(In my most OUTRAGED Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ Author and Director of HfH Advisory Council
BLM’s Bob Abbey Can’t Polish this Turd
President Obama, remember the campaigning animal friendly guy, sat back idly last winter while his Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bob Abbey, directed his bunch of armed thugs and contractors to harass, stampede, capture and ultimately kill hundreds of wild horses both during and after the deplorable Calico Complex stampede and by God our country’s leader is doing the same blinking thing this year.
Bob Abbey, recently caught in a fantasticly stunning lie regarding Madeline Pickens attempt to offer sanctuary to wild horses in long term holding, has been ragging on advocates along with his PR man Tom Gorey saying that the use of the word “stampede”, versus the quaint sounding “gather”, is just more anti-BLM propaganda from animal rights activists. But get it right Bobby, if you can, it always has been and forever will be a stampede when you terrorize wild animals to the extent that they run for their lives at the cost of their health, future and for many their very breath of life. And for the record we are equine advocates and not animal rights activists you putz; hell, we tax paying Americans don’t have any rights thanks to the likes of yourself how stupid do you think we would be if we thought for a moment that animals should have rights?
Now, thanks to Obama’s main man Abbey, there is blood on the ground and cruelty in the air. The BLM shot one horse that broke it’s hip while packed into a trailer with 40 other panicked national icons and the following video is of a mature mare run right flat into the ground by one of Bobby and Obama’s highly paid helicopter stampede artists. Only into day five and lives are being snuffed out.
Bobby, I wouldn’t expect anything other than this from your cold, cruel black heart as you have been suckling on that fat government teat for so long you that have lost touch with reality but Mr. President, how could you…is this the sort of bedtime story that you want YOUR children to view and what sort of legacy are you leaving for your Presidency?!?
Watch the video; your polices and their intent are obvious, the desired conclusion is telegraphed, your odds of being reelected are evaporating. It’s time for you to keep your promises.
(And for those of you out there with a heart and soul, buckle up your seat belt and get a firm grip on the arms of your chair because you are about to see your tax dollars spent to do some of the most evil works you have seen in a while, or since the last Abbey stampede. Note the streaming sweat, the exhaustion and the puffs of exhalation coming from this terrorized treasure’s body and nose. It is sickening and turns my stomach. In the recent past, such cruelty was a catalyst for our country to pick up arms and fight to save the innocent abroad, now, the inhumanity occurs within our borders and the perpetrator is our elected government. This is not the government that I bore arms to protect, this is not the land that I remember from the past, this is not the heart that beats in all Americans, this is simply a cold and bloody travesty!!)
Related Articles
- Horse roundup near Pickens sanctuary criticized (bendbulletin.com)
- Stop Cash Flow to Bloody BLM Wild Horse Stampedes (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Obama Administration to Begin “Largest” Wild Horse Stampede of the Winter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Denies Wild Horses are “Stampeded” (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Major Humane Organizations Plead with BLM to Postpone Deadly Wild Horse Stampede (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- DOI/BLM Dupe Public and Congress in Covert Wild Horse Land Grab Scheme (ppjg.wordpress.com)
- Congressman Dan Burton Tramples Wasteful Wild Horse Program (animals.change.org)
Categories: Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I agree R.T.
Why does it seem that the only people who run for government office are borderline sociopaths who can look you in the eye and and, with great conviction, tell you a whoppin’ lie.
so•ci•o•path
A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.
po•li•ti•cian
“see sociopath”
Abbey, Obama and the likes are not what I and many others respect anymore. Not that he cares… they have brought such shame with their ignorance and corruption, regressing to a bunch of liars and rogue racketeers – big mouths, little meaning…
You all deserve each other as your actions do not represent the American spirit and your sick games out on the range only manifest the abusive powertrip you are on.
Letting out your hunting instincts on defenseless animals because you can… torture them, because you can…. wearing your tax funded government badge of which you believe me you cannot be proud of anymore – Shame on you Abbey and Obama and all you ignorant failures – America is losing faith and you are to blame for it. May Karma catch up with you in due time – you have lost all decency and I hope you will pay for it.
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You people must be Saddists. You must enjoy reading about people that loath you. There is a VERY, VERY Long list, to be sure. I am so Enraged about the Suffering, murder and Terror that You have caused to our Harmless animals. Is there anything
that will Stop you???? Mark my words, “YOU and your gang of Psychopaths, WILL Pay.” When you Least expect it…..
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Please this video is hard to watch and it’ll make you want to be sick. But it again points out just what is wrong with Bob Abbey.
That poor horse fell. And then she had the hardest time getting to her feet. It looked like wranglers got out there and started throwing rocks at her to get her moving. Aren’t they suppose to get a van out there and bring in her in if she’s that tired?
Then that stupid pilot runs her one way, back the other, just to turn her around again and yet back again. Basically she ran in 2 big 360 degree turns for the whim of some stupid that has a pilot license.
There was NO NEED to do this to a tired worn out horse. Other than the fact that he could.
If horses could throw up I hope all of the ones he keeps rounding up throws up all over his boots. Perhaps they’ll do the next best thing and poop on him.
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Margaret — You’re so right. This is hard to watch, but I did and posted it to my facebook page for others to see.
The pilot doesn’t understand how to herd horses, how to position himself **behind ** the horse and move from side to side instead of over the top. He practically hit her, he got so close. It looked to me like he kept pressuring from her sides and forward to her withers. Horses move forward from the rear. That’s Horse 101 stuff — and anyone handling/driving horses should know this. Pressuring her the way he did just confused her, sent her turning in frightened circles. I hope this old girl survives this traumatic experience.
So much for a “humane gather…”
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The video within the above story is so appalling, it’s difficult to believe this takes place here. It just is most despicable that no one stops this from the sociopaths in office – I would think that enough is enough and someone needs to be exposed and held accountable –
People do NOT know this is happening – does this reflect 21st century values and standards, when an obviously adrenalin-charged moron pilot is playing sick games such as these on a defenseless horse ???
Something must be done to stop this – they cannot remain immune forever – and get away with such sick actions while maintaining in their PR gigs that they are “humane and professional”.
This must be exposed – please help !!!!!!!!!!!!
Monika Courtney
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Your tax dollars at work. Big paychecks for thugs like these.
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I’d feel a lot better about it if I knew these guys were going to the “Big House” for about 20 or 30 years. We are not paying them to be stupid, and criminally incompetent.
You know in some businesses, if you are the boss and you hire someone who does not know what he is doing and he messes up, you can be fired. It seems like the more this happens at BLM and Interior the more and more untouchable Abbey and Salazar feel.
If we could just find a way for America to see what is really happening…ut oh…the cauldron is boiling over and those two weird ladies are starting to chant something about “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble”….
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That chain of command goes up through Abbey, Salazar and all the way to Obama as the buck stops with him and his hands are becoming very, very dirty over this issue.
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SATURDAY: At the roundup today Laura is again finding only scattered bands and so is BLM WH&B Specialist Ben Noyes. This roundup needs to be called off for lack of “Excess” wild horses!!
This is link to Maureen Vanderstad’s latest new from Laura Leigh at Antelope and it is constantly being updated.
http://blog.grassrootshorse.com/2011/01/antelope-complexs-wild-horse-trap-sites.html
mar
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The old mare tripped not so much because of exhaustion, but because there is a sheen of ice over that snow. She made a quick move and lost her footing and had to take a moment to gain it again. Also, this was not a stampede. These horses were loping at a steady pace, sometimes trotting. The helicopter was set back a ways while driving them forward and only got close to head the mare off. The pilot also gave up, probably to come back later, to let the mare have a breather when he saw he wasn’t going to get her going where he wanted her to. Look how skinny she is! I hope they were able to bring he in so she doesn’t have to die slowly out on the range….I for one would rather pay the government via tax dollars to prevent horses from starving out on the range and causing native wildlife to be impacted too.
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Jessie, how is your Thesis going these days? Have you had an opportunity to actually attend any of these debacles? Have you researched into the politics that are driving this extermination? How long have you actually been engaged with this subject manner? Have you ever talked to a BLM hand on the range, with his hand on his gun? Do you fully understand the implications of what the “Big Picture” truly is here?
Delve deep, work hard and get the facts…you will be terrorized by what you find and for your information, the horses are not starving to death on the range but they are out numbered by privately owned cattle on our public lands, the number would astound you. So there is more to that video than meets the eye and there was nothing humane or caring about the pilot’s behavior.
And for the record, the mare was exhausted you could see that early on…
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Thank you for the inquiry. My thesis is going great so far. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands dirty down there on Riddle Mountain this summer. I’ve talked to BLM hands in person and found them to be great people and very helpful. They will be at the top of my Thank You list when I have completed my thesis. Without them, I’d never be able to get the field work accomplished.
To me the “big picture” is the wildlife that is being impacted by cattle and horses and even bigger, the ecosystem. At least the cattle are easily managed through the permit system. I can only hope that the horses can be managed in some way as well to prevent degradation to habitat. It might be helpful to create some sort of rotation schedule for them like it is done with cattle..but that was a thought just off the top of my head now….so not much speculation on it..
My thesis will discover how much impact horses and cows have on shrub steppe habitats, and which does more or if they are equal. (After talking to the BLM in person, it was brought to my attention that a herd behavior study wouldn’t be effectively accomplished in one year…perhaps as a PhD dissertation….)
In any case, since I am as much for horses as I am the shrub-steppe and wildlife, I support the BLM in rounding up horses to prevent negative impacts
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And then add to that, after she was able to get to her feet again, (after being scared by those two men), she was chased back and forth by the chopper instead of letting her try to get to the band she was sperated from. Despicable!!!!!
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And if I was an old mare? I’d rather die in my own home and on my own terms than to face what she will have to – the stress of transport, the summary euthanasia because she ain’t pretty and she ain’t young or adoptable – if the pilot indeed goes back after her.
And she got to be that old because she doesn’t get regular feedings at the BLM trough.
It wouldn’t have cost the Bureau nor the pilot a damn thing let her go; the rest of her family is gone. And no one in their right mind would have force-loped any horse, wild or domestic that distance. This wasn’t a matter of necessity; it was a matter of pride.
She and her kind are allocated a 1/4 of the resources their neighbors are. And in winter everyone is impacted. It’s part and parcel of being ‘wild’.
Why do you come here? You are not seeking another aspect of the story. Your beliefs are already firmly grounded. You find our ire at the government’s handling of these animals sophmoric and unreasonable. And you might be right. But we’ve done the digging; we know the inequities. Many of us have seen roundups close up and personal and know them to be far less than humane. We advocate for these animals the best we can because if we don’t, certainly no one else will.
I’m glad for you that you see the roses. But from bitter experience, almost all I ever see are thorns.
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Those the contractors see as worthless; the oldest and the youngest, are forced to their knees by the power centric and psychotic aggressors. The wildest and the brave die also. mar
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Oh, Jessie, 1 year into school and you are an expert. And so young to be so incredibly blind to absolutely needless and horrific abuse right there in front of your eyes.I know you are dying for a gig with the BLM when you graduate, but you really have picked the WRONG night to post your naivete and BLM propaganda. Truly.
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Where did you get one year into school? Sure I am a first year graduate student, but I’ve been on this topic since freshmen year when I was an undergrad…so since 2004. I’ve done a lot of research and reading since then…little to none from the BLM….it all started with some physical geography, leading to resource management, to wildlife management and such after my dad adopted his kiger stallion.
I do hope to get a job with them….because I want to manage the horses and the ecosystem they live in. And to do that, I have to work for the BLM. Where else can I manage wild horses AND wildlife AND the environment?
I don’t really know why I come on here and comment rather than just passively read…perhaps to learn a bit and to share what I’ve learned, I guess.
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Like I said Jessie, you picked the wrong night. And I am tired of hearing your curriculum vitae every time you post. I really don’t care. Especially tonight.
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Well Jessie I just hope for your sake that there will still be wild horses and other wildlife on the ranges when you do graduate, at the rate that your beloved BLM is going they will be next to extinct and there will be nothing left for you to manage with all of your newfound “knowledge”
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Jessie, I won’t swap words with you other than to say I think it has been stated before that your ideas and input are not appreciated nor wanted. There’s nothing new you are telling us and what we attempted to tell you apparently fell on deaf ears from your posts I have read elsewhere. PERMANENTLY GO AWAY!!!! RT way too much energy being put into this, please hit the delete button in the future. I’m usually pretty polite but RT I’m here to tell you I think we have all had it with the useless back and forth.
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When you guys have had it, just let me know and I will deal with it…a private email will help. While traveling, last month, Ray Fields was around sniffing and spreading his brand of BS but in that case, you mares kicked the living crap out of him and he ran running without any help from my end. Good job.
Ms. Jessie may return when she gets her head out of the clouds and gets some dust on her boots. Her total lack of sensitivity points to the fact that she is under the distinct impression that the entire world revolves around herself and that people really care about what she thinks. Put about 20-30 years on her and we might be able to speak at the same level.
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Jessie, How generous of you to offer to pay the government via OUR tax dollars to prevent horses from starving out on the range and causing native wildlife to be impacted. Unbelievable. How often and how deep do you bury your head in the sand? You are buying BLMs storyline on why they are doing these roundups. Do some research into this issue and you may learn that all is not well in your land of OZ.
Indifference to inhumane cruelty on defenseless animals and in the same breath say that it is for the good of the animal, this sends out some bad vibes bordering on psychotic.
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She doesn’t want the range or wildlife impacted. What the hell is this? Major wildlife impact by ruthless helicopter pilots!
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Some people see what is in front of them and there are those who see what they want. mar
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JESSIE – So you have been at this since 2004? You must be listening to the BLM or you are a very slow learner! You sound reasonably intelligent although quite naive so hopefully someday you will open your eyes to the reality of what they are doing to these horses. You care as much for horses as for shrub-steppe wildlife? Yeah, right. Please do not bother with a reply even if I have offended you. I have no more time for you. As someone already said, you picked the wrong place and time to defend the BLM or their contractors.
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Jessie, my reply will not be so elegant and witty as Mr. Fitch’s. I am just too damn sickened and angry right now. My high emotion comes from knowing exactly what I just saw, backed by a lifetime of hands on experience.
I come from 5000 years of horse trainers on both sides. Recent history calls my people “Cossacks;” we once forced back a battalion of Soviet tanks, on horseback. I started riding so young adults had to hold me up, and did not earn the privilege of a saddle until I mastered my seat bareback with the guidance of our Plains Cree neighbors. I have galloped TBs, successfully competed, managed a stud farm, and groomed/conditioned to international level—both a horse long listed for the Olympic team and the US National Champion Stock Horse Stallion.
I know a hell of a lot about conditioning, stress, and the limits of the finest athletes.
If anyone I worked for saw me drive a horse into the tortured condition the BLM saw fit to do to that poor mare, I would have been fired and blacklisted across the country. The horse would have been considered “ruined,” in spirit, wind and body. In my European warrior tribe, I might have been exiled or shot. The fittest young distance horse could not stand up to that terror and stress, let alone an aged mare on rough ground who has never before seen a man or a helicopter, or been separated from her family.
Your father owns a tamed mustang. And…? Since you are a first year grad student, you will understand the term “non sequitur.”
Your reading and research, “did not come from the BLM”? My dear, can you truly be this innocent. The connections between government, government funding, universities and highly paid careers offered by government AFTER university graduation are clear. In some areas, student loans are 100% pardoned if one goes into government service. At one of my local universities, the Forestry and Environmental Sciences department is financed by the largest and most destructive logging corporation in the country. You can’t possibly believe you are being made into a free thinker and pure researcher!
You are clearly not a horsewoman, talk through your too tightly fitted academic hat, and sorely lack any semblance of heart, soul or conscience.
You’ve done a lot of research? Certainly it was not in the vicinity of horses or real horsemen. Possibly not even in the presence of oxygen.
Then you DARE to come to real horse people and condescend.
If you are the future of wildlife management, God help us all. You are not fit for a place anywhere near these vulnerable, precious creatures.. Sadly, you are a fit for the BLM. I’m quite sure you will have no problem, as you said, getting your “hands dirty.” I’m also quite sure you don’t see the irony in that.
Stick that in your “shrub-steppe” and smoke it.
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Reisa, your comments may not have been as “elegant and witty” but they were certainly eloquent and right on the nail head all the way through. It is scary that one so naive and already imbued with the operational philosophy of the BLM might someday be in a position to “manage” anything having to do with horses, ranges or other wildlife just because she has some pieces of paper to show how much education she has. Jessie says she has met a lot BLM personnel and they are really nice people that will be at the top of her thank you list on completion of her thesis. Well, Ted Bundy was a really nice, personable guy too. At least on the surface.
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Reisa, I’m adding this to your excellent comments:
Jessie, this is another Antelope Complex video (from the 26th). Please watch it from beginning to end, and gain some insight into what’s being done to our wild horses.
These horses were chased for about one and one-half hours near the trap site. Who knows what distance they were forced to cover, and at what pace, BEFORE they neared the trap site.
Do you know what “bleeding” (Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrage) is?
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=2941
Do you understand “jarring”? This article is about horses raced on hard tracks resulting from Australian drought, but do you think running horses FOR MILES on frozen ground is any less damaging?
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/09/1034061255669.html
Remember, these are reports about race, sport, and performance horses that are rarely run over long distances, and certainly not in these conditions. At the recent World Equestrian Games, the Eventing Cross Country Course was a little over 4 miles – one of the longest in the history of the games – and on excellent footing. Even though the horses were in top condition, some were disqualified from lameness, bleeding, or failure to recover at the post-phase vet check, or the check-in prior to the Stadium Jumping the next day. Some were withdrawn by their “connections”, because they care about their horses and knew they could suffer further damage.
And these horses WEREN’T BEING CHASED INCESSANTLY BY A HELICOPTER!
About the roped foal – Do you realize how much tracheal damage can occur when a horse is roped (in this case double-roped) and fights to the point of going down? BTW, the damage often isn’t apparent at the time of the choking, but many “choked down” horses are ruined – FOREVER!
And did you read the report from the “Designated Humane Observers”? It was published by the BLM at the beginning of December, but, naturally, the observation took place well before publication.
Click to access AHPAFinalReport.pdf
Even though what they saw was obviously staged, they must have witnessed incompetent and inhumane practices. Otherwise they had no reason to recommend changes. Note their comments about a horse’s “drive line” (Do you know what this is? If not, LOOK IT UP!), and recommended loading techniques. Then compare their recommendations to this video of a crew loading Antelope horses on the 24th:
In light of these and other videos of roundups since they submitted this report to the BLM, do you think their recommendations are being followed – or even considered?
I can only hope you realize when you observe a “gather”, it may be staged as well. I suggest you invest some time and accompany TRULY Independent Observers to a roundup – incognito – and see for yourself what’s really going on.
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Thank you for this reply. Much more elegant than my snotty one. I fear for this country if the young people who want to go into environmental jobs are as callous and indifferent as this person. She will fit quite well in the BLM. In fact, she is exactly their type. I shudder to think how callous she will be after 20 years in the BLM if this is how she is starting out.
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Reisa, Thanks for going through this… the thing is we have told all of this to this young mother who has stated at FB she is pro roundup and pro slaughter. She simply does not belong here and has come to needle us more than anything else. She is bad news and I hope she never works with wild horses or any animals but cattle, maybe. That is where her mentality lies. We have said many useful and insightful things to this brick wall and made no difference. She likes to bait us because she is actually a rather twisted individual. I had thought she had been warned off here in general by us because we do see through her now. But she enjoys this! mar
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R.T., I have a comment (includes text and video links) that’s been “awaiting moderation for over two hours. Can you release it from moderation, or should I resubmit in sections?
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OK…a couple of points, here:
I am about 12-16 time zones away from where you all are, right now, which means I am asleep while you are awake and vice versa.
I do not moderate this blog, there are several auto-filters, here, the catch words, length and links…if a post is long with links the system thinks it is spam and pulls it aside but I get to it as fast as I can.
We aim to please.
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Hi, R.T. – Thanks for responding loooong distance!
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It’s my distinct pleasure to do so, Linda.
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AMEN!!!!
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YEAH, LIKE RUNNING HORSES ON ICE IS A GREAT EXPLANATION. THAT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, YEP. RUN HORSES ACROSS ICE. I’M ON MY SECOND MASTERS DEGREE, WITH A B.S. IN AG, WATERSHED MGT. I HAVE BEEN A BLM WILD HORSE AND BURRO PROGRAM VOLUNTEER, GENTLING HORSES AT THE CORRALS, AND AT ADOPTIONS AND CLINICS, FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE GETTING PAST THE THOUGHT THAT RUNNING HORSES ON ICE IS OK. I DIDN’T NEED A COLLEGE EDUCATION TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER ON THAT ONE. YOU DON’T EITHER JESSIE.
IF YOU WANT THE REAL STORY, GET ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE’S “MANAGING FOR EXTINCTION” POLICY DOCUMENT. IT IS HISTORICAL, FACTUAL, AND WELL WRITTEN. IT WILL MAKE A GOOD REFERENCE, AND YOU CAN CITE IT. IT WILL HELP YOU WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE TOO.
IT’S A HARD THING TO SEE YOUR GOVERNMENT IS WRONG, EVEN IF THE PEOPLE YOU MEET DOING THE WORK SEEM WELL-MEANING. BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO WILD HORSE MANAGEMENT, AND TO HORSES, ANY LESS WRONG, LESS DEBILITATING, LESS DEADLY, OR LESS IMMORAL.
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT AN UNFAIR ENTITLEMENT? BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AFTER ENTITLEMENTS? GET RID OF WELFARE RANCHING FOR GRAZING PERMITEES AT $1.35/AUM?
GIVE THE HORSES BACK THEIR MILLIONS OF ACRES STOLEN, STOP HUNTING COUGARS AND BEARS, AND SEE IF THERE IS REALLY A “HORSE PROBLEM” AFTER THAT.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR STUDIES. LOOK ME UP IF YOU WANT. AND GET YOUR BOOTHEELS DIRTY ALONGSIDE THESE HORSES. THAT’S WHERE YOU CAN LEARN WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN AS WELL.
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I like your comment!
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I too have to admit that you picked the wrong night to comment. Regardless of how that mare fell she couldn’t get up she was that tired or hurt. Those are grounds for Dave Cattoor (who isn’t doing this round up–he’s the example here) to go out and shoot her. Old, a bit thin, couldn’t keep up. The only reason she wasn’t shot out of site was because there were observers close enough to tell the story.
I fear that she will be the victim of some ill doing in holding.
I applaud the fact that you might want to help bring about change. But you have to manage with a concious. You have to figure out what is right and wrong with the system. Rounding up mares that JUST MIGHT BE PREGNANT–will lead to late term abortions again. Those aren’t miscarriages. Mares in Kentucky suffered late term miscarriages with those beetles back in 2002/2003. Forcing a pregnant mare to run is NOT HORSEMANSHIP in any Pony Club.
Forcing horses into holding, withholding water for days and then allowing no holds bar to the water trough is NOT HORSEMANSHIP.
Ripping families apart at the chutes reminds me of Hitler and I’m not that old.
Separating nursing foals from their mothers for transport and then hoping like hell they’ll find each other again at holding–can you say HONEYBANDIT?
I may not know a whole lot about biodiversity and so forth. But I recommend you talk to Craig Downer who worked for BLM, knows a ton about all this biodiversity stuff, and others here who know lots about these roundups and JUST HOW CRUEL THEY REALLY ARE.
BLM and the Cattorr’s would have you believe that these horses are just walked and trotted for miles to get to wherever the hell they’re taking them. Sorry but the videos themselves speak for the fact that they are loped and/or galloped for many minutes without letup.
I’m sorry that your education is so lacking in this regard that you are missing some of the most vital parts to the story. I’m sure that many here would be happy to assist you with basic common horsemanship that you seem to be in need of.
Let me give you one clear cut example. I got to meet the GREAT Zehyatta in her stall in early Nov. She stuck her head over my left shoulder and just as her nose touched my chest Steve snapped the pic, Okay the look on my face is worse than dopey dumb–but it clearly shows Zennie giving me what looks like a hug while she was looking for the other half of her carrot. Never once did I have to worry about her nipping, biting, kicking. She just isn’t that way. A hug. Not because I did anything. A hug because Zennie is that way.
Those are the moments that change a person forever. A spark flickers to life. And that creates new possibilities. I hope for your sake your allowed such a moment. Because then you will understand horse advocacy and why we speak out. We are not activists. We choose to have peaceful protests and marches. Activists by the very name act upon whatever their particular “agenda” (for lack of a better word) is.
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Jessie ~ You don’t even have a CLUE to what R.T. was talking about. But then, you are pretty clueless all around. You don’t understand horses, the BLM or the REAL situation of which the horses are only one part.
By the way – It’s the HORSES that are native! You really do need to get up to speed on your science. You’re as clueless there as you are every where else.
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I have been to this blog and countless other sites and they all seem to have far more knowledge on the subject of the cruelty that BLM do to these animals, than you do. When you one day get your job with the BLM I hope you are smacked in the face with the cruel reality of what a complete farce the BLM truly are. You will be nothing but another person helping out welfare ranchers and corporate elite to lie about the degradation of the plains. BLM don’t really have any interest in preservation of wild horses or the ecosystems they claim to protect. There are SO many groups out there better suited for environmental protection other than BLM.
It seems a waste of intelligence and time to become one of them. So many horses have broken necks, lost their hooves, broken legs or hips, scared to death because they are treated like live stock which they are not, they are wild animals, being terrified and ripped from their family bonds which protect them, Or even get shipped to slaughter, is a waste of animal life, a waste of tax dollars and does nothing to protect these beautiful creatures or the ecosystems they live in. I am sorry but I do not respect your endeavor.
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look at her breathing pattern Jessie, this is exhaustion. The cold air helps you see it.
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If you watch this video closely, you can see the mare laboring from the very beginning of the video. She’s then next to last horse. Watch how she’s heavy-legged, pushing hard to keep up, and putting everything she’s got into not being left behind.
WHY do they ALWAYS have to be so cruel? It just makes no sense whatsoever.
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TELL IT LIKE IT IS R.T.!! Jessie-you are young and not quite grown up enough to take on the likes of RT. Not to horn in on your sarcasm in the face of anguish but horses and burros are wildlife. It is the cattle who are not. You need to work a bit harder for that degree, it won’t get handed to you by repeating talking points. Obama – I said it too, is this anything like what you’d like your children or the children of this nation to see and then hear the loud and clear the name Obama?
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Right on RT. This pilot needs to be arrested and grounded now. Is it the FAA we complain to? mar
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I like that idea. Using a helicopter as a weapon surely is illegal. The horses aren’t terrorists, criminals or even vagrants for that matter. They have every right to their land and to use guided missiles to remove them is brutal inhumane treatment. Assault and battery, cruelty to animals. There must be law about running down animals with motorized vehicles.
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Plain talk R.T. – that is what I like! Where do they find the sub-humans willing to lower themselves to do that sort of thing? Where did they ever find that pilot? Just sickening and does cause the anger to boil just beneath the surface. I am afraid I could not just sit and watch in person without doing something to stop them, but that is just the way I am so I feel I must stay away.
Everyone involved in these operations whether they work for the BLM or contractors should instead of being paid by our tax dollars, be in prison for cruel and inhumane, absolutely needless and senseless treatment of these living beings. That includes the ones at the very top of the chain of command. The fact these horrendous roundups were ever conceived in the first place as a management methodology and are now being conducted with impunity in spite of valid alternatives is …. to say the least, unspeakable!
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If you did what this pilot did you could be charged with a federal offense.
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She tripped alright. Reminds me of a marathon runner I saw one time struggling to finish. The poor gal looked like she was struggling to lift her feet on every step. If you’ve ever run too far you know the feeling when your legs are almost too heavy to manage. A runner in front of her doused herself with water and dropped a paper cup. This gal actually tripped on a paper cup. One little bit of interference with her stride and she was down. She tried immediately to get to her feet, but she didn’t have that much strength left. She had to lie there for several minutes to gather enough strength to stand. She finished the marathon at a walk.
This mare was under that same kind of stress. Her stride is very heavy when she first comes into view. The other horses are picking their way through the terrain, and have no problem lifting their feet higher when they get to that deeper snow with the crust on top. This mare tripped on the snow crust and didn’t have the energy to rise. She is quite thin, yet looks pregnant. This is the kind of stress that caused all those abortions last year.
Jesse is a lost cause. Her government education followed by a government job will give her no time to see the truth. Soon she will learn how to blame the horses rather than the cattle for range degradation. She talks about how the cattle are rotated out and the horses aren’t. Cattle are rotated in after the growing season gets a good start and rotated out for the winter to eat hay at home. The horses are in their home in low enough numbers that there would plenty of forage stockpiled for winter if the cattle weren’t eating it all summer.
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From the moment this video began, I knew EXACTLY which mare was going down – not only from her position in the band, but by the way she ran.
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Maureen also points out that this pilot is inexperienced and does not get behind the horse to move it… I noticed this also, as if pushing the mare from the the wrong position with helicopter moving sideways and not from the nose… this is all awkward and added to the time spent on this exhausted mare. mar
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I’m just learning to be around horses and I could see the mare that was going to go down and how the pilot was only exacerbating her trauma. From reading Laura’s update seems this idiot pilot doesn’t have a clue of how to drive horses as he either can’t bring them in at all or they are escaping. Obviously since horses are going through the traps they are poorly set also. It would be laughable were it not for the fact that our horses are suffering due to incompetence. I’ve been watching a live feed of the riots and unrest in Egypt. They state that the only reason this is happening is due to the stubbornness of an 82 year old man. This is only happening to our horses due to the stubbornness and ill-informed, bad decision making of a 49 year old man. Through poor leadership we and the horses suffer.
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When the word “managed” is used beware. Beware. Especially by those in power. They speak in code words with malicious intent thinly disguised. This is a human-centric planet that is becoming more so as our folly comes home to roost. And It is easy to seduce the niave into playing the heartless games.
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In a detailed accounting of this stampede posted on the Amercian Wild Horse Preservation Campaign website, Deniz Bolbol wrote “Even a local, pro-BLM rancher observing the roundup remarked on the chase of the elder mare, “that shouldn’t have happened to that old sister.”
Even he sees the truth. Too bad Jessie refuses to.
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Hey girl, you are there! mar
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http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/?p=3513
Link to Deniz Bolbol’s write up on the 5h day of Antelope roundup.
One horse shot for broken hip, slipped inside trailer. Foals, forced from their mothers
have been shipped to Palomino Valley. There are photos. One band stallion ran for freedom and left his family who was trapped.
This observation and news is the the base of our struggle. Please support this necessary and vital work- visit GrassRootsHorse.org. mar
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This just illustrates how important it is to keep the humane observers out there in the field. I do think the poor old mare slipped on the ice, but it would not have happened if she hadn’t been chased. We have to keep the boots on the ground in this effort – so please support their efforts.
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Thought y’all would want to know that Jessie claims to be also studying and working in and with the Yakima Nation regarding its wild horse “problem” and if my memory serves me correctly that Nation is wanting to build a slaughterhouse for their horses. So yes, if Jessie, whether a man or woman because i am not sure on that, is the future of BLM employees, and will have anything to do with any management on Riddle HMA in Oregon, then it will be More of the Same, Piled higher and Deeper. That means idiots with MS and PhD degrees, who have claimed to have some more than basic IQ, claimed to have done research and know so much but need to be alerted to the fact that a behavioral study will need to be undertaken over several years.
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Jessie has a blog, photo of her and child. Has a horse, too… mar
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ALL of those horses were exhausted long before they came into view in this particular video. She just happened to be older and thinner and I agree that she looks pregnant. That poor old girl just could not keep up. To make matters worse, they torment her while she tries to catch her breath and then she is panicked because she can’t find her herd. How is that Humane on any level? There is NO excuse for this, none at all. All of this comes down to plain old greed. If Jessie was researching the right things, she would know that cattle destroy the vegetation, the horses do not. What more do you need to know? As far as I am concerned, if they get rid of the horses, their cattle will eventually destroy the whole area… and then who will they blame? Who will they try to eliminate next? I have zero faith in our government.
As for people with education and fancy degrees, sorry, but those cannot replace plain old common sense.
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This also illustrates the lack of common sense at play within our government. Another example was the single burro released at Twin Peaks, left alone to roam an area the size of Rhode Island. I hoped there were a few burros that escaped capture so it didn’t have to spend the rest of its days alone, which makes me an “animal activist” by today’s standards. In fact, it was animal activists who burned down the Cavel plants and destroyed the BLM’s holding pens. Active as in the verb “to act” not the passive actions of a taxpayer rendering their opinion, attending a round-up or reporting those proceedings all the while acting within the law.
Anyone with a lick of horse sense knows that some older horses could have difficulty maintaining their weight this time of year. This mare could easily have gone to Madeleine Pickens’ ranch and lived out her days were not the BLM so absorbed in their own bureaucracy. It is WRONG to remove older horses, born in the wild for their “own good” and then send them to slaughter. This is her fate, thanks to Conrad Burns, another piece of work within our government. The American public has had it AD NAUSEUM with the “Piled-Higher-And-Deeper” types that populate government. For those of us who work in the private sector and pay the BLM’s bills, it is our right to demand public employees be held accountable to the same standards as the general public. I do not know any horse owners who would push an older horse to this point. In truth the BLM believes they and their contractors are “above” the law and their methods and motives should not be questioned, hardly meeting the definition of “public service.”
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Within the span of a week, Abbey has turned down a private partnership offer to help alleviate the gross misconduct and dereliction of duty of his agency, refused to delay the round up and consider letting any stay within their range area on M. Pickens land and given orders to run older horses to the point of collapse (she could have easily broken her leg too and you can bet that pilot would still hover above her terrorizing her to rise) rather than give an inch to a woman who would have taken every single old horse and placed it safely within her lands close to where this atrocity took place.
I urge everyone to write Abbey at director@blm.gov and tell him the world is watching and the video is going around the world for everyone to see their complete and utter disdain for the law and the wild horses they are supposed to protect. If this is protection, God help us all.
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I think one of the reasons the blm is making it so difficult for anybody to actually get some of our horses is the plain and simple fact that if they DID let them go, to the people who truly want them by the thousands, like Madeleine, then their “line to the bank” would be gone. Without all of these horses, OUR HORSES, the blm won’t get their fat checks anymore from the government,and have to stop living high on the hog. Or whatever that saying is. Its just something I’ve been thinkiing on lately. I still think another reason they are stockpiling them is for something more horrible. Yeah, I know what Abbey said during his speech at the SCUMMIT, that these horses will NOT go to slaughter. Well, as far as I’m concerned, Bob Abbey is one of the biggest liars in the blm…next to Salazar. I will NEVER trust either of them, EVER!!
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For any and all who have the brain power and a mind that can grasp statistical anylysis, DO go to AMERICAN HERDS and study the data. It will take a great deal of time and it helps to be good at math (and brain puzzles). Cindy’s work is a study in and of itself and leaves NO question as to the sheer folly of these horrific round-ups.
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How about we take Obama’s dog and put him there with the wild Mustangs while the helicopter is chasing them and see how long that dog survives???? Obama needs to be impeached and removed from office. We should all get together and picket the white house, he is a disgrace to this country…I am ashamed he is our president and leading our country, big mistake when he got into office…Where have all the good men gone?
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As far as use of the word “activist” goes, the correct word is ACTIVE and ALERT CITIZENS, which is the only thing that will ultimately save this country. “Activists” have always been those fighting against slavery, oppression and cruelty. “Activists” spoke out against slavery, against unfair labor practices, against animal cruelty. Evil can always rationalize its actions, but Good knows the difference between right and wrong.
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I am utterly disgusted by this cruel and unnecessary, entirely excessive roundup to secure the livestock and other monopolies on our public lands in the Antelope Complex of Wild Horse Herd Management Areas. These areas by law are “principally” for the wild horse, not the livestock, or the miners, or the hunters, but these magnificent returned native species in North America are being targeted for discreditation and elimination by the very public servants in the Bureau of Land Management whom we should be able to trust to enforce their rights in their legal areas. The horses restore the ecosystem and enhance it. IT IS A SHAME AND A DISGRACE TO OBSERVE, AS I JUST DID IN THE VIDEO, THESE MACHO MORONS BLINDLY ELIMINATING SUCH MAGNIFICENT PRESENCES FROM THEIR RIGHTFUL HERD AREAS AND SUBVERTING ONE OF THE NOBLEST ACTS EVER PASSED AND UNANIMOUSLY BY THE U.S. CONGRESS. WHAT A BLATANT AND INTOLERABLE SUBVERSION OF THE WILD FREE ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT OF 1971 AND SO OF THE WILL OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC!!!
(Those interested in my book on this subject please contact me at ccdowner@aol.com)
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TODAY I am mad as Hell ………… Thank you RT for venting for me, I could not have said it any better then you did…………..I will not even address this Jesse person, and Jesse sure picked the wrong day for that udder nonsense…………All it takes here to understand the Needless maiming and Murdering of the Wild Mustangs. is common sense to think anything other with the proof presented is pure stupidity, I cannot believe anyone in their right mind could come to any other conclusion on this whole sorted Betraying Tragedy is beyond the imagination………….. How I would love to run the damn legs off these cruel and poor excuses for human beings……………. and fly a stinking helicopter over their heads and spew rocks and debris all over their bodies…………………and faces embedding sand in their lieing faces…………….I pray for Justice for the Mustangs, I pray for their Freedom if they have no Freedom , we the people have no Freedom, stick that in your pipe and smoke it………..
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Jessie – I see you declare you will do your “thesis” on the impact to the ecosystem by wildlife and horses and cattle. Ha! What is your real focus? Going for the government work benies? We’e got plenty of scientists. I just attended some meetings with BLM – open to the public. There I spoke to biologists, hydrologists, land use experts – in NONE of those discussions was ANY mention of the degradation of range by horses! And in direct questioning, these real scientists denied the horse population caused any permanent degradation unless they were fenced into too small an area – fenced by those who preferred to degrade the range in their own fashion no doubt. LOL! Why do you think we taxpayers need someone to come in and make c%$p up? There was plenty of discussion of the need to control the direction of development, mining in particular and power transmission. There was acknowledgement of the overabundance of cattle and sheep,
That old mare was making an effort only an animal as magnificent as a horse can. You in your entire life will never be able to produce the energy or will to survive such as she made in what we witnessed as one of her final acts. Her need was to return to her herd who had been forced to leave her. Surely you can respect that and not diminish her consciousness.
I don’t know what type of scientist you think you want to be – but if you are open to suggestions – you maybe should stick with cars.
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That old mare has more heart, courage & valour than most people. That she has to endure this at the end of her life after living in peace her entire life and disturbing no one and nothing is more than my heart can take. Any man who does this is not fit within a mile of a wild horse. That is government sanctioned abuse and no different than the mustangers of the 50s and 60s.
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Jan said, “I don’t know what type of scientist you think you want to be – but if you are open to suggestions – you maybe should stick with cars.”
Oh no, Jan. Putting a mind like this to work engineering cars could result in the following scenario: the issue of a model whose gas tank explodes upon impact more easily than the Ford Pinto. But since its design was funded by government, blame would be placed squarely on the driver/victim for having the audacity to put gas in the tank.
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Jessie, you need to read the 1990-91 GAO study that proves cattle–NOT wild horses–have destroyed the range and riparian areas. The BLM never gives any facts though–just BS to the public. Too bad you believe them instead of the truth. There are many other sources of facts too if you are interested.
As for the poor mare, that was deliberate harrassment and cruelty and all responsible should be charged with cruety starting with Salazar on down.
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Amen, Obama & his BLM crew are corrupt, cruel & cowardly animal abusers!
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The best thing that all of us can do is support the boots on the ground people who are in the field documenting, support the lawsuits and distribute this and all documentation far and wide. Don’t let your outrage stop at this blog.
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I have always treasured this quote from Henry Beston’s The Outermost House. I find it inspirational when faced with the common human lack of understanding and compassion toward animals:
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather maginified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by the man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not breathren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”
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Nora, thanks for this inspiring and timely quote. Perfect for the back of my wild horse Christmas card.
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This quote has been used by many wildlife groups for decades. It is a favorite of mine.
Our wild ones are truly ‘other nations’ and deserve the respect of a life apart. mar
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Stunningly beautiful quote.
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I’ve been advised to put this up in bits, so here goes!
Reisa, I’m adding this to your excellent comments:
Jessie, this is another Antelope Complex video (from the 26th). Please watch it from beginning to end, and gain some insight into what’s being done to our wild horses.
These horses were chased for about one and one-half hours near the trap site. Who knows what distance they were forced to cover, and at what pace, BEFORE they neared the trap site.
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Do you know what “bleeding” (Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrage) is?
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=2941
Do you understand “jarring”? This article is about horses raced on hard tracks resulting from Australian drought, but do you think running horses FOR MILES on frozen ground is any less damaging?
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/09/1034061255669.html
Remember, these are reports about race, sport, and performance horses that are rarely run over long distances, and certainly not in these conditions. At the recent World Equestrian Games, the Eventing Cross Country Course was a little over 4 miles – one of the longest in the history of the games – and on excellent footing. Even though the horses were in top condition, some were disqualified from lameness, bleeding, or failure to recover at the post-phase vet check, or the check-in prior to the Stadium Jumping the next day. Some were withdrawn by their “connections”, because they care about their horses and knew they could suffer further damage.
And these horses WEREN’T BEING CHASED INCESSANTLY BY A HELICOPTER!
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About the roped foal – Do you realize how much tracheal damage can occur when a horse is roped (in this case double-roped) and fights to the point of going down? BTW, the damage often isn’t apparent at the time of the choking, but many “choked down” horses are ruined – FOREVER!
And did you read the report from the “Designated Humane Observers”? It was published by the BLM at the beginning of December, but, naturally, the observation took place well before publication.
Click to access AHPAFinalReport.pdf
Even though what they saw was obviously staged, they must have witnessed incompetent and inhumane practices. Otherwise they had no reason to recommend changes. Note their comments about a horse’s “drive line” (Do you know what this is? If not, LOOK IT UP!), and recommended loading techniques. Then compare their recommendations to this video of a crew loading Antelope horses on the 24th:
In light of these and other videos of roundups since they submitted this report to the BLM, do you think their recommendations are being followed – or even considered?
I can only hope you realize when you observe a “gather”, it may be staged as well. I suggest you invest some time and accompany TRULY Independent Observers to a roundup – incognito – and see for yourself what’s really going on.
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Please do not forget the horses that were run (after miles and miles) up the sheer side of a cliff with the stallion bravely facing down the helicopter while his mare stumbled on the steep grade. These people are a horror show.
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In the video from the 26th horses are run into a small section of barbed wire (protocol says this is to be removed before a roundup) and then also run and fall into a ditch. The foal has run for miles just in the video. I hope it was not hog tied in the back of the
trailer.
Professional and amateur horseman do not do any of these things without loss of reputation and possible arrest. mar
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Sorry for this outburst. And it might do more damage than good considering its the Pres and all. But I for one am so tired of his silence that I felt good about blasting him and maybe getting someone to listen if only for a moment.
Here’s the letter:
Dear Horse Hater Obama:
Why are you allowing the BLM and its contractors to run an elderly horse to EXHAUSTION, to the point of collapse and then hovering over her with a helicopter and then people on foot trying to frighten her back to her feet? After that poor horse got to her tired feet that butthead pilot continuously harrasses her.
You can’t tell me that its the BLM’s problem and not yours. Your appointed Kennie Salazoo and he hired on that lying sack of bullap sack smelly stuff Bob Abbey.
It’s Calico all over again. What? You don’t remember the dismal failure of Calico? That some 40-50 mares “spontaneously miscarried” their pregnancies. That would be BLM propaganda for “excercised induced abortions”. What? You don’t remember the two weanlings that BLM RAN THE FEET OFF OF!
Mr. One Term Pres you can save your Pres this time round and next one too–if you’d come out to NV and WATCH a roundup. Watch how the REAL HUMANE OBSERVERS are held back from the holding corrals, are kept 1/2 mile or more from the trap site so they can’t get a full and accurate description of what is going on.
Were you aware that Mr Salazaoo and Mr Abbey are BOTH in trouble with the law in NV for violating Laura’s Leigh first admendment rights? What? This somehow bypassed you. Whatever are your handlers giving you to look at everyday. Just the “Oh Mr Pres you just make my day” crap.
Wake up Mr Pres–the coffee’s on the stove and its burning.
By the way ask Michelle sometime how she’d like to get pregnant again and be forced to run a marathon at full speed–with no breaks, no water and a bullwhip flailing behind her if she even thinks of stopping. Oh and she has to be 8 months pregnant. Does this give you a good visual of what is going on in NV right now?
That is what the BLM is doing to the wild horses and burros.
By the way Bob Abbey til one week ago had no problems with Madeleine’s Pickens eco-sancutuary. But all of a sudden he changed his mind. He didn’t even have the decency of calling Madeleine ahead of time. She found out her eco-sanctuary was off the table by hearing it on the news.
And the sad thing is–all those horses currently being rounded up and be moved to God knows where–could have been moved just a few miles to Madeleine’s eco-sanctuary. Now we the taxpayer are being asked to pay THOUSANDS of dollars in holding fees etc all because Bob Abbey got his knickers in a twist.
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Can you believe these b^%#%$#$s want comments???? Guess they don’t read the thousands of them all over the internet…. on many well respected horse advocates pages??? Or maybe send a video copy of the horses THEY have killed & continue to cause horrible stress to.
The BLM will accept comments through February 7, 2011
Written comments may be submitted to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, attn: Gary W. Medlyn, Egan Field Manager, or by e-mail to bbbmavmedwhg@blm.gov. Email comments sent to any other email address will not be considered.
BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Triple B, Maverick-Medicine and Antelope Valley HMAs Wild Horse
http://www.blm.gov
Ely District Office Homepage
.
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I have been involved with animals my whole life, and got to experince wild horses in their natural habitat for the first time a few months ago at the Warm Springs roundup. I have become deeply involved since then, and have realized there is one major element that seperates true animal advocates from the rest. Respect. These animals deserve our respect, and unfortunately there is a large group that just see’s them as stacks of dollar bills running across the range. They have survived year after year out there, and are a huge part of american history. It’s really dissapointing to see people around my age (25) that don’t give these animals the respect they deserve. We desperately need to educate our youth, not just about wild horses, but about animals in general. Anyone that has been through a traumatic experience in their life can understand how damaging it can be with long-lasting effects. It’s no different for these horses. If anyone knows about respect it is Mr. Fitch. He fought for our country, has seen what goes on behind the scenes of our country, and is now devoted to helping our horses. If that doesn’t open some eyes about the severity of this issue, I don’t know what will. I really hope you get to experience a roundup first hand Jessie. It’s like going to a NASCAR race, you can’t really understand it until you see it first hand. You can see and feel the terror in the horses eyes, it’s gutwrenching. Seeing Blue Moon go down right in front of me changed my life, I hope you don’t have to experience that to realize what’s really going on here. But like I said, if you don’t have the element of respect for these animals, it really doesn’t matter what we say to you. Knowledge is power, and the future leaders of this Country need to learn what respect is, or we’re all screwed.
-Brett
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Bravo, Brett. It is good to hear from one of the younger advocates. mar
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I agree. Respect is the key. When humans chose to see animals as things rather than as living, breathing beings, we demoralize them and diminish ourselves.
Fortunately, Brett, you are in a generation that has been raised on programs like Nature, The Crocodile Hunter and so on. Education can be such a strong step toward learning respect. Sure, there are a lot of 20-somethings who don’t get it. There will always be people who don’t. But I’m really gratified when I see some one your age speak up for the right thihng!
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There is another key word– EMPATHY. One MUST have that trait in order to truly be an advocate for ANYTHING.
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Isn’t it ironic, the toughest meanest President I remember was Nixon, yet even he had the sensitivity to grant our American Mustangs their FREEDOM. Yet the one president that should appreciate that American symbol of freedom more than any other is striping them of their freedom. What has become of us?
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So how much of OUR tax money were the stock contractors and helicopter pilot paid for this round-up?
http://www.fedspending.org/fpds/fpds.php?&company_name=cattoor&sortby=u&datype=T&reptype=l&database=fpds&detail=0
The 2011 BLM Budget has not been approved by Congress (BLM is requesting over $75 million!)– BLM budget request online here.
Regardless BLM continues spending millions in taxpayer dollars on massive, unnecessary roundups — even targeting more herds for total elimination! BLM is requesting $42.5 million dollars to implement stage 1 of purchasing private lands in the East for the outrageous “Salazar Plan” and an additional $12 million for the wild horse and burro program to reduce the size of 5 herds.
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I am new to this wild horse debocle, but have followed this administrations anti-americanism for some time and it appears to me that they are doing everything they can to destroy America starting with our history and our national treasures included in that our wild horses. I have notified everyone I know about these wild horse roundups ( I must amit I had no idea this was going on, I just ran across it on the internet) but am now an ardent supporter and since I live in Colorado and know of
salazar first hand. You have my support and I have contacted my representatives and hope to get to the roundups here in Colorado- if possible. The way I see it we are at war here AND UNITED WE WILL STAND.
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R.T.–go back to sleep. You need your rest. We’ll work this shift–this is a 24/7 operation
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Thanks Louie, but it is now morning, here…at least that is what the rooster outside my window is telling me but I will make you a deal. You guys keep an eye on things during the day and I will watch over the ranch while you all get some shut eye, is it a deal?!?
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Deal!
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The carefully considered, yet very passionate, reactions (with one exception – no names but her initials are Jessie) to this article by R.T. and the videos are indicative of how deeply most of us feel and think about this whole sordid program being conducted by the BLM and their contractors.
Perhaps someone can help clarify a question I have had in my mind ever since they began stampeding horses into traps and removing them from their ranges. If they are so certain that what they are doing is right, completely legal, and above all, moral, WHY do they feel the need to have armed thugs, er goons, er, guards on every site? A couple of years ago I saw an account of a closed door meeting of the little tin gods that were instrumental in organizing this theft and destruction of a unique national treasure. Apparently they feared that “animal rights extremists” would descend on the ‘gather’ sites and attempt to disrupt the proceedings. The placing of armed personnel implies sanction of the use of deadly force. It appears their main purpose is to intimidate and control observers to restrict them from getting too close or seeing too much. Too much of what? Too much cruelty – too much needless, senseless, uncaring and inhumane treatment of these wholesome beings that find themselves nearly defenseless before the onslaughts of predatory humans? Acts being committed by hired slugs that obviously do not have the slightest inkling of how to handle horses or simply just do not care. Just the fact they are armed when confronting observers gives the clear implication that if you resist what I am telling you to do you could end up on the ground with your life blood flowing away from you. The few I have seen in videos looked to me like what we used to call a gun wearing a man, in other words a human shaped form that would be nothing with out his gun. Again I ask, where do they find them? I spent my long life in armed professions and cannot recall ever being expected to provide security for unlawful or immoral operations of any kind. But then, I didn’t work for an out of control federal agency either. Uhh, so how many incidents have happened at these places where observers did anything more violent than a verbal expression of horror at what they were seeing? How many have tried to physically attack any of the BLM or contractor personnel no matter how angry or disgusted they become? Where are the feared “animal rights extremists” that supposedly justify the implied threat of deadly force or would that be the people taking photos and using video cameras? Or have they been afraid to show up because of the presence of elite BLM security being on the job to keep everyone safe? Anyway, just wondering?
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WO, It is ‘us’ they want to control. The days when 7 or more advocates stood together at the roundups, segregated but taking photos and video, have been harder to come by. But it is entirely to be sure we all know, should we show up to witness, that we must behave, not be a hindrance or an annoyance, and they need to feel secure we are under control. We do make them nervous and they hate for us to have the photos and info gathered by advocates in the field. The extremists are not any of us. But this myth gets mileage with the under informed to the tune of ignoring us because they do not realize we are just folks. But we are controlled as much as they dare. mar
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Mar, you mirror my very thoughts about why they are there. They are afraid and nervous because other people are watching what they are doing but if their conscience was clear they wouldn’t have to be concerned about being observed. As “public servants” they should welcome our interest. I know I may be giving more credit than deserved to imply that any of them have a conscience but since they are sort of semi-human, way down deep there must be some inate sense of right and wrong. Seems to me that it would take a lot of effort to keep that sense buried so they can live with themselves and people do not like having to face responsiblity for actions that society finds questionable. WO
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First of all, I want to thank all of you for making these incredible comments full of wisdom and compassion for the Wild Mustangs. I have come to this an animal lover, with not as much experience as all of you, but, a love of animals none the less. My heart goes out to these horses and I will be here for support to help them get the freedom they deserve. All I can think is that karma, the facts and the deceit of the BLM will be exposed very, very soon. I want this to come crashing down on their heads so that the Wild Mustange and Burros will be saved from the BLM’s evil clutches. People like you are incredible!
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Welcome Athena! Step right up here in the saddle, we need all the help we can get from dedicated people. I hope your intention for karma and a sudden, public revealing of what is being done to the wild horses will come soon and literally destroy the structures they have built around themselves in order to hide all this from view.
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Wambli–the intent is to intimidate, but in the end, only gives the agency a “Barney Fife” reputation (no disrespect meant for Barney–he, at least, made us laugh). Scroll back to the Twin Peaks round-up and take a gander. It would be interesting to know exactly how these “armed guards” are recruited and hired. It would also be interesting to know how they are trained.
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Louie – I think it is called ‘great minds on the same frequency’ as I actually thought of Barney Fife when I said ‘looked like a gun with a man on’ and had to chuckle because he was so hilarious running around with that single cartridge in his shirt pocket. I was a state law enforcement officer at the time but I never knew anyone that was offended by his portrayal of a law man. He was just plain funny!
I would suspect that whatever “training” these ‘guards’ got was minimal since I don’t think they are real law enforcement officers at all, but only there to provide what they call security by keeping the potential terrorists a safe distance back from the action. I wonder if they ever look behind themselves for that is where the real terrorism is taking place, down by the trap corrals and trailers or trucks. If they were real law men it would be their duty and within their authority to stop the mistreatment of those horses. As for how or where they were recruited its hard to say but it is difficult for me to imagine anyone of high moral character actually believing that what is going on there is right. How was Hitler able to convince first his Brown Shirts, then his SS, then his Gestapo, that what they were doing was right? It is cause for concern that men and women can be found in this country that are willing to stoop so low. Speaking mainly of the contractors there I guess because the guards are just …. well, just guards, and do not handle the horses so far as I know.
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Okay guys, it’s your call. Jessie, the grad student with the really bad timing and lack of social graces, has a long comment waiting in the que. She feels the need to explain herself and she does close by asking a question that could easily answered by all of us. Do you want it to come over the waterfall for you to peruse or is it better left swirling around in the pond where the fish can nibble at it?
It’s your call…what’s the vote?
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Well, you know fish have to eat too. That is my vote.
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lol!
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Pfffttttt!! no
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No thanks. But thanks for asking. I prefer this to be about the mare, not Jessie. She can find the answers she needs if she is willing to look around her and within herself.
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Oh Hell NO. Jessie has explained herself ad infinitum and always comes back with the same close minded troll behavior. We were very patient and tried to educate her, Mar was particularly patient but her rude obnoxious behavior continued. Today we are all in despair over the roundup and she comes on over once again. To me this is like throwing an anniversary celebration on the day someone’s spouses dies. I’ve had it with Jessie and RT it takes a whole lot for this mare to say enough if enough.
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Another DOI action that needs to be stopped – the pending slaughter of 400 captured Yellowstone Bison!
I signed the petition a few minutes ago, so I couldn’t put up a direct link. Here’s the main page:
http://www.defenders.org/take_action/index.php?utm_source=B_Version_NoFlash&utm_medium=DOW_At_Work&utm_content=TA&utm_campaign=HP_AB_Test
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Its obvious that the idiot piloting the helicopter is trying very hard to overcompensate for something in which he is lacking
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Compassion, common sense, morals perhaps?
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