Wyoming: It’s Wild Horses and the BLM

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Story by Lauryn Wachs of The Cloud Foundation

Protesting to Save Wyoming’s Wild Horses

Rock Springs, Wyoming, is not exactly what I would call ‘close’ to Colorado Springs. Nevertheless, our new intern, Erin Clifford from Michigan; and I hopped in the car and started up I-25 northbound, picking up our fellow wild horse advocate friend, Rachel Reeves, along the way.
When we finally pulled up the drive to the BLM office the first thing I noticed was my tax dollars at work: a shiny new building complete with landscaping and the works.

BLM Office in Rock Springs

Our little group of advocates joined together outside the building, which included our carload, a few other superb advocates from Northern Colorado, and two delightful women who came all the way from California! We totaled ten people, but our signs and presence were enough to frustrate the folks inside.

From left: Advocate extraordinaire Linda Hanick, Erin, and Lauryn

Part of the protest crew. Photo by Frances Miller

During the meeting itself we were surrounded by a lot of ranchers, most of who belonged to the Rock Springs Grazing Association – the largest grazing association in the country. Each of them gave a sentence or two on the plusses of helicopter roundups and how necessary they were, same ole, same ole. We had some great points brought up by each of the wild horse advocates who spoke. Trying to explain the issues we have with helicopter use during roundups in only three minutes is no small feat!
With everyone a little tense after the meeting, Rachel, who is quite familiar with the herds in the area, suggested journeying up the road to the White Mountain, one of the herds that is slated for a roundup and now is going to have only gelded stallions remaining post-roundup if the BLM has their way.

A White Mountain mare

The sun was slowly setting, but as it was the summer solstice and we were out on the range well after 9 watching the horses and enjoying  “magic hour” with them. It was Erin’s first wild horse experience, and you should have seen her face!

One band was urged on by their stallion

An older bachelor is forced onward by a bay roan stallion

Lauryn and Rachel

In the morning we woke up early to stop by the Rock Springs Corrals, the short-term holding facility in town. The only way to find it is to follow the sign that says “Wild Horse Viewing” which inspired a large eye roll from yours truly. We parked at the overlook to the corrals and were glad to see that at least the corrals were clean. It seemed they were in the middle of doing a lot of cleanup, probably in preparation for the White Mountain herd that we had seen just last night. It was a bitter reminder of the impending terrible summer that faces those horses and the ones in the Little Colorado herd just next door.

The Rock Springs Corrals

Instead of taking the normal interstate highway drive back to Colorado Springs, we diverted to visit Colorado’s largest herd in Sand Wash Basin just north of Maybell. To get there we drove through the Salt Wells herd area in Wyoming, but we saw no horses. This herd was devastated last year. Almost all the horses are now incarcerated at taxpayer expense.
We drove into the Sand Wash area as far as we could, given the short amount of time we had to spend there. We encountered some absolutely stunning bachelors and a large band that had a couple of foals. They are truly a striking herd based on what we saw.

This pinto bachelor was really beat up, but still going strong

An absolutely stunning trio of bachelors

It doesn’t matter how many wild horses you’ve seen or where you’ve seen them, they still leave you awestruck every time. It’s truly an addicting experience, and we were hard-pressed to leave Sand Wash. And it is a strong reminder of how important it is for us, the American public who these horses belong to, to stand up and give a voice to all our wild horses and burros. I know I’ll do my best to make sure the wild ones stay wild.
All the best,
Lauryn

Related articles

• Breaking News: BLM to Sterilize Wild Horse Herds in WY (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Wild Horses: “D” is for Destroy, Devastate and Decimate – the BLM’s plan for Wyoming’s Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Raw Press Release: BLM Re-evaluates Wild Horse Gather Decision Record (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Action Alert: Easy Way to Save WY Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Protests Planned Against Obama Administration Sterilizing Free Roaming Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)

Phoenix BLM 3/10 & 3/11 Protest info & schedule

For more information contact:

Makendra Silverman - makendra@thecloudfoundation.org

Garnet Pasquale - flairpro@earthlink.net (please include your phone number)

Kathleen Wattle - azwildhorseteam@gmail.com (please include your phone number)

The Cloud Foundation, Respect4Horses, HfH Advisory Board, America’s Wild Horse Advocates, Grass Roots Horse, and many, many more horse advocates all over the nation, stand together in a unified call to stop BLM roundups.  

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be having their Advisory Board Meeting in Phoenix AZ on March 10^th and 11^th. They will be discussing strategies for further removal and stockpiling and perhaps even euthanasia of America’s Wild Horses and Burros.

We are asking YOU to come stand with us, demanding a screeching halt to the unsustainable, cruel, and un-necessary  BLM round-ups, before it is too late.  

Schedule:

Thursday March 10^th:

Location: in front of and in the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, 340 N. 3^rd street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

11.30 am- 12.30 pm: Press Conference.

1.00 pm -5.00 pm : BLM Advisory Board Meeting

5.15 pm -7.00 pm : Horse Advocate Pizza Party/Meeting.  

7.00 pm - 8.00 pm: Candlelight vigil for all the wild horses and burros that have died and suffered at the hands of the BLM.

Friday March 11^th :

Location: in front of and in the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, 340 N. 3^rd street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

8.00 am -12.00 noon: Attend the BLM Advisory Board Meeting and deliver our comments.

10.00 am – 2.00 pm Demonstration/ Protest in front of the Sheraton Phoenix downtown Hotel,

1 pm – 5 pm BLM Advisory Board Meeting.

6.00 pm Horse Advocate dinner. (going Dutch)

We need as many people as possible for the demonstration and the candlelight vigil.

Thurs noon 3/10 Press Conference led by Ginger Kathrens, The Cloud Foundation

Thurs. Candlelight Vigil led by AWHA, and The Cloud Foundation

Fri . Street Protest led by AWHA, and the AZ Wild Horse Team

Fri. Public Comment period at Advisory Board.* Some Advocates going to that – many others are Commenting (Protesting ) on the Street only.

*Excerpt. The public may address the Advisory Board from 9 a.m. to noon local time on Friday, March 11. Individuals who want to make a statement should register with the BLM by 8:30 a.m. that Friday at the meeting site. Depending on the number of speakers, the Board may limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings; however, this time limit may vary. Speakers, who should address the specific wild horse and burro-related topics listed on the agenda, must provide a written statement of their comments, which may be brought to the meeting.

See here for Formal BLM announcement: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2011/february/NR_02_09_2011.html

Garnet

America’s Wild Horse Advocates – Las Vegas, NV