Story and Photo by Laura Leigh, Horseback Magazine

RENO, (Wild Horse Education/Wild Horse Freedom Federation) – On February 18, 2012 the Bureau of Land Management offered the public an opportunity to adopt horses directly from their home range. The event was held adjacent to the temporary holding facility utilized during the roundup operation that ended February 17.

Potential adopters were given opportunity to view animals and talk to agency personnel and advocates working onsite in cooperation with BLM.  The animals were then freezemarked, haltered and loaded onto trailers.

In spite of the cold temperature the atmosphere at the event was warm and inviting. Seven out of twelve animals offered were adopted in private care during the event. Among the animals offered to the public was a youngster that had clubfoot. This young horse was adopted along with his friend and went to a rescue group.

Another adopter took a pair that had been removed from the range together and a motivating factor in her choice was to “make sure they stay together.”

Nevada Horse Power, the non-profit group partially funded by the sales of vanity license plates, was on hand and helped provide transportation for some of the adopters.

“I am against excessive removal of horses,” said Elyse Gardner, wild horse advocate that has a blog titled “Humane Observer, “ but when they need to come off the range this is a great option that may avoid additional trauma as long as all compliance checks are done.

The five youngsters that were not taken during this event were driven in a BLM trailer by Shawna Richardson, wild horse and burro specialist, to Palomino Valley Center north of Reno where they will be available for adoption.

All requirements of BLM adoption program apply.

The Tonopah field office will be removing burros from the Bullfrog Herd Management area starting March 1. An adoption event has been proposed at some point during this operation. To find out more contact Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Dustin Hollowell: dhollowe@blm.gov

Never Too Young To Make a Difference!

By Lacey Jo Edge

Cloud Photo by Terry Fitch, Horseback Magazine

WASHINGTON, (Unwanted Horse Coalition) – If you think someone as young as 13 years old could never make a difference, let me convince you otherwise. For a long while, I felt like I was too young, too small and too insignificant to make something happen until one day my eyes were opened. I was browsing on Facebook, like most teens do, and stumbled across a page called Cloud the Stallion. It was a page about a mustang stallion and his herd in Southern Montana/Northern Wyoming. The majesty of these wild horses truly moved me. Their plight really made me think.

After that day, it was just sign after sign that Someone above wanted me to protect man’s true best friend. I learned about horse slaughter and the horse industry, along with more about the wild herds. I spoke about it in speech competitions and was very determined to make a change.

I soon discovered The Unwanted Horse Coalition and Operation Gelding. I knew this was what the signs were pointing to! I had FINALLY found something that I could do to help!

I convinced my Silver Saddle 4H Club to support having an Operation Gelding. We put together everything in just a couple of months’ time. We found a wonderful veterinarian who volunteered his time, staff and clinic for the “event.” We advertised and of course, put it on Facebook! I wanted to fill every spot that the Unwanted Horse Coalition had given us. In 2010, we gelded 20 stallions and I was very proud of that.

This year [I’m 14 now!] on September 19, 2011 we gelded another 18 stallions. It’s interesting to see the stallions we get. We have had rescued stallions as old as 13 years that were starving at the hands of owners who didn’t care, a 9 year old draft horse, lots of weanlings, yearlings and even miniature donkeys!

Some people recycle and others volunteer at soup kitchens, but as for me, I work to protect the beautiful animals that give so much love and deserve the world. I can’t wait until 2012’s Operation Gelding. We’re going to find 20 more stallions and take them out of the dating scene!

WINNEMUCCA, NEV (BLM)  – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District concluded the Tri-State Calico Complex wild horse and burro gather on Monday, Jan. 9. The preliminary numbers for the animals gathered are 1,203 excess wild horses and 142 excess wild burros gathered from the HMAs, located northeast of Gerlach, Nev., and northwest of Winnemucca, Nev., within Humboldt and Washoe counties. Of those gathered, some stallions and mares were released back to the range after the mares received a 22-month fertility control vaccine treatment.

“The gather was a success and significant strides have been made on the public rangelands with the removal of excess wild horse and burros,” said District Manager Gene Seidlitz. “In turn, we now have a better balance with wildlife, livestock, and wild horse and burros. During this gather, the BLM provided a transparent and safe opportunity to the American public, to take time to observe and interact with the BLM staff to gain additional insight and information about the BLM’s management of wild horses.”

The gather started on Nov.

19. The gathered wild horses have been transported to the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nev., and the majority of wild burros were transported to Broken Arrow/Indian Lakes Facility at Fallon, Nev., where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program.

Un-adopted horses will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanly cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter.

The Complex consisted of approximately 584,000 acres (public and private) but the gather area consisted of approximately 1,041,000 acres to encompass wild horses and burros residing outside of the HMAs. The Complex included the following HMAs: Black Rock Range East, Black Rock Range West, Calico Mountains, Granite Range, Warm Springs Canyon, and McGee Mountain.

Removing the excess wild horses and wild burros will help to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship as required under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, and Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as well as help to achieve and maintain healthy wild horse and burro populations.

For more information, contact Lisa Ross, BLM Winnemucca District public affairs specialist, at 775-304-8850 or lross@blm.gov. ]]> http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/13554/feed 5 http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/13521 http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/13521#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:26:54 +0000 steven http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/?p=13521

BLM to Begin Pancake Complex Wild Horse Gather

This new way of managing large herd management area (HMA) complexes involves conducting three to four gathers over a six to 10 year period instead of one much larger removal in order to reach AML. The project involves smaller removals and increased use of population controls to slow the wild horse population growth rate. The Pancake Complex, which is located approximately 30 miles west of Ely and 80 miles northeast of Tonopah, Nevada, currently has an estimated wild horse population of 2,200, of which an estimated 1,847 are in excess of low AML. The initial operation will remove approximately 800-1,000 excess wild horses from the Complex.

The Pancake HMA has an AML of 240-493 wild horses, but currently has a population of more than 1,653 wild horses; the Sand Springs West HMA has an AML of 49 wild horses and a population of 153 wild horses; the Jakes Wash Herd Area (HA), which is managed for 0 wild horses has a population of 132 wild horses; and 270 wild horses in the Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory (WHT) where the AML is 72-96 wild horses. The current wild horse population estimates include the 2011 foal crop. Wild horse numbers fluctuate between the HMAs, HA and WHT, based on seasonal movement.

The gather and removal of excess wild horses, and implementation of population control measures for horses that would be released are intended to slow wild horse population growth, maintain population size within the appropriate management levels necessary to achieve a thriving natural ecological balance on the public lands and to extend the time before another gather to remove excess wild horses

would be needed.

Public lands within the HMAs and WHT will be open to the public during the gather operations, subject to necessary safety restrictions. The public is welcome to attend the gather, and is encouraged to attend on Saturdays, when the media and public will have enhanced opportunities to view gather activities. The BLM has tentatively scheduled the dates of January 14, 21 and 28; and February 4, 11, and 18.

The dates are subject to change depending upon weather and gather operations, and the public is encouraged to check the gather hotline nightly (775-289-1880) for changes in the schedule. Saturdays will provide visitors more opportunity to interact with BLM staff and could include escorted opportunities to observe the animals at the gather and holding corrals. For more information or to sign up, call Analise Forbush, BLM Ely District administrative assistant, at (775) 289-1866. The BLM will also regularly post gather information on its website at: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office.html.

The gather will be conducted in close coordination with the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s (NDOA) Brands Division. The NDOA brand inspectors will verify that all gathered animals are wild horses and burros as defined by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. Once verified, the brand inspector will provide the BLM a certificate to transport the animals.

Without this cooperation and coord ination, the BLM would not be able to remove the excess wild horses and burros which, if not removed

in a timely manner, would result in degradation of our native rangelands. The NDOA also may take jurisdiction of any estray, branded or abandoned domestic horse(s) under the State of Nevada estray laws.

The gathered animals will be transported to the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nev., and the Gunnison Prison Wild Horse Facility in Gunnison, Utah, where they will be offered for adoption to qualified individuals. Un-adopted horses will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter.

For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at (775) 289-1842 or chris_hanefeld@blm.gov. 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. ]]> http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/13521/feed 1 http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/12624 http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/12624#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:59:00 +0000 steven http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/?p=12624  

GEORGETOWN, TX (Mustang Heritage Foundation) – the first Extreme Mustang Makeover Team Roping.

The event is designed to show the trainability of Mustangs and their ability to successfully compete in rop

ing events. The wild American Mustangs previously untouched by humans will begin training for the competition in May. The Extreme Mustang Makeover Team Roping will be held August 31- September 1 at the Wildfire Arena in Salado, Texas. It will be held in conjunction with the Sixth Annual Resistol Roping.

Applications are due April 2, 2012. An estimated $30,000 in prize money will be up for grabs to the top 10 placing trainers. All Mustangs competing in the Extreme Mustang Makeover Team Roping will be available for adoption on September 1 following the competition. The competition will consist of four classes – steer stopping, heeling, team roping (option to head or heel) and a maneuvers class to display the reining ability of the horse.

In addition to competing for an estimated $30,000 purse, trainers will also receive 50 percent of the adoption price above the $200 minimum. Mustangs will be randomly assigned to approved trainers and will be picked up from the Bureau of Land Management facility in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, in May.

“Our trainers have showcased the talents of Mustangs as roping partners for years, and this event will allow them to focus on roping more specifically to display the athletic ability and intelligence of American Mustangs,” said Patti Colbert, Mustang Heritage Foundation executive director.

The Mustang Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (www.blm.gov) created the Extreme Mustang Makeover events to highlight the recognized value of Mustangs through a national training competition. The events give the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts and then have the chance to adopt one of these treasured animals.

Since the inception of the Extreme Mustang Makeover events in 2007, the Mustang Heritage Foundation has placed more than 3,000 Mustangs, and an estimated 100,000 fans have filled the stands and walked the barns of events held across the United States.

For more information on the

-MORE-

Extreme Mustang Makeover Team Roping or other Extreme Mustang Makeover events, visit www.extrememustangmakeover.com. For more information on the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s adoption programs, visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.

Date                                        Event – City, State                 

January 19-21, 2012                Mustang Magic – Fort Worth, Texas 

March 31, 2012                       Supreme Extreme Mustang Adoption – Fort Worth, Texas

April 20-22, 2012                    Extreme Mustang Makeover – Madison, Wisconsin

May 18-20, 2012                     Extreme Mustang Makeover – Norco, California

June 8-10, 2012                       Extreme Mustang Makeover – Ft. Collins, Colorado

June 29-July1, 2012                Extreme Mustang Makeover – Albany, Oregon

August 10-12, 2012                Extreme Mustang Makeover – Gloucester County, New Jersey

August 31-Sept 1, 2012          Extreme Mustang Makeover Roping Edition – Salado, Texas

September 13-15, 2012           Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover – Fort Worth, Texas

October 19-21, 2012               Extreme Mustang Makeover – Clemson, South Carolina

Photo by Laura Leigh, Horseback Magazine

HOUSTON, (WHFF) – Two actions brought into Federal Court by Laura Leigh, Founder of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and VP of Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) moved forward this week.

Litigation filed referencing First Amendment claims against the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Interior that addresses areas of discriminatory access, and access denied, to document the governments care or lack there of wild herds will be heard on January 9 in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This case began in 2010 and addresses repetitive conduct by the Defendants toward hiding actions from public scrutiny.

Plaintiff Leigh contends that the activities addressed in

that case are ongoing to date. Leigh says “the games continue.”

“If government becomes committed to silencing those voices of opposition, or to hiding their actions to avoid opposition,” states Leigh’s attorney Gordon Cowan of Reno “we have truly entered into dangerous times.”

This case has been signed on through Amicus brief by both the Reporters Committee for a Free Press and the National Press Photographers Association. The outcome of this case may have far-reaching ramifications into the ability of the American Press to address issues that create controversial conversation in the public sphere.

In Leigh’s other ongoing action against the Agency, that has become known as the “Humane action” case, the BLM has published their reply to the Court.

The agency’s defense includes statements that challenge Leigh’s right to address the actions she witnessed (including a helicopter skid striking a horse), and the timeliness of her claim, yet fail to address any measures the Agency has taken to rectify the situations that cause such activity to occur.

“It is so absurd that an agency tasked with humane care of our wild herds by Congress has no standard of care and consequence for violation.

Instead it is left up to a citizen to address the issue in a Courtroom,” said Leigh “And even after we gain a TRO (temporary restraining order) the agency still will argue my right to call them on inappropriate behavior instead of addressing it.

It’s like dealing with a very naughty child.”

The Complaint filed by Leigh addresses conduct that was clearly demonstrated at the Triple B roundup earlier this year in eastern Nevada. The conduct addressed has been documented on many occasions at other operations by the agency.

“The amount of work required to obtain documentation and then format it into appropriate action to create meaningful change is incredible,” states Leigh “We are talking about two simple premises here: handle our horses with care and demonstrate accountability to the public. Why is this so difficult to accomplish within the agency tasked, and paid, to do exactly that?”

Leigh and her at torney will be filing their response

to the Court before Thanksgiving.

“Leigh is working diligently in both field and research,” states equine author R.T. Fitch and President of WHFF “and the commitment of Ms. Leigh, WHFF and the American public to see this through to a positive outcome has never been stronger.”

Links of interest:

http://WildHorseEducation.org

http://WildHorseFreedomFederation.org

Video:

Horse hit with helicopter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXB0Wq3nRE

Orphan and hotshot use
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPi7emkvWLg

Foal chased and roped
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyM9a11ihLs

Clips of denied or discriminatory Access
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2p3KwmgJ6I

Wyoming

Tuesday, November 2, 2011, the U.S. District Court in Wyoming granted the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) and our coalition partners,The Cloud Foundation (TCF) and the International Society for the Protection of Mustang and Burros (ISPMB), the right to intervene in the lawsuit filed by the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) against the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The court decision gives AWHPC, TCF and ISPMB the right to vigorously defend Wyoming’s mustangs against the RSGA’s attempts to remove all wild horses from a 2 million-acre swath of public land in southern Wyoming.

We will mount this aggressive defense because we know that the federal government will not — especially since the Interior Department itself advised the grazing association to file this litigation as a way

to get Congress to appropriate more funding for wild horse roundups and removals!

This lawsuit epitomizes what our wild horse herds are up against in all 10 Western states — it is one battle that we simply cannot afford to lose.

But we need your help to continue this fight for the mustangs!

HOUSTON, (WHFF) – An amended complaint was filed yesterday, September 8^th 2011, in Federal District Court Reno, Nevada. The action was filed by attorney Gordon Cowan on behalf of Plaintiff Laura Leigh, Founder of Wild Horse Education (WHE) and Vice President of Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF), against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Interior (DOI) asserting allegations of inhumane treatment of wild horses at roundups.

The amended Complaint comes after a Temporary Restraining Order was issued to inhumane helicopter pilot conduct at the Triple B roundup in Eastern Nevada. That decision was rendered more than a week ago by Federal Judge H.

McKibben. The BLM has yet to directly address the ruling. Instead the BLM simply released a report completed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) which claims that conduct is acceptable, but cautions helicopters to keep their distance, on the same day the Court ruled.

“This is the exact conduct that the Court found distressing,” said Leigh “Instead of saying ‘there is something wrong and this is how we have fixed it’ they continue to deny that there are any issues by simply ignoring the obvious consequences of their operations.”

On September 10^th, tomorrow, the same agency,

the same contractor and perhaps the same pilot will begin another roundup at Barren Valley in Oregon.

“Another roundup and still no clear parameters for conduct” stated R.T. Fitch President and co-founder of WHFF “once again it’s full steam ahead for the BLM’s Wild Horse Harvesting Machine regardless of an Order given by a Federal Court. I am neither surprised nor am I amused”

Viewing opportunities at the Barren Valley Roundup will be limited to ten observers that must obtain BLM approval to

be added to the attendance roster. It has been reported that the agency has not returned calls made by concerned individuals attempting to be included on

the listing.

In addition the BLM is a defendant in a First Amendment suit also brought by Leigh that is now in the Ninth Circuit. The suit alleges that discriminatory access, and limited access, to avoid public review of their actions is commonplace within the management of Wild Horses on public lands.

###

Wild Horse Freedom Federation

(WHFF

) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with 501c3 status pending.  WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horses and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.

Links of Interest:

Wild Horse Education ~ http://wildhorseeducation.org

Wild Horse Freedom Federation ~ http://www.wildhorsefreedom.org

Video of horse being hit ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXB0Wq3nRE

Straight from the Horse’s Heart Blog ~ http://rtfitch.wordpress.com

Laura Leigh’s Blog ~ http://artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com/

Equine Welfare Alliance ~ http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org

RENO, (Wild Horse Education) – Wild Horse Education has published the draft report on operations at the Triple B roundup in Nevada.

The report contains photographs and video of the roundup during foaling season that has already taken the lives of 9 horses.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “gather report” claims these foal deaths have been due to abnormalities in the young horses.

Documentation obtained shows otherwise.

“The development of the foals I have seen ar
e all within normal range,” says Laura Leigh, founder/President of Wild Horse Education and VP of Wild Horse Freedom Federation “Joint development in young foals has a broad range of normal.

None of the foals I was actually able to observe showed any fatal abnormality other than inflammation and damage from a run that never should have been allowed to happen.”

Other issues with this roundup include over driving, poor loading, lack of appropriate amounts of water and lack of public assessment opportunity.

Report can be downloaded for printing and faxing to Congress at:

http://WildHorseEducation.org

or here: http://wildhorseeducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/draftreport_tripleb_leigh.pdf

In Reno, Nevada on July 29-31, 2011

Photo by Steven Long,      PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO (Parelli) – Just three days to start eight gathered mustangs under saddle might sound like a time crunch to some people, but to horseman Pat Parelli, it sounds like all the time in the world.  Parelli, along with a team of seven Parelli Professionals, will demonstrate the techniques of natural horse taming at this once-in-a-lifetime event in Reno, Nevada on July 29-31, 2011.

“Wild horse taming and colt starting, done naturally – in a way that makes sense to the horse, should be beautiful, educational and exciting,” says Parelli. “Starting young horses is not about having a timeline.

It is about taking the time it takes so that it takes less time.”

Audience members and live webcast viewers for the Reno event will have a firsthand glimpse as the horsemen start a group of wild mustangs provided in cooperation from the Bureau of Land Management and the Mustang Heritage Foundation. The Parelli team will guide eight wild mustangs through a critical taming phase that will show attendees the how’s and why’s of taming and then starting horses to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of success. 

“Taming and starting colts are two distinct phases.

To be successfully started, a horse must be tamed first. For some horses this happens within minutes of birth, for some horses they actually never get tamed, even though they progress through discipline specific training and this is where oftentimes you see horses labeled as crazy,”says Parelli.

Riding herd and giving guidance from outside the round pen, Parelli will fan the flames of learning as he passes down the wit and wisdom given to him from his mentors Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance and Ronnie Willis.

Linda Parelli will present a special segment on the unique personalities of horses, dubbed Horsenality^TM and how horse training can be made more effective when tailored to the unique characteristics of individual horses.

“If you think wild horse taming applies only to old cowboys and mountain men who have plenty of guts, brawn and stamina, think again. While this event gives guidance on how to build a natural foundation for success when working with the mustangs, it can teach volumes about developing your abilities with horses at any stage of training,” says Parelli.

Overall, Wild Horse Taming Naturally will teach you how to find the sweet ending note each time you work on simple ground manners or in the round pen so that your horse eagerly asks, “You coming back again tomorrow?” Parelli predicts that most, if not all of the mustangs will have their first rides by the conclusion of the event and may even be trailer loading like seasoned mounts. While some may consider it a magical feat to accomplish so much in such a short period of time,  Parelli does not.

“It’s not supernatural, it’s supremely natural. When training makes sense to the horse and is natural for him, then everything else just flows from that.”

Discounted rates are available for live event tickets purchased in advance online. If you are not able to attend the event in Reno, be sure to catch

the live webcast featuring bonus commentary by Linda Parelli, interviews with staff from the Mustang Heritage Foundation, background on the horses and horse trainers and more. Purchase the webcast before July 28^th for the special pre-event price of only $29.95. Don’t miss out on this early bird rate because the purchase price will increase to $39.99 the day of

the event. For more information, visit http://www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/events-pat-parelli-presents-wild-horse-taming-naturally-2011/.