Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation at Palomino Valley
Wild Horse Freedom Federation does not support any wild horse being imprisoned in ANY BLM holding facility, and believe the wild horses should be left on their federally protected Herd Management Areas with natural predators and natural deaths controlling the population.
We have posted numerous articles about the “other uses” on the HMAs, including mining and oil & gas leases. We hold the BLM accountable for their actions (and inactions). We have posted articles about problems at Palomino Valley. We encourage the public to observe and report on what they see at BLM facilities, and we have posted many articles of these observations. We also make every effort to give facts to our readers.
Private contractors, not the BLM, feed wild horses at BLM’s Palomino Valley holding facility (and some other facilities), just as they do on a daily basis, on every other day of the year. To give you an example, look at a contract number L13PS00207 with the dates of this contract listed as 4/1/2013-3/31/2014. You can read this here.
Terms of this contract include:
CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS
(a) The Contractor shall feed the animals the quantity of hay necessary to satisfy the animal’s nutritional needs. The hay required for adult horses is 25 pounds daily and for adult burros is 12 pounds daily.
(b) The objective is for all animals to attain and/or maintain a good fleshy condition. Fleshy condition is described as: back level; ribs, not visually distinguishable; wither, rounded; shoulders and neck, blending smoothly into body. If this objective is not being met, a change in feeding will be directed by the PI, and/or the COR.
(c) In order to assure that all animals are able to maintain a good fleshy condition, the Contractor shall space the feed in the feeders/mangers so that all the animals are afforded equal access to the feed. After feeding pens, watch for hay falling outside the pen, along fence line and in alleys. It is the responsibility of the contractor to pick up this hay falling outside pens, along fence lines and in alley ways.
(d) In the event that the Contractor notices any animals in distress (i.e. sickly; injured; mares with foaling problems; or deceased animals; etc.), the contractor shall immediately notify a BLM representative of the problems so that appropriate action may be taken. The Contractor shall also notify a BLM representative of any water trough malfunction, but not turn off any tanks due to malfunction.
(e) The Contractor shall feed all animals in accordance with the requirements set forth above, at least once per day, every day, to include Saturdays, Sundays, and all holidays. Feeding shall be conducted within the hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. All duties are performed out-of-doors and subject to a wide variety of climatic conditions from below 0 degrees in the winter to over 100 degrees in the summer.
(f) The Contractor’s personnel shall have the ability to drive/operate equipment such as diesel tractor with front-end loader, tractor-trailers, dump trucks, hay squeeze and forklift to perform such tasks as loading/transporting bales of hay through corral system to feed animals. The contractor shall provide the BLM a list of personnel that will be operating the equipment. The Contractor’s personnel that will be operating the government furnished equipment shall have passed a proficiency test prior to being authorized to use such equipment.
(g) At the end of feeding each day, the contractor will inspect for rocks wedged between dual tires on trucks and trailers to prevent damage to tires.
(h) Once per week the contractor needs to wash mud from towing vehicles’ windshields, tires and undercarriage. During periods when the corrals are extremely wet and muddy, feeding equipment needs to be washed daily to avoid buildup of debris that can cause damage to the feeding equipment.
(i) The Contractor’s personnel will be required to exert extensive strenuous physical activity in an outdoor environment, such as lifting bales of hay weighing approximately 100 to 130 pounds; operating heavy equipment; standing and bending for long periods as well as walking/working in outdoor corrals.
(j) The Contractor shall furnish his personnel with the following equipment: hay chaps, protective clothing, gloves, pitch forks, hay hooks, pliers, wire and twine cutting devices.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF BLM
(a) BLM will provide all the hay and supplemental feed which will be fed at the facility. BLM will provide equipment necessary to perform these feeding services (see paragraph 7.0 for the complete Government Furnished Equipment list). BLM will perform all maintenance and service to all vehicles and is responsible for repairing any equipment deemed defective through normal wear and tear. Any vehicles or equipment needing repair of safety items shall be removed from services until repaired.
(b) Every morning the Contractor shall check in with the BLM PI and/or the COR for the current count of animals at the facility. BLM representatives will also provide the following information to the Contractor:
(1) Type and amount of hay (grass hay, grass/alfalfa mix, and alfalfa hay) to go to each pen.
(2) The identity of pens that contain animals that day and the number of animals in each pen. Identify pens that horses will be moved into due to sorting and gathers.
(c) If necessary (e.g. when unexpected loads of animals arrive from gathers, when horses are sorted into different pens that were designated that morning, when animals require more feed than was fed, etc.) the Government reserves the right to feed the animals at the facility. Contractor shall check with the PI or COR before leaving to see if there are any changes.
(d) BLM will provide for the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment used by the Contractor for use in feeding the horses and burros at the facility. The Contractor should notify the PI or COR of any observed equipment problems that need attention. The Contractor needs only to provide an adequate number of its employees to perform the feeding services on a daily basis.
Related Articles
- BLM to test 3 shade options for wild horses at Palomino Valley facility (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Rep. Grijalva Chides BLM’s “Broken” Wild Horse Policy (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Would BLM Sell Horses to Slaughter? (ppjg.me)
- Wild Horse Advocate Says BLM Round-up Facility is Failing Horses (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Skeleton crews to care for mustangs during shutdown (horsetalk.co.nz)
Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Debbie,
The word that stands out to me in this report is the word “fleshy”—maybe it is because I have seen so many body condition charts and heard veterinarians explain what to look for where, but the word “fleshy” seems out of place—more consistent with feed lot talk that places where horses should be living—unless, of course, those holding corrals actually are “feed-lots”.
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Agreed Hoohugs….”fleshy” sounds very ” feed-lot like”
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So this is the contract. Shared.
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Whose got the wire clippers?
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Exactly
hey BLM – just need to let them go !!!!
Check out NMAHS site regarding the news alert ….thanks A for everything you’ve done to help the poor horses at PV.
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GOOD to hear that they are being fed and watered – per the contract agreement BLM’s James (Jeb?) Beck is the contracting officer’s representative (COR) for this contract that the feeding crew is to answer to “every morning” and if there is an issue. Is he working? If not then the BLM is in violation of its own contract. The P/V vet would be another person that is still working on a contract basis and thus available – think they have to be available within two (?) hours after being called but who is going to call the vet if a horse is injured or ill? Who is in charge out there?
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The contract seems to be in order , I am happy they are cared for !!!!! If contract is followed Its better care then were getting from the BLM
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Arlene – these are not new contracts – outside contractors have been the feeding crew for many years even when BLM is there.
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Thank You Grandmagregg. I thought they hired new contractors because of the shutdown
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Sure wish we had a drone camera we could send to check out the situation !!!!!!!
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Arlene… I’ve been thinking the same as you… We need a drone with a video camera on it. That also could watch over all roundups! I think the BLM would crap themselves! 🙂
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They would, but then they would shoot it down… They claim airspace… Not sure how legal that is, but that is how they keep other helicopter of the range, at Stampede time…
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Heres the thing with Drone video cameras , they actually look like a bird, perfect for what is needed to be done , they do NOT frighten the Horses nor can the BLM distinguish if or what they are !!!!!!!!
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Dear lisa i have seen them send a small video drone camera over the Niagara Falls what it captured was truly amazing , we need to send one over to see whats going on at all of the Pens !!!@!!! the camera is amazing in detail !!!!!!!!
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There are small drone cameras on the market. They look like small copters and are operated with a radio control joystick like a model plane. They come in different sizes so they can carry a camera.
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There may be one big problem with the drone idea, which is it could frighten the horses and actually CAUSE injuries. Remember, these horses were rounded up by helicopters, and the sound of those little drones could be frightening to them.
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Dear debbiecoffey, I believe that these video cameras can be at a safe distance above the horses they would not even notice them !!!!! Capturing details we could have never gotten any other way !!! Let them try and lie their way out of the detailing these little video cameras can capture ……. These cameras are what is needed we could keep our watchful caring eyes on our Mustangs , we could see who is taking our mustangs and to where they are being taken !!!!!!!! I understand they are excellent even in the dark of night !!!!!!
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Love the drone idea, camera and all, but you’re right Debbie, the sounds would really frighten them! You ladies are thinking all the time, huh?! (-:
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So why weren’t these specifics included in the contract with J&S Associates of Mississippi, who admittedly did not ensure that younger horses and foals had equal access to food? Younger horses and foals whose health deteriorated in his care because of lack of equal access to food………
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So why weren’t these specifics included in the contract with J&S Associates of Mississippi, who admittedly did not ensure that younger horses and foals had equal access to food???
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At least these animals are being cared for. Maybe one day, I hope it is in my lifetime, we’ll see these beautiful icons back where they belong with their families on their ranges. Let’s keep fighting for them. We’re all they have.
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Dear Susan, we want to know if our foals are getting the correct care , send a drone , and we will know !!!!
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tried to copy image of a drone , but it wouldnt let me , they are about the size of your hand, I dont think they would frighten the Mustangs !!!!!!!!
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http://www.theblaze.com Here is the link it will show you all the sizes they come in
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http://youtu.be/NrIL-0AtDY4 Here is what the Drone did over Niagara falls
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Sorry wrong this is it http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cfoLYTKObiU
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arlene~that was a great video-this one shows a drone and horses,now I know the horses are domesticated, but even he says they think it is just a bird– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sACP4B_-DYA
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awesome Geri, wow ! this is just what us needed, very un intrusive to the horses/////
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Kind of a weird type of pasture around all those junk cars????Probably a good thing the horses & pony weren’t scared of the drone – somebody could have gotten hurt!
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The Drone video camera will prove to be most effective in what we need to know about the Mustangs that belong to us……………………..
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In reality, most civilians contractors are suffering the most and it is permanent.
For example, DOD is about 90% back at work and civilian contractors are not. Lockheed-Martin just layed off 3000 employees. Federal employees will get their back pay…most contractors will not……as to feeding wild equines, depends on the contract language and categorization of work as “essential”….just like the round up contracts. Think about that and remember, Jewell, just like Slaughterczar has discretionary funds/emergency funds that she can move around. Doesn’t seem that “sequester” has effected roundups now, has it?
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Shared on Twitter & FB with:
Wild Horse Warriors be vigilant about captive mustangs and burros at BLM holding facilities during this government lockdown and EVERY DAY. Check out the contract for the contractors to feed the Palomino Valley horses. No government employees here, just bottom feeders of the BLM spiraling out of control budget to feed 50,000 wild ones in BLM Hell holding facilities across the nation. This is insane. Set our wild horses & burros free. Kick out the welfare cattle, mining, oil and gas fracking greedy corporations that are destroying the environment and the real reason the BLM’s extermination wild horse and burro program exists…
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