At the Red Desert roundup 121 wild horses lost freedom, family and home. This brings the total captured to 598 out of the 2400 targeted.

Some local photography favorites like “Blue Zeus” and “Big Band” were taken. None of these wild horses will be released as they live in an area BLM claims they need to zero out because it can not sustain horses, yet it is an area conjoining the other HMAs and is often a critical seasonal habitat and migratory route.

Yet, the wild horse that captivated the day was “the black.” Everything we think of when we think “mustang” was embodied in this brave stallion. His family trusted him more than they feared the chopper.

The video is edited down in consideration of the time you have to watch. The chopper keeps trying to move them and the stallion challenges and his family follows, again and again.

The chopper is flying in this area again today, intent on removing every wild horse in this region.

This black band is everything the American mustang represents and should live free.

When this band is captured, taken to a facility, they are the ones that disappear. They do not carry a flashy coat or are easily tracked once they hit the pens. They carry an amazing wild heart that, once captive, will become just a number in inventory. These are the ones that always break our hearts and haunt us… betrayed by a system wrought with politics and a sheer lack of logic and common sense.

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If you can give a wild horse from this roundup a home they will be taken to the Canon City facility.

This black band will probably be separated and hard to find. But if you see a black, look in their eyes and you will find that wild heart that needs a safe landing, just like the flashy colored one standing next to them.

The chopper is continuing to target this area. They escaped, but they are targeted for capture. We hope they move far from this area.

We will be doing an adoption feature soon showing many of the wild ones captured this year that need homes. And, unfortunately, there will be over 7,000 more joining them as BLM continues the assault on the beating wild heart of mustang country this winter. (more soon)

You can see previous reports from the Red Desert Complex roundup HERE.

Wild horses are part of public lands. It is time we actually create management plans. The lack of accountable planning keeps this program easily corrupted and on the verge of fiscal collapse.

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What you can do

Please take action to demand Congress defund any roundups where the BLM has failed to create open and transparent management planning.  Click HERE.

Call the Senate switchboard and ask for your rep. Demand that all actions against wild horses and burros halt until William Perry Pendley leaves the BLM. His tenure was ruled illegal and BLM is still moving an agenda forward for Pendley’s former law clients.  Switchboard (202) 224-3121

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Help us stay in the fight.