Update by R.T. Fitch ~ president/co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Equine Advocates from Around the World Converge on Florida Equestrian Community
Amid the news of Obama’s rogue Bureau of Land Management‘s (BLM) faltering assault upon Wyoming’s wild horses, equine advocates from across the globe are gathering at the estate of equine philanthropist, Victoria McCullough, to discuss the future welfare and well being of America’s equines both domestic and wild.
Yesterday, reports filtered in that the BLM’s premier wild horse stampede contractors, Cattoor Livestock, failed to wrangle one single horse from the alleged over populated Great Basin area of Wyoming while 3 wild horses died in their short term holding facility.
Infamous for suing advocates and witnesses of wild horse abuse the Cattoors are given a free pass by the BLM to regulate, intimidate and harass not only wild equines but the American public during their outrageous, federally funded attacks on the United States’ majestic icon of independence and freedom.
BLM Contractor’s Copter on Patrol to remove wild horses and burros from their federally protected rightful lands ~ photo by Carol Walker
With a dark and checkered past of legal wranglings for capturing and selling wild horses to slaughter the BLM contractors continue to ensure that the grandchildren of Americans will have no opportunity to witness the beauty and majesty of wild equines living out their lives on public land promised to them by an unanimous act of Congress in 1971.
The International Equine Conference will be addressing said violations and perversions of U.S. law while discussing the predatory business of shipping U.S. horses and donkeys across the open U.S. borders for slaughter and consumption in countries of lesser cultural mores.
Updates to follow.
Related articles
Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Thanks for the update. Concerned about BLM euthanizing a 12yr old grey mustang for arthritic knees. Your points will be well Tweeted.
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I hope this isn’t the older grey lame mare that was brought in with another mare & foal & their stallion! I saw the picture posted by Carol Walker. I’m sure there were many who had some kind of lameness or injury – but then being chased by a helicopter for miles(?) would accentuate any injury an animal had. What a crock – killing this horse when obviously he or she was doing just fine when wild & free. But then its the BLM we are talking about here.
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How was arthritis diagnosed – by radiographs or by a contractor standing in a pen as panicked horses run by?
Why put an obviously sore horse through the roundup at all if you are just going to kill her or him after running her for miles?
Or was the horse fine when located but turned up lame in the pens after being stampeded?
I understand the contractors are paid per head delivered to the pen but this beggars all definitions of humane animal handling.
Where is the HSUS for this horse?
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Really???
These people are grossly overpaid for removing equines nonexistent and remaining in violation of the aborted 1971 Act AND the continuing violating regulations amending same to present that allow ALL Fed and State authorities to continue this holocaust by the head, dead or alive.
They treat them like cattle…technically, worse than cattle.
Hmmmm….the issue of “humane” handling has been going on for over 10 years.
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There must be a way to stop these “injustices,” to our precious Wild Horses/Burros!! Definitely, numerous violations of the law. The death of even one, Wild Horse, is not acceptable. This is a sad world, when those who care, must fight our own Government, to protect, our animals, wild life and lands.
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I got several fb messages last night about Friends of Animals doing a protest and civil disobedience rally thing Monday. I don’t know what exactly there planning (and I don’t wanna). It seems like they were getting ready to take things to the next level.
I have spoken out against this. This is NOT in the horses best interest. I know a LOT of us are angry and frustrated. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how can 50 whiny ranchers wield so much power?
I have seen posts with TCF insignia on it. When one clicks on the link you see the report back from the Court. But I worry that seeing TCF’s name in these posts–I worry that this civil disobedience will reflect on TCF.
I know BLM is a freight train outta control. And now 4 horses have died. This planned civil disobedience is going to discredit everyone. I do not want to be associated with this in any way.
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The “whiny ranchers” are are front for extraction and water privateers. It really is that simple.
And these “privateers” (aka resource sucking trolls) have bought and paid for Congress, including appointed and elected judges/courts.
Obama doesn’t always appoint the right people, especially to courts, but Congress is tactically delaying the process for A REASON. And remember all the appointments made by the Bush Administration (Cheneyized!)
That’s why the Koch brothers are so busy at the lowest local and state levels during elections and issues far from the interest and knowledge of the average citizen.
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I know. That was the first thing outta my mouth when we lost the appeal. But civil disobedience? this is not what wild horse advocates do. We have never stooped to this level. We are not Bundy. But we’re gonna get the label whether deserved or otherwise.
As for fracking etc., yup that’s exactly what this is going to happen. 50 whiny ranchers will be the death of this planet. Don’t think so? Watch fire coming out of the shower heads when you go to take a shower. Poisoned water unfit for animal much less human. The ground will be poisoned, laid bare of any remaining nutrients and for what? So 50 whiny ranchers can have their billions.
What good is that money going to do you when you can’t breathe because the air quality is so bad? When you can’t water because you poisoned all the sources? I may die before you but Mr. Rancher you are going to cause so many people harm to their health. And you know what? You can’t take that money with you when you die. You will be as susectible as the rest of us in regards to health hearth and home.
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Margaret, honest Civil Disobedience has a noble history. I’m not sure what your misgivings are but this is one of the few ways civilized people can express themselves. Look of Gandhi and the Salt March for one powerful historical example.
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Thank you icy spots.. These are my feelings exactly..
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DITTO, TERRI RUSSELL! and then there is this: Philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrew (1 February 1867) : “BAD MEN NEED DO NOTHING MORE TO COMPASS THEIR ENDS, THAN THAT GOOD MEN SHOULD LOOK ON AND DO NOTHING.” …
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But we’re accused of being eco-terrorists at least we have in the past. And now they have that NDAA law where they can arrest you for terrorism and they don’t have to charge till hell frezes over.
I’m scared something will set someone off and then we’ll have our own Ferguson to deal with. We are NOT Bundy.
But hay, I’m safely at home. Where I live we’ve always had peaceful rallies. Sure they can get loud. Shouting “set them free” is one thing. But if someone is planning on interfering with the contractors somehow or BLM it will reflect on the rest of us.
I appreciate that I’ve been allowed to voice my concerns. I hope one and all are safe tomorrow.
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I hope conference attendees can discuss and agree to a new, innovative strategy regarding regulatory challenges and court filings.
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DITTO, TERRI RUSSELL! and then there is this: Philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrew (1 February 1867) : “BAD MEN NEED DO NOTHING MORE TO COMPASS THEIR ENDS, THAN THAT GOOD MEN SHOULD LOOK ON AND DO NOTHING.” …
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Just wanted to add that the roundup contractors aren’t given a FREE pass, it is a high dollar PAID pass.
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The “Free Pass” regards illegal roundups and illegal access to and control of public lands through an abomination of leases and agencies, prohibitions for media, taxpayers to roundups and holding, failure of regulatory standards enforcement (TO INCLUDE CONTRACTS FOR SAME) by authorized law enforcement and audit agencies and most importantly, Congress.
But I know that wasn’t your point…..mine was about the entire ILLEGAL system….that appears to be FREE.
p.s. Folks…this $hit has been going on since the 1870’s, regarding banks, depressions, labor, earning wage, health care, land use, agriculture……etc, etc, etc.
Literally the same ka-rap FOREVER!
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I’m wondering if there are any privately owned horses in these alternative areas of unfenced public and private land. How will a helicopter pilot be able to differentiate unbranded horses? What’s to keep them from taking people’s wanted horses (as happened on the Navajo Reservation in recent memory), or to prevent people from dumping their unwanted horses to be rounded up and discarded?
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There certainly looks to be a conflict of interests here.
Rock Springs Grazing Association
http://www.publicland.org/18_awards/land_steward_coa/LSCOA_08_rocksprgs.html
In the nomination of Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA), William W. LeBarron, retired BLM manager
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Why not initiate a Class Action lawsuit against the Rock Springs Grazing Ass, or include them in the original lawsuit against BLM?
How Class Action Lawsuits Work
http://money.howstuffworks.com/class-action-lawsuits.htm
Contrary to the Bible, when David takes on Goliath in the real world, Goliath almost always wins. Let’s say you bought stock in Enron back in the late 1990s, believing it was one of the most successful and innovative energy companies in the world. When the company collapsed in 2001 after evidence surfaced of massive accounting fraud, your stock portfolio plummeted. Could you sue for damages? Sure, but even if you lost tens of thousands of dollars in Enron stock, you’d spend more in legal fees trying to fight Enron’s army of attorneys.
By yourself, you’re a David fighting a Goliath. But what about all of the other Enron investors who got nailed by its corporate malfeasance? If you all sued Enron together, you’d become an army of Davids — with your own Goliath-caliber lawyer. This is the essence of a class action lawsuit. In this context, a class is any group of people who are claiming similar injuries or damages from the same company or organization. And in 2006, a class composed of duped Enron investors settled its lawsuit for $7.2 billion . Go, David, go.
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I’m hoping for something good tip bilge from this conference.. Sure wish I could attend just tip listen in on it.
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I posted yesterday about the Friends of Animals protest- I have personally been hear for over ten years – every day and each day it gets worse for our wild horses and our government thumbs it’s nose and raises it’s middle finger at us – I don’t know who said we were not to protest, I never read that any where – it’s just that many on hear are to far apart, to get together–if the horse could speak – he would say do more than just bitch PLEASE–we cannot expect the likes of RT and other organizations do this work alone—personally if I could I would be there with rings on my fingers and bells on my toes — to support these great animals.
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“Never, never be afraid to do what is right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake….” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We must never lose sight on the fact that ” truth” is on our side and hopefully decency and justice will prevail, when all is said and done. Thanks to everyone who are simply trying to find justice for the many lives lost and to secure freedom for those remaining. With millions of acres, in the West, surely they could set aside areas for their use, as well as tourist attractions, while keeping these majestic living legends in the wild, where they belong!
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