Death Toll at Calico now 22

BLM Website

Gather Activity Updates

Updates will be posted as we receive information.

Date/2010	Comments
Thursday, Jan. 28	BLM will escort members of the public to the Fallon facility today.
Wednesday, Jan. 27	The observation day scheduled for today is cancelled. There are no wild horses at the gather site temporary holding corrals and the helicopter will be used to take an aerial look to verify numbers and locations of wild horses in the HMA. One filly and three mares were euthanized at the Fallon facility. Two were in poor condition and not adapting to change in diet, one spinal injury and one sole absess and pelvis injury.  One filly was found dead of unknown cause at the facility. Totals: 1,326 gathered, 1,324 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 19
Tuesday, Jan. 26	No gathering will be conducted today. The BLM is hosting an observation day at the Indian Lakes Road Holding Facility with guided tours offered from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  These hours are the most likely times that trucks will be delivering the wild horses from the gather site. The BLM continues to provided guided tours of the facility by appointment only.  Appointments are necessary to ensure BLM staff is available to conduct the tours and respond to questions, and for safety concerns for the animals, observers and employees at the facility. The Indian Lakes Road facility is privately-owned and operated.  The BLM coordinates closely with the owner when scheduling the guided tours to allow observers to view the animals, while not interferring with the day-to-day operations at the facility. Windbreaks are installed in the hospital pens. Two 12-year-old mares in poor condition and not adapting to change in feed were euthanized. Totals: 1,326 gathered, 1,324 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 15
Monday, Jan. 25	Weather-related conditions suspended gather operations today, fog created unsafe flying conditions.  No wild horses were gathered today. 27 horses were shipped to the Fallon facility (16 studs, 18 mares, 3 weanlings/foals). The BLM accommmodated four observers to the temporary holding facility, at their request, although all the gathered horses had been moved to Fallon earlier in the day.  The observers were provided the opportunity to walk around, photograph and videotape the pens, and left shortly after that because the helicopter would not be flying. One stallion was found dead in the corral, cause of death unknown. Totals: 1,326 gathered, 1,324 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 13
Sunday, Jan. 24	Contractor gathered 27 excess wild horses and 70 animals were shipped without incident to the Fallon facility. Totals: 1,326 gathered, 1,297 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 12
Saturday, Jan. 23	Operations continued at Calico HMA.  Seven members of the public participated in today's observation day.  Within an hour or so of the group arriving at the gather site the contractor brought in the first group of wild horses. Throughout the day, the observers watched as 66 horses were gathered without incident (21 studs, 30 mares, 15 weanlings/foals).  The horses were loaded on trucks at the gather site and moved to temporary holding corrals in the gather area where they were sorted by age and sex.  This is where the animals get their first introduction to domestically-grown grass hay. Transported 34 horses to Fallon (10 studs, 13 mares, 11 weanlings/foals).  One mare at the facility ran into a gate and broke her neck. Two mares were euthanized due to poor body condition and not being able to transition to new diet. One mare found dead at corral. Totals: 1,299 gathered, 1,227 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 12
Friday, Jan. 22	The gather site is set up in the Calico HMA and the contractor plans to gather today.  Contractor gathered 38 horses (10 studs, 17 mares, 11 weanlings/foals). Saturday will be a public observation day. Transported 119 horses to Fallon (49 studs, 48 mares, 22 weanlings/foals) on Thursday. Next update will be on Monday, Jan. 25. Totals: 1,233 gathered, 1,193 moved to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 8 deaths
Thursday, Jan. 21	Transported 118 horses to the Fallon facility on Wednesday.  Plan to ship the horses remaining at the gather corrals to Fallon today.  Continuing to dissemble the gather corrals and move to new location in the Calico HMA. Mares coming into the Fallon facility are in poorer condition than stallions and weanlings/foals. About 30 mares from the Warm Springs HMA range in body condition from a 2.5 to 3.0.  One mare that was down on the transport truck arrived at the facility alive, but subsequently died. One colt with multiple hoof sloughs from the capture was euthanized at the facility.  The colt was from the Black Rock East HMA and has been at the facility more than two weeks. When the colt arrived at the facility it was put in with the general population. A day or two later, the colt started showing acute lameness and was moved to a sick pen. The facility veterinarian noted the colt's two hind hoof soles were bruised, but there was no visible abscess or  infection. The colt was given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medicine, was kept segregated and contined to be checked by the veterinarian. The colt's hind feet abscessed and the outer hoof wall did separate. The colt was euthanized by the facility veterinarian. Click here for the veterinarian report. About 20 to 25 horses at the facility have received treatment for vaioius injuries or lameness and are recovering.  There are no indications of infectious respiratory disease. The BLM has asked that wind breaks be installed at the Fallon facility, similar to ones that are at the Palomino Valley Center.  The contractor will begin constructing wind breaks in 12 of the smaller holding/sorting pens which are used for sick or lame animals. Totals: 1,195 gathered, 1,074 moved to Fallon, 121 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 8 deaths
Wednesday, Jan. 20	Moving gather site today.  Expect to move the 148 horses on site to the Fallon facility today.  The dirt road from the pavement to Soldier Meadows is being bladed.  Recent rain and the truck traffic is impacting the condition of the road.  Observation day planned today was cancelled after those signed up to attend decided to reschedule because the gather site is being moved.  Next observation day is Saturday.
Tuesday, Jan. 19	Contractor was able to gather 91 wild horses (27 studs, 42 mares, 22 weanlings/foals) today before weather conditions stopped gathering in the early afternoon. Totals: 1,195 gathered, 956 moved to Fallon, 148 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 6 deaths
Monday, Jan. 18	Today's public observation day was cancelled after four people dropped out because of weather and two didn't have 4-wheel-drive vehicle to get to the site. Contractor gathered 124 wild horses today.  No horses were moved to Fallon. A foal born on Thursday was euthanized on Friday after it became apparent that it could not thrive. Totals: 1,104 gathered, 956 moved to Fallon, 148 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA. Fallon facility: 6 deaths
Sunday, Jan. 17	Weather conditions prevented gathering today. One hundred and twenty-two wild horses were transported to the Fallon facility. Totals: 980 gathered, 956 moved to Fallon.
Saturday, Jan. 16	The contractor gathered 122 wild horses today (38 studs, 53 mares, 31 weanlings/foals).  Seventy-five horses were moved to the Fallon facility.  Totals: 980 gathered, 834 moved to Fallon.
Friday, Jan. 15	Today, Saturday and Monday are public observation days. The next update will be posted on Tuesday, Jan. 18.  (BLM offices are closed in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr.  holiday, however gather operations will continue.) Gathering continued on the Warm Springs HMA with the contractor bringing in 48 horses (21 studs, 18 mares, 9 weanlings/foals). Eighty-two wild horses were shipped to the Fallon facility. Totals: 858 gathered, 759 transported to Fallon
Thursday, Jan. 14	The BLM is escorting a Good Morning America TV crew and Madeline Pickens and her group to the gather today.  The contractor gathered 51 horses (14 studs, 23 mares, 14 weanlings/foals) from the Black Rock West HMA. Eighty-three animals were transported to the Fallon facility.  Observers going to the gather notified the BLM that a mare in one of the transport trucks was down.  The dirt road the trucks are traveling is bumpy and the drivers are stopping when they reach the pavement to make sure all the animals are standing up.  Two mares and one stallion were found dead at the facility, cause of death is attributed to failure to adjust to a change in feed. Totals: 810 gathered, 677 transported to Fallon, 129 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA Fallon facility: 5 deaths
Wednesday, Jan. 13	The contractor gathered 113 horses today (31 studs, 54 mares, 28 weanlings/foals).  Seventy-five animals were transported to the Fallon facility.  One 12-year-old mare from the Black Rock West HMA died at Fallon. She arrived in weak and poor condition and had been at the facility for four days. Totals: 759 gathered,  594 tranferred to Fallon, 161 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA Fallon facility: 2 deaths
Tuesday, Jan. 12	Begin gathering at the Warm Springs HMA. The contractor gathered 99 horses (43 studs, 35 mares, 21 weanlings/foals) today before windy conditions shut down operations in the early afternoon. No animals were shipped to Fallon today. Totals: 646 gathered, 519 transferred to Fallon, 123 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA Fallon facility: 1 death
Monday, Jan. 11	The BLM is escorting public to the gather today.  At the Fallon facility, one mare from the Black Rock East HMA was found dead over the weekend.  The veterinarian diagnosis is the mare died as the result of dietary feed change.  Fog kept the helicopter grounded; no animals were gathered. No horses were shipped today; 24 horses in holding corrals at the gather site.
Sunday, Jan. 10	Weather conditions prevented gathering activities today.  Eighty-one horses were transported to the Fallon facility today. Totals: 547 gathered, 519 shipped to Fallon, 24 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA
Saturday, Jan. 9	Weather conditions grounded the helicopter today.  No horses were gathered today.  No horses were shipped today, pending brand inspection.  Gathering and shipping is expected to resume on Sunday.
Friday, Jan. 8	Haven't received information about the gather activities by the close of business today.  Next update will be Monday, Jan. 11.  Update on Monday: Seventy animals were gathered (22 studs, 37 mares and 11 weanlings/foals).  Seventy-one animals were transported to the Fallon facility. Totals: 547 gathered, 438 shipped to Fallon, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA
Thursday, Jan. 7	Weather conditions prevented the helicopter from flying so no gathering was conducted today.  Eighty-nine horses were shipped to the Fallon facility.  One 20-year plus mare in poor body condition that was unlikely to improve was put down as an act of mercy. Totals: 477 gathered, 367 shipped to Fallon, 106 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition,  1 back to HMA
Wednesday, Jan. 6	Drizzling rain and freezing temperatures are delaying gathering this morning.  If temperatures warm up, the contractor will gather.  Eight members of the public plan to attend today's observation day.  The weather impoved by mid-day and the contractor was able to gather 53 animals (19 studs, 23 mares and 11 weanlings/foals).   Thirty-six studs were transported to the Fallon facility.  They are in good flesh with no signs of upper respiratory infection. Totals: 477 gathered, 278 transported to Fallon.
Tuesday, Jan. 5	Gather activities are continuing at the Black Rock West HMA with 125 horses gathered without incident (33 studs, 66 mares, 26 weanlings/foals).  Body conditions of the horses range from thin to moderately thin, but with no apparent or visible health or respiratory complications.  The animals will be examined by the veterinarian on Wednesday. Eighty four excess wild horses were transported to the Fallon facility. Totals: 424 gathered, 242 transported to Fallon.
Monday, Jan. 4	Gather operations resumed within the Black Rock West HMA, and 138 animals were gathered, without incident (45 studs, 63 mares, 30 weanlings/foals).  Most of the animals are thin to moderately thin, but overall in good health.  The condition of the mares is noted as slightly poorer condition than those gathered on the Black Rock East HMA.  Weanling condition is fine with two weanlings showing signs of lameness on their hind legs.  No cuts, wounds or upper respiratory infection is noted.  All the horses will be inspected by the holding facility veterinarian when they arrive there.
Sunday, Jan. 3	The contractor relocated and set up the gather corrals in the Black Rock West HMA within the Complex.  Gather operations were not anticipated to start on Monday.  However, gather activities could resume on Monday if the contractor has completed set up and experiences favorable weather and flight conditions.
Saturday, Jan. 2	The contractor collected 11 wild horses without incident (2 studs, 6 mares, 3 weanlings/foals).  Members of wild horse groups attended today’s observation day. The group was able to observe and participate in discussions about the horses gathered on Fridayand discuss the euthanized mare and the 6-month-old colt which died during capture operations yesterday. The group watched the helicopter bring in 11 horses the gather corral.  The animals came in to the gather corral well with no problems, but once they horses were in the corrals, one stud horse caught his front leg over the top rail in the chute area, but worked himself free.  He was sorted into a separate pen and jumped over the holding pen panels and through a barbed-wire fence backto the rangeland.  Several members of the public observed and filmed the horse jumping over the pen rail and through the fence. On the way back to Winnemucca we saw wild horses on the north end of the Jackson Mountains and stopped so everyone could take pictures. The contractor revised the gather plan and plans to move the gather corrals on Sunday to the Black Rock West HMA.  He will set up near Soldier Meadows on Monday and plans to start gathering again on Tuesday.
Friday, Jan. 1	Gather operations continue within the Black Rock East HMA.  However, weather conditions limited today’s gather activities as clouds covered the mountain tops, which limited visibility and created unsafe flying conditions.  Ultimately 10 wild horses were gathered without incident (1 stud, 6 mares, 3 weanlings/foals).  One colt died as it was being brought in.  An after-death examination revealed a pre-existing pulmonary condition. No animals were shipped today. Click here for the veterinarian report.
Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009	Four people representing wild horse groups attended the gather site today.  There is heavy snowfall at the gather site and the contractor is not flying today.  Snow is forecasted until mid-day Friday. Today, 66 horses were transported to the Fallon facility (27 studs, 25 mares, 13 weanlings and one foal).  All of the horses are in normal condition for winter gathers, with a few noted in lesser condition. No horses were shipped on Wednesday.  There are no plans to ship any animals on Friday.  Next update will be Monday, Jan. 4.
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009	Seventy-three of the 74 horses captured on Monday were transported to the Fallon facility on Tuesday.  Many of the horses are in good body condition.  One horse, a 20-plus year-old mare with a body condition index of 2 (poor) was euthanized at the gather site on the recommendation of the onsite veterinarian who determined it was unlikely her condition would improve with better care. Click here for photos of the mare.  The BLM escorted media to the gather site today.
Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009	Horses gathered on  Monday are being moved to the Indian Lakes Road short-term holding facility in Fallon today.  Snowy weather conditions slowed gather operations today, but the contractor was able to gather on lower elevations and brought in 22 animals to gather corrals set up closer to those animals.
Monday, Dec. 28, 2009	First day of gather on the Black Rock Range East Herd Management Area (HMA).  All activities at the gather went smoothly and without incident.  Seventy-four horses were gathered with no reported injuries to the animals or the crew.
Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009	Contractor set up gather site corrals.