Many of you are following our team report from the ongoing Pancake roundup.

We are also getting an outpouring of people that want to help get the word out on what is happening to our wild horses and burros on public land: the youngster that snapped a leg has galvanized so many of you. THANK YOU! We need all the help we can get to gain an understanding in Congress, media and the public that critical management planning is skipped, BLM ignores humane handling and is hiding wild horses in off-limits facilities after capture.

As we continue the battle behind the scenes YOU can help.

The issues at Pancake run deep. There is no actual management plan for Pancake; the entire process has been skipped and the agency went right to the “gather plan.” (The BLM Specialist on-site at the roundup actually said that once they “get to AML, you will get your plan.” BLM should not be doing a removal, setting a population level, forage allocation, doing anything, without a plan, the HMAP.) You can also see some of the legal actions WHE is involved in at Pancake HERE. 

However, BLM is also falling way short on their obligation to handle wild horses humanely and transparently. 

YOU can contact BLM and ask that Pancake be halted due to unsafe conditions and heavily pregnant mares.

UPDATE: BLM is saying that they will not accept phone comments on pregnant mares. They ask that you email: blm_nv_nvso_web_mail@blm.gov

Call the NV state office at 775-861-6500 and (politely) say: I am calling to log my request that you halt the ongoing roundup at the Pancake Complex. BLM has an obligation to put safety first. The thawing range is continuing to create unsafe conditions to drive wild horses by helicopter. Foaling season is set to begin at Pancake and heavily pregnant mares are at high risk of injury and miscarriage after capture. This is the wrong time of year to do any removal. Please halt this roundup where numerous horses have already died including a young colt run in the slippery mess. Thank you. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Yesterday, BLM pursued wild horses until well after 4 p.m. The District Manager was not present (as she was the day before) and it appears the crew in the field took full advantage of the lack of oversight.

This horse was pursued, even though this is NOT a zero out (removing all wild horses) for well over an hour. The horse did not want to move with the herd and moved back to the trees. But the chopper found the lone horse and pursued it until, not one, but two ropers took on the little horse that was fighting with all it was worth not to be captured. This was the last wild horse captured for the day. A day that would end with it being dark before she would be off-loaded at holding. Our observer stayed until the ropers got the horse into an area she could no longer see it and there was no further communication. (Was there a foal left in the tree line? Foaling season at Pancake usually begins this time of year.)

You can hear the BLM person in charge on-site say he does not know why this lone horse is being pursued (and says he “has not seen it”) and confirm that after a drive to holding, it would be dark. The person speaking is the BLM employee in charge on-site talking to the WHE observer; the BLM personnel that would have to approve the pursuit of a lone wild horse. Pursuing a lone mare is usually only done when there is a foal under what BLM terms “weaning age” (3-4 months old) captured, or a “zero out” of an HMA/HA is being performed. 

On-site they are now saying that “yes, this was a wet mare” (meaning she is nursing a foal). BLM now says her baby is a “yearling” and they are “together” in holding. This statement still does not justify pursuing the mare (the mother) of a year old colt when no wild horse under 6 months old was captured. Something does not sit right with us from the statements made the day of capture compared to what was made AFTER this action item.

If no really young foals come in it is not standard for a mare to be chased as a solo, we are still not clear on how a COR that stated he “did not see” the horse during the actual chase, or helicopter pilot, could tell this was a wet mare.

Please make your call today. 

Ongoing team report from Pancake.

2022, the state of wild horses/burros

You can help keep us in the field and working in the courts.