Wild Horse First Amendment Suit Heads for the Ninth Circuit

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Information provided by Wild Horse Education.org

Fight for Access Continues

Laura Leigh at Recent Antelope Complex Roundup ~ photo by R.T. Fitch

Wild Horse Education is continuing the legal battle for transparency against the Department of Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Plaintiff Laura Leigh has filed her notice of Appeal April 28, 2011 for the lawsuit that battles for transparency of the “hands-on” care of wild horses and burros.
“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 know.”
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.”
The Appeal process has now began and the full brief will be filed shortly.
Leigh has spent the last year observing more roundups than any government personnel and bringing the public daily reports. The suit she brought earlier in the 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 doors to the Indian Lakes (Broken Arrow) facility were closed due to public outrage over images they saw.
“If the public is outraged by conduct,” Leigh said “it is an opportunity to clean up your act, not close the doors. That’s like a child that refuses to clean their room and instead locks their door.”
The full Brief 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.

Free Book: http://wildhorseeducation101.wordpress.com/

Article published by Deb Coffey on the Indian Lakes facility contract in 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

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

BLM Invites the Public to Tour Wild Horse Long-Term Holding Pastures in Oklahoma

BLM Website

The Bureau of Land Management is hosting an all-day public tour of two wild horse long-term holding pastures in Hominy, Oklahoma, about an hour from Tulsa. The tour, which will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., will give the public an opportunity to observe wild horses roaming in a natural setting across thousands of acres.

The public must make reservations by May 20. Visitors will be shuttled to the pastures by the BLM from Tulsa; no personal vehicles will be allowed, as the pastures are on private property.

Lunch may be purchased during the tour for up to $10 per person. Attendees should wear casual clothes, comfortable shoes, and rain attire if needed. Cameras and video cameras are welcome.

                        

Tour date and time:
RSVP date:
RSVP phone number:
Pick up location:
    Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
No later than May 20, 1011
866-468-7826
Bureau of Land Management, Tulsa District Office
7906 E. 33rd Street, Suite 101
Tulsa, OK 74145-1352

The BLM estimates that approximately 38,400 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states, based on the latest data available.  Wild horses and burros have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years.  As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control herd sizes.

Off the range, there are 41,200 other wild horses and burros that are fed and cared for at 23 short-term corrals and 21 long-term pastures. As of April 2011, there are approximately 12,600 wild horses and burros in short-term corrals and 28,600 wild horses in long-term holding pastures in the Midwest. Animals gathered off the ranges are taken to short-term corrals to be examined by a veterinarian, receive vaccinations and a freezemark, and prepared to enter the BLM’s adoption program or be sent to long-term pastures generally if they are over the age of six.

The long-term holding contracted ranches range in size from 1,100 acres to 46,000 acres on which the wild horses are free to roam. All wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming the public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

For more information about the tour or about the program, please call 866-468-7826.


The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
--BLM--

Washington Office Division of Public Affairs   1849 C Street N.W.      Washington, DC 20240 
   
Last updated: 04-29-2011

AMERICAN RACEHORSES entering Miami's illegal slaughter farms

Nevada Continues War Against Wild Horses

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Video from KTVN Reno, Nevada

Nevada Legislators Want to take Water From Wild Equids

Wild Horses Not Wildlife?

KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -

Bill Brown

Channel 2 News

Protestors showed up in front of the State Capitol today targeting a law that would remove wild horses and burros from being considered wildlife when it comes to allocating water resources on the range.
Bill backers say there are too many horses and they are devouring natural resources needed by livestock and indigenous wildlife. The protestors say that's not true...and the horses are actually a precious economic resource that should be used to drive even more tourist traffic to the state as gaming becomes less and less of a money factor.
The bill began in the Assembly as AB 329 and has now moved on to the Senate for final action.

Wild Horses Not Wildlife? - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -

Wild Horses Not Wildlife? - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -

BLM, USGS Begin New Wild Horse Fertility Control Study

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Unedited Press Release from the BLM

The Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have begun a five-year wild horse contraceptive study at the BLM’s short-term holding facility in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.  The pasture breeding study will test the effectiveness of two formulations of the investigational contraceptive vaccine SpayVac® to determine if the treatment can reduce foaling rates in wild horse mares.

The goal is to see if SpayVac®, a novel formulation of a glycoprotein called porcine zona pellucida (PZP), will provide a longer-term effect than other PZP vaccines currently used by the BLM.  If the vaccine is found to reduce foaling in this controlled setting, it will be considered for use with free-roaming horses to help control population growth rates on the range.

As the primary agency responsible for management of wild horses on U.S. public lands, the BLM has a need for a long-lasting contraceptive agent to control herd growth rates. Given the protection afforded by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and a general lack of natural predators, wild horse populations increase at an average rate of 20 percent a year and can quickly exceed the carrying capacity of their ranges.

The BLM, as part of its development of a new wild horse and burro management strategy, has been stepping up its efforts to reduce population growth rates in wild horse herds using contraceptive agents. A main limitation of the agents currently available is that they are of relatively short duration or need to be administered annually. Maximizing the duration of contraceptive effectiveness is especially important in wild horses, which in most cases must be captured in order for the treatment to be successfully administered.

In the BLM-USGS study, 90 mares have been treated with either one of two formulations of the vaccine or a placebo.  The mares will be followed for five years to measure anti-PZP antibody levels and compare the foaling rates between treated horses and controls.  Although breeding is not usually allowed to occur in BLM facilities, a clinical trial in this controlled environment will provide critical information on how well SpayVac® works as a contraceptive.

The mares and stallions enrolled in the study were selected from horses already in BLM holding facilities.  They are being housed in three 30-acre pastures and will be together during the next five breeding seasons.  Foals that are born during the study will be offered for adoption each fall after they have been weaned. At the conclusion of the study, all adult horses will be returned to the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse Program or placed in long-term pasture facilities.

The BLM has an interagency agreement with the USGS for research and scientific support, and this study is a collaborative effort with scientists from the USGS, veterinarians with the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and TerraMar Environmental Research LLC.
Contacts:           Paul McGuire     , 405-794-9624    
            Heather Emmons     , 775-861-6594    
            Tom Gorey     , 202-912-7420     

Groundbreaking Legal Decision Could Give Wild Horses Their Day in Court

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign

Judge Rejects Interior Department's Motion to Dismiss Suit Over Twin Peaks Roundup 

In a decision that may have far-reaching implications, Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California, rejected the U.S. Department of Interior’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the roundup and removal of nearly 1,579 wild horses and 159 burros from the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) in northeastern California last year.

Judge England also ruled that the plaintiffs – In Defense of Animals (IDA), DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary, local resident and wild horse enthusiast Linda Hay and ecologist Chad Hanson, Ph.D.– have standing to challenge the action and that the case is not moot, despite the fact that the roundup has already taken place. In past wild horse roundup litigation, courts have dismissed claims as moot because the roundups had already ended. This has prevented the actual merits of the cases from being heard or ruled upon.

Congratulations to pro bono, environmental attorney Rachel Fazio and all of the plaintiffs for this big step forward in the Twin Peaks lawsuit.
More information about the court's ruling is available: IDA press release, AP news article and the Courthouse News Service article.   Read MORE...

Obama’s BLM Can Be Sued for Wild Horse Roundups

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Article by Barbara Leonard of the Courthouse News Service

A Dent in BLM Armor brings hope to Nonprofits

Twin Peaks wild horses being stampeded by BLM's Cattoor contractor ~ photo by Terry Fitch

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) – A federal judge refused to dismiss wildlife groups’ lawsuit over the federal roundup of more than 1,500 wild horses and burros in northeast California and northwest Nevada.
After the Bureau of Land Management concluded in September 2008 that there was an overpopulation of wild horses and burros in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area, it proceeded to conduct a roundup under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
Before the roundup, the bureau estimated that there were about 2,300 wild horses and more than 200 burros living on the Twin Peaks range, which covers 789,852 acres. The agency felt that the population exceeded appropriate management levels by 1,800 horses and 200 burros. If left alone, the bureau felt that the increasingly unsustainable population would seriously degrade the surrounding environment.
Using helicopters, federal agents extracted 1,637 horses and 160 burros from Sept. 19 to 25, 2010. They later returned 58 horses and one burro to the range, and transferred the remainder to corrals. From there, the animals can either be adopted or transferred to long-term pastures on private lands.
In Defense of Animals, Dreamcatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary and three individuals sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management and three officials, alleging violations of the Wild Horse Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. The groups have been entangled in litigation over the roundup since 2009.
They claim that the government captures and releases animals indiscriminately and pays little attention to demographics, such as age and disability, or familial bands.
Another 180 horses were returned to the Twin Peaks, including mares that had received fertility-control treatment, but 15 died, the Eastern District of California found Wednesday.
The government tried to dismiss the complaint, claiming that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that the claims were moot since the roundup had concluded.
“Defendants argue that Plaintiffs’ claimed injury is merely an alleged personal sadness at the effects of Defendants’ actions,” according to the 30-page ruling. “Plaintiffs claim that they have a legally protected right to view horses on the Twin Peaks range. Defendants maintain that neither of these assertions is a legally protected right that would give rise to a viable claim.”
U.S. District Judge Morrison England disagreed, however. It is enough to survive summary judgment that the plaintiffs claim that they have suffered an injury by losing their ability to watch wild horses and burros on the Twin Peaks, and the defendants have yet to prove that the animals were in excess.
“Were this Court to accept Defendants’ proposition that Plaintiffs have no right to view any ‘excess’ wild horses, no plaintiff would ever have standing to challenge Defendant BLM’s removal of ‘excess’ horses, regardless of how flagrant the violation in making that decision,” England wrote. “Defendants have provided no authority for such a proposition.”
The wildlife activists claim that the roundups would have been far more limited, and fewer animals removed from Twin Peaks in the first place, if the government did not violate the laws in question, which they claim prohibit use of long-term holding facilities.
“This Court need not decide at the motion to dismiss stage whether long-term holding is in fact prohibited under the Wild Horse Act,” England wrote. “Assuming, as this Court must, that Plaintiffs are correct in their allegation that long-term holding is statutorily prohibited, Plaintiffs have established the injury-in-fact and causation elements of standing.”
There is also a viable option for relief, since the government can, as the plaintiffs propose, relocate the horses and burros to public lands in the western United States, as opposed to long-term holding facilities in Oklahoma or Kansas.
Mootness is also not an issue since there remains some question as to whether the government has actually concluded the roundup. Litigation may also enable the plaintiffs to enjoin the government from sterilizing the horses and reach other goals

Click (HERE) to read legal documentation

“I attempt to shy away from discussing money and donations in public but I would like to make our readers aware that HfH Advisory Council, Habitat for Horses, the Cloud Foundation, Front Range Equine Rescue, the ASPCA and several private citizens are engaged in a legal wrestling match with the BLM over the above very issue.  Right now the West Douglas herd runs free, for the time being, because of these suits but a concise win would force the entire “roundup” issue to be addressed and you can be a part of that victory.  Please visit us at www.hfhadvisorycouncil.org to learn more about our fight with the BLM and how we are attempting to put a stop to these illegal roundups, once and for all.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.” ~ R.T.

Related Articles

• Federal Court Gives Green Light To Wild Horse Lawsuit (yubanet.com)
• US judge denies BLM bid to dismiss wild horse suit (sfgate.com)
• BLM to Move 200 Captive Wild Horses from Foul Facility (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Report on wild horse conditions being released ()
• US judge denies BLM bid to dismiss wild horse suit (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Federal Court Gives Thumbs Up to Wild Horse Suit (rtfitch.wordpress.com)

Courthouse News Service BLM can be sued

Courthouse News Service

BLM to Move 200 Captive Wild Horses from Foul Facility

Straight from the Horse's Heart

(The News As We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/Director of HfH Advisory Council

Public Outcry Pushed Proper Buttons to Assist Horses

Approximately 200 captive, wild horses currently imprisoned at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Regional Wild Horse and Burro Center in Herriman, Utah, will allegedly be relocated according to recommendations made by an investigative BLM appointed team who visited the site earlier this month.
The well respected and world renowned Wild Horse advocacy organization, the Cloud Foundation, issued a stunning video and carefully written report on April 9th outlining and documenting the abuse suffered by the captive wild horses as observed by wild horse adopter Lisa Friday as she visited the Salt Lake facility in mid-March of this year.
The video clearly displayed “suctioned-in” horses that could not move in urine soaked mud knee deep to the adult horses.  Several horses remained in frozen positions during Ms. Friday’s visit as they were unable to move.  When local facility personnel were notified of the horse’s plight a piece of heavy equipment was run towards the horses in an effort to scare them and make them move yet they remained stuck in place during the duration of Ms. Friday’s visit.
After a deluge of calls local newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune, published a biased and lopsided report that everything was “Okay” as reported by Tribune reporter Brandon Loomis.  Loomis indicated that fault erred with the Cloud Foundation and with Ms. Friday as the facility’s manager, Jared Redington was interviewed, by phone, as saying;
“We don’t have anything to hide,”
Also quoted in the dubious article was dog and cat investigator for the Humane Society of Utah, not to be confused with the Humane Society of the United States, John Fox postulating that he did not observe any violations of animal cruelty laws and that wet conditions are to be expected this time of year while the animals appeared to be in good health.
Since the above article was published both its author and the newspaper have been publicly spanked as the report does not clearly reflect the actual findings of the investigative team.  To the contrary, 200 wild horses will be removed to the BLM’s Gunnison facility about 125 miles to the south of Salt Lake under the recommendation of the team’s investigation and it has been further recommended that a agricultural engineer familiar with large animal holding facilities be hired to evaluate the site for improvements.
Where the report falls short is on the issue of abuse and neglect as the internal team stated that more than 90 percent of the captive horses displayed body conditions of between 4 and 6 on the Henneke Body Condition Scale. Inspectors said tooth eruption probably contributed to the condition of a three-year-old mare described in the Cloud report as ‘thin.’
“The cause for her weight loss was unknown but thought to most likely be due to shedding incisors, a molar, or retained cap causing a decrease in appetite or feed conversion efficiency,” the report said.
“We are pleased that they are improving the conditions for this facility, but we hope they use the money Congress has approved for good use such as water improvements and plan treatments rather than roundups,” said Ginger Kathrens, founder of the Cloud Foundation.
“Disgruntled taxpayers are taking to the streets to demand BLM stop costly roundups and lifelong incarceration of the last of America’s wild mustangs,” continues  Kathrens, “The immediate solution is to release wild horses back into zeroed out herd areas originally designated for their use by Congress. BLM admits this is an option, but has failed to move on it—perhaps fearing reprisal from extractive users, many of whom are large multi-national corporations trying to enlarge their profits at the expense of taxpayers.”

BLM Clears Utah Holding Facility with Deplorable Conditions BUT Says Most Horses Should Be Moved

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign

April 22, 2011 by admin ·

Officials from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have “exonerated” a short-term holding facility accused of inhumane conditions. Yet,  the agency’s recommendation that most of the horses be moved to new facilities confirms confirms The Cloud Foundation‘s allegation, as documented in a video released by the group this month, that recently-captured wild horses at the Salt Lake Regional Wild Horse and Burro Center were forced to live in knee-deep mud, feces and urine in conditions that were both unacceptable and inhumane.
Read article from the Salt Lake Tribune online or below. A separate Associated Press article, also below, indicates that the BLM has designated a team to oversee this facility and the transfer of horses to other BLM holding pens.   Read MORE...

Nevada asks Obama to stop roundups

The Cloud Foundation

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Nevada asks Obama to stop roundups


Advocates vow no taxes for roundups and warehousing


Reno, NV (April 21, 2011) —Taxpayers and wild horse advocates join with The Cloud Foundation to protest on the streets of Reno as well as at the airport. They demand roundups stop and for the government to cease warehousing the last living symbols of the American West. A new wave of protests is sweeping across the country after yesterday's successful Save Wild Horses~Yes We Can! protest in San Francisco, sponsored by The Cloud Foundation, composed of primarily disgruntled democrats rallying outside the Democratic National Committee fundraiser for President Obama.


"Since the movement began a year and a half ago to 're-protect' the mustangs the White House response has been 'no comment,'" explains Anne Novak spokesperson for The Cloud Foundation. "Now that the president is campaigning for reelection we ask him to work with 'wild and free' advocates to create real solutions—not just finding a trendy way to package long-term holding while destroying the genetic viability of the American wild horses and burros still on the range."


Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar served with the president when both were junior Senators. He is a lifelong rancher from southern Colorado and appears to favor the ranchers' livestock over wild horses and burros point of view. Salazar's 2010 defective solution for the wild horse issue is based on bad science —claiming an overpopulation of wild horses and burros on public lands. During America's heartbreaking recession, Salazar called for the purchase of seven parcels of private land in the East and Midwest at a cost of $46 million per parcel and shipment of the legendary mustangs back East. He plans on stockpiling geldings (neutered stallions) and barren mares for life. The proposal fell flat with both Congress and the public.


Offering a nearly cost-free alternative, the Cloud Foundation is advocating the release of the recently incarcerated wild horses and burros—those who are in unsheltered and often filthy BLM short-term holding facilities at a cost over $2,000 per horse per year —back onto millions of legal herd acres designated for them since 1971. This solution would save taxpayers more than $25 million yearly and allow the wild animals to live naturally in their family bands on western ranges.


"Disgruntled taxpayers are taking to the streets to demand BLM stop costly roundups and lifelong incarceration of the last of America's wild mustangs," states Ginger Kathrens, Director of The Cloud Foundation. "The immediate solution is to release wild horses back into zeroed out herd areas originally designated for their use by Congress. BLM admits this is an option, but has failed to move on it—perhaps fearing reprisal from extractive users, many of whom are large multi-national corporations trying to enlarge their profits at the expense of taxpayers."


"The death of the West is coming unless wildlife advocates, ranchers, hikers and hunters realize we're all on the same side against corporate giants industrializing the range," states award-winning author from Nevada, Terri Farley.


Americans throughout the country will continue protesting to protect wild horses and burros until they are safe, and those suffering in short-term holding are returned to their legal ranges in the West.

####

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak
anne@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 415-531-8454

Lauryn Wachs
lauryn@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 617-894-6939

Links of interest:

BLM Defends Utah Holding Facility http://bit.ly/eEGT38
AP Reports: Gov't Agency Accused of Abusing Wild Horses http://bit.ly/dYAwkV
Lisa Friday's full report to The Cloud Foundation: http://bit.ly/gHIjLX
Butterfield, UT short term wild horse holding video: http://bit.ly/hWO2fG%20

CNN Report, Issues with Jane Valez-Mitchell http://bit.ly/dvl7NE
French TV reports on wild horses http://t.co/4jKWYJg
CNN series on roundups http://exm.nr/ifONib

"High Crimes and Misdemeanors" - American Herds Report: http://bit.ly/gQlaxa
Foundation video calling to Defund the Roundups: http://bit.ly/hL0eOj
Unified Moratorium letter and 200 signatories http://bit.ly/6ck87L
"Wild Horses: Management or Stampede to Extinction?" - Reno Gazette Journal: http://bit.ly/fBCBz9
"Antelope Roundup a Disaster Wild Horses" - Foundation Press Release: http://bit.ly/h0kvEn


54 Members of Congress protest BLM management http://bit.ly/gFJDs1
Independent Report to Defund Roundups: http://bit.ly/gCyiu0
How to contact your Congresspeople: http://www.contactingthecongress.org

Photos, video and interviews available by request from the Cloud Foundation

The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.

Spread the Word: Congress Breaks Promise to Cut Wasteful Spending; Fully Funds Wild Horse Roundups

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign

Send a Letter-to-the-Editor of Your Local Newspaper Today

Despite promises to slash spending on wasteful government programs, the U.S. Congress last week voted to fully fund the Interior Department's controversial wild horse and burro management program for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. (See Senate Appropriations Committee press release for details.) As a result, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which administers the program, is gearing up to resume costly and cruel wild horse roundups in July. The vote will allow the BLM to roundup and remove over 10,000 wild horses from Western public lands this year, an action that will boost the number of mustangs warehoused in tax-supported holding facilities to more than 45,000.
See last published 2011 BLM roundup schedule here.

As Congress considers fiscal legislation for 2012, it is important that we spread the word about the waste of our tax dollars on an inhumane, costly and broken federal program that even Interior Secretary Ken Salazar acknowledges is fiscally unsustainable.

Please take easy action below to send letters to the editors of your local newspapers in order to educate others and grow our grassroots army of American citizens who are willing to speak up for the mustangs and demand an end to federal funding for the mass removal of wild horses and burros from our Western public lands. If we don't speak up now, these American treasures will be lost forever. 

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Our system will automatically locate and submit your letter to your area newspapers -- just choose the geographic radius that will yield the best results and then type in your zip code. A list of local newspapers will appear - just click on the publications you would like your letter sent to. After you do this, a sample letter will appear that you can personalize before clicking the submit button. You'll now you've successfully completed the action, when a thank you page appears.

It's never been easier to spread the word about the need to protect and preserve our wild horses! So, please take a minute to help educate caring people throughout the nation about the horrific plight of our wild horses and burros that our tax dollars are financing.

Please share this action alert

US judge denies BLM bid to dismiss wild horse lawsuit

Tuesday's Horse

Posted on Apr 21, 2011 by Vivian Grant

Reported by the Associated Press
RENO, Nev. (AP) — (April 20, 2011) Horse protection advocates have claimed a rare legal victory as part of a larger effort to end federal roundups of free-roaming mustangs on public lands in the western United States.
A federal judge in Sacramento ruled on Wednesday that In Defense of Animals and others can move forward with their lawsuit accusing the Bureau of Land Management of violating U.S. laws that protect the animals on the range.
Judge Morrison England Jr. denied BLM’s motion to dismiss the suit based on claims it is moot because the specific roundup in question was completed months ago in Nevada and California. He says if he ultimately finds the roundups illegal, he can order the horses returned to the range. He says he also can order BLM to follow the law in future. Full story

Undercover Investigation Courtesy of PETA

The Persian Horse's Blog

 

Every year, hundreds of thoroughbreds from the U.S. are sold to stables in Japan, where 90 percent of all horses end up in slaughterhouses. In most Japanese slaughterhouses, horses meet a frightening death. They are killed, cut apart, and end up as food for dogs and humans.
During a PETA undercover investigation inside Japan’s largest horse slaughterhouse in Kumamoto, we captured video footage of a thoroughbred’s last minutes. The horse is sprayed with water before slaughter—frightened and uncertain about what is happening. He panics, and at one point, just before being killed, he slips out of his halter and escapes inside the slaughterhouse, only to be caught—and killed—minutes later.

Peta Undercover Investigation – Japan’s Largest Horse Slaughterhouse

CAUTION

Read MORE...

Approved 2011 Federal Budget Spells Disaster for Wild Horses & Burros

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign

BLM Confirms Plans to Resume Roundups in July

Starting in the hot summer month of July, wild horses will once again be running for their lives as the Interior Department resumes mustang roundups. The 2011 budget passed by Congress last week provided enough discretionary funds for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to "fully meet its funding needs for the Wild Horse and Burro program." Acting Wild Horse and Burro Management Program Director Karla Bird confirmed to AWHPC last week that, in the wake of Congress' budget vote, the agency plans to launch new roundups in July, days after the end of "peak foaling season," May - June. 
BLM's success in convincing Congress to increase the wild horse program's budget at a time when funding for other federal programs was slashed can in part be attributed to support from western  Senators and Representatives under the sway of the powerful cattlemen's lobby. The cattlemen want mustangs removed from public lands to make room for cheap, tax-subsidized livestock grazing. Only the power of the people can break the stranglehold that this special interest group has on Congress.
Help us spread the word and grow our grassroots network of taxpayers willing to stand up against the costly and cruel assault on our wild horses and burros. Please click here to easily send letters-to-the-editors of your local newspapers.   Read MORE...

Wild horse advocates ask Obama to stop the roundups

The Cloud Foundation

20 April 2011

cloud_foundation_logoFor Immediate release

Wild horse advocates ask Obama to stop the roundups
New wave of protests begins with San Francisco

San Francisco, CA (April 20, 2011)—The Cloud Foundation and Americans who value wild horses roaming free in the West are gathering on the steps of Grace Cathedral (1110 California Street) at 3:30 p.m. to march to the Masonic Auditorium at 4:00 p.m. where President Obama is speaking during a campaign fundraiser. The Foundation and members of the public ask President Obama to Stop the Roundups and Stop the Cruelty.

"With the country in the throes of budget cut-backs for essentials like education—tax dollars used to unnecessarily remove and warehouse wild horses is wrong,"  states Bay Area resident, Anne Novak, spokesperson for The Cloud Foundation. "We ask the President to stop the roundups now and use that money to help Americans in their time of need."

"Current government policy is breaking up our public lands for exploitive development and resource extraction—one colossal land grab," says Lise Stampfli, Bay Area environmentalist and open space advocate. "We want the President to bring true balance and sustainability back onto our public lands as well as into the Wild Horse and Burro Program."

Every year the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is awarded big budget tax dollars to fund the broken Wild Horse and Burro Program. With the a much of their $76 million budget going towards roundups and zeroing out wild horses—inadequate funds are left to care for the wild horses once they are captured.

Last week, Lisa Friday and The Foundation released a video exposing the federal BLM holding facility nightmare in Utah showing wild horses languishing in a quagmire of urine and manure as well as mares down for more than 3 hours in the mud and a 3 year-old mare who was skin and bones, despite being in the facility for more than 8 months.

"People are fed up—particularly when they find out that these massive removals are not only cruel and unnecessary but they are costing taxpayers a fortune," explains Ginger Kathrens, Director of The Cloud Foundation. "These animals are taken from their virtually cost-free, pristine environments in the wild, separated from their families and forced to live in filthy feedlot conditions on the government dole."

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak
anne@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 415-531-8454

Lauryn Wachs
lauryn@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 617-894-6939

Links of interest:

BLM Defends Utah Holding Facility http://bit.ly/eEGT38

AP Reports: Gov't Agency Accused of Abusing Wild Horses http://bit.ly/dYAwkV

Lisa Friday's full report to The Cloud Foundation: http://bit.ly/gHIjLX

Butterfield, UT short term wild horse holding video: http://bit.ly/hWO2fG%20

CNN Report, Issues with Jane Valez-Mitchell http://bit.ly/dvl7NE

French TV reports on wild horses http://t.co/4jKWYJg

CNN series on roundups http://exm.nr/ifONib

"High Crimes and Misdemeanors" - American Herds Report: http://bit.ly/gQlaxa

Foundation video calling to Defund the Roundups: http://bit.ly/hL0eOj

Unified Moratorium letter and 200 signatories http://bit.ly/6ck87L

"Wild Horses: Management or Stampede to Extinction?" - Reno Gazette Journal: http://bit.ly/fBCBz9

"Antelope Roundup a Disaster Wild Horses" - Foundation Press Release: http://bit.ly/h0kvEn

54 Members of Congress protest BLM management http://bit.ly/gFJDs1

Independent Report to Defund Roundups: http://bit.ly/gCyiu0

How to contact your Congresspeople: http://www.contactingthecongress.org

Photos, video and interviews available by request from the Cloud Foundation

The BLM’s “Sweet Deal”

Straight from the Horse's Heart


Article by Debbie Coffey from the PPJ Gazette

“Paid for with YOUR Tax Dollars, of Course!”

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?

Read MORE...

PBS documentary 'Thoroughbred' premiers May 5

Handicapper's Edge

From Central Kentucky to Dubai, PBS' documentary "Thoroughbred" captures the beauty of the breed, reveals the people whose lives revolve around this legendary creature and explores the history and traditions of the Thoroughbred world.  
Read MORE...

TWIN PEAKS RELEASE - A BITTERSWEET MOMENT IN A BROKEN PROGRAM

Humane Observer: Elyse Gardner

Dedicated to all those left behind...

               On April 6, 2011, I was back in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area to film a homecoming, always a welcome sight.  BLM's Litchfield Corrals were following through on the release and repatriation of 10 wild horses, 11 mules, and 1 burro, leaving behind all their 1,568 displaced horse family and friends and 159 displaced burros in holding pens who are fast being scattered throughout the country looking for a new raison d'etre.  Clearly, we are not the only species with midlife crises.
               Come along on this small but nice unroundup.

 Read MORE...

Update from the U.S. House Appropriations Hearing from Madeleine

Dear Friends and Supporters,

On April 14th, I was grateful to have the opportunity to be able to testify before Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Moran and Congresswoman Lummis of the U.S. House Interior Appropriations Committee.  I was honored to have so many great Americans in the room supporting the American Mustang.  We hope they make their decision to stop funding these wild horse roundups and encourage the BLM to adopt my sanctuary plan.

Elected Wyoming Politician Takes Horse Eating to the Public

Straight from the Horse's Heart

(In My Most Disgusted Opinion) by R.T. Fitch~Author/Director of HfH Advisory Council
“Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis Builds Horse Meat Cookbook

Twisted Horse Eater ~ Wyoming Rep. "Slaughterhouse" Sue Wallis

Just when you thought that it couldn’t get any more twisted or perverse Wyoming Rep. Sue Wallis rushes in waving a butcher cleaver and BBQ tongs while salivating over her new cookbook on how to prepare horses to EAT.

Another website has cropped up for the fiscally troubled and legally challenged Wallis and appears to be labeled Unified Equine where the sadistic politician describes herself; “ Sue Wallis and her husband, Rod McQueary, are writers, poets, thinkers, cookers, and eaters who raise grassfat natural beef on the Wallis family ranch on Bitter Creek, north of Recluse, Wyoming.”…first time this writer has ever heard anyone describe themselves as an “Eater”.

Wallis’ new website is created to dupe and cajole visitors into her defunct and deranged “Investment Opportunity”: Unified Equine is a corporation formed to humanely process excess horses that are past their useful lives, unsound and unable to recover, or dangerous and untrainable through a system designed to ensure the best possible handling of live horses, an instantaneous kill free from stress or pain, and the utilization of high quality meat, hides, hair, and byproducts. It is part of a holistic system that includes the Rescue, Rejuvenation, and Pasture, as well as Humane Processing. See details of the entire system at http://United-Horsemen.org.”  ….put’s a plug in there for ole Davie Duquette’s horse eating club and lists some of the most barbaric uses of American companion animals to date.

But it gets even sicker, she has created an entire horse cookbook, some of you thought I was kidding when I labeled these perverts (IMHO) as “horse eaters” but they truly are, check this out.

Hungry Enough to Eat a Horse  -Compiled here is a collection of articles, essays, blog posts, and random bits from a wide range of perspectives all extolling the merits and the pleasures of enjoying equine products – horse meat

The Culinary Horse - If you know of a great reference to using equine products for food, have a story to tell about horse meat, milk, or other products, or best of all a great recipe to share…you are invited to contribute! Please send me a note or give me a call.  Sue Wallis, sue.wallis52@gmail.com, 307 680 8515 cell, 307 685 8248 ranch

Healthy as a Horse – The Facts: Healthy Milk and Meat …of course, this is so laughable as there is no mention of the non-food animal drugs and carcinogens in U.S. horses, hence, without proper documentation horse meat from the U.S. is banned in the EU.

Right off from "Slaughterhouse" Sue's website

Recipes from Around the World - this is where it gets really sick complete with Wallis’ own, posted Horse Meat Chart, posted here.  But the recipes are about as perverted as can be, here is a favorite of hers representing the United States, she is so proud of it:

US- Fillet of Filly

Ingredients [ View Metric ]
   

4 1/4 lb filets of horse
   

4 Slices bacon
   

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Prepare exactly as for a filet mignon. Wrap outside of filet with uncooked bacon slice and secure with toothpicks. Broil to taste. Horse shares no parasites with man, in contrast to pork and beef. The meat is fine grained, tender and lacks fat. The flavor is superb. If one is not told, it would be indistinguishable from beef. Note: As a student at the University of Arizona, I bought whole horse filets for a very reasonable price. It was US Grade A inspected at that. In this country there seems to be an aversion to horseflesh. Not so elsewhere. In my resident state, it is illegal to sell horsemeat for human consumption. Silly rules. John Hartman Indianapolis, IN Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #179 by cro-magnon@juno.com on Jul 12, 1997

Gosh, aren’t those cooking directions interesting, I like that “silly rules” thingy thrown in there…and here is another Sue Wallis special:

Split Pea Soup with Horse
    Ingredients
       
   

    * horse meat – 200g
    * carrots – 80g
    * onions – 50g
    * melted butter – 20g
    * Potatoes – 400g
    * Peas – 120g
    * pepper, salt – to taste.

   
       

Get a young horse meat separated from bone and chop finely. Peas go, soak it in warm water before the swelling, put together with the horse in a saucepan, cover with cold water and put on fire. Pea soup is cooked longer than other filling soup (30 mins).  Before the meat and peas cooked, put salt, diced potatoes, carrots and onions. When they are cooked, add the bay leaf.

How about that “young horse” part, you know, just walk out there into the pasture and call over your prize QH colt and whisper in his ear, “guess who is coming for dinner?”  Or if you horses are hard to catch I guess you could look at your dog as they always come when you call, and how about the neighbor kids, they like candy don’t they?  Sick, disgusting and perverted beyond all human comprehension…this is the true Sue Wallis, her associates, her family, her local government and anyone who supports the mentally challenged and totally non-humane state representative from Wyoming.  This is…beyond words.

We have provided you with links to verify that we are not writing fiction, here, but reporting actual fact, this crap is too bizarre to make up and oh, one last thing.

This past week we posted Simone Netherlands interview on the Assault and Battery suit she has against the United Organizations of the Horse (which Wallis is trying to dump as I type) and Wallis herself.  Anytime and I mean every single time I write about Wallis ole Fred Hunter, aka D.D., shows up to admonish me with a lesson on how to subvert the English language and he did not let me down this time, last night these two emails came my way and if any of you now D.D. you know that this is vintage stuff:

“By the way a**hole Why did you send the bitch in there with false press credentials??? Tell the entire story you c**ksucker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Total Bull s**t RT you fagot Son of a Bitch…and u damm well know it c**ksuckers!!”

Nice company you keep there, Susie baby, and he represents YOUR organization.  Seems he is really hung up on that sucking thing, maybe his mommy weaned him just a little too early…hey, that may explain his attachment to you…do you think?   “Moooooo!”

Please excuse me while I go out and hug my horse, pet my dog, kiss my wife and get a breath of fresh air…think I will shower, too, to get the slime off from me.

Hell has a very special place for these monsters, I only wish that they would check out their allocated quarters sooner rather than later.

Keep the faith.

Federal Judge Orders Welfare Ranchers Off from BLM Public Lands

Straight from the Horse's Heart
Two more posts at Straight from the Horse's Heart:

I Cry for the Wild Horses

BLM Attempts to Double Talk Way Out of Bind, Again

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Take a Survey to Help Horses

I am a high school student in Georgia, and in my English class, I am researching horse slaughter. I would very much appreciate your responses to my survey. I know that your time is valuable; therefore, I've designed the survey to be extremely brief. Thank you for your time and for sharing your opinions.

My survey link:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5LM3MWM

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Glorious Glory

In Defense of Animals Blog

April 13th, 2011 | Author: Doll Stanley

The plight of horses is worsening. Some blame the economy; others say banning horse slaughter in the U.S. meant “owners” who couldn’t sell their horses let them starve. I say it’s both selfishness and ignorance. Horses are being overbred just like other companion animals. Those who think they can make a buck breed and then find out there are no buyers, at least at the prices they want, and they don’t want to feed what they can’t make money off of and certainly don’t want to give away what they might someday sell. The glut of horses means you can buy a horse for $50, or get one from someone who wants to “unload.”  It’s cool to have a horse and to tell folks you have a horse. Horses are like “trophy brides”: they express status, and, of course, there are some who actually think they’ll ride. The question is how many of these people are caught up in a whim with no thought of how to actually care for horses.   Read MORE...

BLM “News Release”Fraud?

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Story by Debbie Coffey (copyright 2011) from the PPJ Gazette
“Why shouldn’t we write or call our Congressmen and BLM management officials?   American soldiers fought and died so that you would be free to do this.  BLM POLICIES are set at THE TOP by Congress, and by Secretary Ken Salazar of the Department of the Interior, and by Bob Abbey, Director of the Bureau of Land Management.  Call and write to them. ”
AUTHORS NOTE:  ALL DOCUMENTS MENTIONED BELOW ARE AVAILABLE IN THE READING ROOM AT http://wildhorseeducation.org/

Photo by Laura Leigh

A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) News Release (the BLM seems to be using the word “news” loosely here) dated 5/28/10 with Lisa Reid and Dean Bolstad listed as contacts, was a BLM announcement of the final public tours at Indian Lakes Wild Horse Facility.
This BLM release states: “Indian Lakes is a privately-owned and operated  facility, was never intended as a public facility and isn’t staffed to serve the public.  As a result, staff from other offices have been taken away from priority work and unplanned costs have been incurred.”
The most important question is “WHY would a government agency use OUR money to put something publicly owned (OUR wild horses) on PRIVATE PROPERTY, where we can NEVER HAVE ACCESS to them again?” Isn’t this like stealing?
I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and asked for a list of staff taken from other offices, for a list of the priority work they were taken away from and for a list of and the amount of money spent on the “unplanned costs.”  I received a letter from Paulette L. Sanford of the Department of the Interior dated 10/6/2010, and was told “There is no itemized list or record of the amount of money spent on the unplanned cost” and “there is no list or record of staff who were detailed to work at the Indian Lakes Facility away from their priority work.”  
I also asked for any prior meeting notes and telephone conversation notes regarding the statement that Indian Lakes Road was “never intended as a public facility.”
I received a contract modification for the Indian Lakes Road facility (AKA Broken Arrow USA) dated 3/22/2010 and signed by Troy Adams, for two hour public tours to be held once a week for the period of 1/01/2010 – 12/31/2015!  So apparently, 5 days before the “news release,” and only 3 days before the e-mail below, a contract was signed for future public tours of the Indian Lakes Road facility for the next 5 years.  Why would the BLM prepare and have a contract signed for something that they never intended to happen?
I also received a copy of an e-mail dated 5/25/2010, from Dean Bolstad, Deputy Division Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Program, to (other BLM personnel) Edwin Roberson, Bud Cribley and Don Glenn, with a copy to John Neill, Lili Thomas, Lisa Reid, Doran Sanchez, Ron Wenker and Amy Leuders.
In this, Bolstad states:
“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.”
“John Neill’s and our veterinarian’s reputability is seriously being compromised by the fall out from the Indian Lakes tours.”
“The impact of stopping the tours pales in comparison to the impact to our employees and BLM’s image.”
“…the Churchill County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation following a complaint of alleged inhumane treatment of an animal at Indian Lakes.”
So, what prompted this investigation?

Photo by Laura Leigh

The public had many concerns, over a long period of time and it was not just about a few horses.
In the e-mail, Bolstad also stated:
“I am concerned about potential actions from the irrational and emotional publics that read Elyse Gardner’s blogs.  There have been no direct threats that we can take action against, but I’ve had calls from individuals who are clearly mentally unstable and others that express their outrage.”
Note that Bolstad stated “There have been NO DIRECT threats.”  BLM employees are Federal employees, and if they were threatened, the FBI would be called to investigate.  The FBI can track threatening phone calls that are made or e-mails that are sent to a government office or to a government employee.
I’ve read Elyse Gardner’s blog  (http://humaneobserver.blogspot.com/) and I don’t consider myself to be irrational and emotional.  You might have read her blog.  Do you consider yourself to be irrational and emotional?  Is Bolstad’s interpretation of “express outrage” a personal reaction to justified criticism of BLM policies and procedures?
I also received a copy of an Internal Working Document (ASLM Information Memorandum) dated 5/25/2010 from Dean Bolstad and John Neill which states:
“widely publicized extreme negative criticisms continue to erode BLM’s image.”
“The general public has had ample opportunities to view the Calico Complex wild horses, the Indian Lakes facility, and BLM’s operations.”
Usually, only about 10 members of the public were ALLOWED on the tour one day a week for a few hours, with one BLM employee leading the tour.  People had to call to make a reservation and give their name, phone number and city where they live.  If we’ve had “ample” opportunities to have access to our wild horses and the Indian Lakes facility, can we now remove our “ample” tax dollars that are paying for it?
“Due to outrage expressed by individuals that are often irrational and emotional, employees are becoming concerned for their personal safety, are experiencing high levels of stress and concerned that this negative publicity will motivate terrorism against our facilities similar to the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front arson fires that occurred in the late 1990’s.”
This is like suggesting that the entire population of the U.S. be put into prison since there’s crime.  Many BLM facilities have many surveillance cameras and monitors in the office.  (Instead of pointing cameras on the horses, that need to be observed, the cameras are on you, THE PUBLIC.)
“Nevada BLM supports terminating the tours given Headquarters approval.  Extreme objection from Elyse Gardner and the Cloud Foundation will occur and they will organize a wave of emails and phone calls to BLM management officials and Congressmen.”
Why shouldn’t we write or call our Congressmen and BLM management officials?   American soldiers fought and died so that you would be free to do this.  BLM POLICIES are set at THE TOP by Congress, and by Secretary Ken Salazar of the Department of the Interior, and by Bob Abbey, Director of the Bureau of Land Management.  Call and write to them.
Issues regarding the Indian Lakes holding facility and documents available at the time are included in the First Amendment Rights lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management filed by Laura Leigh in LEIGH v. SALAZAR.  To find out more about this lawsuit, go to http://wildhorseeducation.org/
All documents mentioned in this article are available for viewing in the “Reading Room” at http://wildhorseeducation.org/
To learn more about our wild horses and issues regarding the BLM:
http://wildhorseeducation.org/
http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/ ,
http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/
http://humaneobserver.blogspot.com/
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/
SOURCES:
BLM News Release, National Program Office, 5/28/2010
e-mail from FOIA request:  Dean Bolstad to Edwin Roberson, Bud Cribley, Don Glenn dated 5/25/2010
ASLM Information Memorandum, Internal Working Document, 5/25/2010, from Dean Bolstad and John Neill
Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract (Modification No. 0002), Broken Arrow USA, dated 3/22/2010
Letter from Patricia L. Sanford, Chief, Division of IRM Governance, Department of the Interior, dated 10/6/2010

Wayne Pacelle HSUS

April 13, 2011

Join Me at My Book Signing Event

Dear Friend,

Please join me for what I believe will be the dawn of a new era in our movement to protect animals. I’ve put my 25 years of work, experience and hopes into a book -- and I will be giving a public reading and signing April 25 at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you at this event for "The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them."

In the meantime, you can watch this latest video from the book tour and check out the early feedback.

I do hope you will join me on April 25 -- please RSVP on Facebook and help spread the word.

Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO

P.S. Can't make it? Order the "The Bond" online from Changing Hands and I will personalize a copy just for you. Learn more»

P.P.S. Get the latest on "The Bond" tour on Twitter. Look for #TheBondBook, and use this hashtag to tweet from an event, or post updates and photos.

Breaking Budget News, Horrible Conditions @ BLM Holding Facility & More

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign

Hello Supporter,                April 13, 2011

View this email online here.

New Report Exposes Deplorable Conditions at BLM Holding Facility

Captured Mustangs in Utah Forced to Live Knee-Deep in Mud, Feces, and Urine

AWHPC coalition partner The Cloud Foundation has released a shocking report and video exposing horrendous conditions at the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) Butterfield Short Term Wild Horse and Burro Holding Facility outside Salt Lake City, Utah.
The report was written by wild horse adopter and long-time horsewoman Lisa Friday, after she toured the holding pens last month. Friday observed mustangs standing knee deep in mud, feces and urine, barely able to move. She saw about 30 horses lying in the mud and muck for the entire three hours that she was present and noted a suspicious absence of foals despite the fact that this is foaling season.
Click here for video and to take easy action to urge Congress to hold BLM accountable for this recent and well-documented case of mismanagement and mistreatment of wild horses. 

BLM Releases Mustangs at Twin Peaks

Four stallions, four mares, 11 mules and one burro sent back to the range after months in captivity

Eight months after being captured in the largest wild horse roundup in California history, 11 mules, one burro and ten wild horses -- including the two pregnant mares above -- were released by the BLM on April 6, 2011 back to the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA), northeast of Susanville.

AWHPC was on site to document this release, which raises many questions about BLM's intentions. Among them: why is the agency releasing mustangs, including pregnant mares and mares with young foals, into an HMA that the agency claims is already over "Appropriate" Management Level?  Also questionable are the ethics of releasing heavily pregnant mares and mares with very young foals to the range where they must  fend for themselves without the safety of their family bands, which were destroyed in the roundup.

See video of release and support AWHPC's field work here.

Also of Note...

Breaking (Bad) News on the Federal Budget: 2011 Spending Bill Will Allow BLM to Resume Roundups

2012 Appropriations Underway

Last week, an eleventh-hour agreement between Congress and the Administration averted a government shutdown. A six-month Continuing Resolution (CR) authorizing spending for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 is expected to be approved and signed into law this week. The bill includes $1.1 billion for the BLM, a 1.5 % decrease from FY 2010. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee specifically highlighted in its press release on the CR that, "the amount of funding provided will allow the Bureau to fully meet its funding needs for the Wild Horse and Burro program."  As result, we are bracing for the roundups to resume in July. Additional details to follow soon.

While this is extremely disheartening news, we have another chance to impact BLM wild horse and burro management policy during the  FY 2012 budget appropriations process, which is currently underway.  Tomorrow, April 14, 2011, at 9:30 A.M., philanthropist and wild horse advocate Madeleine Pickens and U.S. Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) will testify on behalf of wild horses and burros before the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. The hearing will not be webcast, but check Saving America's Mustangs for updates.

Six Wild Horses Shot to Death in Oregon

The Crooks County, Oregon Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting deaths of six mustangs living in the Ochoco National Forest. The first three bodies were discovered in March by a deputy sheriff on routine patrol. The victims included two stallions and the pregnant mare pictured above being nuzzled by her orphaned yearling, who survived the shooting. Last week, the Sheriff's Department announced that it had discovered three more bodies. The Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition and the Humane Society of the United States are offering a reward for information leading to the conviction of the killers. Shooting a wild horse is a federal offense.