Personal message for the “blog”

Jackson Mountain stallion watches his mares after arrival at PVC. They will be separated here, he will go to the stud pens and they with the mares.

from the desk of Laura Leigh, President of Wild Horse Education (follow ongoing work at wild horse education website)

It is very hard to describe the personal experience of the current state of the issues that Wild Horse Education is addressing for our herds.

On one hand this has been an extraordinary physical marathon of range work, in all kinds of weather, under all kinds of physical extremes. Dust, mud, blistering heat and frigid temperatures take a toll on equipment and ones physical body. Files are massive and the quantity of documentation fills drive after drive and causes laptops to choke. The vehicle makes new sounds every time it is shaken, bounced, bumped and run in sub freezing temperatures or high heat, your physical body begins to mirror the creaks and groans. The very real need to expand this aspect of the work is apparent. This aspect of the work is what gives us the ability to demonstrate a first hand knowledge of the range and present accurate information toward gaining real changes as we try to bring an honest conversation to the management of wild horses and burros to the agency itself, the public, legislature and if needed, the Federal courts. You make this part of the journey looking like a character out of “Mad Max,” or other post apocalyptic film, half the time. You forget to brush your hair, have no time to clean your clothes and your equipment is a mishmash of devices pieced together that looks like it shouldn’t even run but is a powerful editing tool.

On the other hand this work requires diligent research and organization. Thousands of hours of video footage, hundreds of thousands of still photographs, assessment documents and grids, reference material and the hundreds of documents filed in court. You have to focus, wear the right glasses to read,  remember to shower, and raise your vocabulary above the guttural sounds that your dog finds acceptable as conversation on the road.

Then there is another aspect, communication with the public. Somewhere between being a “range rat” and an “accountant” you need to remember the social skills to engage the public in a conversation that relays what you “gained” on the range, digested in the “library,” in a manner that speaks to the daily lives of “normal.”

Many of you have written wondering what it is like to do this work… the best way I can describe it… it is like carrying a bag filled with “hats.” Some of the hats you have worn before and they fit well, others don’t fit quite right but when you wear them in enough storms they shrink and mold and become familiar.

Today I sit at the computer organizing three active cases against the Federal government. Two of them speak to the objective of gaining a humane handling policy for wild horses and burros, one of them speaks to access to animals from range “through ultimate disposition, adoption, sale or death.” I am organizing depositions, documents and editing video footage for various purposes.

High Rock, 10-30 (Leigh) 6 escape the trap

I wanted to “touch base” with the followers of the blog and say “whew” as we gain the first step in the conversation at Owyhee toward gaining a “humane” objective in the ten year plan and “where’s the #@*! coffee?” as we start to compile and hone the effort on access. The work we are doing on land use plans and investigations such as the slaughter issue are also still in progress AND I have to get back out on the range.

Yes, there is an extraordinary amount of work that needs done YESTERDAY. There are tools that as an advocacy we do not have and must literally build. But this is not without hope… we are building the tools and creating the language for conversations based on first hand observation… we are gaining a conversation that can lead to changes… that can grow to more changes. It IS movement.

As a MOVEMENT we must recognize that fact and gain momentum. If there is an opportunity, no matter how small, if it is not seized the moment passes. The road to change leads to change as the road of apathy leads to apathy, the road of depression leads to depression. We are on the road to change…. it may be a two track in the dessert but eventually (even if you have to travel off-road a bit) it leads to a highway.

Best to you.

Laura

Fast post, Litchfield (High Rock Horses, holding)

This is just a quick update on the Litchfield facility.

Horses from High Rock are being taken to this facility. Ability to assess horses is extremely limited at this facility. Most horses are in corrals that are not easily visible. This trip I was able to see primarily studs only.

I will return when youngsters are moved for vaccination.

Processing is not visible and access to view was denied.

Overview Litchfield, 11-2

Gorgeous bay stud (Fox Hog pen)

Stunning young studs (buddies, very attached to each other)

High Rock Video

High Rock (Buzan)

Youngster with eye injury (Leigh)

Guilfoyle speaks at Conference in DC today

Today in DC the new head of the Wild Horse and Burro Program, Joan Guilfoyle, will speak at the International Conference for Equine Welfare.

She has committed to speak for ten minutes to introduce herself. She will answer no questions from the public, nor participate in any dialogue. She has agreed to speak to address her willingness to “dialogue” with the public.

Sounds like the same old contradictions.

As Guilfoyle prepares to speak the last horses of the roundup  were removed from Barren Valley in Oregon. Only two runs of the pilot were documented. Almost a week allowed no documentation at all.

This video is of the last two groups taken.

Please help support the work if you can.: http://wildhorseeducation.org/mission-statement/donate/

Editorial: NY Times, shame on you

The New York Times ran a piece by Phil Taylor of Greenwire (look up Greenwire, it is an “energy and environment” publication).

I took the time to submit an Editorial, but am not taking the time for the submission to be rejected.

There are several other areas of the piece I find disturbing besides what I address in the below submission, but there is only so much time in the day.

Link to the Times piece: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/09/20/20greenwire-interiors-new-wild-horse-chief-confronts-growi-35228.html

I urge you all to create your own submission to the Times.

I am crafting doc’s and editing and back on the road…

I always hate to ask… but I do need your help to stay out here and continue the work.

http://WildHorseEducation.org and legal here: http://wildhorsefreedom.org

~~~~

Guilfoyle, is this ok?

Dear Editor,

While applauding the Times for having covered the issue of Wild Horses and Burros on public land, the journalistic standard of the piece “Interior’s New Wild Horse Chief Confronts…” by Phil Taylor lacks authoritative bases.

Federal law does not “force” the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to “cull” horses. The law instead requires them to manage according to a “multiple use” mandate and to “protect” wild horses as “living symbols of the pioneer spirit of the West.” “Removal” of horses is only one of many tools in the BLM’s toolbox although by choice, it is the only one utilized thus far in the forty-year history of the mandate.

The “advocate community” is rightly concerned that wild herds are not managed under “multiple use,” but are managed at a non viable standard in an inhumane fashion. If an extraction company was forced to operate at the current capacity that our National Treasures are being managed, they would be forced out of business. Genetic bankruptcy is more than a concern, it is a stark reality that would ultimately lead to the extinction of wild horses in the West.

There is no “over population.” There is instead, competition for resources on public land.

If you give away a resource the horses rely on to an entity that operates in a subsidized fashion on public land, you have an “over population” of horses according to the agency. You have also created another avenue for public wealth to go into private pockets on the back of an already over burdened American tax payer.

The agency manages more public land than any other, approximately 262 million acres. All of that land is open to “multiple use,” two-thirds of it open to livestock grazing and a mere 10 percent is currently legal land for wild horse herds. Within that 10 percent, horses are often provided less than 2 percent of available resources.

Fences create artificial migration routes. Water sources are fenced off and roads are being widened for the high speed heavy truck traffic to accommodate expanding extractive interests. These extractive interests compete for water in arid western states. Their thirst for the liquid is rising at an alarming rate.

This agency determined that an “Appropriate Management Level” (AML) of horses for one Herd Management Area was sufficient at three animals. Why did they leave three? The BLM did not want their statistics to show another area “zeroed out” of wild horses.

Joan Guilfoyle is now sitting atop an agency guilty of severe fiscal mismanagement rooted in historic prejudice where private interests can profit. Its failed policy is running full steam toward disastrous consequence to the health of public land. Wild Horses are its chosen scapegoats. It is more than tragic that yet another bureaucrat who parrots the old regime has taken the helm.

Guilfoyle, claiming to have been at the Triple B roundup, states,

“It might be the one in a thousand that rears up against the corral and bumps up against the gate, and people go, ‘Oh my gosh, it got hurt,’” she said. “But that’s one out of thousand that came through more or less agreeably. Part of it, I think, is perception and understanding of what’s happening.”

First death at Triple B

I personally attended more roundups than any government personnel or public observer in the last eighteen months. I documented horrific incompetence and lack of the most basic of humane treatment. That documentation includes a nonstop testimony to numerous daily offensive actions. Triple B is no exception. Taylor, who accepted her words as Gospel, fell down on the job when not seeking where the truth lies.

Mr. Taylor cites one lawsuit that could not halt the roundup. Yet, he fails to cite the suit that succeeded in proving that the Agency is guilty of inhumane treatment. A temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued late last month by the Honorable Howard D. McKibben, a Nevada federal judge (Case 3:11-cv-608). His Honor expressed stern disapproval not only toward the conduct of the helicopter pilot who actually struck an exhausted horse, but toward the BLM’s justification process that “blames the horse” for such incidents The suit remains active in federal court. Meanwhile, Guilfoyle’s agency has yet to address Judge McKibben’s decision. Incredibly, the BLM refuses thus far to even recognize Judge McKibben’s remarks of his being “troubled” by the BLM’s conduct, nor has Guilfoyle’s agency issued parameters for pilot conduct in the wake of the judge’s ruling.

The press has yet to “do their job” and hold the government accountable as our forefathers intended they do when they wrote the Constitution. Taylor’s piece is evidence of spineless reporting where he fails to address press access issues in his warm “welcome aboard” message to Guilfoyle.

As camera lenses and observers catch atrocities, Guilfoyle’s agency closes its doors to observers instead of implementing corrective action. The BLM blames advocates for “not understanding” what they must do. Or, they”blame the horse” for “necessary” abusive treatment.

Two respected organizations, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the National Press Photographers Association, filed a brief in a pending Ninth Circuit appeal (Case 11-16088) over their concern for the Agency’s denigration of constitutional First Amendment “freedom of speech” and “freedom of the press” notions. The case addresses the repeated content control accomplished to minimize “bad press,” when Guilfoyle’s agency systematically excludes the press and public from viewing its horrific handling of wild horses captured from public lands. Remove the press and there is no problem.

It is more than a “shame on you” I send to Phil Taylor for failing to address either of these cases in his article. Mr. Taylor instead, chose the “easy way out,” avoiding the tough and gritty method real journalists employ when ferreting out the truth of their chosen topic. Taylor’s piece legitimizes an agency that is no friend either to America’s wild horse or to the true journalist.

Laura Leigh

Founder, Wild Horse Education

Vice President, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

Plaintiff in the above mentioned Federal lawsuits

Terrified foal forced through the jute after his band was shattered and he was chased with only his mom into the trap, colliding with wings, Triple B

9/12

new post on WildHorseEducation.org

Palomino stud, taken 9/12

 

Alleged Inhumane Treatment Prompts Wild Horse Lawsuit

Now you know what I’ve been working on. I need your help to stay in the field and continue to develop a chain of documentation.

http://WildHorseEducation.org

Donations can be made to support Litigation at Wild Horse Freedom Federation. You can mark your donation “HUmane Case” or donate to the general fund to help pay cost for other ongoing Litigation efforts.

Orphan at Triple B

Feds found to be in violation of own humane standards

HOUSTON, (WHFF) - Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) filed a lawsuit and companion Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Federal Court in Reno Nevada on Wednesday, 8/24/2011. Through their Plaintiff, Laura Leigh, the issue of “humane treatment” will enter into a Courtroom.

The Wild Horse and Burro Act that passed unanimously in 1971 was done with the expressed intent of protecting the “living symbol of the pioneer spirit of the West.” Yet questions of humane treatment, including basic care like water and feed, often come into question during actual roundup operations.

Now 40 years later the question of “humane care” will have its “day in Court.”

“Day in, day out, roundup to roundup, I see the same issues,” said Leigh WHFF, VP and Founder of WHE (Wild Horse Education.org), “lack of water in holding, feed given inappropriately and a pilot that flies dangerously close, including contact with an exhausted animal. When you view these animals in their natural state and then witness the disregard given to our symbol of freedom, it is a direct blow to your soul.”

Leigh has witnessed more roundups than any government or public observer in the last 18 months. She has spent countless hours documenting wild herd behavior and the process these horses face once they are removed from the range.

BLM states it operates under regulation 43 CFR 4700, including the following definitions:

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.

Inhumane treatment means any intentional or negligent action or failure to act that causes stress, injury, or undue suffering to a wild horse or burro and is not compatible with animal husbandry practices accepted in the veterinary community.

“Accountability within the actual activities of the BLM has been an ongoing issue,” states WHFF President R.T. Fitch “actually finding an avenue to address the core intent of Legislation has been almost impossible. If this is an issue that needs to land in a Federal Court to actually begin a dialogue than that is exactly what we will do.”

###

Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with 501c3 status pending.  WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.

 

NOTE: The lawsuits have been transferred to http://WildHorseEducation.org

Guess I have to call.

I have seen no documentation from BLM about that foal and his “mom.”

I apologize for a video that is not edited well…. I’m tired and have my work cut out for me today.

http://wildhorseeducation.org

Triple B: Saturation

I have to admit I’ve hit saturation.

I have a high tolerance for documenting what happens to our wild horses with the goal of bringing the images to the public that can not be here on the ground. Documentation to educate and work toward reform.

My tolerance for the bald face lying has evaporated with the last bit of moisture from my skin.

I saw a heavy, young wet mare (either close to birth or just having done so) hotshotted. The claim was they did “everything they could” to make her move.

I’ll get the video edited… no they didn’t. She was the very last horse and was holding up the conclusion of operations so that the contractors could run into the air conditioning… and off to the rodeo.

A tiny baby from early morning still had not paired up. I watched that baby clack it’s teeth, try to nurse off of other mares and get pushed away. I watched that baby lay down exhausted and not one muzzle came to check on the babe.

I asked Bruce Thompson, Elko district WH&B specialist, what the protocol was to determine that babe was orphaned… In other words when was some lazy son of a ____  going to come sit at the pen… see the TINY babe without a mom and give it electrolytes or milk replacer. I was told they would check in the morning… when I asked why the two contractors operate so differently (I don’t like what Cattoor does but Sue identifies orphans and cares for them immediately). Thompson actually had the … what would you call it … nerve?…. to say he didn’t know what I was talking about. I told him I’ll send him a tape… (and the film crew they were trying to impress actually had already seen Cattoor match mares and foals and knew excatly what I was talking about).

Then I was warned the second time by the security guard to “watch myself.” Don’t worry folks, I was miked the whole time… I am never out of line. They control what I can see, they control where I stand… but they can not control what I say. IT IS THE TRUTH.

Six horses fell in the chute today. Two of them limped afterward, one was rather stunned.

You all know I like feet… they say so very much.

(BTW they only give a walk around on “Announced observation days.” In other words once a week).

I will get edits up including a foal getting caught in the jute as soon as I can. I have had six flat tires this roundup. Lost my sway bar lionks. Had to have brakes done, too. I am thankful every day that truck actually still runs…

A few pictures for you.

Will this be a "pre-existing" condition?

Horse down in the alley

Another horse getting crushed in the alley, six today.

...... why don't they care?.....

EVERYDAY with this contractor... every damn day

early morning run for your life

After being "protected" by our Federal government through their chosen contractor Sun-J

Have you seen my mom?

I need your help to keep up the work. I promise I am working hard and will have an announcement soon.

http://WildHorseEducation.org

 

8-13 Triple B

c Laura Leigh

c Laura Leigh 2011

I need your help to stay in the field. http://WildHorseEducation.org

Documentation will get where it needs to. It always does.

Donate if you can.

Just over the last two days I have done the report, attended roundups, uploaded video. 2 am wake up calls and close to three hours driving, one way, to get to trap. Wild Horse Education.org IS me.

Triple B_ horse hit with skids

Do you think the horse was being pushed back so we couldn’t see it roped? There is no reason for the chopper to move this exhausted horse.

8-11 Foaling season

Very early in the day…

Foals... 8-11

As the days warm up we do not see babies like this. Horses go into the trees as it gets hot and babies sleep… they also can’t keep the distance nor pace this pilot flies… How many don’t make it in? It is a VALID question. Particularly as you evaluate the way this pilot fractures every group, no exception, that he pushes.

I am tired. Will get video up soon.

http://wildhorseeducation.org

WHE Press Release: Triple B report

 

Palomino Foal, the first foal euthanized at Triple B

http://wildhorseeducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/draftreport_tripleb_leigh.pdf

Draft Report of Triple B Roundup released

Wild Horse Education has published the draft report on operations at the Triple B roundup in Nevada.

The report contains photographs and video of the roundup during foaling season that has already taken the lives of 9 horses. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “gather report” claims these foal deaths have been due to abnormalities in the young horses. Documentation obtained shows otherwise.

“The development of the foals I have seen are all within normal range,” says Laura Leigh, founder/President of Wild Horse Education and VP of Wild Horse Freedom Federation “Joint development in young foals has a broad range of normal. None of the foals I was actually able to observe showed any fatal abnormality other than inflammation and damage from a run that never should have been allowed to happen.”

Other issues with this roundup include over driving, poor loading, lack of appropriate amounts of water and lack of public assessment opportunity.

Report can be downloaded for printing and faxing to Congress at: http://WildHorseEducation.org

Wild Horse Education

 

Allegiance

This beautiful horse broke out (jumped the panel after capture at the trap) and stood by the jute… moving forward and back… forward and back… as his family loaded.
After the trailer (with his mares) went past him he shot up the hill behind us… then eyed the trap from the other side of the hill calling to the babies… he moved off as vehicles came in but stopped as a trailer came back up the road… and called to see if his family had come back.

Off in the distance you could see a chopper… he briefly headed toward the band being chased and then so very slowly… with head down… went down the road… and over the horizon.

I have seen thousands and thousand of horses loose everything they have. I don’t normally name them.

But this horse is “Allegiance.”
It is what he demonstrated and what we owe him.

I will edit video and get images together as soon as I can… but I am exhausted… have hours of tape and pics to log of over-driving, atrocious flying, BLM admits hotshot use and more.

As well as a few tears to shed tonight.

A local auto shop fixed my truck today even though I couldn’t pay… he said to bring the money when I get it… but to get out to the range and keep an eye on “our” horses….

Tears for many reasons tonight… these people that live here love these horses… but they are not a mine or ranching interest… they are just people that read the local paper and live their lives in this hard, but beautiful place… and cherish the ideals of Freedom and survival that “our” horses represent.

Allegiance.

Driven into the trap

Allegiance... I pledge to you...

8-6 preliminary vent

There are days and then there days.

August 6th was one of those days.

As I sit and try to edit video to tell you all that was seen I am hit with an inability to edit. Every basic concept of humane treatment was broken. Every basic concept of common sense went out the window. Every basic demonstration of the simplest concept of equine behavior was non-existant.

The drives were long, no matter what is placed on the BLM site. Drives were well over ten miles. One group ran for over an hour and had a foal. They were run. The horses were confused and panicked.

A horse was left pinned between the trailer and the trailer door (after getting it’s head caught in an inappropriately set panel) while a group of horses are driven into the trap.

Exhausted foals are chased.

In holding evidence of injury.

The same issues with the bare minimum of feed that is NOT distributed in a manner to the best interest of the horses, but to convenience of the contractor.

The same water games with the foal and adult horses.

On this one let’s do the math one more time… 15 gallons a day is what BLM states a horse drinks. A 50 gallon tub filled 2 times each day is 100 gallons. 45 studs, in July and August, need more than two tubs. A nursing mare needs more than 15 gallons (according to BLM).

BLM according to the law YOU are responsible for making decisions on the ground. That includes determining that in the heat the horses need water. That includes determining if horses, and tiny babies, are being over-driven. That includes making the call that handling is too rough and counter intuitive.

BLM you can make the calls that include leaving a horse lost while horses are driven in. BLM you can make the call that a horse remains “wedged” for over ten minutes as other horses are driven in. BLM you can also actually make calls that are for the welfare of the horse… not just the “expediency” of the operation.

I am trying to edit video down to appropriate lengths. Youtube takes ten minute clips. I am sending the rough edit (over 25 minutes) to someone that may be able to get it cut into sections. I am trying to get everything logged… but need sleep.

Blew a tire and spun out after over an hour driving fast on gravel and dirt to try to catch a trailer…

If you can help get the truck fixed and keep gas in the tank it is appreciated.

http://WildHorseEducation.org

some pictures from 8/6, video soon

Third horse to try to break through panels sloppily set against the trailer. This one got her head stuck.

Rope around her neck they use a horse and rider to pull on her neck.

Left wedged while another group is driven in

Any horse owner knows feet and legs speak volumes (holding)

Why?

Palomino Foal

Taken from BLM Triple B “gather update” page

1‐ A 2‐3 weeks old palomino foal was brought in with a pre‐existing deformity on the right front fetlock joint. The foal was showing some signs of lameness and could not stand straight on that leg. Exercise associated with the gather activity likely aggravated the condition and the foal was standing and walking with difficulty. With the heat and activity of the gather the foal also showed signs of respiratory distress.

She was treated with injectable procaine penicillin and flunixin and sorted into a smaller pen with the mare. The flunixin injection to be repeated once daily for 3 days. The signs of respiratory distress subsided substantially over time, however the right leg was still exhibiting the same symptoms causing lameness. This deformity would most likely affect the animal’s survival in the wilderness, and reduce the animal’s quality of life for the foreseeable future. The deformity has a poor prognosis for recovery. The decision was to monitor the condition for a few days and consider euthanasia if no improvement is noted.

Final disposition, on July 25, 2011 this foal was re‐examined:

The foal was not improving in condition. She had been treated daily with anti‐ inflammatory injections for 3 days to relieve pain and showed no improvement. The foal as euthanized based on no improvement in her condition, the limb deformity and a poor prognosis for recovery from the lameness.

Palomino Foal Euthanized July 25

Palomino Foal Euthanized July 25

Palomino Foal Euthanized July 25

help keep documentation coming: http://wildhorseeducation.org

edited to add:

Wanted to add some more information in case this page goes to those interested in WHY this is so outrageous.

ANATOMY lesson.

First take a peek at this illustration so you know what part of the horse we are talking about.

http://www.gogohorses.com/health/007.gif

Now read this quote about an adult, trained athlete, named “I Want Revenge.”

“The ultrasound exam that was performed on May 3 showed changes in the middle distal sesamoidean ligaments (also known as oblique sesamodean ligaments), which are the ligaments below and behind the fetlock  joint that support the fetlock during high speed exercise.”

Now look at the illustration on the page the quote comes from to understand the rest of the anatomy. http://ieah.com/cgi-bin/news_article.cgi?news_id=1002252

Now just look at this breeding website on foals, quote: “So, your new foal has arrived, it is now about 3 weeks old and most probably enthusiastically skipping around the paddock and causing Mum a few annoyances! By this stage any initial tendon problems have usually righted themselves…”

http://www.sporthorsesnewzealand.com/foalconformation.html

scroll down and look at the photo… that baby would have been euthanized, but is within the range of NORMAL. If we continue to run these horses during FOALING SEASON they will continue to DIE.

IF this agency continues it’s pattern of “shell game” all we will have are “new policies” that block the public from hearing that runners are going out. We will have policy that hides these deaths…. Roundups should NOT be occurring during foaling season. It is inhumane and a violation of the Act… no where in the Taylor Grazing Act nor in FLPMA does it allow for the most basic violations of humane treatment we are witnessing.

 

On the Road Again

Just a quick informal update:

I have left the Triple B area. Another observer has come in. I had not originally planned to go to Triple B as I was under the assumption that others would be there and I could “track the gap” in the roundup schedule.

However sometimes things work the way they are supposed to even if you don’t realize it. I was able to further document the actions of Sun J at yet another operation. I have been at all of their activities since last fall. So the documentation is still an inclusive record.

Yet by not being able to “follow my gut” it appears (I have been informed, but have not seen the Press Release) that an unpublicized roundup did occur as I suspected it would. The gap in the schedule made me suspect Sheldon was “on the radar” and that proved correct. An estray roundup occurred in Oregon. Where they went, I don’t know. Winter Ridge will be “zeroed out” as it is HA, not HMA. (I have been to Winter Ridge and there are no horses there… only near the BIA land).

I am heading back to complete the work I began in the field and off to cover the Oregon Roundups. So at this point it appears that you will all be able to follow the activities of both contractors.

The photo I posted earlier on this blog IS of the foal euthanized. The other foal I never saw and have serious suspicions that it ever existed. If anyone has time to FOIA the vet report? Thanks.

Two articles on other investigations coming your way sooooooon.

Some pics real quick and then I turn the ignition.

July Roundups = Injured babies (dead babies)

Incredible black stallion that should have gone back to the range

Baby leaning on mom after a run that left him traumatized

Roundups should NOT happen in July. This is “no-brainer” stuff that makes the idea that any sanity or comprehension of what humane management means exists at all.

note: Alan Shepherd went back to his desk and is no longer at Triple B.

What the BLM doesn’t Tweet

Much has happened the last two days and I will get info and pics up very soon. But I hear BLM is tweeting each load that comes in. But they are only giving you times… not any other info.

I’ll fill in the gaps soon.

Here’s a preview.

Dust and heat... great combo

What the BLM doesn't Tweet

Help keep gas in the tank: http://wildhorseeducation.org

Triple B_ Day 4

This is the last video that will be posted for a bit. Editing video takes an incredible amount of time. I will go back to archiving the video in case the documentation is required and posting still images. But I think this series of three days gives you an idea how frustrating this is. It will not give you a clear picture of the wear and tear on your vehicle, the damage done to your equipment or the toll it takes on your face.

Day 4 began at holding and the lame excuses about the medical treatment of these foals (that were now euthanized) set the tone. Sometimes my hands will shake from the stupidity. It is like being a teacher in Kindergarten… but the Kindergartners make the rules.

Yes, the tone of this report is terse. But being with this contractor every day but two during Antelope, and now watching this at Triple B, is like chewing on tin foil.

I am usually very patient and quiet. I do my observations and reports.This time I am trying very hard not to allow the frustration to drive me.

On another front there may be some good news soon, but that will have to wait for another day. So pray that sanity can begin to take root somewhere.

Day 4 brought with it frustration after frustration.

It began with the excuses about water and food, with no indication that anything would change. It continued with the absurd assertions about the injured foals.

At the trap the radio was again left so I could not hear anything until one time Heather Emmons left it loud enough that I could pick up a call. It was the pilot asking Alan Shepherd to glass a horse that could not keep up. I was given no further information as to the age or reason the horse could not keep up… and of course I was held to a position that did not allow me any observation.

The horses the pilot drove into the trap came in two groups.

Then 4 runners went out and the pilot. The pilot asked Shepherd the location and was told it should be “right under you.” It was apparently a bush.

I asked if I could go to the rise and look. I said that all eyes should be utilized. I was not granted permission, nor was it denied. I stayed behind the tape. It is my belief that this agency attempts to push the limits of control until we are tempted to break them… only to utilize the unreasonable restraints against us.

After almost an hour of no information, BLM personnel reading newspapers, I asked to go give my dog water and check on him. That permission was granted. I hung out in the vehicle with the dog, as it is much cooler there. I saw two runners beating it back to the trap so I went back to the observation area only to find out that the runners were coming back… not because they had found anything… but because the pilot was driving horses to the trap.

Shepherd had given the authorization for resources to abandon the search and begin operations. The other two runners also returned to the trap. I expressed my outrage in no uncertain terms. I informed personnel that I had called people from my vehicle and the public knew they had stopped looking. I informed them I was not leaving until the horse was located.

After the drive Heather was called down to speak with Alan.

Miraculously the horse that had now been missing for over an hour and a half had been found. It had “run back home” and hooked up with a stud. A trailer went down the road and in less than ten minutes came back… with a load that looked much like it did when it left.

As I am not permitted to travel the same road as the trailer it would take me about an hour longer to reach holding. I would not see this animal unload.

The animal was allegedly a 4 month old that was so deformed it couldn’t run correctly and was euthanized. The same animal that ran almost to the trap and back again… I can not confirm that there was an animal even picked up off that range.

Have you pulled out all your hair yet? Have you gritted your teeth so badly that you have broken molars? Have you bitten your lip so hard it bleeds? Have you vowed to god you will not allow this “spoiled child agency” to continue without challenge… no matter what it takes?

If you can help me with expenses please donate to http://wildhorseeducation.org   

Triple B_Day 3 Part 2

EDITED to add:

They killed the babies in this report today.

~~~~~

At the roundup we had runners go off with no explanation. We had a baby come in that I could see was injured.

So I added an extra two hours of driving to my day and headed to holding.

There I saw three youngsters treated for injury. I do not know how many were treated prior to my arrival. (note: it is interesting that I asked about the injuries and am only given information on the treatment I actually saw, with no other information offered. It always seems like “If they don’t see it, it didn’t happen”).

A big bay stud and his band have really hit me hard. He was in the last group (or at least the last group I knew of). One of his foals (the only one that came in with his band) was injured. They put his mare and injured foal in the pen next to him. He kept all the other horses from the fence line. He called to them non-stop while I was there. He was there at the fence line when I arrived in the morning. I was pretty upset by some comments Alan Shepherd made so I got a few quick takes and did not get one of his calls as they began to load that am.

I quickly headed to the roundup site instead as the day before they had already captured 40 horses before my arrival. Leaving holding early didn’t change anything, they still had about 40 prior to my arrival on Day 4. Keep in mind we leave our “meeting” spot at 4:30 am, that’s how much driving is involved.

The comments from Shepherd that were so distressing go like this:  ”The palomino foal had weak tendons. The little chestnut has a bad mom. The other foal that was treated has a laceration to a leg, but it’s pre-existing. The animals drain the water and it needs to be refilled a couple times.”

Did that hit you like it hit me from the State Lead for Nevada’s Wild Horse and Burro program, Alan Shepherd? Did that hit you like it hit me from the man that constantly blames the animal for it’s situation? (Old Mare at Antelope) Did that hit you like it hit me from the man that took part in several “Final solution” conversations for our wild horses? (2009 Article animal Law Coalition) Did that hit you like it hit me from the man that answered in Federal Court that there were “no fences, no cows, no water” in the Owyhee HMA? (Gorey’s explanation to Horseback)

At the Antelope Complex Roundup this past winter there was the exact same situation with this contractor, Sun-J (it is a pattern). When I pointed out the deficiency Ben Noyes, the WH&B specialist in Ely, simply grabbed more tubs for water and placed them in the pens. He directed the contractor to appropriately distribute feed. He made no excuse.

Perhaps a man like Ben Noyes, that is able to admit a deficit and comprehends that the equation for the amount of horses translates into water consumption, should be the state lead and Mr. Shepherd should go muck at the Burns Corral until he comprehends what horses are?

I was told the runners went out to get the two injured foals. We already know that is also not the truth.

This IS foaling season. ALL foals have weak legs, that is why you don’t run a foal. It IS over 90 degrees during the day and horses need water. The fact that this conversation has to occur at all with an agency tasked for the last 40 YEARS with the humane treatment and management of our wild herds is OBSCENE.

note: and the more I review my tapes the more I believe that the roan is NOT that little chestnuts mom. The chestnut mare at the trap is most likely his mom. They even look alike. A bay dad and a roan mom will most likely not produce a chestnut baby. That baby was leaning against ANY family member he could because he could NOT stand. I’ll bet that’s why she was so agitated. I wonder where her baby is? I wonder so much about the ability to actually OBSERVE and not just process inventory in this agency. I need to see that chestnut foal.

Day 4 video coming soon… and more on Mr. Shepherd

Triple B: Day 3 Video

When you are at a roundup what you don’t see is as important as what you do see. Realize that the PR folks sitting with you are very good at what they do, that’s why they are there. Conversation can be extremely pleasant but a real distraction if you can’t talk and work at the same time.

Conversation began the first day I was there about Director Abbey’s “new normal.” The “new normal” just means “get better at hiding.” So you have to be very sharp. I told Jeff “new normal” just means Abbey sends cuter memos.

At Antelope and Eagle I was often able to listen to radio transmissions that filled in the gaps… as I am held to positions that limit my ability to assess. This roundup I guess I would scare horses if I could hear what is happening.

If you see riders (runners) go off you know it is for a reason. Open your eyes and ears and try to figure it out. Often you will not know, nor will you ever be able to confirm what you are told.

This day, in spite of every effort to keep pilot performance hidden, I saw the same evidence of fractured bands I saw at Antelope.

A lone stallion came over the rise…. and in spite of assertions that observers scare horses…. this poor baby came up over the rise to address us several times in an attempt to figure out how to save his family. Seated observers do not scare wild horses.

Again please note what you don’t see. Gather reports will not tell you how many are treated for injury. Gather reports will not tell you how many were fractured from their families and left. Gather reports will not tell you an awful lot. But here is the link: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_programs/wild_horses_and_burros/triple_b__maverick/gatreports.html

At the end of the “roundup portion” of this day it was vital that I add an extra 2 plus hours driving time to the already long day. The amount of driving you need to do at roundups in Eastern Nevada can be staggering. The roads can be rocky and filled with alkali dust that is like driving in baby powder. I have gotten several nose bleeds from the combination of dust and dry air.

 

 

 

You will see why  the extra time was absolutely needed in Triple B  day 3_Part 2, coming soon.

PLEASE if you can donate to help me stay out here you are the gas in my tank! http://WildHorseEducation.org

Triple B: Day 2 Video

Day 3 and 4 videos coming soon.

(It is taking a long time to load on this connection).

The single edit was over 40 minutes of all three days combined. As there seem to be conflicting issues and a need for folks to “see” I have taken the time to deal with several issues including these video edits.I had to cut this into three days to be able to upload.

Day 2

Please realize that what is presented is the same activity we saw at Antelope. It is a better “package.” However that package contains the very real issue of foaling season in the desert. The idea that rounding up new babies in 90 degree heat as the alkali blows… in the most arid state in the nation… is an assault to any sense that this agency comprehends the most basic of mandates, humane treatment.

I do point out my observations. My questions are relayed but never answered in the moment. Radios stay silent as PR folks tout Bob Abbey’s “new normal.” I guess in the “new normal” my actually hearing transmissions creates a “safety hazard.”

These issues will be addressed as the First Amendment fight moves forward.

Horses coming in are not family bands. Actually discovered as the sexes of horses could be observed through sorting immediately after capture, something we can’t usually see.

In the morning these horses are loaded and go to Palomino Valley.

A semi has three compartments. Two dry mares are left behind to avoid overcrowding. Yet the mares and foals load together. I warn that this increases risk f injury. I believe there have been reports of a foal arriving at PVC with lacerations.

Day 3 and 4 will be more telling of the climate of this roundup. I can not get up at 3, drive 3 hours each way and attend roundups and write reports and edit video. I will get back to the roundup as soon as possible. I am observing several other areas but cannot operate in the schedule and distances required to travel to the roundup… just not enough hours in a day.

They will be posted shortly.

BLM update page link: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_programs/wild_horses_and_burros/triple_b__maverick/gatreports.html

Very fast

I am almost out of battery. Need to find a place.

Will post tomorrow.

What do you get when you round up babies in July?

Injuries.

DUH!

I saw three youngsters treated. Have no idea how many before I got there. No one to answer questions. Saw Alan Shepard has the “honcho.” He saw me and turned away from the camera.

I will file EXTENSIVE report tomorrow night…. with lots of pictures and video.

July Roundups = Injured babies

Triple B_Quick post

Today saw 11 horses removed from the range to make a two day total of 33.

Horses were run into the trap and directly sorted into temporary. We usually do not have the ability to see the sexes of each group coming off the range as horses are captured and then sent in groups for sorting at temporary.The glare from the sun made the first group of 3 adults and one youngster hard to see.

Second group was two mature studs a mare and foal.

Third group a dry mare, wet mare and foal.

I will review tapes after I get sleep (two hours last night) but it appears the first group was much larger than four members before it hit the trap.

Do you think Sun J could possibly be repeating the same “crop dusting” patterns that broke apart bands at Antelope last winter? So far the we have every indication that the same type of flying is happening.

Will evaluate further tomorrow.

Sun J helicopter at Triple B

I will get video and real report out asap.

Literally am so tired I can’t see straight.

If you would like to help with documentation efforts go to: http://wildhorseeducation.org

More Kiger Stories

Edited to ADD:

HUGE misinformation alert!

There is a circulating rumor that no horses are in Riddle and Kiger anymore.

WRONG.

Animals are being released (and a few left) to create a breeding population that will continue to give the adoption program “Kigers.” It is how this “Kiger” thing works.

This has been, and will continue to be, more akin to a “range breeding program” than managing a wild population. In order to maintain that you need “breeding stock.” The herd was rounded up to remove the “white” in an attempt to create a specific outcome for the next foal crop.

My photos are being circulated with this rumor. Please be aware that these photos are copyright protected as stated on this website. Any insinuation that they come from another individual is against the law. Expressed permission is required from myself to include in any newsletter or publication. If you put the pics on a message board you must link to the source and not imply you took them. If it becomes necessary that I take the time to watermark I will. I have avoided it because it takes away from the content and focuses on author… but I will slow my process down if needed.

Onward.

Just quickly adding a bit more about conversation at the Burns Corral.

There were major philosophical differences but many areas of agreement.

Personal opinion on the wild v. feral debate is irrelevant.

That concept is not understood by many that support or work in this program, Burns was no exception.

Wild Horses are more appropriately reference as a “returned native species.” This makes them compatible with the ecosystem.

Wild herds of horses are not the same as European cattle on a range or a pack of golden retrievers. However if Congress said the retrievers were to be managed as “wild” then that would be the law.

But back to the Burns Corral.

While I waited for the first load of Riddle horses a couple pulled in with a trailer. They were returning a horse to the BLM.

They explained to me that they had taken two horses (8 year old geldings from Stinking Water) hoping to have two saddle horses. One worked out but the other did not. Their trainer said he was not ever going to be a “good candidate.”

They plan on adopting two younger horses at an event where the horses have already had some training.

Here he is:

I need a home with lots of patience... or maybe someone that can let me "just be"

I was told that they would not have trouble finding him a new home. I was surprised. An eight year old gelding that now has one strike, in this three strike system, that was returned “untrainable.” No problem?

I was then told a story about an old grey. Returned and needing a place to go. An “unofficial” email adoption chain was started and the boy now has his own website: http://argosjourney.blogspot.com/2008/06/history-of-kiger-mustang.html (link posted here, but I do not agree with the “feral” mindset of the adopter)

OK… an extra mile. I was told other stories about horses with “no where” to go. Including those that made their way to employees home corrals.

Then I meet the grey. The grey that wanted to jump the panels in holding. The grey that showed real fear. I said that if they can’t place him to let me know and I would give it a try. I was told that he will be adopted at the fall event, confidently. I will check back on him, though.

very pretty grey

Wanted to add a picture of the padding. It was nice to see this. It will be nice to see this at Temporary. If I have a competent BLM wrangler proudly express that they cut down “significantly” on injury there is no reason BLM contractors should not be using them as well.

To me this is an example of how a “simple” discussion gets turned into “battle lines in the sand” because of an obstinate connection with the past and prideful ways.

Simple improvement

This is why it’s needed

Riddle horse at Temporary

To me this is a clear example of most of the dialogue that occurs within this program. Simple conversations are met with an obstinate attitude that if you are an “advocate” you have no knowledge worth listening to. If you care about a foal that suffered hoof slough after a winter roundup over volcanic rock, you are an “emotional” responder without comprehension of horses. I’m getting tired of it.

I was not received that way at the Burns Corral and for that I thank them.

There are other horses at the Corral that need adoption. This sweet young thing saw me pull around and cautiously came to the fence line. After a minute to reassure I was touching a velvet muzzle. Cute bug.

Sweet horse

Another couple pulled into the lot. They were looking for a horse, maybe two. I also believe they were looking for information on the program itself. We talked and I showed them horses and talked about making sure they choose a horse suitable to their purpose and not just for color. We talked about the prison training programs and other HMA’s. They took an adoption application and asked for my card to help them find a horse. I then had to explain who I was.

They asked if I did training. I explained I live on the road but..  for me things can take two months, six months a year or never happen. For someone like me it’s about the journey of relationship and not the destination.

They shook my hand, took contact info and left. I think I will hear from them. When I do I think they will have adopted horses from Twin Peaks.

I will write more soon…

I’m tired and I apologize for the unedited rambling that may be a hard read. Yet I wanted to get these out before they are buried in the next chapter.

I am working on a piece that addresses the phrase most often used to dismiss an advocate: “Wild and Free”

Too Tired to tell…

Kiger is over and there are some “stories” to tell. Too tired to type and need to be up at 4 am.

Here is the “report.” I know it is a bit “dry” but I wanted to address the difference of “Kiger” and the rest of the agency. Kiger is a range breeding operation. This is a highly managed population. This is not “natural” management of a wild population. It has it’s plus side, adoptions. But I’m a purist. This is not what the Act intended. just my ever so humble opinion.

freezemarked studs going back to the range (Leigh)

Report:

contact-

Laura Leigh

wildhorseeducation@gmail.com

Kiger Roundup Completed

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Kiger roundup completed today with the release of 15 studs  (edit: 14. One was pulled for “white on a foot”)back to the range. Studs chosen for color and breeding potential were returned. Mares for release will be determined later.

The Kiger herd has historically been a successful “range breeding” operation for the BLM. Kiger horses have had an unheard of 100% adoption rate.

Yet the community and local offices work hard to promote them.

“Kiger” is the name of the Herd Management area. Yet you will here people say there are “Kigers” in South Steens or even in Twin Peaks. “Kiger” is more accurately described as a coloring and not a breed. However a very successful breed registry has been formed.

The horse used as a model for the Disney movie “Spirit: Wild Stallion of the Cimmaron,” was a Kiger and added to the popularity of the herd.

The criteria for selection to be returned to the range was “get the white out.” Any horse that had white on face or feet went to the Burns Corral in Oregon for the adoption program.

After reviewing photographs many of the released animals bore freezebrands. This indicates that they were released from a prior roundup, most likely for breeding potential.

Horses will be made available for adoption through the Burns Corral. A internet “book” of adoptable horses will be uploaded to the website this fall. The corral has horses there for adoption that are not “Kiger” that are worth consideration as well.

Two horses have been reported as casualties of this operation. A young horse found dead in holding and an older horse euthanized for a pre-existing condition.

I always fall in love with someone... "Little Man" colt will be up for adoption

 http://WildHorseEducation.org

Quick pic

Kiger Roundup Over, Released stallion (copyright Leigh)

Kiger Roundup over. 15 studs released today. Decisions on mares pending.

WE move to Riddle am.

I was on the road again all day yesterday. Got to bed at 1 am… woke at 4… going to sleep.

Lots to write about… will soon.

If you can help keep me out here: http://WildHorseEducation.org

Kiger: Day 1

Kiger Day 1 (Leigh)

Prelimnary count 30

Four foals

More than 50% studs

Two choppers flew

One run

Gelding prior to release is OFF the table. No horses to be gelded.

More later… exhausted.Got one hour sleep last night.

Spent sunset at Sheldon. Update on Sheldon soon.

Video edited later…

nap time.

Kiger 2011 (Leigh)

Selected for release (Leigh)

Full Report from Wild Horse Education AFTER sleep.

Press Release_Wild Horse Education: Sheldon

Although horses were on the land we call the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge prior to the Refuge getting it’s designation, and before the passage of the Federal Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, they have no enforceable protections. These wild horses are fair game for slaughter.

In 2006 a roundup occurred on public land that rocked the wild horse advocate community. In the sweltering sun of June, during foaling season, bands were stampeded through the desert with disastrous consequence.

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (US Fish and Wildlife, USFWS) had their specially screened contractors poised and ready to take horses and the contractors would receive $300.00 a head for each horse they removed from the range. The public was assured that gathers are safe and not done during foaling season. Yet extreme measures were taken to attempt to hide all activity from the public. Police were hired, gates were installed and a two-mile distance was then established as a barrier to hide actions from the public. Cattoor, the company that flies the helicopters, took to the air.

USFWS announced that the roundup had gone off safely. They reported one injury involving a lip.

However reports began to come in from those in the field of the various deceptions. Those listening to radio transmissions during the gather heard talk of a horse that broke a leg and was shot. A ground search began that turned up dead and injured foals, some of them bound and left in the desert. Mares in the gather pens aborted.

The contractors were paid $300. per head as they removed truckloads of horses from the range. Two of the three contractors had slaughterhouse connections and the unbranded horses coming off of public land ended up in the kill pen.

This roundup became known as the “Sheldon Massacre.”

In 2009 I filed suit against the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Interior (Yes, they are under Dept. of Interior). In 2009 while the nations eyes were on the Pryor Mountains and the famed herd of the “Cloud” series by Ginger Kathrens, the horses from Sheldon disappeared again. The suit was based on the fact that contrary to the statements made by the Refuge horses from Sheldon had no protection when they left the range. USFWS is not mandated to manage horses and burros with the same “protections” granted in the Wild Free Roaming horse and burro act of 1971.The horses and burros leave with no freeze mark, microchip or any way to identify them as wild horses, with tragic consequence.

That suit was on the verge of becoming “moot” as Sheldon NWR signed an agreement with the Bureau of Land management to include Sheldon NWR in the “mega-complex” that included wild horse areas in three states. Grandiose statements were made by Winnemmucca BLM district manager Gene Seidlitz and Paul Steblien of Sheldon about actual management of “ wild herds across the landscape.” Those claims included studying migratory patterns and genetic viability.

I was to be included in range studies occurring at the Complex. Gene Seidlitz did an amazing rendition of the sidestep and the only documentation I received was the 2008 BLM in-house report on Assessment, Inventory and Management. That document is basically a self-study in the ineptness of and lack of data used within the Bureau’s management of public land. Useful, but not a “cooperative” toward data compilation.

The suit was dropped as it would have needed to be re-crafted and re-filed. The support for the suit was practically non-existent from the public as other more publicized actions were occurring. But in the process I made a friend. Attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno wrote off the rest of the bill and remained interested in the issue of wild herds and public land.

Last year, as I was returning from Twin Peaks to head to Reno to prepare documents for the First Amendment Lawsuit (BLM, Silver King) with attorney Cowan, I got a call from Katie Fite (Western Watersheds). She believed there might be a roundup occurring at Sheldon without public notice. Leslie Peeples, another “drive alone with your dog on public land gal.” I informed her of the situation as I could not go. Leslie went.

Her trip uncovered that indeed there was a roundup without public notice. Paul Steblien, now retired manager of Sheldon, confirmed that the action was taken in order to avoid public scrutiny. Her trip also uncovered photos of the “bone pit” at Sheldon. Bones were strewn about in what appeared to be a careless manner, “As if their deaths did not matter,” according to Peeples.

Bone trail to the pit (Leslie Peeples)

A few of the horses taken were fortunate and made their way to Carr’s of Tennessee, but the rest remain unaccounted for. How many were left vulnerable, and shipped, to slaughter?

No access was given to view the roundup.

It is going to happen again.

The Bureau of Land Management roundup schedule has a gap in it. During that gap the contractors, Cattoor, will be at Sheldon. It has been confirmed.

An Environmental Assessment for another winter roundup at Calico Tri-state Complex (new name for the “mega-plex”) is in draft form and open for public comment until July 18, 2011.

How is it possible that in an area where there claims to be “management across the landscape”  that a part of the agreed upon area is not subject to the same review? How is it that horses can be rounded up from one section of the Complex and the action not mentioned in the document the public is supposed to comment on? How can horses from one section of this Complex be rounded up and protected by the mandates of Congress and horses from another section leave the range with no real protection from slaughter under law?

How is this in anyway a managed “Complex” for horses and burros that they recognize historically cross the border? One day the horse is on one side of a Federal boundary and protected and the next day on the other side and vulnerable to slaughter?

Is “management across the landscape” just another way of saying “wipe out the landscape?” It would certainly seem so.

Will the EA for public comment on Calico be revised to reflect the removal of horses from the Northern section of the Complex? It has yet to be determined.

Will these agencies ever manage horses in an honest effort to maintain a genetically viable herd on public land? It has yet to be determined.

Will we be given public access to observe? It has yet to be determined.

But if a chopper flies at Sheldon, I’ll be there. Sheldon is very close to my heart. When I die I want to go to Sheldon, as long as there are horses left there.

These horses will not leave public land without the public knowing what happens to them again.

~~ Laura Leigh’s field work is supported through http://WildHorseEducation.org and her Litigation efforts throughhttp://WildHorseFreedomFederation.org

Band Stallion (Leigh)

Is it Bad Enough for You?

I sit here as the clock turns midnight. Today is the fortieth anniversary of the unanimous passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act.

§ 1331. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.

Forty years later it appears that “mustanging” has simply become a government enterprise. Instead of humane management of herds in the wild, we now have a system where the government simply chooses the profiteers.

A complex system of mostly private contractors warehouse our National Treasure at public expense, yet off limits to public scrutiny. Roundups that occur without any meaningful access to assess the condition or actions of the contractors, at public expense. Policy that is so outrageous and contrary to the Act carried out on a daily basis.

“Have you commented on the EA(Environmental Assessment?” is a common response from BLM (Bureau of Land Management).

Well I don’t know about you, but hundreds of thousands of comments that disagree with policy are considered “of no significance.” After a while you feel like your voice as an American means nothing to the current administration.

It also appears neither does the law.

There are several lawsuits that are pushing that issue within the Judicial system. In Twin Peaks we still have a case very much alive holding feet to the fire on accountability to protocol. The West Douglas herd was saved for yet another year through litigation. The First Amendment violations very becoming very clear to a vast majority of the media as a dangerous precedent to documenting the actions of government in a “Democratic society.”

We are forced to take our government to the Courts to demand accountability within the government that supposedly holds our Constitution as it’s blueprint.

The absurdity is mind boggling.

As advocates we are now fighting to stop the spread of wild mares being given hysterectomies in the field. This is not new. It has occurred under the oversight of the Department of Interior through Fish and Wildlife. Now this butchery is attempting to make it’s way into “protocol.”

Let’s paint a clear picture. BLM manages about 252 million acres (and that depends on which website you check). Within that only about 10% are “managed” for wild equid populations. Some of those areas have AML’s (Appropriate Management Level) set ridiculously low. We even have an HMA (Herd Management Area) with an AML of 3.

Genetic bankruptcy is very real. It is happening with an animal that Congress passed an entire Act to protect. The Multiple Use Mandate has truly become “Multiple Ruse.”

We are truly in an age of Industrialization of your public land. The biggest pocket is calling the shots in the way your resources are being used. Your public resources are putting cash into the pockets of large corporations (often foreign owned). The entities that operate on public land often do so subsidized. Yes, in America we run a “welfare” program on the taxpayers back to make the rich, well, rich.

Roundups will begin again July 1 during foaling season. Just because an entity that behaves like a sociopath says something is the truth does not make it so. July 1 IS foaling season. Newborn babies and pregnant mares will be stampeded without a care for their true welfare. The concern is for convenient scheduling and budgets. The concern is to clear the land of horses, not manage the land for horses.

I will lay a flower on Velma Johnston’s grave. Known as “Wild Horse Annie” she was instrumental in passing Legislation to protect our wild herds. I wonder if she knows that what she fought for has not come to reality?

But we go on. We are getting faster. we are not reporting what happened yesterday, but we are uncovering what is planned for tomorrow. We are also getting better at the tools we have: litigation, media and the great mover of mountains, public pressure.

Stay strong, stay smart and watch the “dark side, Luke.”

After 40 years it’s long overdue to have our wild herds protected in the spirit of the Act.

Many of the horses in this video died. I can’t show you those mages because documentation is not allowed. Music Courtesy of the Amazing Maria Daines:

Press Release Wild Horse Education: Broken Arrow

Looks like this horse tried to get the tag off_Broken Arrow 6-3-2011

On June 3, 2011 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) gave the public an hour and a half wagon ride through the Broken Arrow (aka Indian Lakes facility) in Fallon Nevada. Closed for about a year, this is the first glimpse the public has had behind these walls since the BLM claimed the facility was never intended to be open to the public. Then they closed the doors after public outrage over images taken at the facility caused an influx of calls and emails.

In an email dated 5/25/2011 requesting that the doors of the facility be closed to the public Dean Bolstad of the BLM Reno office writes:

“We now have a favorable Calico Court decision and we need to seriously consider the toll that these tours are taking on our employees, our resources and the damage that is being done to BLM‘s image as a result of the tours.”

The facility was not closed because it can not be open to the public. The facility was closed because they did not like the publics response. Further investigation also has revealed that the contract for the facility actually allows for weekly public tours.

This past winter horses died in that facility. Horses continue to die. Respiratory infection ran rampant in the facility this past winter as horses were stockpiled behind the iron bars out of sight of a public that would have seen the results of roundups that occur in sub-zero temperatures.

During the tour you saw a facility that was well prepared for the “tour.” A wagon pulled by a pick-up truck where a representative of the BLM sat in the cab, available only at brief intervals for questions. Hospital pens were off limits. Horses from various roundups were mixed and no individuals could be identified as the tour did not stop long enough and visitors were not allowed to walk through the facility.

“Content control” was an effective, if illegal, tool to keep the public uneducated about the realities of the mis-management of America’s National Treasure.

A lawsuit filed by Plaintiff Laura Leigh has gone to the Ninth Circuit Court. The suit filed by attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno deals with the issues of “content control” as a violation of First Amendment Rights guaranteed by the Constitution of The United States. The suit directly deals with this issue in the management of wild herds from range through their ultimate disposition.

The suit is supported by Wild Horse Education, a registered non-profit in the state of Nevada. All documents mentioned are viewable on the website:http://WildHorseEducation.org

Wild Horse Education Press Release

Letter from my editor Steven Long of Horseback Magazine in the Excerpts of Record

Fight Continues for the Public’s Right to Know

Late last week the battle to view the government’s handling of wild horses and burros went to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Brief begins in part:

“A journalist published photos and videos of the methods employed by the government when rounding up and warehousing wild horses removed from public lands. The photos sparked public debate and concern. The photos resultantly became unpopular with the government. The government then crafted protocol that continually changes, which effectively forecloses meaningful public observation of these same activities.”

This battle effectively began last year with a companion case heard for the summer Owyhee roundup. That suit brought two issues to the table: actual foaling season and public land closure. The documentation on foaling season was never heard as an alleged water emergency was declared after the suit was filed. Yet Reno attorney Gordon Cowan won on the land closure issue for Plaintiff Laura Leigh. Blanket closure of public land can no longer occur.

The issue of transparency is one of great concern to Leigh. “If there is nothing to hide,” asks Leigh “Why go through such lengths to keep the trap pens, holding facilities and records of sale secret?”

Instances of discriminatory access continue to occur and a convoluted paper trail has been uncovered since this suit began.

The paper trail includes documentation gained through a Freedom of Information Act requests by journalist Debbie Coffey that clearly shows that the Indian Lakes facility the Bureau of Land Management claims to be closed to the public is actually contracted to give weekly public tours through 2015.

“Public debate is vital to any Democratic process,” states attorney Cowan “If the information utilized in debate is subjected to content control the debate is moot, not the argument.”

“Mootness” is a common thread in many legal cases dealing with wild horse and burro management. A wild horse roundup lasts just a few days and the judicial process can take years. Yet when you have an issue that revolves around repetitive conduct the concept needs closer scrutiny.

That scrutiny will begin shortly in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Attorney Cowan inspecting the final brief prior to binding on Friday

To view the Brief and supporting documentation go to:

http://WildHorseEducation.org

• Brief is included in Wild Horse Education’s Newsletter
• http://wildhorseeducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/whenewsletterv1.pdf
• Story also at my wonderful Editor’s site: http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/9146
  

  Wild Horse Education

~~~~~~ Personal Note~~~~~~~

It’s hard to describe what it feels like to read and re-read the transcripts, declarations and Motions attached to the case that is a snapshot of my life. The frustration that the core arguments are never debated, only circumvented, is high.

Please download the newsletter. I am making a “thank-you” card for Gordon Cowan. If you have a note or picture you would like to include please send it to: WildHorseEducation@gmail.com

I will try to update you on some other issues tomorrow.

Lawsuit: Update

Hospital Area Broken Arrow (Indian Lakes) Calico Complex Horses 1/2010 (Leigh)

The battle to see our horses continues, as horses continue to die behind closed doors

Wild Horse Education is continuing the legal battle for transparency against the Department of Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Because the public is continually denied consistent access to roundups and holding facilities that house the American public’s wild horses, taken from public land with public funds, this action is gaining increasing importance.

On February 14, 2011 Plaintiff Laura Leigh filed for permission to appeal her First Amendment Rights case against the BLM to the Ninth Circuit Court. Her plea was based on the fact that there had been no ruling by the Federal Court in Reno to her request for Emergency Injunctive Relief in a case she had filed five months previous. Her request cited that “no action” in a case requiring emergency relief was an essential denial of her motion.

Judge Larry Hicks of the Federal District Court in Reno has now denied Leigh’s motion as “moot.” However in his ruling he does allow written testimony to stand in the record that had been objected to by the BLM.

“Basically this is good news,” said Leigh “What the Judge has now given me is an opportunity to present this case without first going through the process of gaining the Court’s permission. He has also ruled that the entire record of the case remains intact and that is vital to demonstrate the repetitive behavior that has precedent in higher Courts as not moot.”

Leigh has spent the last year observing more roundups than any government personnel and bringing the public daily reports. The suit she brought earlier last year, to the same Court over closure of public land and a roundup during the heat of summer for the Owyhee Herd Management Area, bore fruit for public observers. That suit found that closure of public land was a prior restraint to First Amendment Rights, creating the beginning of a daily observation platform for the public.

“The current suit is NOT about observing a single roundup,” Leigh stated “The emergency relief requested extends to the repetitive battle for observation. We have a right to know how our money is spent in the hands-on management of our horses throughout the process. From roundup through holding and their ultimate disposition, wherever that may be, it is our right to see it.”

This winter horses from the Eagle Complex joined those named in Leigh’s suit from the Silver King Herd Management Area behind the locked doors of the BLM Indian Lakes (Broken Arrow) facility in Fallon Nevada. Horses continue to die and suffer disease out of sight of public scrutiny. Horses in that facility continue to die at an alarming rate as indicated in the weekly reports.

Last spring the BLM closed the doors of the facility, which had previously offered weekly public tours, because of the intensity of public outrage. In an email from Dean Bolstad, of the Nevada state office in Reno to his superiors, dated May 25 of last year he writes: “The impact of stopping the tours pales in comparison to the impact to our employees and BLM’s image.”

Is this a reason to deny the public basic rights guaranteed in the Constitution? Or is this a reason to “clean up your act?”

The full Appeal is expected to be filed by Leigh and her attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno soon.

The legal efforts are supported solely by Wild Horse Education, a registered non-profit in the state of Nevada.

 

1/31/2011

 Personal Note: This suit has been a tremendous effort. You can ask anyone that has travelled with me how many hours I spend researching and crafting documents. Researching and collecting evidence and data in the field daily. The “concept of law” in this country is a complex process and the learning curve is steep.

Yet historically the evidence points to the fact that documentation and exposure changed practices that occured in the past. Documentation is creating a broader base of exposure throughout the world for what America is doing to it’s own symbol of Freedom.

We need to push this program into the light. The closed door facilities need to open. Meaningful observation MUST be allowed at roundups and facilities.

But I need your help. Support this action that benefits YOUR right to know.

More on Broken Arrow

Deb Coffey has given us more on her investigation into the Broken Arrow (Indian Lakes) Facility in Fallon Nevada. Her entire article can be viewed here: http://ppjg.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/blm%E2%80%99s-sweet-deal-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars-of-course/#more-16184

 

BLM’s sweet deal (paid for with your tax dollars, of course!)

April 17, 2011 by ppjg

Debbie Coffey   Copyright 2011  All Rights Reserved

Investigative reporter/PPJ

______________________________________________

While many Americans have lost their homes or worry about losing their homes, and worry about finding or keeping their jobs, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) seems to be spending your hard earned tax dollars like high rollers. 

The BLM has its hand out at appropriations hearings asking for even more money for their mismanaged Wild Horse and Burro Program.  Where’s your money going?   

Look at one example.  Troy Adams/Broken ArrowUSAhas the contract for theIndian Lakes Road(AKA Broken Arrow) short term wild horse and burro holding facility inFallon,NV.  How does a guy fromCalifornia, who sold a cloned cow, get enough knowledge in wild horse behavior, and enough ability in safely handling wild horses, to win a bid to manage a facility that can hold up to 3,000 of our wild horses?

Troy Adams/Broken ArrowUSAcontract with the BLM is for 5 years (1/01/2010 to 12/31/2015):

Base year (2010 – 2011) – $2,525,000 with an option for “additional labor” for $127,920 ($24.60 per hour, per laborer) to FREEZEBRAND, RETAG, TRIM FEET, ETC. (same tasks apply to years below)

Year 1 (2011-2012) – $3,640,875 with an option for “additional labor” for $130,468 ($25.09 per hour)

Year 2  (2012 – 2013) – $3,759,500 with an option for “additional labor” for $133,068 ($25.59 per hour)  

Year 3 (2013 – 2014) – $3,832,500 with an option for “additional labor” for $135,720 ($26.10 per hour)

Year 4 (2014 – 2015) – $3,905,500 with an option for “additional labor” for $138,424 ($26.62 per hour)

So, the estimated 5 year TOTAL is $17,663,375, with optional “additional labor” adding $665,600 to that the total is ($18,328,975).  (Note: The money in this contract is based on estimated feed days.  See details of this at the end of the article.)

READ entire article att PPJ Gazette. http://ppjg.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/blm%E2%80%99s-sweet-deal-paid-for-with-your-tax-dollars-of-course/#more-16184

NOTE: My attorney and I must now craft a complete appeal to the Ninth circuit Court on the case that addresses the lack of transparency. We had applied for permission to appeal based on the lack of action in our emergency relief motion filed over six months ago. Well… Judge Larry Hicks of Nevada district Federal Court has now denied my emergency motion. Basically that now gives me the right to file a full appeal in the Ninth. But that will require significant work on both the attorneys part and mine… as well as create a need for another filing fee. Please support this suit if you can. Without your help it can’t be filed.

Donate toward the case to get these closed facilities open to the public.  Thank you.

Wild Horse Education Video

Wild Horse Education is beginning to publish Videos in a series titled “Roundup Reality.”

The videos will show footage taken at roundups and explain the size of the HMA and how many horses are to be “gathered.” They will show how the roundup was executed and demonstrate  if public access was allowed. Each video will be descriptive of each specific event.

Written explanation, with additional information, will be available in archived form on the Wild Horse Education Room 101 site.

The first in this series is the Eagle Roundup of 2011. This video has been chosen because the horses from this roundup went to the Broken Arrow facility (aka Indian Lakes).

Horses in that facility have been off limits to public viewing since the BLM shut the doors last spring due to public response from weekly images taken by observers that visited the facility. New information has been brought to light through the FOIA requested of journalist Deb Coffey. Her research has uncovered a copy of the contract held by Troy Adams for that facility. The contract states clearly that public visitation is part of the scope of the agreement through the year 2015.

The lawsuit brought by journalist Laura Leigh that is currently awaiting the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addresses these issues directly. The public has a right to know how their American herds are treated by their government and contractors, throughout the entire process. This suit and other actions are supported directly through Wild Horse Education.

Facility Reports can be viewed: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/wh_b/Indian_Lakes_Facility.html