Pic: The “Pancake 3,” medicine hats from the Pancake Complex roundup in Nevada at their new home in South Dakota. Ryan Longnecker / WDAY News

Off-Spring of the “Old Man of Pancake” were captured during the brutal winter roundup in Nevada of 2022. Many of you will remember that roundup that began with a “snap” of the leg of a young colt on the first day. Only through an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) investigation did our team discover more than one youngster suffered fatal consequence from injury sustained the first day.

Meet “Old Man” and some of the Pancake wild ones HERE. 

Long before the roundup began WHE filed legal action against the massive mining expansion that would devastate the most fertile habitat in the over 1 million acre Pancake complex. Then, we filed against the removal plan. Even before a decision on the appeal was reached, BLM began the devastating removal of more than 70% of the existing herd.

After the colt snapped a leg, Pancake finally had the attention of the nation. Two organizations joined with WHE and the case was jumped into federal court. The case is still active in the courts and issues span from BLM’s lack of basic management planning, failure to consider new science and refuse to allow plans like “rewilding” to be considered, failure to protect historic genetics (medicine hats) and violation of First Amendment rights during and after capture.

After finding little one at BLM corral, he was loaded up to pick up his siblings and head to a new home.

After an extensive search we found the smallest male in a facility that we did not expect to find him (we were told he went to Indian Lakes off-limits to public and found him at Palomino Valley in Nevada, right before he shipped off). Extensive begging and pleading with BLM staff led to a (rare and appreciated) BLM employee taking a fast peek at the off-limits Sutherland corral in Utah and he located two more of the six we were looking for, they were pretty easy to spot (we do not know where the others landed, and will probably never know).

With the help of CANA Foundation a home was found in North Dakota where the legacy of the Medicine Hat was cherished and not ignored. (Healing Wild Hearts HERE) They went to live at the Silbernagle Ranch in North Dakota.

When they arrived in their new home some native Americans came to see them and did a ceremony to welcome and honor them. Once the horses are acclimated to their new home (and title transferred by BLM) another ceremony is planned as they acclimate to the herd with hopes that they can join the herd that lives on the sprawling ranch and run free again.

Yesterday, InForum featured the Pancake 3. “Anybody that can have these sacred horses, per se, on your property, that’s kind of a blessing,” said rancher Paul Silbernagel.

You can check it out HERE if you want to see an update on the Pancake 3. 

Medicine hats once roamed the American West and were treasured for their rare and unique beauty. Today, these amazing treasures are often just noted as “white” or “paint” in records after capture. On-range they are just a number in inventory and not valued for their unique genetics or historic value. (Pancake Medicine Hats HERE).

After the roundup: We found 5 wild horses in an area we used to find 300.

Wild Horse Education has been back to the range. The herds are in fragments as the face the brutal winter as mining expands and more fencing and pipelines for domestic livestock are being put in (but will be turned off when the cows go in). This is the same district where BLM plans to drop feed for livestock on the range, not bring them in, ignoring the needs of wildlife and wild horses (WHE and WildLands Defense have taken legal action).

This is the same complex where WHE made a pledge to a $25,000. reward for information that leads to an arrest for the shooting death of wild horses (learn more HERE).

WHE remains committed to the hard work needed to protect and preserve our wild ones… to keep them free on the land they call home and free from abuse.

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