Fish Creek; a captives story (2)

By Laura Leigh on October 6, 2019

We know so many of the wild horses at Fish Creek, well. We spent years working with the BLM to create a protocol to actually “fix” management. In 2016, after years (of getting threats, working hard, keeping focused) to build the protocol, we (more than one) WHE volunteer also had to sign a volunteer agreement with BLM. In petty games, big and small, the protocol was destroyed. (you can read more about the Fish Creek captives and the story of the betrayal to the herd, HERE)

More about the captive Fish Creek wild horses HERE.

Learn more and make the call to protect all of our wild ones from betrayal HERE.

A story in pictures

ty2 This piece is just a visual narrative of one band. This is not the story of the “people problems.”

We will publish more about individual wild horses and bands now in captivity, that used to live in Fish Creek, in the coming days.

The image above has gotten some attention on social media.

One of our supporters, Elyse Gardner Walsh, noted in her comments that the brand read this wild horse was born in 2018. Some people believe her brand is a mistake. It is not a mistake. Yes, she was born in 2018.

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Her band lived in a livestock grazing allotment that has been the subject of extreme controversy and backdoor deals.

Her family the year she was born

Her goofy older brother (dads favorite boy) and a playmate.

Her brother was dads favorite

Both mom and dad carried the mark to be part of a protocol to fix management, that was never allowed to actually begin. Both mom and dad were captured in 2015 and transported to holding while a court battle raged. Their freedom was won and they returned to the range, only to be captured again.

With her older brother right before the roundup in 2019.

Her 3 year old brother had a mare now, but dad let them both stay in the band under his protection.

Mom with her 2019 colt that did not survive the roundup in the background

They were all captured along with most of the herd that lived in that area. This time they wont go home.

Mom and her 2018 daughter now at Palomino Valley Center, in the mare pen as mom does not have a 2019 baby nursing anymore. Along with their entire family, now just numbers in warehousing inventory.