by Kim Smith as published on OneGreenPlanet
Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is conducting a five-year study on wild mares in the Adobe Town Herd Management Area (ATHMA) of south-central Wyoming with the help of the University of Wyoming’s Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. And like most recent interactions between the BLM and wild horses, this is likely to result in dire consequences for those mares.
Supposedly, the study is meant to “document habitat selection, movement between habitats, seasonal use, and migration patterns of wild horses” within and outside this area in order to understand how horses move across the Colorado-Wyoming border, how the removal of horses from the checkerboard portion of the HMA influences the movement of mares from non-checkerboard portions of ATHMA (i.e. creation of a void), how horses select landscape resources relative to their proportional availability, and how site fidelity of horses is influenced by season.”
But as Carol Walker, Director of Field Documentation for Wild Horse Freedom Federation, explains, “The researchers are seeking to prove that wild horses will ‘move into a void’ created by rounding up and removing horses from the Checkerboard, so they can ‘prove’ that it impossible to remove horses from the Checkerboard and keep them out. They are also hoping to ‘prove’ that wild horses degrade riparian areas.” The reason? It’s because the BLM works hand-in-hand with the cattle ranching industry to allocate more public land for grazing beef and dairy cows in order to collect more livestock grazing tax from those industry interests.
Those interests continue to claim that there is not enough grazing land due to an overpopulation of wild horses that deplete the area of feed, when, in fact, wild horses occupy just 11 percent of BLM-managed land and ranchers’ cows already outnumber wild horses 50 to 1 … and growing.
Meanwhile, using our tax dollars, the BLM and University of Wyoming team have already bait-trapped at least 14 “test subjects” in the ATHMA area, along with a handful of mares who, after being trapped, were deemed too young to participate in the study. It isn’t uncommon for the BLM to turn around and cull wild horses trapped in its holding facilities or send them to slaughter. And since the agency already voted in September 2016 to kill off 44,000 of the nation’s 67,000 total remaining wild horses, this act of trapping is, in and of itself, a very scary step.
So far, these horses have been spared that fate, though their future remains wildly unsure. They are being fitted with radio collars, which can dangerously impact their health and well-being. For example, if they gain weight either by growing naturally or due to pregnancy, the collars will become too tight for comfort or should their collars become caught on brush or the horses’ own hooves, as has happened in previous studies, it could prove disastrous. Plus, these collars ensure the agency will know exactly where to find them should the decision be made to cull this group of horses…(CONTINUED)
To read the rest of the article: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/wild-horses-are-being-forced-to-wear-dangerous-collars/
Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This needs more comments!
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I have no idea why they don’t micro chip them with gps…. this is so outdated and dangerous it’s pathetic!!!
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This petition is factually incorrect — the BLM DID NOT DO THIS:
“And since the agency already voted in September 2016 to kill off 44,000 of the nation’s 67,000 total remaining wild horses…”
The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board did, and the BLM patently and clearly rejected this recommendation.
While there are many problems in how the BLM manages and mismanages wild horses and burros at the behest of taxpayers, it helps nobody (and especially doesn’t help the wild horses and burros) when advocates make such indefensible and easily verified false claims.
We can and most keep a higher standard than this, on all sides.
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PS just noticed this petition also makes other factual errors, including that ranchers are running DAIRY cows on BLM lands? Perhaps some cull calves end up on the range but not cows being milked 2-3 times daily.
It’s also doubtful the BLM is actively expanding grazing permit areas to collect “more livestock grazing taxes” as we know the fees fall millions of dollars short of breaking even each year, so losing taxpayers money on each grazing animal can’t be improved by adding more animals (and thus more losses).
Also not mentioned, the BLM is by law required to work with ranchers–and many other interests–as part of their original multiple use mandate. The organization itself was formed from grazing interests:
“The BLM was established in 1946, but its roots go back to the years after America’s independence, when the young nation began acquiring additional lands. At first, these lands were used to encourage homesteading and westward migration. The General Land Office was created in 1812 to support this national goal.
Over time, values and attitudes regarding public lands shifted, and Congress merged the GLO and another agency, the U.S. Grazing Service, creating the BLM. ”
https://www.blm.gov/about/history
To help our remaining wild horses and burros, and their owners (all U.S. citizens) we must be better fact checkers of all we read, and anything we sign, and insist their authors correct falsifications. I wrote the petition site above already, asking them to correct their statements.
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Icy – it appears the actual petition doesnt make those claims – its the article written for Green Planet that does. But you are right – we all should be more diligent when signing any petition. Have to admit – I’m guilty of a knee-jerk reaction – not as much as I was tho.
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Good catch, Maggie! I wrote petition when I should have written “article” but on reading the actual petition, it is making other unfounded claims but is nearing its signature goal nevertheless. I will continue to urge everyone to do their homework, sharpen their pencils, and hold others works to higher standards as well. Our best efforts are needed now more than at any time since Wild Horse Annie walked this earth.
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VERY seldom do I make a “catch” on what you comment!! Usually the other way around. Its too bad that Anne’s organization has kind of split off from the ones I usually follow (including this one). I dont agree with PZP either but that seems to be the focal point of some of her writings. This whole collar thing on wild animals is something we all agree on. Especially now that the BLM wants to do a roundup – makes NO sense!
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I may have been remiss in passing this along and not doing a “deep dive” on QC but my motivation to post was due to the comment/quote made by our own Carol Walker…sorry for errors in the article.
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If all we read is preaching to the choir (us) seems like we get stuck in a rut!
We all need to read material that doesnt go along with OUR opinion – Carol
had a darned good comment, tho.
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I think what’s happening Maggie is that a lot of people have started their own Facebook pages and there is LOT happening there….more than you can imagine.
The cruelty that is and has been perpetrated upon animals is so repugnant to most people that they have become activated.
That might be why the power brokers are in such a big hurry
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I hope thats the case Louie – the more who are aware the better!
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Yet another act of cruelty from the BLM. They are not happy unless they are putting our wild horse’s in jeopardy. I can’t think of a more sick and disgusting group of people who put our wild horse’s in outrageous and inhumane situations. The collar on a wild animal is just wrong and endangering the welfare of the horse. Stop this insanely and inhumane treatment now !!
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He’ll stop this now
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Who are you referencing here?
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Please protect our wild horses and burros? Please no more horrific treatment of these iconic animals? We’re begging you to do what’s best for our wild horses. Thank you
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These studies sound dubious at best and the collars could cause horrible results of they become too right or get caught on something. Please remove them and stop using them in the future. Just leave the horses alone. They were there first!
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You have offended the nation. You don’t deserve the job. You need to go back to church. I would be ashamed to walk through the doors of our government buildings, with your hands in the rancher’s and miner’s pockets like they are. You should be in jail for your greed. I wish someone would make a movie starring you jerks as the bad guys and a group of middle school kids as the heroes to save the mustangs. I cannot think of a good use for you lowlifes. God will get you. Saint Peter will laugh at you if he isn’t crying over your brutality.
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