About 23 wild horses were captured today, 3 were roped. This brings the total to about 1288 wild horses captured of the 1700 targeted. 16 confirmed deaths to date. (running Eagle stats and featured images for his operation HERE)

The valley we were in today was the same valley many of you became familiar with in the report on the mare that was run as she aborted in 2018. (You can see video here, warning: it is graphic). Our observers were the only ones present then and now.

Statements made in our observer reports reflect our work on CAWP (the humane handling policy) they do not reflect an agreement for any need for the roundup. We hope you keep making your calls; roundups are not management. We need management plans that include habitat preservation specifically to support wild horses long term on the range. (More and action item HERE)

The last operation in this valley was 16 months ago. That operation was chaotic. That memory is still very fresh for the wild horses here. Many evaded capture and several high speed maneuvers were observed as wild horses sped away, grouped and fractured, then headed for the trees.

This trap location was better hidden and the corrals the wild horses were held in was literally in the trees (visibility obscured). However, we were close enough to hear them. Even after running the valley at high speed, once in the trap the horses settled well.

The wild ones ran hard today. BLM is leaving this area and moving trap to another location in the HMA. The idea is to “let the area settle” a bit before returning. The horses were coming in wet (as far as we can tell, not just those that escape). Operations continue in a different location tomorrow.

This scarred up stallion evaded capture in the beginning of the day and again at the end of the day. (He is featured in both “escape” photos on this page). He ran hard to stay free.

After the last escape there was one last run. The last 3 captured were roped. Every wild horse we could see was soaked. We could not see any clearly in the trap. 

We have video of the day but time constraints inhibit editing. We will edit a “week in review” of the roundup. You can see the last “week in review” of both the Reveille and the Eagle roundups HERE).

Our work continues on CAWP. Wild Horse Education is the only org in history to take this issue into court. Our litigation was the driving force for the creation of the first humane policy in history. Our work continues to enforce and improve the policy.

Roundups are not management. We need long term planning. But that planning can not be based on running the status quo into collapse. We are on the verge of handing over $21 million more in tax-payer dollars to the program. That funding will be used to roundup, surgically sterilize and more. It is all based on a flawed frame. Not one dollar is designated to fix the frame. (The Path Forward is a corporate lobby document shoved through Congress.)

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. For the love of wild horses… will you make a call or send a letter? https://wildhorseeducation.org/2020/01/13/the-mechanics-of-intention-basics-of-the-fight-part-two/

Back out on the dusty road… update tomorrow.

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Eagle running stats page: https://wildhorseeducation.org/2020/01/18/eagle-2020/

Other posts on Eagle can be seen in archive: https://wildhorseeducation.org/?s=eagle

Our heart and soul belong to the fight to protect our wild horses from abuse and to push back the agenda that continues to minimize them in range management and denies them justice.

Help Keep Us In The Fight.