Horse Health

Photos of wild mares (& bison) on BLM’s contracted feedlot in Scott City, KS

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Yesterday it was about 97 degrees with no shade on this flat feedlot in Scott City, Kansas.  There may also be thunderstorms and lightning this week.   The BLM recently shipped almost 1,500 wild mares to this feedlot from the Teterville long term holding pasture in Kansas.  80 wild mares have died in a short period of time.  As you know, the BLM only invited CREDENTIALED PRESS on a tour of this facility.  The BLM did NOT invite representatives of any wild horse & burro advocacy groups, or members of the public.   However, the public (who cares) posted these photos and comments on the internet:

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20 -30 horses in one pen beside bison.

No shelter, in small pens, with extremely hot temps.  It seems that some of the horses had no freezebrands or tags on their necks.

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This is a lagoon for this feedlot.

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Signs from the road.

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Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs

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69 replies »

  1. Here the thing I have seen enough of the BLM lies , deceits , enough of the gathering of Mustangs that need not be rounded up, enough of their rush to extinction…………….. What is needed to know is HOW to STOP them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can preach to the Chior till are fingers go stiff and its gets no HELP for the Mustangs ,

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    • Write a letter to the House Budget Committee Chair Representative Ryan and insist that this agency been defunding pending an investigation. Use pictures, dates, comments, dates–2008 FOIA from Conquistador is particularly damning. genetic viability studies, management for extinction, 1997 IPPC Burns rider, etc.

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    • I keep forwarding articles about BLM’s mismanagement and the like as well as personal calls and e mails to my Congressman. Don’t know if it will make a difference but it surely won’t hurt. Maybe we all should do this. Just a thought.

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      • Thanks, Donna. The more calls and letters, the more politicians will see many people are focusing on the issue of BLM’s mismanagement of wild horses & burros. Keep up the good work, and I encourage everyone else to do whatever you can to help. The wild ones need each and every one of us.

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  2. The last time I read about this – it was 70 horses that had died (or been euthanized).
    There have been 5 more? How is it possible to MAKE the BLM include horse advocates on these tours? Seems there has been enough bad publicity about it.
    But I guess – they don’t HAVE to pay attention to that!

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  3. Bottom line— the BLM is getting away with murder!!! Terrible injustice!!! Petitions and filing suits…nothing seems to help the plight of the wild horse,prayers is all that is left. Despise our government inaction!!!!

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  4. We have to somehow get the mainstream media involved with news reports, videos, pictures and the truth told about the BLM wild horse management. People may not seem to care about the wild mustangs, but if shown pictures of dead horses, mares and foals standing in extreme heat and other weather with no shelter, it may strike a nerve. The “don’t leave your dog in a hot car” campaign caught on due to the cruelty involved got and still gets a lot of attention. Getting the media involved is a hard row to hoe. Not much sensationalism or celebrities in horse abuse stories and touching parts of the government that do not want to be touched lends to the inaction.

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    • Tim, I agree. We know more about Ebola deaths in Africa than what is and has happened here under the “transparent” management we hear about so often.

      We still have no information on the specific cause of so many deaths from the vets in charge, nor any way to believe we won’t have more horses die there (or who have perhaps already died there). Where are the records of which horses died since they are supposedly freeze branded and have records attached to those numbers? What did they do with the carcasses? Why is this information being hidden by those whose salaries we pay?

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  5. Does anyone know if this feedlot uses specific truckers to move animals to slaughter?

    THe next question for Joan G. When she takes “still in progress” from OIG in the Tom davis slaughter case is – does she want to know?

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  8. While I appreciate that someone posted photos – why are they no better than the Bigfoot photos people publish? Grainy and distant, not much help but they do show dozens of horses (some very thin) horses living in unnatural conditions. Where are the photos of what is going on there? If the BLM has nothing to hide they should be very proud of their work.

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    • They probably took the best photos they could with what they had. I appreciate someone caring enough to be concerned about the horses.

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      • Debbie, I’m sure we all do – I was expecting photos from people who had managed to tour the facilities; evidently these photos were taken by non-invited folks just driving by?

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    • Louie, no particular conflict there – other than some concern about the feedlot selling Bison meat which hopefully contains no horse DNA.

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    • I commented on this article too – apparently we are the only ones! AND I apparently must have been in lala land because I believed the Burns Amendment was prevented from becoming part of the wild horse & burro act. I didn’t realize that THAT was effectively a part of the Act. Went back & read the original – and as so many of you have said on this blog – if the Wild Horse & Burro Act was followed legally – the BLM would be up a creek! Must have been a LONG senior moment!!
      Thanks to everyone on this blog who does do the research…

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    • Morgan, this is an interesting question. Presumably because they were born in captivity and not rounded up and branded… but then that makes it problematic for them all to be around the same age.

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  13. Wild horses and burros are entitled to 51% of their ranges. Please read about this on Page 1, item C, “ranges.” It’s illegal to eliminate HMA’s, and it’s also illegal to have less horses than 51%,

    Here is the original 1971 act. It’s in the “range” definition on page 1, C: http://www.gpo.gov/…/STATUTE-85/pdf/STATUTE-85-Pg649.pdf

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    • So horrible. What a tragedy for our wild horses. BLM treats them so poorly. They are not livestock. They are very special wild horses that need to be roaming free. They can be monitored with love and affection instead of being treated like livestock. This is such a shame. We as horse owners know what heat can do. It kills. I don’t luke putting my own horses out in extreme heat in Florida.
      We must not stop we must continue to hold the BLM rssponsible for all of this anguish and trauma they have caused. Document everything they are doing. We will not let them forget. We will not let our wild horses die in vain or forgotten NEVER

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    • Also, morgansinkc – how about (b)? Seems to me all unbranded & unclaimed horses & burros on public lands of the US certainly should cover ALL of them on public lands even those on Forest Service, state, & Park lands – sure isn’t how the BLM sees it!
      (b) “wild free-roaming horses and burros” means all unbranded
      and unclaimed horses and burros on public lands of the United
      States.

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  15. Bison and cattle have been commingling within Teton National Park for decades with no transmission of brucellosis. So the fact that are bison are there doesn’t particularly concern me. There are bison farms that raise bison specifically for slaughter.

    That said I can’t eat bison. All I see is a cousin of the free roaming bison I’ve met in Whoming. In fact, a very generous animal allowed me to share the same space with him as I ate my dinner and he munched on sage grass. We were maybe a 5 minute walk from each other.

    That’s what I see when confronted with a bison burger. I see large animals that have allowed me to photograph them and share time with them. And I repay them by eating a cousin? NOPE.

    I boycott beef because of the ranchers such as the ones we saw yesterday who cry because they can’t have ALL the land.

    I don’t boycott bison because of ranchers or any other concrete reason. I just can’t eat cousins of animals that have been so kind and generous with me.

    I’m not a vegetarian or vegan. I have no plans to go that way.

    I don’t know if BLM is searching out other homes for these horses. I don’t think a feedlot is a good environment–no matter how well fed and watered they are.

    For an interesting look at the politics and bs going on behind the scenes you should read H Alan Day’s book. He’s Chief Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s brother. And yes he’s a cattlemen. But he had the first long term holding facility until BLM shut him down because of politics. It’s. A book well worth your funds and time to read.

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    • I read H Alan Day’s book a few months ago. Politics & bs are one & the same. It is a very worthwhile book & if anyone is in doubt as to the BLM’s machinations – that certainly would educate them. Should be required reading for all of us!

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  17. Most of the government workers in the wild horse and burro program do not value the horses and burros living in the wild but only cynically regard them as escaped domestics. They are morons when it comes to understanding the true nature of these marvelous animals!

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  19. I can’t see hardly any horses in these pics, certainly not 1800+! I hope someone is watching the roads in and out of this hellhole. How do we get charges/indictments going on this? “According to WFRHBA and its own regulations, BLM must protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death and provide these animals with humane care and treatment. 43 C.F.R. § 4700. “Humane treatment means handling compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community, without causing unnecessary stress or suffering to a wild horse or burro.” 43 CFR 4700.0-5(e)”

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    • Dear Elaine, I also m all for drone cameras, they can get ua right in there and the great thing is hardly visable………………….

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      • Arlene and Elaine–I agree on the drone cameras, since Arlene posted about it last year I have been absolutely fascinated by them, and there is absolutely no reason why the people that are in close proximity to our wild horses (the professionals) are not using them for suvaliancce. In the scheme of things they are not that expensive – and for many a wright off.
        A good one to do the job is under $1000 and if you have a 4G phone you can take short videos your phone connects to the drone control and you can see the video as you are taping. And an idiot can learn to operate one – have wondered myself why folks in the field don’t have them. I would think they would be invaluable in the wild horses, feedlot, and slaughter research.

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      • I wouldn’t be opposed to offering a donation (small) to buying one of these drone cameras for the people on the front line in this neverending battle. Anyone like to do this?

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  23. I keep on seeing this place being called a feedlot. Forgive me for asking, but is it a feedlot to fatten the horses up for slaughter? If it is, isn’t this illegal? How is this possible, where is the outcry? NONE of these mares should be there to be shipped to slaughter. The BLM created this mess. They need to clean it up without slaughter, PZP, etc. There is plenty of land out there for them all….where are the picketers and public demanding that these mares go back to the holding they were originally at? They need to give the land they gave to the ranchers back to the horses. Set up sanctuaries for the ones that have only the pens their whole lives. Set the recent gathers free back where they came.

    I listened to the board meeting yesterday. None of our form letters matter. If they get 1 or 4,000 of the same thing, they count it as 1….JUST 1!!!! If we can’t spend time to write a personal letter, they do not have time to read the letters. WHAT AN INSULT!!! JUST AS THEIR TIME IS VALUABLE, SO IS OURS. 2 minutes for comments…. Are you kidding me? We pay their paychecks!!! We should have as much time as we need to say our peace. So tired of just reading to write our congress people. We may as well sit on our hands, they do not give a rip. It is HIGH TIME FOR FEET ON THE GROUND PEOPLE….What is everyone so afraid of? When women demanded equal rights, did they just sit and write letters all day long? We need to be visiting the BLM 0ffices for meetings, picketing the holding pens, going to the other pens not allowing the public and demand to se our horses we are paying for. We gotta raise a rucus, get the media involved and lots of social media. ITS TIME TO STEP IT UP A NOTCH AND GET LOUD AND PROUD.

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    • AA, I watched most of the meeting as well, and wish someone had asked them (since they adamantly made it clear they read EVERY LETTER) if they had ever personally responded to even a single letter.

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  24. Yes, why is it being called a feedlot?

    Why have as of yesterday 80 mares died?

    If a horse has been offered for adoption three times even on the internet and turned down three times, can it be slaughtered if it is not ten years of age or more? Or do I have the Burns amendment wrong?

    And I thought that the Advisory Meeting was absolutely worthless. They scoffed at 40,000 signatures on a petition collected in one month, but I did get the feeling they are becoming aware that a movement is well formed out here and got the impression that they are a bit intimidated, if it is possible to intimidate a bunch of idiots.

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    • Elaine, because it IS a feedlot, which was mostly empty so had room for someone to pile in a bunch of horses the BLM needed to move. While this is being characterized as a sort of emergency destination, it’s clear the BLM had 3 months to find a place for those in LTH. It may be they couldn’t find anything better or big enough, so took the feedlot option.

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  25. This ” madness ” needs to STOP!!!!
    Our wildlife has a right… to be here.. they were all brought to ” mother earth ” for a reason! Not here for you to use as you see fit!
    They have just as much right to life.. as you do! To be treated in the same ” respect ” as you are.. fresh food to eat.. ” unlimited” supply of water to drink..and a roof over their heads to ” shield ” them from different seasons of ” mother earth”….
    Aho mitakuye oyasin

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  26. Ever since I read (here?) that the form letters were counted as 1 – I try to make a comment of my own – I’m not sure if that makes a difference or not. The thing is if they can turn up their noses at 40,000 signatures they certainly do NOT realize that we matter! They SHOULD be intimidated…

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  30. Has the BLM released a list of the “credentialed media” which toured the facilities last week, or will this require a FOIA request to obtain? Very disappointed there is evidently no news being published a whole week later…

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    • One might think that they all have been gotten to?????? It is hard to believe that these so called trained people would not report what they have seen there ????? We already know it must have been horrible sights there for our innocent Mustangs worst of all NO SHELTERS !!!!!!! Icy, I have been been MAD as Hell for the last 2 yrs, and lately I have quesitoned our ability to save them short of an all out uniting once and for all !!!!!! I will never understand how the so called people at the BLM can even live with themselves much less sleep with themselves , they must know that this is sooooooooooo wrong !!!!! Where the heck is their Karma?????????????

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      • Arlene, the strongest power on earth is a person who is convinced they are right and you are wrong… and we all share that.

        This shell game will not stop without a massive public uproar and persistent media investigation to expose the truth to the light of day. If those in power have nothing to hide they would not be hiding it, and conversely if they are proud of their work (and earning their paychecks) they would be forthcoming with the results of their efforts. Foxholing themselves when the trust is broken only creates heightened distrust and suspicion.

        We need and have every right to know what is and has been happening in Kansas (and elsewhere). This ominous silence from the BLM, USDA, and the media is chilling. If 80 people disappeared like this there would be international outrage. If any rancher sent cattle to the feedlot and a month later learned 80 had died without any specific cause, they too would be outraged.

        Where are the bodies and what was the cause of death? Simple, findable facts if anyone can muster the integrity to come forward. Worse, we are paying for this confinement and the vet in charge, who ultimately must divulge the truth. If these actions were justified they should have no qualms about coming forward, if not, it explains the ominous silence.

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      • Icy i agree unless we stand united all of us , our Mustangs dont stand a chance….I have been ready for 2 yrs now, I am finding it hard to talk about it any more, either we stand up united all together or face the consequinces…………………….I also say where the heck are 80 bodies ?????

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    • Her job is to be a “front” for the actual BLM decision makers but you might wish to call and ask her for the list of credentialed media and the current status of the horses that are still alive and the test results on the ones that died and if all horses removed from Tetterville are at the feedlots or where etc…

      Collins, Deborah A
      Wild Horse & Burro Marketing Specialist
      (405) 790-1056 dacollin@blm.gov

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    • Thank you for noticing.
      I see you reposted that grreat Niagara Falls video, here is one of a galloping horse, you can see why these quadcopters are absolutely amazing and invaluable – I simply love them, they are easy to use and even the cheaper ones take great movies and pictures.

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    • Wow geri what fabulous footage, wow i am just amazed with these Quadcopters, I feel these are what we need to help our imprisioned innocent Mustangs, these once in the air they really are barely seen,they look like a bird…….. they can take us up close and personal to the Mustangs imprisioned by the morons from hell…………………….. we will see what they wont let us see………………….. Thank you again geri !!!! how do these differ from the Drone???? while watching approx 10 times , it reminds me why I am here for the horses, these grand beings are more then poetry in motion, they invented it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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