The monstrous roundup of 2200 wild horses from the Antelope Complex has entered the fourth week of operations. Our team has been onsite since the beginning.
Multiple collisions with barbed wire, high speed chases, a chopper appearing to knock over a wild horse, two babies trampled and more, this roundup is a grueling illustration of the tragic neglect BLM has afforded the humane handling policy.
Our team has filed an internal complaint regarding CAWP (the welfare policy) and had a meeting with BLM DC. We will do an updated article on the “State of CAWP” shortly.
We need your help to stay in the field and in the courts.. Thank you.
Cumulative totals for the operation to date, (official BLM: number captured since Aug 2):
Wild horses captured to date: 2203 (776 Studs, 1058 Mares, and 369 Foals)
BLM website notes 11 deaths: 2 week old colt, 8 year old mare (colic), 20 year old stallion (heart failure), 6 year old mare BLM claimed was blind, 11 year old Buckskin Stallion BLM put down because they said he was blind, 4 year old Bay Stallion was put down, BLM stated he had an unspecified deformity. 3 foals in one day: BLM says one was deformed, one had a chronic fracture and one was lame. (“Chronic condition” translates into BLM “data” that they do not include the death as a “roundup deaths.”) An 11 year old bay stallion suffered an “acute incident” but BLM has not disclosed what that injury was (we assume it was a broken neck/back). An 8 year old bay stallion broke a leg and was put down.
Shipped: 2192 (770 Studs, 1057 Mares, and 365 Foals)
Week 4 posts appear newest at the top. Scroll down to look back.
ALL REPORTS FROM OUR TEAM ONSITE AT TRAP/HOLDING EACH DAY OF THE ONGOING ROUNDUP.
ONSITE TEAM REPORTS
Aug 29
93 (36 Studs, 46 Mares, and 11 Foals) wild horses captured.
Internet complications and we can not load more onto this page. August 28 and 29 reports can be found here: >> https://bit.ly/3mENbx7 The massive day of capture included multiple “falls,” ropings and escapes. Temporary holding swelled beyond capacity limits.
August 28
BLM captured 169 wild wild horses as they race toward the end of this massive operation.
Adults fell and one run over, babies fall behind and were roped and more.
Internet complications and we can not load more onto this page. August 28 and 29 reports can be found here: >> https://bit.ly/3mENbx7 The massive day of capture included multiple “falls,” ropings and escapes. Temporary holding swelled beyond capacity limits.
August 27:
The day felt rushed with a number of wild horses attempting to jump the panels; several evaded trap and disappeared. Loading seemed rushed in order to clear the trap to bring in more horses. (video speaks for itself) First run at 6:50, last run of the day at 12:23.
116 (44 Studs, 60 Mares, and 12 Foals) wild horse captured.
August 26:
106 (43 Studs, 56 Mares, and 7 Foals) wild horses captured.
Another death; an 11-year old bay stallion suffered an “acute” injury the agency has not specifically disclosed (if we get more info we will let you know.) NOTE: This roundup of 2200 wild horses appears on the schedule as approved from Aug 2- Sept 27. We do know that this contractor has been awarded other “emergency” operations and can not help but feel, due to what we are seeing, that is operation is being rushed to fulfill the new accelerated schedule.
At holding efforts were made to block viewing by parking a semi in an area one has not been present at any other day we visited.
Our team member walked around in the approved area to get the shots of what she could. Observers are not allowed closer or on the mounds. She can get shots when horses are crowded in pens and pushed up or rear trying to escape. In the few hours we were there, a lot of wild horses reared up and appeared really crowded in the alleys.
The area is actually a working gravel pit for NV Dept of Ag and constant traffic in the area is not a disturbance, but a member of the public with a camera is apparently an extreme disturbance to wild horses.
We are not sure why BLM is not using the holding areas they have used in the past for operations in this area. The crews bringing gravel to road construction sites, and the large number of horses coming in, this was an area of very heavy disturbance and constant noise and activity yesterday.
Aug 25:
128 (54 Studs, 55 Mares, and 19 Foals) wild horses captured.
Distance and dust made clear video of trap difficult. Trailers were loaded fast to make room to bring in more horses. Yet those same trailers sat loaded a long time in order to have the crew bring in more horses. No time was given for the horses to settle from the stress of the drive and loading was tense with horses extremely agitated.
It appears horses were driven along a very long barbed wire fence and either around an edge or through a gate that was out of our view.
At no time was dust control done at trap.
The day ended due to wind and it is expected operations will return to this location tomorrow.
August 24:
15 (7 Studs, 7 Mares, and 1 Foals) wild horses captured. We had one team member at trap, one at holding. At holding we are not given an elevated position to assess wild horses. The only time we can clearly see them is when they try to escape or get crowded and pushed up.
The run at trap was completed before observers arrived at trap. Wind called off roundup early.
August 23:
Operations began late today (when the BLM lead showed up to the meeting location late). Then operations were immediately cancelled.
In the target zone for tomorrow
We spent some time with the wild ones that are targeted tomorrow that live in a powerful permittees cattle and sheep allotments.
BLM has killed another 3 wild horses. The 3 new deaths were all foals. BLM is claiming the foals all had “pre-existing conditions of lameness.” Not one foal that we saw captured was not able to run at full speed; distances no foal should be running full steam.
If that many babies came in with “old” injuries, why did NO ONE from BLM tell anyone that actually took the time to travel to the capture zone?
This is what BLM says:
- 4 month old Bay Colt was euthanized in accordance with IM 2021-007 due to chronic injury (Physical Defect/Deformity)
- 3 month old Buckskin Filly was euthanized in accordance with IM 2021-007 due to chronic injury (Fracture)
- 4 month old Buckskin Colt was euthanized in accordance with IM 2021-007 due to chronic injury (Lameness)
At this roundup we have seen a number of serious issues with “welfare” and have had to file an internal complaint; one of the steps we are required to take.
August 22
Another day where the Air Quality Index moved into a level of concern.
84 (22 Studs, 44 Mares, and 18 Foals) wild horses were captured.
The smokey haze, distance of observation and the rising heat of the day, made observing the operation a real challenge. As the haze lifted we were able to discern the distances around and around the valley these bands were traveling (one band, video above)
We are transferring video and images and will update after BLM confirms the count for the day.
August 21:
13 (1 Studs, 7 Mares, and 5 Foals) wild horses were captured
Week 4 begins with another foal run over. We edited the video above long format. You can see the small foal struggle to keep up; again and again. The trap wings are set with one very short wing, one long, and the pilot needs to turn the band and turn again, or miss the opening. During the “zig-zag” the baby tries to catch up, as it had done before, and is run over. Running into the trap baby appears “off” in the rear as the stallion evades capture at the short wing and runs up the mountain. (We do see this stallion a bit later as a second chopper was chasing him around the backside of observation.)
When babies are so young that they struggle like this, it is still foaling season. (note: BLM does not determine foaling season through range data herd-by-herd in a management plan. Like nearly everything in the program “foaling season” is based on a west wide generalization.)
Another run at the trap was an amazing group of ten. The stallion was wary of the strange jute flapping in the wind (we were getting gusts of 20 mph) and on alert. He led 4 band members over the jute. Two more attempts to push his band to the trap failed. They were let go as the wind continued to kick up and the pilot was not finding many horses in that area.
Our team has covered the operation since day 1 and remain onsite. This page will update frequently.
Multiple roundups in multiple states will be taking place at the same time. Many of these operations wont have much notice and the schedule will continue to change rapidly.Help keep us in the field and in the courts.. Thank you.
Categories: Lead
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