Jackson Mountain wild horses on trailer heading to temporary holding. The first Jackson wild horses our team has gotten a real look at in 3 days.
For the first three days at the Jackson Mountain roundup our team has been struggling with access issues and denied visits to temporary holding.
During this time BLM captured 98 (20 Stallions, 55 Mares, and 23 Foals) wild horses and put down a 4-year-old bay mare with an abscess. (ongoing roundup page HERE)
Tomorrow, our team requested to begin the day at loading before going to trap. We believe the request will be granted. Maybe they will see a wild horse with some small ability to assess capture that took place the previous day? The ability to assess wild horses immediately after (or during) capture is critical to our work.
Escape at trap
NOTE TO BLM: Our team has been spending long days at trap, as long as ten hours, and not getting a clear view where they can identify individual wild horses. Our team is made up of citizens that care so much that they devote their time and energy. Nevada is particularly notorious for hiding trap operations. First a frustration level has to rise before access is provided. This is unnecessary, always raises tension and should not be a regular occurrence. Example: over 30 people witnessed the Sand Wash roundup in Colorado and BLM expected observers. WHE shows up for a lot of herds that have no other observers and BLM should expect our appearance and have appropriate viewing of holding and trap. Sand Wash and Jackson are the same circumstance; the public interest at observation of a roundup of a herd that has meaning to them.
Video below taken with a camera capable of reaching the equivalent of a 2000mm lens (used here). The camera needs to go to over 1000mm (and often full zoom) to get some of this video. The heat and distance makes individual wild horse identification extremely difficult.
Our team became so frustrated that we went to the Palomino Valley Center Corral to see the wild horses from Jackson that have joined the ones from the recent Antelope roundup at the facility.
BLM on-site at Jackson stated: “You can go see them at PVC,” in response to the request to see wild horses at trap or temporary holding.
The semi is not parked in a loading area, but simply directly in front of the intake pens (for the hour we were there after 1 pm)
Th wild ones shipped from north of Winnemucca NV around 6:30 am. The drive time would be around 4 hours. They would off-load and the semi-truck would head back to be ready for the next mornings load (usual). Instead, we found the semi parked in front of the intake pens and the gates closed to all but approved adopters with an appointment (we had been at the facility just days ago to check on the Antelope horses and the gate was not closed).
Faces of the Jackson Mountain 2021 Roundup
We had to grab the big lens and climb up on top of our truck to see over the signs to get you images of actual Jackson Mountain wild horses captured in the last 3 days.
This is another “emergency” roundup. The same type of roundup that always happens at Jackson Mountain. Last year the agency did a bait trap (no observation) and took the horses to an off-limits-to-public-view facility where they have done no tours since covid began, even though brothels in the state re-opened.
The wild ones from Jackson are primarily black, chestnut, bay and a few grays. They live rough and wild and are hard to catch for a “close-up” unless you spend time, sometimes days, trying to get one. These are truly amazing wild horses; though they are not acclimated to people, they are important to the American public that loves them.
All of our wild ones are important to advocates. Wild horses like the ones from Jackson Mountain matter to the public interest. WHE has fought and won for this herd to stop the agency from running teeny foals in June!
The laws are the same for all wild horses no matter which HMA they live in. We hope the agency starts treating them, and the public that cares about them, better.
Our team is back onsite again today. More soon.
September Roundups
Barren Valley Roundup Reports (ongoing)
Bait trap updates (coming soon)
Help keep us in the field and in the courts.
Thank you.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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