2010 roundup in Tonopah

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be removing wild horses from the Reveille HMA 50 miles east of Tonopah. The date for the operation is scheduled to begin sometime AFTER September 15. The operation will take place after the Triple B removal and we will keep you posted as things develop (we have not received confirmation on the start date of Triple B but expect it to be around Sept. 12).

EDITED TO ADD: The date for the trap site adoption has been set as November 8th. The removal operation will begin likely beginning of November but subject to change (we will keep you updated. If you are interested in adopting click the flyer to enlarge. Trap site adoptions are a way to adopt a young wild horse without the horse ever going to a BLM short term holding facility. It gives you more control over stimulus your horse is exposed to prior to adoption. ALL BLM adoption requirements apply. Youngsters will be branded and have coggins completed before adoption date.

Click to enlarge

At the end of the fiscal year for 2014 (until October 1) BLM set certain criteria for removals due to budgetary issues. These criteria included emergency, safety and court order (among others). Reveille is an area of “court order.”

From BLM press release: “The management of wild horses in the Reveille Allotment is subject to a 1987 District Court Order and two orders issued by the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) in 2001 and 2002. These orders require BLM to conduct an annual inventory of the horses in the Reveille Allotment and initiate a gather to remove excess horses from the Allotment when the inventory shows that population numbers exceeds the Appropriate Management Level (AML) set in the 2001 Final Multiple Use Decision of 138 horses. The current estimated population, based on previous inventory flights is 168 horses.”

note: objective is to remove “off HA” wild horses and trap, treat and release the horses within the HMA.

2010 Wild Horses at the trap taken only after a call to DC

Those decisions have not undergone challenges post National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report of 2013. The NAS report notes specifically inventory of this area as lacking data in the past. This would bring any prior court orders that relied on data concerning any factual “AML” into question. However we are awaiting the BLM review on NAS and any policy review to determine appropriate discussions on Reveille. This area also contains some unique genetic traits specific to the HMA that identify it as relatively isolated.

The last operation in the area was in September of 2010. http://wildhorseeducation.org/roundups/roundups-2010/tonopah-nv-2010/ Events that occurred at that operation were part of the need to file the First Amendment claim. In 2010 the press credentials of Laura Leigh (writing for Horseback Magazine) were refused, yet the Las Vegas Sun was literally at the trap. During days of operation the public was limited to just a couple of days of observation while three HMAs were subject to removal (Paymaster, Montezuma and Reveille).

In 2012 after the trap site adoption. Laura Leigh and BLM specialist Richardson

We’ve come a “long way baby.” Daily observation is now a part of every BLM helicopter roundup. Access to view animals captured in holding is being facilitated. We are working on getting access to observe operations and handling with the state office with an objective of observing every animal captured clearly on the day of capture (after years in court). http://wildhorseeducation.org/2014/07/28/blm-nv-creates-access-to-wild-horses-and-will-open-facility-to-public/

And in this district specifically? We have been working very closely to improve all communication toward gaining appropriate public participation and improved tools for managing wild horses and burros. This district has more HMA’s than all other states and every other district. Over time a relationship has been built that has a respect for the law and each other. We began on “rocky footing” but have worked hard toward solving problems. We look forward to continuing that work whose spirit truly came to life at the Stone Cabin roundup of 2012. Not only did we adopt out some amazing youngsters (4 of which I still know) but at the end of the roundup there was a significant release of wild horses back to the range (video below).

We are hoping to bring you more news soon. (Also for more info on this area, ground zero for the NACO suit, please read this link as it contains vital information http://wildhorseeducation.org/2014/08/15/focus-nevada-battle/ Wild horses and burros do not exist in a vacuum).

note: at the end of the video two old mares are returned to the range. One falls in the trailer and gets up to meet her buddy and they go free. We can not begin to tell you how often older horses end up in a holding facility to end their lives as captives. These “old gals?’ are what they are… until the end of their days. It was the last roundup of the year and watching them go home gave us hope…

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Trapsite Adoption

In conjunction with the removal of wild horses, birth control and release, there will be an opportunity to adopt a horse directly after capture. This option allows you to bring a young wild horse home without that horse ever taking a step onto a semi truck heading to holding. It allows an adopter to control the stimulus that the horse is exposed to. It keeps the young horse away from any of the issues of our current crowded holding facilities.

You must be pre-approved through the BLM to adopt at the trap. You can access all requirements and forms here: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/wild_horses_/adoption_requirements.html

This option also allows adopters to actually see the area the horses came from. To get a real glimpse at the life the wild horse had before going to your home. At WHE we feel this is an important part of understanding the beginning of a relationship that can be a life long journey like no other you can experience.

Reveille

Wild Horse Education (WHE) will be onsite assisting with the adoptions. As weanlings and yearlings are sorted for the event we will post pictures on an asap basis and will give you as much individual information on each “adoptee” as possible. All of the horses will be branded, vaccinated and have coggins drawn “on the range.”

If you have ever thought about adopting, this might just be an option for you.

Release, winter 2012

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Wild Horse Education is devoted to gaining protections from abuse, slaughter and extinction for our wild horses and burros. Please join us! http://WildHorseEducation.org