Why are we here?

I was asked that question by the New York Times videographer Clare Major as she was held back at the “public observation” area and not given the same access as her colleagues just days before.

I let her know that even though I had submitted press credentials prior to the gather, and was present the day her colleagues were there, yet I was NOT allowed access. That on the day she was there my editor, Steven Long of Horseback, had resubmitted what BLM now called credentials and if she got access… so would the Team from Horseback.

That day only two horses were gathered. Two geldings from a supposed previous gather that I have not seen since.

Here is the NYTimes video:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/09/05/us/1248068979753/controversy-on-the-range.html

Here is mine.

I finally did get access. But it took me 12 days and an awful lot of gymnastics. I still have not been allowed to approach the gather pens that the Times footage shows they did. 12 day… it took the NYTimes 24 hours.

During that twelve days Jeff Fontana (BLM) and I had a dialogue that began every morning that started like this… “So Jeff, let’s start the dance.” I have to say that Jeff was in a tough spot. He had pressure from every side, but he continued to try. That’s more than I can say for most Field Offices.

This week we are back in Nevada… no more California.

Tom Gorey of the BLM has been out here. He said he is going to work on a National observation protocol and try to use California as a model. Yet of course he added the “disclaimer” that it “will take time.”

Time we don’t have. Not with the current “I know the brakes don’t work but I’m hitting the gas anyway” mentality in the bureau right now. If this years gather schedule completes and what we see shaping up for 2011… Salazar will have pushed his “few treasured herds” proposal through without Congressional approval.

We NEED this protocol to STOP. A Moratorium MUST accompany any study done on a 30 year old program based on guesswork that has flawed data plugged in to create irreversible damage to our symbol of American Freedom.

Calico Adoption Update

Note: Photos included in this piece were taken by Elyse Gardner. Elyse called me as soon as  she left the facility on Sunday to let me know General was doing well. His son True has been moved in with the younger horses and seems a bit “lost.”

True "on his own"

The horses gathered from the Calico Complex by the Bureau of Land Management this winter, held at the Broken Arrow facility in Fallon, will not be going to Palomino Valley for an adoption event in May as previously planned. The horses will be offered in an Internet adoption event in July.

Beautiful Girl

John Neill manager at the Broken Arrow facility has stated:

Based on National interest with Calico horses, we have decided not to host an adoption event at Palomino Valley in mid May. Instead we will be posting approx. 100 Calico’s on an internet adoption event to be held in July.

The 100 animals will be transported to Palomino Valley in early June for public viewing if persons so wish. However, adoptions /sales will take place on the I-NET adoption in July. Pictures of the animals selected for this
event will eventually be posted on our web site. This likely will not
happen until late May or early June.

Sweet Eye!

John Neill will keep me informed as the event draws closer so information can be made available to the public.

A personal note: John knows I am following specific horses. I asked about the horses by their tag numbers. John responded with General’s name.

General! Thank you, Elyse!

Morning Coffee Chatter

It appears that there is some rather interesting “chatter” in the wild horse world today. I’ll start with this one and post again in a bit…

Maureen Harmonay wrote in an article for the Examiner about the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association reports posted on the BLM webpage about previously undisclosed deaths of Calico horses.

I wont comment to the specifics she addresses, but urge you to read the article. Instead I want to point out a bit more “food for thought” in the reports.

In the report dated Feb. 13, Dr. Davis (ASVMA), writes: “We did not see any indication of infectious disease.” He then goes on to note a horse in quarantine with an abscess that was suspected to have strangles.

comment: A horse with an abscess was in quarantine on Feb 13. A single horse with “no other signs of infectious disease” in the population. I thought we were being told horses had signs of pigeon fever and abscesses since they came in off the range?

He comments about the foals with sloughed hooves. He notes that only “verbal” information was available. He then notes that the foal was “emaciated,” and the metabolic issues associated with re-feeding may contribute to the condition causing eventual hoof slough.

comment: I will send Dr. Davis pictures of the “emaciated” foal with hoof slough.Then he will have visual confirmation that the colt was not emaciated. Perhaps he will delete the justification spin he hands the BLM in this report?

Foal euthanized at Fallon Facilty

He also notes the average body score is 5 or above with a few at 3 or less. 12 horses in the hospital pen were of a 2 or less (mares).

comment: I was there at the end of January and saw a handful of 2′s, not in the hospital pens. The hospital pens held horses suffering from some form of lameness or another. I have photographs, no “2′s.”

However I agree the vast majority of horses were a 5 or better. The high percentage of older horses also refutes a claim of an unhealthy range.

I have too many comments about the reasons horses can drop weight quickly and if you read his report you will see the significant number of issues he left out.

He also notes that Dr. Sanford mentioned pregnant mares, gathered in winter, are usually in the poorest condition.

comment: So why did you do such a large gather during winter against the advice of a federal judge?

More Spin than Maytag

Wanted to add this before Horseback moves on to the next story.

If you read the other three… here’s the next soap opera installment to “How the Horse Turns…” Or “Days of the BLM.”

The Big Story

BLM Spins as More Horses Die

Photo by Laura Leigh

By Steven Long

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – The federal Bureau of Land Management’s Washington spokesmen, Tom Gorey, is one of the best in the business. He’s able, articulate, savvy, and to use a term often bandied about in the nation’s capital, a master of the fine art of spin. On Thursday, he spun a web worthy of the fictional Charlotte herself.

For the better part of a week, Horseback Magazine has featured a series of articles on the missing credentials of two veterinarians attending the captured horses of Nevada’s Calico Mountains. Thus far, at least 115 have died, including miscarried foals. Horseback has repeatedly asked for the credentials of the vets who have set such a dubious record of death on their watch. Gorey finally complied, albeit in a round about way, dodging five questions drafted for the magazine by a physician and academic veterinarian and submitted to the agency.

The vets in the spotlight are Dr. Richard Sanford, the vet in charge of the BLM holding and processing facility at Fallon, and Dr. Albert Kane who is not licensed in the State of Nevada.

“Between them, Drs. Kane and Sanford have more than 40 years of experience
as equine veterinarians and over 30 years of that includes working with
wild horses,” Gorey wrote. “They each have all the qualifications, credentials, and
licenses that are appropriate or required by law. The BLM is fortunate to
have such experienced and dedicated professionals working in the agency’s
Wild Horse and Burro Program.”

But you didn’t answer the questions, Tom. Medical and veterinary professionals have questioned the sudden dietary switch from sparse desert grasses to rich hay in captivity as a likely cause of the deaths. In fact, the BLM’s published reports frequently mention the gastrointestinal condition, colic.

“The diagnosis for most of the Calico mares that have died at the Indian
Lakes facility is hyperlipemia characteristic of metabolic failure
attributed to re-feeding syndrome, he continued. “This condition is a result of the very
thin body condition of some of the horses because of starvation conditions
on the range, in combination with the late-pregnancy status of some mares.”

Horses in hundreds, if not thousands of photos shot by activists show fat healthy horses, not animals on the brink of starvation as BLM continues to spin.

The pregnant mares Gorey mentioned were stampeded for miles in the dead of winter by a roaring helicopter hired from a government contractor. Two foals were put down after painfully shedding their hooves after the stampede, which Sanford earlier acknowledged was caused by the chase.

“What Tom is conveniently neglecting to recognize is how the actual stress of the helicopter roundups and subsequent confinement and change in diet, placement in truly overcrowded conditions, etc. pushed these wild horses over the edge,” said Craig Downer, a famed wild horse expert on assignment for Horseback Magazine.

“Diagnostic and other information on the horses has been posted to the BLM’s
Website at http://www.blm.gov,” Gorey continued. “The BLM will continue to post updates on its Website under the Calico gather links as the horses continue to improve and
are readied for adoption.”

The Road to DC

On March 25 there will be a big rally for the wild horses.

The Cloud Foundation has a write up on all the details here. This sheet includes an itinerary as well as info on carpooling.

Please join if you can.

If you can’t attend use this opportunity to notify local media in your area to the march and set something up at your school, grocery store, front yard where you can pass out information on the Moratorium and the real crisis that wild horses and burros are faced with today.

Personally I am offering 50% of all sales from my online Art Gallery during the Month of March to the effort of funding observation and involvement toward protection of our wild horses and burros. This effort is being channeled through the Cloud Foundation.

Also 10% of all sales from the book “Annabelle and the Pink Slippers,” will go to the effort!

Urgent Action Needed For Wild Horses

Congress is involved in the appropriations process.

Stop the funding of the current protocol of the Bureau of Land Management.

Stop the funding for Salazar’s proposal to throw more of your tax-payer dollars into an ill conceived, knee-jerk proposal, born out of fear that the ROAM act will pass and he will have to get his program under control!

You must act by March 2!

IDA, In Defense of Animals, has a web page set-up for quick action.

Click Here to go to ACTION page.

(Long Essay I wrote explaining the issues surrounding wild horses and burros. Good for basic info on ROAM.)

STOP PAYING FOR THIS!

(At about three and a half minutes into this YouTube is the video footage  of the foal chased by helicopter and the ultimate consequence of such actions. This is a long video… it attempts to show the endless feeling of despair.)

NOTE: If you receive e-mail notification that your letter to those on the Committee will not be responded to because you do not live in their state, here are the phone numbers. You can remind them that the funding for this program is a National crisis, not one confined to their state.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Chairman Jeff Bingaman (NM) – Chair – Phone (202) 224-5521
Byron L. Dorgan (ND) – Phone (202) 224-2551
Ron Wyden (OR) – Phone (202) 224-5244
Tim Johnson (SD) – Phone (202) 224-5842
Mary L. Landrieu (LA) – Phone (202) 224-5824
Maria Cantwell (WA) – Phone (202) 224-3441
Robert Menendez (NJ) – Phone (202) 224-4744
Blanche Lincoln (AR) – Phone (202) 224-4843
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT) – Phone (202) 224-5141
Evan Bayh (IN) – Phone (202) 224-5623
Debbie Stabenow (MI) – Phone (202) 224-4822
Mark Udall (CO) – Phone (202) 224-5941
Jeanne Shaheen (NH) – Phone (202) 224-2841

REPUBLICANS

Lisa Murkowski (AK) – Phone (202) 224-6665
Richard Burr (NC) – Phone (202) 224-3154
John Barrasso (WY) – Phone 202-224-6441
Sam Brownback (KS) – Phone (202) 224-6521
James E. Risch (ID) – Phone 202-224-2752
John McCain (AZ) – Phone (202) 224-2235
Robert Bennett (UT) – Phone (202) 224-5444
Jim Bunning (KY) – Phone (202) 224-4343
Jeff Sessions (AL) – Phone (202) 224-4124
Bob Corker (TN) – Phone (202) 224-3344

No More Money until Salazar Answers

Actions of Salazar's BLM

Equine Welfare Alliance has just issued a press release asking that “Salazoos,” the proposed solution to the wild horse crisis by Secretary of the Department of Interior Ken Salazar, be “defunded.”

This release comes on the heels of Senator Boxer’s letter to Ken Salazar asking for answers to some hard questions.

Before Congress gives this program more of the tax-payers money to throw into the black hole that is the Wild Horse and Burro program, Salazar needs to step up to the plate and answer those questions. Then he will need to address the scrutiny that his response will deserve.

And as a side note to all of you following the United Call for Moratorium that has been sent to Congress, Salazar and Obama… there still has been no reply to the letter.

Say No to Federal Funding for Wild Horse Salazoos!

CHICAGO, (EWA) – The funding testimony for the planned sanctuaries dubbed by wild horse supporters as “Salazoos” outlined last October by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, will be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Energy and Natural resources on March 3, at 10am.
The outcome of the testimony will decide if our wild horses belong on their western public lands or in “zoos” in the East and Midwest and whether the BLM will commit millions upon millions of future dollars to warehouse wild horses and burros that would otherwise live without cost to the taxpayers in their natural habitat where they have lived for centuries.
The requested funding would increase the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) budget by $42M to purchase one of the seven planned “Salazoos.” The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and its over 100 member organizations, Animal Law Coalition, The Cloud Foundation and numerous Mustang advocate and welfare organizations are vehemently opposed to increased funding for the BLM for this incredible financial sinkhole.
America already has a management program in place for our wild equines. It’s called the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. It was inspired by a heroic Nevada woman, Velma Johnston, who as “Wild Horse Annie” gave these horses a sanctuary BLM has been trying to destroy ever since it was passed.
A management program for wild horses and burros on public land has yet to be proposed by the BLM or DOI that is compatible with current law. Their answer is to remove wild horses from the land, permit grazing by millions of cattle at below market rates and move our horses to a zoo like setting far from their home. In fact, the BLM was given appropriations to care for the wild horses in holding pens but has appeared to use the funding to round-up more horses. When citizens complained, they were denied access as armed guards prevented them from even viewing horses in captivity.
With no viable management plan in place, it is a disgrace and waste of critical tax payer dollars to increase funding to yet another mismanaged program. The 1971 law calls for wild horses and burros to be managed on their public lands – not in holding pens and not in zoos.
The BLM spent approximately $2M gathering a mere 2,000 animals at its Calico wildlife management area, a cost of $1,000 per horse. Once in holding, the animals will each cost the government approximately $500 per year to warehouse. Worse, the government charges ranchers only about 20 cents of every dollar that program costs taxpayers. “The Salazoo plan is yet another raid on the public funds by special interests”, says EWA’s John Holland.
BLM has spent more than $2 million in 2009 on a firm that stampedes wild horses with a roaring helicopter. At the Calico Nevada round-up, more than 98 have died as a result, including unborn foals and two babies who lost their hooves after a multi-mile run of terror.
The wild horses and burros represent a mere .05% of animals grazing on public lands. When the 1971 law was passed, wild horses were present on 54 million acres. Since then, over 200,000 horses have been removed along with 22 million acres of public land. Many herds have been zeroed out leaving public land available to return wild horses to their land. Congress should replace the lost acres with good grazing land for the animals BLM wants to place in its Salazoos.
The livestock grazing on public lands alone outnumber the wild horses and burros by over 200 to 1 and are subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Neither the BLM nor DOI has yet to explain how millions of privately owned livestock are sustainable or how neither agency can find room on the 262 million acres of public land it manages for less than 50,000 wild horses and burros. Neither has explained why the wild horses and burros are being blamed and removed for range degradation when the government GAO studies reflect the livestock are ruining the ranges.
The EWA and ALC call on Congress to deny additional funding and specifically defund wild horse and burro round-ups until the DOI and BLM can provide independent current range population counts, current range assessments and a viable management plan that upholds the 1971 law.
Both Sen. Mary Landrieu and Sen. Barbara Boxer have posed serious questions to the BLM on its management practices. Those questions should be answered immediately with facts, not spin.
Additional details on defunding the BLM for “Salazoos” can be found at Animal Law Coalition, article number 1188.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over 100 member organizations. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.
http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org

http://www.animallawcoalition.com

Fallon Update

Mare at the BLM facility in Fallon

Calico Complex Update

On February 18, 2010, while advocates were protesting in Las Vegas, the Bureau of land management began the processing of wild horses gathered from the Calico Complex Herd Management Area. Horses held at the Broken Arrow, a private holding facility, began to be aged, vaccinated, branded, etc. in preperation for adoption, sale and moves to long-term facilities. (BLM Fallon facility update here.)

John Neill, acting BLM manager of the facility, said mares are being processed first.

“We have prepped approx. 300 hd to date.Preparation is concentrated primarily on the mares at themoment, as we need to complete the preparation process with them before they begin to foal. Once preparation is completed with the mares, we will concentrate on the weanlings/yearlings…………which have already been vaccinated. Stallions will be prepped after mares, weanlings/yearlings. I do not have an exact date when this will take place The entire preparation process of the calico animals should take approx. 8 weeks.”

Horse Advocate Marilyn Wargo had some specific questions for the BLM:

“It would help all our perceptions if we had a schedule that reflects the work all involved at the Fallon facility are actually doing on a daily basis, weekly, etc. I would like to think the horses are central to activity and not just on some days. Everyday. How many people work there and what are their jobs? How often are horses fed and are their water tanks cleaned out regular to keep down infectious disease?”

Reply by John Neill:

“There are 3-4 experienced wranglers and a veterinarian present during the
preparation process. On average 60-70 animals are prepped/day. There are days where other activities may take place along with prep. to ensure
animal care. The facility contractor has sufficient personnel to feed and
maintain the facility. Horses are currently being fed free choice
grass/alfalfa hay. Once all animals have adjusted to dietary changes the
feeding regime will be adjusted. Typically 20lbs/day/adult to maintain
good health. Younger animals typically receive 12-15lbs/day. Water troughs
are cleaned frequently. More often in the summer months as sunlight
promotes algae growth. Troughs are scrubbed with bleach for disinfection
when cleaning takes place.”

I asked if dates had been set for the horses going through adoption and through sale authority.

John Neill:

BLM does intend to hold an adoption event of Calico animals once preparation is complete and animals show no health issues. The adoption event will take place at Palomino Valley facility. There has been interest by other individuals on specific animals also. Most likely many of these that several persons have shown interest in will be posted on the I-net for competitive bidding. An adoption event date will be forthcoming once preparation is completed and animals show no signs of health issues.

What is “Viewer Discretion?”

Struggling Foal pushed by chopper

*Feel the need to put this at the top.

Please do not bombard YouTube. This article is just “food for thought” on the real care we need to use when choosing our words that will define our reality. And a reminder to be “extra” aware right now how we respond to the words we are given.

Many of us post things on YouTube. Kids share their adolescent angst, parents their kids achievements, you can find just about anything on YouTube. I’ve seen flowers grow in slow motion and I have heard from my teens there is a guy that boasts about peeing in mailboxes.

I’ve never had any issues with posting on YouTube until now.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a brief video illustrating some of the actions sanctioned by the Obama administration and carried out by the Bureau of Land Management.

Here is a YouTube of Ken Salazar talking about a trip to Yellowstone he made with Obama.

Salazar was Obama’s choice for head of the Department of Interior. Here is a Youtube of Salazar reading to school children.

The clip I posted simply shows footage and documents location and notes that the foal died and the reason.

Within a couple of hours people had trouble viewing it. They were getting this message:

You must be logged in to view this video.

The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as being potentially offensive or inappropriate. Viewer discretion is advised. Please confirm that you wish to view this video.

This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube’s user community. Please confirm that you wish to view this video.

This video is unavailable.

A few hours later it was running smoothly and people could see it. Then I was notified that error messages began to appear on the link again, and then in a few hours was back up. Last night I tried to view the clip and received the error for over an hour. (I have uploaded content before from the same program and not had this kind of  difficulty).

The next video was put up to show how horses are processed at Palomino Valley. The intent of that video was to show that observing the process is not as dangerous as BLM is stating as they bar the public from witnessing the horses processed at the new Fallon Facility where the equipment is identical to that in my video.

This video was up for over 24 hours without any issue. Equine Welfare  Alliance put out a press release and within one hour it was flagged. Same code:

You must be logged in to view this video.

The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as being potentially offensive or inappropriate. Viewer discretion is advised. Please confirm that you wish to view this video.

This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube’s user community. Please confirm that you wish to view this video.

This video is unavailable.

It’s up now and running fine. Again all it shows it processing horses. An action sanctioned by the Obama administration and carried out by BLM.

Flagging the posts in itself really means nothing. It changes nothing.

But what it does do is illustrate language and it’s effect on us. At  first I was confused and upset that the video would not get out to people. Then I received email from others that were really upset that the video was down. People that really care.

So I thought for a minute.

A few definitions courtesy of the internet dictionary:

of·fen·sive

Pronunciation: &-’fen-siv

Function: adjective

1 : of, relating to, or designed for attack <offensive weapons>

2 : causing displeasure or resentment; especially : contrary to a particular or prevailing sense of what is decent, proper, or moral offensive way> —see also OBSCENE —of·fen·sive·ly adverb —of·fen·sive·ness noun

in·ap·pro·pri·ate

Pronunciation: \ˌi-nə-ˈprō-prē-ət\

Function: adjective: not appropriate : unsuitable

— in·ap·pro·pri·ate·ly adverb

— in·ap·pro·pri·ate·ness noun

not appropriate; not proper or suitable: an inappropriate dress for the occasion.

Now let me ask you this:

Was the subject matter contained in the videos offensive?

Was it inappropriate?

(OK,  this creates  another interesting question if the actions in the video are condoned and funded by our government, doesn’t it?).

YouTube warns:  Viewer discretion is advised

dis·cre·tion

/dɪˈskrɛʃən/ Show Spelled[dih-skresh-uhn] Show IPA

–noun

1.the power or right to decide or act according to one’s own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice: It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.

2.the quality of being discreet, esp. with reference to one’s own actions or speech; prudence or decorum: Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.

I believe they can bank on it.