With the euthanasia of two more elders from the wild horse bands that formerly inhabited Nevada's Calico Mountain Complex, it is becoming increasingly difficult not to conclude that the BLM has a calculated plan to break down the hierarchy of familial groups by eliminating their most senior members.
Within the last 48 hours, a 20-year-old "poor conditioned" mare was euthanized because of purported hyperlipemia and metabolic failure, the diagnosis du jour for most of the horses who have been put down. We don't know if she was in foal, or whether she had a foal by her side. We never do.
And just today, a 25-year-old stallion was euthanized due to "poor condition" as a result of "tooth loss." What? Are we to believe that this horse came in from the range with no teeth? It seems more likely that he may have lost some teeth from being knocked around during the roundup, or from being put in too close proximity to other stallions, all of whom are jockeying for position in carmped quarters.
Since February 3rd, around the time that the Calico roundup ended, a total of nine older mares (20 years old or older) and four senior stallions have been euthanized because the BLM vets have deemed them unable to thrive. These horses were all doing fine on their own, but they became expendable when they failed to adapt to the radical changes that captivity imposed on them. At least 75 Calico horses, and untold numbers of their unborn foals, have died at the hands of the BLM since late December.
It's not only the loss of the horses themselves that deserves to be mourned and remembered. The intangible casualty of the BLM's crash and burn wild horse management strategy is what International Society of Mustangs and Burros President Karen Sussman calls, "herd wisdom--the knowledge passed from older to younger animals."
Ms. Sussman's perceptions, based on her years of living with wild horse herds on the Cheyenne River Reservation near Eagle Butte, South Dakota, are pertinent now, as we watch the dissolution of the Calico bands and wait with dread for more roundups:
"The captures continue unabated; today, more wild horses are stuck in holding facilities--theoretically awaiting adoption--than are running free. Not able to run as fast or as far, the young and old are the most likely to be caught. When an older stallion or dominant mare is taken from its bankd, chaos ensues; raised without elders, the younger ones grow up dysfunctional."
In her article entitled, "Saving Sacred Species," Tracy Basile notes that "the most important lesson Sussman has learned about saving wild horses is the way in which we save them--keep intact bands together and respect the herd wisdom of the elders."
Comments
I am a strong wild horse advocate. I stay abreast of updates and keep educating myself in all ways possible. I document with my photography and presence online and in the real world.
I have been out to BLM's Fallon facility on February 28th and I am going again this coming Sunday. I am a member of The wild Horse Preservation League out of Dayton, Nevada. I would like to bring reporting to the Examiner here online. I am editing a story from interviews I did at The Artattack Gallery Fundraiser on 3/13/2010, for "Let "Em Run Foundation" called "Horse Heart" benefiting our wild horses. It was a discerning juried art show and a huge success! Please feel fre to view my photos on flickr.com. You can do a people search for ~ artattackcat ~ Cat Kindsfather.
I have photos from the prison mustang adoptions, The TRUTH RALLY in Carson City, The Calico Herds at BLM's Fallon facility and the Artattack Galley fundraiser in Incline Village. Please consider me for reporting on our wild herd
face the facts:
Dear, did you have a point to make or just needed a space to rant incoherently?
Because nothing of what you said was either pertinent to the article or even made much sense. I suspect it's difficult to type and foam at the mouth with rage at the same time.
But thanks for stoppin' by. We're here to help.
The BLM continues to harm our horses. It saddens me that two more elders have been euthanized. And I certainly agree with Ms. Harmonay regarding the older stallion with "tooth loss". This must have happened while he was in the hands of the BLM.
When President Obama was running for office, he made statements to the effect, that the well-being of animals was of importance to him. It's very obvious now, these statements were made for only one reason, to increase votes.
Despite President Obama's empty words, we will continue to fight for the freedom and well-being of our wild horses.
More of the same old BLM “BS” to justify terrorizing, maiming and killing America’s wild horses-burros. A twenty year old horse is at the prime of their lives. They are the historic wild horse genetic pool and wise teachers for their offspring, who are the adoptable ones. It is blatantly criminal that they that were not allowed to remain on their legal range, the BLM policy in past years, until the Reagan thru current administrations and their “sagebrush rebel” greedy mentality (NV State Senator Dean Rhoads the ring leader) began stealing our public lands, infiltrating BLM, illegally twisting the federal laws to achieve evil selfish goals. Their first target was annihilating America’s wild horses- burros, a now endangered species. By established evolutionary and mitochondrial scientific evidence are a re-introduced North American Native Species. As of 3-17-2010 100 dead Calico horses are victims of this new BLM facility in the last 3 weeks and reflective of incompetence, neglect an
CONTINUED:. As of 3-17-2010 100 dead Calico horses are victims of this new BLM facility in the last 3 weeks and reflective of incompetence, neglect and cruelty to a species that should alive and free roaming on their legal lands. The criminal intent is clear! An independent criminal investigation is demanded. Wake up America.
Betty Kelly
Carson City NV 89704
Betty-are you just not all there?-why should the taxpayers pay-and be told what to pay-by a bunch of disorganized finger pointing "activists" that can't even agree with each other on a plan of action other than the government is in some conspiracy to wipe out the leftover feral horses and burros from the Gold and Silver rushes-if you people cannot even understand that the "wild" horses in nevada are no different than the feral cat problem in Austrailia-why even reason with the unreasonable?-none of you have the brain power to even understand the base fundamentals here-the horses are an invasive species left by man-THEY endanger other NATIVE species of the NV range -most of the range you idiots say has been the horses ancestral home for a million years was part of the inland ocean known as Lake Lahontan-so unless you are counting prehistoric sea horses you have absolutely no basis in truth here. So all your endangered species blow hard bull is nothing but lies.
OMG a 20 year old horse is in it's prime?-what a pack of howling idiots you people are -what are we counting another 10 years if we put the horse on life support so it lives till it is 40?-when is the last time you saw a 40 year old horse? and we are talking range horses-no veterinary care no stable food supply-snakes, cougars, distemper-I don't think most of you here even really know how to take care of a horse-otherwise you would not think that the range was better than adoption-if there are a bunch of horses "held captive" as you say-is it not because not enough people adopt them? why aren't you screaming finger pointers adopting the horses and buying them range land-put YOUR money where YOUR ignorant mouth is and if ya'll want to have preserve for 30,000 horses and pay for everything thru your own special interest fundraising -THEN DO IT and quit bad mouthing, and slandering the BLM-hell if The BLM was a celebrity they would be sueing your butts for liable right now
I really think they should be suing Sheryl Crow for liable
Clear CRIMINAL intent? Why don't you people go after obviously murderers like Haloberton-yes the BLM is all Jeffrey Dahmers and they ENJOY torturing and killing innocent horses-it is their hobby-see just freakin delusional-hell BLM people have done more to "save " the horses than any of you blow hard do nothing but gripe "activists" the only criminal intent I see is your slander-
Oh the BLM won't be suing anyone -they know already that their ridicules lies don't last long in court - just ask Western Water Sheds. Its incomprehensible anyone could terrorize our wild horses and abuse them in every way possible -but that is what our gov. is allowing the BLM, US Wildlife, Dept of Agric. and F& G to do. They will all pay-as we will let they world see the horrific abuse they have subjected our majestic horses to in their greedy quest to steal the our public lands from the the wild horses. It is also amazing to me that the BLM, US Wildlife, Dept of Agric. and F& G are run by cowardly, ignorant, stupid, incompetant, immoral corrupt liars and our gov. allows this genocide. Our hero in this story is magnificent black wild stallion from Nevada, "Freedom " who bravely fought the cowardly- corrupt wild horse murderers when they ran his family down with helicopters, he fought them and when all was lost he jumped a six foot jail and escaped. The BLM is responsible for k
I can't wait to see my friend Toledo again. He was so wise and patient example for the younger horses and I thank God for being able to enjoy his company until he died naturally around those who loved him and whom he loved at the age of 32. I love and miss my wise and wonderful friend and can't wait to see him again. America is a Nation betrayed by the BLM who lie to the American people and Congress, are so corrupt, ignorant and cruel that they have already brutally abused and routed to slaughter thousands of our Majestic American Wild Horses that they were supposed to protect ! They illegally killed off over 100 herds, continue to illegally profit off our public lands and destroy our public lands. They are brutal thugs who are murdering our beloved wild horses and need to be held accountable and prosecuted. They murder all the horses they can and their brutality and ignorance is disgraceful !
“Many of the dead include mares and stallions in their twenties who deserved to die with dignity on the land of their birth,” states Ginger Kathrens, producer of the acclaimed Cloud documentaries and Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation. “Instead, these old horses were forced to run miles over back-breaking, volcanic ground, chased by a helicopter in the dead of winter when all their energies should have been focused on surviving until spring. For them, spring never came.” The ones who made it through the illegal inhuman terrifiing round up are now being murdered in secret by the BLM especially our beloved Elders of the Herd. These corrupt liars can't wait to illegally kill off all our treasured beautiful horses so they can serve they cattle industry and put MILLIONS of PRIVATE WELFARE CATTLE on OUR PUBLIC LANDS-THESE CATTLE DESTROY THE LAND, WILDLIFE, PLANTS AND WILDLIFE AND COST US UP TO 1 BILLION PER YEAR -DISGRACEFUL !
If what the BLM says is true then why do they NEVER offer a single picture as proof!??
every single round-up and holding facility, and every single wild horse in their control should have pictures and records!
For 40 years the BLM and their buddie contractors have been running horses to death and causing road founder on countless mustangs!
Gone are the days where they would run them off cliffs or have shoot them days with the park service. Or maybe they stillrun them off cliffs without Vids or pictures the BLM just KIES. BLM= 40 years of killing wild horses!
I demand 24/7 webcams on all BLM facilities and activities!! I demand every single mustang be ID-ed and picture proof!!
BLM thank God these are modern times and we have the internet to show how you're nothing but a bunch of old school mustang haters!! go run your ranch quarter horse mares and foals for 10 miles, why not?? cause it kills them thats why!!
I understand both arguements pro and against herding up these horses. If no population control is practiced they would multiply until resources were depleted and obviously that's of no benefit to anyone, INCLUDING the horses. On the other hand, using helicopters to round them up is way over the top in my opinion! I think the awnser is in controling the horses' ability to reproduce. I'm not sure exactly sure how this could be executed as you obviously can't catch the mares all the time for injections. Obviously one able bodied stallion can breed countless mares, and you can't geld them all. I don't know the awnser exactly, but I think that would be a good area to do some more brain storming on.. Think I'll ask my Vet what his thoughts are...
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