Update by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/President of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Wild Burros in Texas/Wild Horses in Nevada
Marjorie Farabee and photographer Terry Fitch at Washington D.C. Rally for the Mustangs, 9/25/2011 ~ photo by R.T. Fitch
This day, November 15th, 2011 Wild Horse Freedom Federation‘s Board of Directors are on the move in both the states of Nevada and Texas in an effort to witness, document and speak out for our wild horses and burros as the organization pushes forward in the battle to save the last of our wild equines.
In south-east Texas WHFF Directors Terry Fitch and Marjorie Farabee are saddling up the big Dodge Dually 4X4 with a trailer full of donkeys, wagon and tack to take across the entire width of Texas to make a stand for the wild burros being shot and executed in the world famous Big Bend State Park by the Texas Park and Wildlife Department. From Houston all the way over to Alpine, Texas Terry and Marjorie will travel to hold a town hall meeting with local residents on how to stop the bloodshed; then several days of participating and demonstrating in the local Art Fair and associated parades. They will spend a week spreading the word, drumming up support and attempting to secure photographs of the last living wild burro herd in Texas before the Rick Perry administration guns down the very last burro so that high dollar big horn sheep can be installed for the pleasure of elite and wealthy hunters. Terry promises to keep us updated with the progress with their travels.
Meanwhile, WHFF’s Vice President, Laura Leigh will be making the trek to the Calico Complex, this weekend, where the BLM is once again planning to assail the herd that they all but decimated two short years ago. Armed with her camera and laptop Laura will continue to gather information, data and evidence to support currently working legal cases in federal court and developing suits that will be slapped upon the rogue agency in an effort to save the few remaining wild horses that run free on their rightful public lands. As many of you may recall, dozens of horses died at Calico, two years ago, due to the inhumane manner in which the horses were stampeded and ultimately cared for, or lack there of. We all remember the foal who was run by a helicopter until it’s feet fell off. An occurrence that speaks to the depths of the cruelty inherent in the BLM and the contractors that they employ.
Stay tuned, updates shall be forth coming!!!
Related articles
- Litigation to Protect Wild Horses and Public Rights Intensifies (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM May Consider Pickens Wild Horse Plan (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Wild Horse Advocate Files for Halt to Alleged BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Abuse (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- WHFF VP Rebuffs Time’s Disparaging Wild Horse Piece (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Wild Burro Shooting Texas Parks and Wildlife to hold Annual Public Hearing (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Litigation Intensifies (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)
- Federal Court Keeps Watchful Eye on BLM Wild Horse Pilot Conduct (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM’s Alleged Wild Horse Abuse Gathers More Legal Action (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Way to go Terry, Marjorie and Laura Leigh. I admire you for your determination and compassion!
Kim Sheppard
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Horses that are wet all the way to their skin lose the insulation their hair provides completely since it isn’t fluffed up. This is what probably contributed to the death of so many at the last Calico roundup. Running these horses in the cold will hurt their lungs and kill more of them and cause more miscarriages too. How can anybody be so cruel and heartless ? These are the same kind of people gunning down the burros .
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just read an article about this very situation—-may have been through AAEP. See if I can find it later. Excellent point.
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Bravo to Terry, Marjorie and Laura Leigh, Oh how i wish I could be there helping…………………………. May Gods Speed be with all of you !!!!!!
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Marjorie and Terry, I hope you meet many open minded and outspoken people who become enraged into action in your travels. Laura, I sure hope there is not a repeat of the last Calico experience. Since they seem to be more intent on hiding the horses from view we may never know. I haven’t checked who the contractor is, praying it is not Sun J. But then does it really matter since this action is inherently cruel and fraught with danger for our horses.
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Actually RT I believe there were two foals that BLM ran the feet off of. The first one was the subject of an essay that Ginger wrote about. I named that little guy Courage. A short couple of weeks later it happened again and this time Laura named this guy Hope Springs Eternal.
There are no words to express my dismay, outrage and disgust at BLM’s reasoning. They rezoned Calico AFTER the last round up just to justify this round up.
1922 horses weren’t enough. Over 100 horses died as a result of the care or lack thereof. Another 40 some mares ABORTED their late term pregnancies. And they want to commit this bloodshed again?
When I was in Reno a few weeks ago I went out PV. One thing that really stood out was that this holding facility is in a valley. I could easily picture the brutal cold, snow and ugly winter that these horses endure. Other than the medical pens these horses have NO SHELTER. The reason given me was that if they put plywood up then they have complaints about not being able to see.
Which made me think why not put up some kind of acyrilic heavy plastic that could offer some shelter from the winds?
After Zenyatta lost her first pregnancy I started downloading many vet books. I wanted to understand what happened.
In all the vet books I read day 1- day 50 is EARLY EMBRYONIC LOSS. It’s not defined as abortion or miscarry. From day 51- day 300 IT IS ABORTION. Not miscarry or some kind of other politely termed loss. It is ABORTION. After day 301 it is premie birth. That foal has a chance for life. Maybe not great but it has a chance.
Right now I have no money to send you. But I should in a week or so. I will try to send some then. Maybe it might be a little late for the current movements but you can know that it’ll be on the way. Please use the money for Terry as well as Laura. And I will send monies for Mr. Cowan separately.
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Ah the arrogance of the BLM once again. They never change their pattern of behavior and as long as the republican held seat occupied by Mr. Cattleman Salazar they will resume the same pattern of destructive behavior. If it were cattle being treated this way the cattle men call it rustling, What about Horse rustling. Same type of crime but these contractor feel they are above the law set forth by our previous law makers who set these laws for a reason. To level the playing field which is not the case as of yet. Mr. Salazar needs to step down for the stench of conflict of interest with his cattle and Big oil friends he’s in bed with. Sound twisted and perverted in a deep level. My question What’s in it for Mr. Salazar before every horse and burro out in the wild is completely exterminated by the very fed’s that are on paper supposed to protect and neurish their habitat not reduce it and take it away? Follow the contribution’s and you will find the great cause that is greatly influencing their drive to eliminate every equine roaming the earth that is set up to support them and printed as law and is constantly mocked by this republican driven man who is funded by the very party that is opposing Jobs and so forth. I hope Obama keeps his promise; That is to reveal those that oppose every effort to block what ever funding that needed to be cut and appropriated to other parts of our government and shave off the funding to this agency and their hired gun know as Sun J who is being fed Tax money to complete a contract no matter what cost to life of the four legged kind. Our next fight should be the Appropriation committee who funded this agency and keep after them and make light the error of their ways to the American tax payer/voters.
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Salazar (at least Ken, don’t know about John) is a democrat. Not that it matters but we need to find people who do the right thing not who are members of the right party.
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Thank you guys for doing the public awareness campaign that some others such as HSUS fails to do. After several attempts to get them to do more than write back explanations on their diplomatic “skills” with BLM – it is once again disheartening to see the lack of action within the caliber that they represent. The public deserves to know, besides the existing corruption to the core within the US government, another blight is the current state of unawareness, non-education and complete lack of knowledge of the public about this tragedy. Most don’t even know what BLM is. It is pathetic to know that a “modern” nation such as this stands for such inbalance, biased reporting and keeping their people in the dark – thank you all for exposing the need to make a stand, whilst those in office and some decisionmakers with power simply pursue other agendas during a tragic historic chapter that is shameful the least.
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Monika,
I believe you have written about a plan that you have been working on for equine rescues across the country to accept the excess horses that will no longer be slaughtered. I do not know how far along you are on it, but I believe that if you have something together, it is critical that we get whatever you have into writing. The pro-slaughter people are trying to make slaughter about humane issues, and I believe a lot of people in the middle would oppose slaughter if they thought there was another alternative to leaving horses to starve in the pastures. Personally, I am not seeing a lot of this, but the GAO report created this impression. My email address is christiefinn@gmail.com. Please update me on this.
I believe it was you who wrote about this plan on some of the slaughter blogs I visited.
Thanks,
Christie
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I guess now we know why they wanted to create this Calico mega-complex. It had nothing to do with the wild horses survival, but making it easier for them to wipe them out with less and less public interference and input. Not only are they on a path of extinction, but expedient, efficient extinction. If there was one area I really wish government was inept, it would be the relentless pace of wild horse round ups and the nearing extinction of the wild horses of America. These animals are not predators. They are not eating livestock, threatening other species with with they live in harmony. They roam gently and peaceably on the land. Who will remind us of their beauty when they are all gone? What will fill our spirits with awe then? Gas wells? As the wild horses go, so goes man.
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We cannot let this be the end result for Our Beautiful peaceful Mustangs, If only man (BLM) could only understand the Horrible thing they are doing !!!!! They just dont get it do they……………………They will rob America of its innocent beauty , the beauty that there is no replacement for……………. If only we could could all Unite in their name and demand a stop of this ??????? We are a million strong ??? The BLM takes it we will never do anything to save them, there is now and always has been only one way to save them!!!!!!!!!!!!! People must unite and stand up for them , we are talking the very lives of the Mustangs here, not something that will just go away, if we want them we must fight for their rights, and never except this corrupt Rogue Agencies illegal criminal disgusting waste of Our Wild Mustangs……………
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IF Only…..”If only we could Unite in their name
& demand a STOP???
*We are a million strong ???
BLM takes it we’ll Never do anything to save them,”
*honestly, honestly….I’m Thinking…more & more:
That it IS TIME!!!–>to Stand-Up in the Only way–
that’s Ever really been ~Noticed~
(like in Vietnam War, like in ‘99%-ers” or “Occupy Wall St” )
*WE are going to Have To –just GO THERE!!
& just Sit Down in the Road—not Let them IN or Out (with a Horse),
or Camp out, or Line up & Hold-hands,
or Chain ourselves to the Gates & Haul trucks…{& 1/2 get arrested, but…}
–>anything that Brings the News, & the Questions, & the Pundits??
…& I Hate saying it, BUT….NO Body is Listening!! 😦
Or certainly not Enough…
–>& I just Don’t know what else will work (dunno that This would ‘work’ either..but Would get MANY Someones’ Attention!)
& God-bless Laura! & Lisa! & Terry, Marjorie, Ginger, RT, et al !!
They’re working SO hard & SO Bravely…the “evidence Gathers” & fills up crates & rooms!
–yet, it Seems to MAKE the rogue BLM & FWS & DOI (& all other letters) to
MOVE & DESTROY EVER *FASTER* !!–towards Murder & Extinction?!
I’m *deathly Afraid that our *Majestic Horses* Will BE GONE, beyond repair.!?
By the Time—Anything is Done WITH all this great Evidence??!
;( {& it’s easier to suggest this, when I’m stuck here, 1000+ miles from them, in WV,
+ in Winter, I probably couldn’t even Get TO the HMA’s if I tried..}
But…? .Is it Time 2 *Start Thinking* of Doing this, after all??
…I just don’t know…..
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Connie, I understand how you feel . I am stuck in KY too.
See http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org for the latest action alert and pray for a miracle. God needs to hurry up.
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Thank you for all your efforts.
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Some Music for the road:
Will there still be Wild Burros in Texas State Parks for the next Generation?
Deep in the heart of Texas
NEVADA
The Sons of the Pioneers SONG OF NEVADA 1944
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1st video of kids singing was really cute. I wonder if there will be any wild horses left for the next generations either.
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You know if BLM really was interested in transparency they would allow people into holding at Fallon. They would want us to help monitor the horses via some form of Marestare. Many mare owners put their pregnant mares on the web so we can watch and learn about delivery and so forth. Kinda like when a lot of us were kids and we were invited over to the neighbors when one of their pets were having babies.
Geez, that would help alleviate alot of problems. The horses that needed tending–we could let BLM know.
In this economy they need to FOSTER out the ill ones. BLM doesn’t have the manpower or the will to do so. They’ll just kill the foal. Honeybandit is doing wonderful–many thanks to Palomino and the many who financially support her. HB is truly an example of things gone right. Palomino being in the right place at the right time. Vets that were willing to take on a VERY VERY sick foal.
Even if Calico is happening earlier than 2 years ago many mares will abort. Mares abort because of STRESS. And being kept in captivity no matter how much humans leave you alone–is stressful. And they won’t have the shelter that trees and other overhangs provide.
I HATE what the BLM did. Rezoning Calico so they could justify rounding up those horses again.
Why doesn’t Obama EVEN begin to listen???? Why does the WH ignore us. The wild horses are the 99%. Maybe those of you who have a gentled mustang could take them to the vigil. They easily represent their many distant cousins being treated so shabbily.
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It’s great that you guys are doing the Texas trip to raise awareness for these wild horses. It’s a great idea and I hope you are able to accomplish this goal. As for Laura and the situation with the Calico roundups, it is quite distressing to wonder how many will continue to suffer under the BLM’s plans. I just which someone had the power to make all of this go away NOW. There’s got to be somebody that can come up with a new plan. It’s my understanding that Laura hardly has gas to travel on and a broken down truck. Thank goodness that someone fixed it for free. A big thank you to whoever this person was. Isn’t there some horse advocate group that can buy her a new vehicle? I wished I owned a a car lot. Good luck to all and thanks for all your efforts.
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Language to defund inspections for horse slaughter removed from 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
http://wildforlifeactionnews.blogspot.com/2011/11/americas-horses-now-destined-for.html?utm
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Heard a bit of Gov. Perry on the radio tonight. He thinks Public Lands should be opened up to energy exploration.
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Laura, you need one of those nice BLM trucks….and one of their gas cards, too.
Didn’t you say that those trucks get regular maintenance….courtesy of the American taxpayers?
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Ever wonder what a dose of truth serum would reveal?
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Take a look at the signs on Pam Nickole’s site:
http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2010/08/
“Though the area is rarely visited (sarcasm), we stopped one of the natural gas guys on the road and asked him about the signs. He explained that everything was shut down at the moment since the processing plant didn’t have the capability of separating natural gas from the H2S (hydrogen sulfide). This is also known as “sour gas.” I asked what would happen in the event of a leak and was told that most of the gas would just dissipate into the atmosphere. And if someone or something was standing close by? It’s only a problem if you’re in a direct stream was the response. Though I wanted to continue, I quit asking questions at that point since the answer had created some obvious uneasiness. I decided I’d Google it when I got home. (This HMA is utilized by oil and gas developers as well as livestock interests. It is also checkerboarded with private land.) To break the tension, I mentioned that we were there looking for wild horses. I could tell he was relieved by my new line of questioning and he was more than happy to tell us where we could find some.”
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Dear Connie, it is sad but true………………………….They will continue their extinction plan, while we take the slow route, that takes forever , this is spinning our wheels ………………..Meanwhile the mustangs are brutalize to the tune of taxpayers dime…………………. and extinction……………..
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Then BLM needs to help us find some GOOD land for them. 20 Plus Million acres needs to be returned to them. That the LEAST they can do.
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