The roundup that targets 1900 wild horses for capture at Triple B moves into the second half.
Our bandwidth has been reached on the page covering the first half. You can access that page by Clicking HERE.
Totals for this operation:
1,897 (654 Stallions, 908 Mares, and 335 Foals) wild horses captured.
1,616 (552 Stallions, 793 Mares, and 271 Foals) to off-limits facilities where we do not know which days shipped to which locations. shipped to Axtell or Sutherland in Utah, off-limits to the public facility and/or Broken Arrow (aka Indian Lakes) off-limits to the public.
Deaths: 23
Listed as non-roundup related: year old Brown Mare put down: blind, missing right eye; 7 year old Bay Mare euthanized: blind, missing left eye; 20+ year old Dun stallion: blind, missing right eye; 3-year-old bay mare put down: club foot. 20+-year old stallion; poor condition unable to improve. 20+ yer=old mare, poor condition, unable to improve. 20+ year-old Sorrel mare euthanized: severe tooth loss; unable to maintain or improve a BCS 3. 3-year-old Sorrel mare euthanized: blind. A 10-year-old Sorrel mare was put down because she had club foot. 4 month old Dun foal : pre-existing fractured right front leg; 4 month old Bay foal: pre-existing deformity — congenital lax flexor tendons.; 2-year-old bay mare died unexpectedly. Necropsy conducted and found compromised lung (respiratory pneumonia).; 5-year-old bay stallion euthanized: pre-existing, sway back; 5-year-old bay mare euthanized: pre-existing fractured back.
Listed as sudden, roundup related: 3 year old Sorrel Stallion died unexpectedly: broken neck.; Bay foal euthanized:: left leg broken after being kicked by another horse. 1 year old Sorrel filly: colic. 7 year old Bay mare died: broken neck. A 6-year-old Palomino stallion broke his neck; 20+ year-old sorrel stallion euthanized: pre-existing fractured right front leg.
You can view team reports from 7/15-8/9 HERE.
From 8/10 and ongoing HERE.
Scroll down for earlier reports. The newest will appear at the top. These reports will update and edit often as we gain more information.
08_24_22
The last wild horse of the 2022 Triple B operation captured.
A total of 43 (16 Stallions, 17 Mares, and 10 Foals) were captured on the last day. These included the amazing cremello bands we have been watching for a very long time. They will be shipped into off-limits to the public holding.
Tomorrow about 50 studs will be released. BLM will release only 25 studs. They said they will pull out 25 of the oldest studs and trailer them back for release at a later date. There will be a release in about 40 days of mares treated with 2 doses of GonaCon, a hormonal fertility control vaccine that can cause long-term (or permanent) infertility.
This operation is considered a part of the “2020 plan” to get to Appropriate Management Level (AML) and increase the use fertility control. In the last 4 roundups the BLM used PZP-22 via jabstick on a few mares and is transitioning to GonaCon at this operation.
Our full wrap of this operation coming soon.
08_23_22
207 (64 Stallions, 95 Mares, and 48 Foals) wild horses were captured on the longest day, of the longest roundup of the summer season. Wild horses came in wet, very wet, throughout the day. This area, Newark Valley, is the last to get hit as BLM is now only 46 wild horses away from hitting the goal of 1900. A lot of horses we know were captured today. Our observer was the only member of the public onsite.
Long video report can be seen by clicking HERE.
Above: This wild one escaped the first run of the day in this wild place that has been facing many changes over the last few decades.
08_22_22
62 (25 Stallions, 25 Mares, and 12 Foals) were captured just around the ridge from the area of the the Bald Mountain Mine (that is expanding). All of the trap locations the last few days have been moving through the fenced grazing allotments and roads that surround the project.
Our observer had to wait about an hour and forty-five minutes for a walk around of temporary holding. She has been the only observer that has been at this roundup every day since it began; 39 days now and counting. Being an observer at a roundup for this many consecutive days has only been done by our founder in the past. It gives you a picture that cannot be completed in any other way.
We will be doing a public event covering this massive operation (in context with all the previous roundups under this gather plan) once the operation completes. The “long form” perspective is something you do not see if you come for a couple of days or “come and go.” You can sign up at the bottom of this page to receive info on the event that will be announced in our newsletter.
08_21_22
One run, 11 wild horses. It appears a stallion fell during the helicopter chase and broke his neck. BLM out down a 3-year-old for missing an eye. In the past at roundups at Triple B we documented multiple eye injuries after wild horses were captured and run through the chute. Our observer was the only member of the public onsite.
A tour of the temporary corrals was denied.
Long video report HERE.
08_20_22
158 (50 Stallions, 85 Mares, and 23 Foals) wild horses were captured as BLM pushes long into the heat of the day in the last half of this operation. We expected there would be changes (when the rest of the crew arrived after another roundup completed) midway through this 4th roundup out here in 5 years.
There were incidents involving both BLM public affairs and the contractor that involved unprofessional conduct. This is not the first operation where public affairs takes a non-impartial stance and gets angry with observers who want to protect the environment and where the contractor threatens observers; it is actually rather repetitive. Our observer was the only member of the public onsite… We are determining our next steps.
Long video update linked HERE.
08_19_22
One run captured 13 wild horses and a foal was roped. The total for the day (at the same trap as the day before) were: 14 (4 Stallions, 7 Mares, and 3 Foals) captured.
08_18_22
115 (39 Stallions, 51 Mares, and 25 Foals) wild horses were captured. A bay foal was put down BLM said after being kicked by another horse. We do not know yet id the death was at holding or trap location. We could not see the the trap itself beyond the wings and first pen.
Media was in attendance as well as 3 members of another organization; ten members of the public. This is the largest public attendance day at Triple B since the operation began.
This was a hard day. The operations in the second half are hitting bands we visit frequently and know well. This youngster and family, that we wrote earlier in the operation, was captured. The foal was roped right in front of us.
We are publishing a video log, extended report, for the 17th and 18th and will link it here when complete. WE apologize for the delay. Our teams are working on multiple projects on and off the range.
08_17_22
39 (13 Stallions, 18 Mares, and 8 Foals) wild horses were captured at the last day at this trap location. Long video report will link here when completed.
08_16_22
59 (18 Stallions, 29 Mares, and 12 Foals) wild horses were captured as BLM used only one helicopter and the other (apparently) remained grounded.
Bands were separated, escapes and recaptured. A foal that broke off was roped.
This operation is nearly 70% completed as they move toward the targeted 1900 for capture and squeeze Triple B. Our team has been onsite since the operation began on 7/15.
Long form video report can be seen by clicking HERE with commentary on the 2020 corporate lobby plan the BLM is following.
08_15_22
Zero wild horses were captured today as an incident with one of the helicopters ended operations early. BLM reports that no human or wild horse was injured, just shaken up. Yes, there are pregnant mares in this run, and one very pregnant mare struggling at the end of the line. (In the video we repeat the moment before the chopper made the rough landing out of view in slow motion, and slower motion. The chopper you see after that is the second helicopter that arrived at Triple B from the Piceance roundup.)
You can see the helicopter flying fast and low to the ground (common at roundups) and the skid and rear rotor appear to come extremely close to, or perhaps skim, the ground. Due to the trees we have limited view. We have already provided the footage we have to BLM for their FAA report.
We do not know if operations will continue tomorrow or if there will be a delay. This helicopter has undergone numerous “down days” throughout this operation for mechanical issues.
We are glad to hear no one was hurt. This could have been disastrous for human and wild horse alike.
Fast and very low flying is common at helicopter capture operations. We hear a lot from BLM about the ever-changing restrictions on observers due to “distance from helicopter” (as observers are pushed further and further back). But very little information comes from the agency about pilot distances from wild horses, wranglers or distance from the ground. Maybe it is time to have this very important conversation about distance between the pilot, the ground and wild horses instead of always focusing on how far away to keep the media? (We have tried several times to speak with BLM to improve and define policy and have offered our database at every hearing, meeting and sidebar conversation.)
Our team remains onsite on the ground and at the roundup.
We spent some time with the wild horses we have seen survive a helicopter assault 3 times in the last 5 years. These bands are in the capture zone this week.
08_14_22
A no fly day as the operation moved to the south. The temporary corrals were emptied and all shipped out to the Sutherland off-limits to the public facility in Utah. Concerns remain high regarding the treatment of Wild horses and burros shipped (some unseen clearly at any time during capture operations like the burros at Blue Wing) into these off-limits facilities. Infectious disease has become an increasing threat due to the agency insisting on following the “2020 plan” and removing record numbers of wild horses and burros without appropriately addressing the needs of these animals after capture. Not only are our wild ones slipping into the slaughter pipeline through the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and ramped up sales programs, but a lack of staffing in facilities is causing neglect in simple husbandry like hoof care and vaccinations. Instead of slowing things down, the BLM continue to accelerate rapidly expanding and approving even more of the off-limits facilities.
If you look at the BLM numbers of “captured vs shipped” it looks like 1 wild horse is unaccounted for. We will ask about this horse today. 76 (29 Stallions, 34 Mares and 13 Foals) were shipped today to Sutherland.
Our team remains on the range and at the roundup. This is one of the last complexes that could have sustained a herd of thousands. But habitat fragmentation for industrial use and an agency that failed again and again to create an Appropriate Management Level (AML) (that actually reflected what the land could sustain when they were handed that mandate in 1971) has said since 1982, that the 1.6 million acre complex of multiple HMAs, can only sustain less than 800 wild horses.
This beautiful young stud and his mare (that looks ready to give birth) are in the next target zone.
It is really hard to watch these wild ones get hit again and again as BLM keeps approving mining expansion and more fences and water projects for livestock. These horses look great, but they are in the way. The plan BLM is using won’t require further analysis for another 5 years; they can hit this area again and again and again. A “no-fly day” gives us a bit of time to reflect on just how poorly America treats her wild things and how much federal agencies bow to industry and local politics.
We are rapidly losing the wild places that could have preserved a single large herd for future generations. The largest AML for any single HMA in the country is 612. Out of the 177 HMAs left in the U.S., 146 HMAs have AML set lower than 150. (You can learn more about the BLM 2022 statistics report HERE.)
08_13_22: No fly day.
8_12_22
72 (25 Stallions, 34 Mares, and 13 Foals) wild horses were captured on the 4th day of the trap location estimated at a bit under two miles from observation. This is the last day at this trap set at the northern most location. Our team member has been the only member of the public onsite for days.
The video above shows the closest point wild horses came to observers location. You can see at the end of that video a stumble through what appears to be a fence.
The video below shows the drive up and down the valley before reaching trap.
8_11_22
33 (10 Stallions, 23 Mares, and 0 Foals), (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies and 0 Foals) captured. Our observer stayed at the temporary corrals and will attend operations at trap tomorrow.
Above: On 8/9 the trap moved to an area where we are more than 1.5 miles from trap and BLM says the roads to get us any closer are washed out. You can see the trailers kicking up dust as they leave. It appears that it is likely the crew from Blue Wing or Piceance that arrived. There are now two choppers and crew members not present the first half.
08_10_22
Because of the lack of observation at this trap, our observer went to temporary holding and sat on a rainy day. When she was given a walk-around (after the helicopters were covered for the day) she was told that only the few trailers she saw come in were the totals for the day: about 25 horses. BLM published that they captured 76 (33 Stallions, 33 Mares, and 10 Foals). She was told of no incidents, BLM published that 2 more have died; Sorrel foal died unexpectedly: colic; 5 year old Sorrel Mare: pre-existing broken front leg.
Edited to add: We were told that there were more trailers coming in while our observer was there. Apparently, the roads were so bad it just took that long to get the next loads driven to trap and BLM public affairs did not know more were coming in. They will be at this same trap tomorrow. We believe this is the big final squeeze in the north before the roundup moves south.
It has been a fear of ours that the pace of this operation would accelerate beyond anything representing “safe” when new crew arrives.
Our observer remains the only public onsite and we will update you daily.
Hopefully, the second half of Triple B does not become a black-hole of observation at trap. These wild horses are being shipped to an off-limits to the public facility and these may be the last moments we can ever document the activities our tax dollars have paid for.
You can view team reports from 7/15-8/9 HERE.
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Categories: Wild Horse Education
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