guess if they are old or sick, yes.. But with THAT many, do they really know WHO is in need or do they just feed supplements to all?
My Mustangs rarely get supplements. I have tried to stick exclusively to grass hay in summer and alfalfa/grass in winter. Mustang’s ‘systems’ don’t really have the ‘need’ for supplementation like his domestic cousin. They ‘use’ what they get wisely. Of course, they ARE getting way more than if they were in the wild in a harsh winter.. But all in all, they ‘use’ what they get.
Now, during really cold snaps they get more hay and yes, a nice warm pan of mash because what mother doesn’t want her kids facing a cold winter’s day without something ‘warm in their tummies’.. But that’s just cause I LOVE ’em soo much! 🙂
Mustangs are ‘Easy Keepers’ as far as I have noticed. I don’t have a big feed bill. I don’t have a farrier out every six weeks, but rather every 10 weeks and of course, I don’t shoe them. There is no need.
So, my whole point to this comment is, The BLM sure pays these ‘kind’ folks a LOT of money for basically not much care and some fences. My guess is that because it IS Gov’ment money, these folks have to USE it, or LOOSE it. So, they buy feed and ‘rocks’? (I’ve found that my Mustang’s feet wear pretty evenly without purposly putting rocks in my pasture?) And, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but to see a Mustang colic is a rare occurance. So other than ‘normal wear and tear’ on these Mustangs there really is no vet bill either. (Mine either..)
I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in and see if you other Mustang friends have found the same with your best friends?
Terry, Thank you for heading out and being our eyes and ears. R.T., as always, Thank you.. I enjoy coming here knowing the ‘gang’ will be here to take comfort in, no matter what the topic of the day is. It’s like hangin’ out at the Feed Store and ‘chewin’ the fat’ with your neighbors.. It is good here… 🙂
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I’m glad that I was able to go and report back. You can see the feed truck in my last picture. They just feed these pellets on the ground to all of the horses.
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Joey, captive wild horses also lose the varieties of plants they use medicinally. They have learned to eat things for worms and other ailments, some as they come up and others when they can find them. They also eat somethings because they are able to and it is there and other grasses may not be. They eat invasives and have a positive effect on the range in a wide variety of ways. None of this comes into play on seeded pastures. They belong in the West. It is there they have been successful and they have become a part of ecological niches. mar
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Seriously?
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Thank you, Terry, for traveling so far to bear witness! Thanks, R.T. for keeping us informed as always. Did the horses have BLM freezebrands? Wondering because the true lack of BLM transparency is obvious – how easy it would be to take a truckload to Mexico under the auspices of the USDA. Just wondering. While I’m not horrified at the wild horses’ conditions, like everyone else the lack of freedom to be the way nature intended is sad commentary on our world today. Our fight continues.
Off topic but of importance – I received a reply from Beth at MustangFilm regarding my letter of support and commendation for Governor Bill Richardson’s New Mexico wild horse sanctuary. She thanked me, said they will be delivering the letters to the board this Monday, and that many more are needed so spread the word. Her email address is mustangfilm@gmail.com. Here’s a chance for at least a small herd to live the way nature intended if we support this NOW! In my letter I said I would not only visit but consider retiring nearby in a few years, and I meant it. Please let them know how much we care about this project!
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I’m glad that I was able to go. Most, if not all, were freeze branded. It is hard to tell on some of the horses due to their manes and coloring; however, some that I thought were not branded actually were. I went back and blew up the photos to find the brands.
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Some of the wild mustang annilation is showing up now in this here “horse heaven” system. Money and lots of it; there is money in the wildess; millions to be made !!!!What in the H*** is wrong with them cattle ranchers… I would ship every bawling head if I was a rancher any where in the Western: H*** any part of the American continent; if the BLM would send me a few thousand head of virtually sterilized horses to ranch-out. And allow me to self poison them with supplement feeds with alphalpha and oat based supplements…You don’t have to be much of a horse person to know(which lots don’t tho) that alpalpha is man’s cattle feed and should never be fed to a horse.. What is alphalpha.. HIGH SUGAR.. to keep it simple (for the lots that don’t know)… I firmly believe it’s the root of most evils along with oats for a horse. It’s the root of most hoof and colic problems; ask youself ..When did I see these HORSE feeds growing in the natural pasture..Never .. now these Mustangs are forced to be eating this to survive…Chase feed trucks.. The horse feedlots in Canada feed like this; fattens them up for slaughter faster..Now these Mustangs are managed horses … Does this make them eligble to ship to slaughter…Pay attention to these horses; they too will be showing all these same problems our pasture horses have with excess hoof growth; weakend hoof’s colic’ed..How in the world of sage brush and snakes; did these horses thrive for the last 400-500 years…It’s all about the money ” folks” all about the money.. Why are these RANCHERS entitled to millions of tax dollars and other cattle barons suffer thru low cow prices… I would be kicking and screaming my head off to be trying to get a cut of this (excuse the pun) cash cow program….It’s heaven all right; for these choosen ELITE ranchers.. No foal problems,no preditor problems,if there is a preditor problem ..OH well they got lots more where these ones came from.. not even a issue with a injured stud from fighting for his family… What I see the worst stress these RANCHERS have is covering up the books as to where the money has gone…OH wait these are BLM systems .. They don’t have to cover -up anything just spin a yarn or two EH
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Thank you Terry, this is exactly what we expected to see. They keep telling us there are 38,000 horses in LTH, according to what they have gathered..yet their records only show 22,000 There is a huge descrepancy..Was there any mention of the death percentage..I know there were 200 sale authority horses purchased out of one of these facilities for someone who started a “tourist attraction, like Pickens proposed, and that it failed and the ranch was subdivided, but no mention of where those 2oo wild horses went..I have read the BLM contract for LTH, and it says horses are to be sold for sale authority in truckloads @ 25 dollars a head, that those horses sold cannot be “chosen” but are the first 40 head that the facility can capture, I am guess that would be the old and most friendly..where on earth would a truck load of these horses be going..we need FOIA documents that show how many die of natural causes and how many are sold…Pure and simple because the numbers put put by BLM do not match..It seems to me these horses are actually being fattened up for slaughter buyers at taxpayer expense..and until I have an actual accounting-There is way too much interest in these horse from the “organization of the horse eaters -for me to think anything else..they are sitting like vultures waiting to grab these for slaughter..I know it and so does the BLM
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I guess its pretty easy to get those 40 horses -they just follow the feedtruck to the pens like lambs to slaughter, to be loaded on semis…SO WHY do we need millions of dollars spent on HELICOPTER roundups..because they say it is the only efficent way they can round them up…this looks like proof- you could leave them where they were- feed them in winter and they would just follow into the gather pens..saving billions of dollars
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Of course that’s absolutely true, as anyone who knows anything about horses can tell you. Feed them a couple of times – something they REALLY like – and you’re their friend forever.
Everything they do is surreal…
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The BLM round-up methods train the wild horses to fear man. Heck I bet the horse elders speak the fear-danger sounds when they see a BLM uniform/logo on a truck. It is the way of any herd animal to ‘pass the word’ danger. For example, even cross species the danger call of a bird is understood by non-birds.
Look how close the horses get when they have no “man caused’ fears at all.http://vimeo.com/938717
Why can’t we get horse-people to care for wild horses- who can get close to and attract horses without harming them?
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Sandra (or anyone),
It seems to me that you may have ideas on this? Have you or anyone you know ever filed a FOIA regarding the numbers of horses coming and going (dead or sold) on any LTHF? Is this possible?
I recently spent a day at Litchfield STHF and saw about a thousand horses and burros (mostly from last summer’s Twin Peaks roundup) just standing around waiting [so sad … words could not describe] and I want them back on their range at Twin Peaks but until then, I reminded myself that even in captivity they STILL need me to watch out for them. How can we track them after they are sent to LTH? How do we know they are OK? How do we know that they are not being sold to “the wrong people”? How do we know that they are not disappearing at night across the boarder? Example: I imagine you saw that recent accident showing a trailer load of wild horses that hit an overpass in the midwest? Commercial vehicles have designated routes which, if followed per the law, do not allow trucks/trailers on roads that they do not “fit” on. So where was this trailer load of wild horses going and why was it on an “illegal” route? Need I say more?
Has anyone gotten any of these LTHF records which are required per their Fed contracts? Has anyone tried? Has anyone done a FOIA for these records? Can it be done?
As I know you already know, these thousands of “captured” horses need us also and they are standing out there in corrals right this minute … waiting for us to help them.
I sure could use some information and ideas and help on this … for our wild ones.
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By the way..I don’t see tree one out there and no shade or winter protection..just rolling hills..I have been in OKL at different times of the year..miserable sticky hot in the summer-unlike the dry heat of the desert..and freezing rains in the winter..There are no trees or canyons that horses can use for protection from the elements as they would seek and find in the west.
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I knew a man in Kansas whose ranch I flew into to look at mares, Sonny Tommlison, he used to come out to oregon and buy and sell high dollar horses..Sonny would not buy any broodmares 16 and over, as he said they did not survive the winters out there..it was too difficult on them and foals froze to death on a regular basis…The Dakotas and that whole area are simular..I seriously doubt that wild horses are living longer out there, and I think I will take Sonnys word over any BLM employee as he ran herds of 300-to 600 of very expensive mares $10,000 to $100,000
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I’m sorry to disagree, Sandra; We, Canadians, had 26000 wildhorses in Alberta Canada’s Rockie Mountain foothills in 1965..And as most USA people believe, we have winter 12 months of the year.. EH..Coldest dammm place in the world.. EH.. Sadly, we only have about 650 left today; This was not due to severe weather conditions,wolves,cougars or grizzlies; that we only have 650 left.. this was totally done by man management..For cows; this land area was leased to ranchers. After the loggers clear cut these areas; After the oil giants pipelined the province. And drilled wells. And built huge oil and gas plants. Oh, ya, so you also know, this other part of Canada’s history; this was all done mostly by the USA giants including ranchers..Yet our Wildess survived all this..Until the grasses grew and could now feed cows..If there were mustangs in the northern states ie Dakotas. Nature never took them out It would have been the world famous BLM
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Winter is always the hard season for all wildlife, but they are able to seek out shelter-snow is much better than rain..a horse will shiver in rain and be insulated by snow on its back..Remember the horses there are the LTH over 10 years of age..they killed the really old horses already..The great Basin area where these horses came from is different in that it is a dry cold..we do not get the rains and have plenty of shelter..I am talking about horses in LTH facilities back there not wild and free horses.
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Lynne, you DO own lots of land–PUBLIC LAND! That land belongs to ALL of us-NOT the government-NOT multi-national corporations–NOT the BLM. It belongs the US
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Louie Please your spelling is terribbbble. You forgot the A on US.. if you think different and really believe this YOUR land. Try going into YOUR gov White House thru them open doors and tell your President that you want your horses left alone… I am a Canadian; in MY land of the frozen north; who also cannot get any further into MY goverments door to tell MY Prime Minister that he has to stop all this BS with horses…. YES..There was a time when these lands belonged to the people but that was long before the White Man got hold of it …. EH….
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In case you hadn’t noticed jim..we don’t do that over here..
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Jim, we have walked the halls of both the House and the Senate with little success and now we are burdened with an administration that, besides all of the beautiful promises made, only has eyes for a personal agenda, period…and even that is not worth the paper it is written on. We continue to work that process but we have now taken it the courts, with some small victories I might add. On the issue of the courts…Laura is up to bat on Tuesday and we have some very positive things for the horses smoldering in the background.
Video at 11:00
Jim, a word of caution; posting to this Blog is not a right, it is a privilege and we all respect each other…cardinal rule, don’t make it personal and no flaming. Understood?
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I kind of like the way this Canadian showcased the canadian sable island wild horses. And he did it in New York city and had a TON of american city people viewing.
Unfortunate though for canadian wild horses not on sable island, canadian geographic reported less than 200 wild horses in canada.I think real wild horses are extinct except on sable island.
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Interesting you see very little color out there..why is that? sorrels , bays and a couple of grays..I know they have given truckloads to indian reservations, and I know that some of the reservations were involved in raising horses strictly for slaughter until the slaughter plants were shut down..now they are over run and rescues are having to step in..This all falls directly into the BLMs lap..They ask for solutions, and the solutions are so obvious, a child could figure them out..There is no over population problem, there is no over reproduction..there is just BLM “shrinking” the lands in the HMAs-and its costing billions upon billions of dollars to the taxpayer directly and then indirectly costing the taxpayer more millions to rescue the horses they adopt out that end up in back yards to unqualified people looking for cheap horses..who generally end up starved abused or at auctions..We are having to rescue what the BLM stole off the lands..we are paying at every end for this defunct policy
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You can sure say that again and and again etc! mar
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You can sure say that again and again… mar
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EXTORTION
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Thank you Terry. You did a fine job. Now we can see where some of the hostages have been taken.
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The seperation of sexes — and the reasoning behind it — is baffling to me. How many cryptoid males are there, and what other “oddities” are they referring to?
Truthfully, a vet who knows what he/she is doing can castrate a horse, even if the male’s testicles haven’t both dropped. Sure it’s more costly, but it can be done by a qualified vet.
So, any insights as to why these holding facilities are really doing this?
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Seems like it would be better to just adopt out that one in a million foal birth than to separate them. But what do I know. I am not a cattle rancher.
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According to BLM protocols..cryptorchids are destroyed by the BLM..however we know they operated on several at Calico and I believe all of them died..it is a very touchy surgery not to be done in the field as they did but in a vet hospital..They are using these horses to experiement on..and yes there are Cryts going to auction sites..stamped-gelded..they are not waiting for the testicles to fully drop and that can be @ 3 to 4 years of age..they just mass geld..
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Friends, I do hope you are paying attention to these excellent posts by Sandra as she has real experience and I know enough to say she is dead on. Her comments should be giving many of you insights and new knowledge. We need to get on the same page as there is a long tough road ahead.
No matter what the situation is with BLM we have to create a connection to our wild horses and hold onto it. mar
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New horses can arrive at any time. How do we know that they are not loading the empty trucks on exit with horses to slaughter? I read the comments on the report in one of the Okla papers–frightening what some of these locals were saying.
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Please tell us what the locals were saying, SWH… mar
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Mar, I know the comments SWH is referring to. Copy and paste the link below and scroll to the bottom to read them. Be prepared, some of them are real doozies, and I’m being polite.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20101110_11_A1_CUTLIN250196
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Ignorance is exhausting… thanks Robin. mar
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WOW !!! Robin was very polite , OMG this is a perfect example of we need MEDIA< that will report the truth ! Devastating ignorance !!!!!!!!!!
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What was that line in Black Beauty? “Don’t you know that it (ignorance) is the worse thing in the world next to wickedness?-and which does the most mischief heaven only knows.
In this case it’s both. Wickedness is running the hooves off of foals. Mischief? Hey, those are our lands, and our money and our horses. The money isn’t wasted by the horses. They just want to be left alone! All it would take is looking at both sides of the issue for people to realize.
The scary thing is there is someone out there seems to prefer we remain ignorant. Why else are there more one sided reports by the news favoring the BLM instead of honestly looking at both sides of the issue?
.
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“Planned tours” are exactly that–PLANNED. If BLM facilities were on the up and up, there would be no need to plan ahead for public tours.
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If it weren’t so sad it would be funny that BLM doesn’t even trust themselves to know how to geld a stallion. If the rare, rare, rare gelding didn’t ‘take’ and a mare of two out of 40,000 got pregnant, so what?? They talk about the possibility of mares still getting pregnant like that is a huge risk somehow. This country is full of mares and gelding cohabitating, and only once in a zillion does a mare ‘mysteriously’ ends up prego.
Good grief, BLM. What ‘chu fellers doin’ out there- do ya have any idea a’tall?? Get an education about what you’re doing, for pete’s sake!
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Yeppers, Elaine. I have a mare and a gelding living together. Have been for 8 years. Not only that, my gelding had become a gelding only 4 weeks before he came to live with us at age 3. No foals. Needless to say, I do NOT live in mortal fear of my mare coming in foal.
Like I posted above EVERYTHING the BLM does is surreal in it’s nonsense.
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it does look alot better then some of the solutions. it just is still a zoo. i have taken my 8 yr.old daughter who is wolf crazy to the wolves rescues and while its still a thrill to stare into the creature of her wild dreams eyes,and i know they are doing a great job there,, when we got in the car to leave she held my hand a second and said mommy i had fun but i dont like zoo’s, i want to see the real wolves, the wild ones. it broke my heart, because she is right, the difference is huge. their honor is gone. the very thing we treasure and respect is pasteurized beyond any resemblance of its former self. it just makes me grieve a wild mestango. i am happy to see however if this is the new way of life for them that they are at least clean and feed and able to move at will. thank you so much for watching out for our beloved mustangs. 🙂
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Terry, thank you so much for the informative report. I have been trying for some time to get some information about the long-term holding, without luck. The fact that I am a natural born citizen of the United States, does not allow me the same level of access as ANYONE who holds “press credentials”, which I also have.
I am not giving up on the fact that I add the proud ackronym (sp) of “USA Citizen” after my name. That is a battle I have fought for all my life and won’t stop now. For me, that supersedes all and in the United States of America, should mean something – some day it will, again, but probably not in my lifetime… Shame on those who would keep a citizen from receiving their rightful and hard fought for benefits. For 18 years I walked alongside my father, the LTC., and saluted the flag at dawn and dusk in places some Americans have never even heard of. I am proud of what I have given to my country, someday my country will once again show pride and respect in return to all who claim her. …apparently, not tonight…
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JIm, I didn’t forget the A. I meant US
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Dear Louie Cocroft, want to compliment you on all the wisdom you have been offering and sharing here………. You have the gift of clear and precise thinking , and i know you help the horses in all you say here…. !!! Thank You
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I would like to say, I know of no one more dedicated than Louie, I donot think a day has gone by that Louie has not hit the send button on some important information, comments religiously on EAs, turns the pockets inside out to donate, and is someone who is a DOER, not just a talker..Louies computer has gone to the hospital to be fixed,but will be back soon!
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In agreement here and have come to appreciate Louie more all the time! We need you back soon. mar
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:sigh: We pay $1.35 a day, ranchers pay $1.35 a month, and the recent property lease auction here in So Cal will earn (on average) $200,00 a year for each parcel. No mention of what the property will look like in 10 years when the leases are up, but probably won’t look the same, as these these were not grazing leases…
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Arlene, thank you for such a nice compliment. I think this blog is filled with people who are wise and thoughtful. Welcome to the battle. We are glad that you joined us.
Jim T. is probably outraged, as are all of us here, and I don’t think he really meant to be disrespectful. I think his post was meant more in jest. I’m afraid there are going to be some mispelling and grammatical errors from time to time. We are all eager to get in the discussion and proofreading takes time. This is all moving very fast and so are we.
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Your Welcome !!!! Everyone here is awesome , with the goal and never lose sight of it, I just like the way in which you get the point across…………………
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We need to direct our anger outside of the blog and aim at the right target
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A truer word has never been spoken !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I am past the anger stage, now I am livid, all my efforts so far have not materialized,I have written to all I thought could or would help, and nothing !!!! I realize we are up in it with some pretty gruesome , greedy people. who believe that they are above everything, But I believe there is a wrong and a right here, and no need to explain the right or the wrong (the wrong is beyond all explainable) ,we all know what it is, the truth is we cannot stop trying to get this right at all costs…………….. BLM HAS OVER STEPPED THEIR BOUNTRIES ,weather they think so or not … And we are going to put a end to this INSANITY………………Our Wild ONES are suffering terribly and we will find out the way to stop this horror…………………………
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I hope someone is checking all his horses for BLM freeze brands. We have semi loads of wild horses unaccounted for that have left the roundups and disappeared into thin air..they were not processed-so no brands, and a member of the contractors family was seen retrieving a sack from behind some sagebrush, which may have been payola.. you can pull mane hairs by the roots and have DNA tests done to match up with mares-even on dead and buried horses, we can have hair pulled from horses on the HMAs to match up to relatives, to determine if these are members of the wild horses stolen
http://canadianhorsedefencecoalition.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/rodeo-thugs-shoot-dump-12-foals/
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Terrie, It was good to meet you and be with you at the viewing. Good reporting! Maybe we’ll be together again rejoicing as we watch the horses being set free.
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Kind of nuts to spend that kind of money for long term holding when BLM public lands have a thousand times the land sitting fallow.
The BLM could house the ‘long term holding horses’ on public land and use those helicoptors to drop hay and make sure water is ample!
Blm has shown they can get thousands of gallons of water out in less than a day and carried by helicoptor. plus they would save on transport costs, round-up costs,record keeping would be centralized aswell.
The horses would be a LOT HAPPIER!! and so would the public, then we can see them on our PUBLIC lands!
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Long term holding is for Criminals not for the Wild Mustangs , they are innocent of any crime !!!!!!!!!!!!
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I am wondering what kind of shelter do the horses have on these preserves? Is there anywhere they can go to get out of inclimate weather? I am thinking of those holding pen / concentration camps they are keeping them in with no access to shelter or shade. …seems to me there are laws requiring animals kept in captivity are to be afforded adequate shelter. Also, running their feet off and plowing into them with the helicoptor SCREAMS cruelty to animals….and I am wondering with all the law suits flying around, is anyone of them charging the BLM with this? I know it has been alleged many times, but as a seperate cause of action in and of itself? I dont know for sure if it has, but most certainly should be. The evidence speaks for itself.
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Terry thank you for for visiting the LTH facilities! While we all knew what to expect, documentation is very important. Were you able to get close ups of freeze brands, so we could trace? Have they allowed access to the logbooks; as to be able to gather some stats on “turnovers” and to verify the horses “lifespan”? We all know this is only A VERY CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED PR.SHOW. The sad part is that the Mustangs are regularily being slipped off to slaughter….Oklahoma is close to the Mexican border. What I truly resent is the DECEIT, AND LIES!! I agree with all of the above……anyone who is priviliged to know or own Mustangs, knows, that the LTH is a home to “BROKEN SPIRITS!! ……if only they could talk….
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Dear Terrie,I’ve waited along time for this report. Thank you for doing it.
To all the people who left comments, Thank you. You all know the differences between a DOMESTIC HORSE & THE MUSTANGS/ BURROS. It’s to bad that BLM & SOME RANCHERS DON’T!
I’m printing every artical I can find & the comments of the people as they SPEACK LOUD & CLEAR to send to President Obama, This will be my scound box of articals to go to Pres. Letter inclosed.
This one will be a big help. I say this because my ex Senator ( Idaho’s Senator Crapo) said that BLM had a good plan in mind for our Mustangs. I got pee’ed off big time!
As of next week this will be on it’s way with a few hundred other Articals,
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This is about awareness. I ask you not to make an opinion until at the very least you have done some research. People I ask you? Does it seem normal to take horses away from their home, their natural environment, where contrary to BLM’s opinion they thrive? They are adjusted to their home, their environment contrary to what the BLM says,they do not starve, nor do they over pro-create. Is it normal to stampede them through rough terrain in winter months so that pregnant mares abort, so that young colts loose the hooves off their feet because they are underdeveloped? And then are left to die? Then they are sent to big farms, away from their families, to live out lives where they no longer have their families, are not longer able to pro-create. You think people like the Drummonds are doing a favor? I beg to differ. I ask that you do some research. You can thank the BLM for this atrocity. For further information check out http://wildhorsesneedyou.com
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MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY…..OOPH’S WE FORGOT ABOUT THE BLM’S WILD HORSE CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
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