The first run of the day shows less cloud cover than yesterday creating a challenge for our onsite team member documenting the operation. However, you can see how that side of the valley must navigate down a line of barbed wire, through a fence, and then the long run back up the valley to the trap. This is a trap BLM has used 3 times since the 2017 EA was formalized. We visited historic trap locations prior to the operation commencing. Near the old homestead (closer to trap) the area still contains old barbed wire fencing; some standing, some littering the ground.

Video above: During the run into the trap it appears that a wild horse went down on the far side near the trap. This incident is over 1.3 miles from the observation location. You can see what looks like a veterinarian (or other) kneeling down to assess an injury. Then people move in between observation and the incident. A stock trailer is pulled in and a flatbed placed, and then adjusted, that blocks the view of loading (so we cannot tell you any size or color).

BLM reported a “2-year-old bay mare died unexpectedly. Necropsy conducted and found compromised lung (respiratory pneumonia).” We can only assume this is that incident. Onsite BLM did not relay information to observers.

This raises a question: Triple B wild horses are being shipped to the off-limits to public view facility in Sutherland, Utah. The wild horses from the Piceance roundup in CO are being shipped to Axtel in Utah because of an outbreak of respiratory illness in CO facilities. If the 2-year-old had pneumonia (viral, fungal, or bacterial infection) is there a protocol? We sent an email asking if there were protocols in place to monitor Sutherland and keep Triple B horses from any area where they could come in contact with other wild horses. We will let you know what response we get from BLM National.

Video above: As the helicopter is moving wild horses on the far side of the unmarked barbed wire toward the unflagged gate, a stallion and mare wait for their foal to catch up. One of the horses tries to escape through the barbed wire, gets caught and falls. The mare and foal flee to try to catch up to the rest of the herd. They were captured separately later in the day.

During the 2019 operation in this area we noted the barbed wire and gates were not flagged. BLM said it was a lot of work (a very long fence) to flag all the wire and was not necessary. It was not flagged again this year.

Video above: Young foals continue to be noted in drives.

Above: Saddle horses were noted coming back to trap. we do not know if they had gone out to rope. No information is relayed to observers onsite. The next run saw a group that did not want to go into the trap.

Video: Visits to temporary holding are always of interest to the public. Walk arounds are done very quickly as BLM says that observers disturb the horses. We do our best to assess what we can during these visits. This is what we can see and “how” we can see.

41 (12 Stallions, 24 Mares, and 5 Foals) wild horses were captured.

So far: 179 (57 Stallions, 87 Mares, and 35 Foals)  captured; 118 (28 Stallions, 62 Mares, and 28 Foals) shipped; 4 deaths have been reported in 4 days of flying.

You can see our ongoing daily sheet from Triple B HERE.

In other news: We are working with our partner at CANA foundation seeking a remedy for ongoing roundups where BLM is operating under old analysis and without actual management plans. CLICK HERE

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