Reveille, Roundup Update

By Laura Leigh on July 2, 2023

The BLM roundup of wild horses in the Reveille HMA began July 1. The roundup is on the schedule to run through July 6.

BLM plans to capture approximately 129 wild horses and return 27 mares treated with GonaCon Equine fertility control and release them back to range with approximately 26 stallions. GonaCon is a deviation from substance used on this herd for over a decade, PZP-22.

BLM will ship Reveille wild horses to the Ridgecrest facility in California.

Before each roundup we try to provide you with background and info from previous roundup operations. You can find the “before the roundup” article by clicking HERE.

WHE has observers on the ground.

This page will serve as the update page for the operation and will be revised frequently. The newest updates will appear at the top of the section (under cumulative totals) each day.

Cumulative totals:

Wild Horses Captured: 134 (63 Stallions, 56 Mares, and 15 Foals)

Wild Horses Shipped to Ridgecrest: 76 Wild Horses
(33 Stallions, 29 Mares, and 14 Foals)

Wild Horses Deaths: 1*

On day 1 BLM noted a death and said they were watching a colt they did not expect to make it. The death noted was that colt.

July 3

BLM shipped 37 (7 Stallions, 16 Mares, and 14 Foals) to Ridgecrest (will complete shipment by July 4th).

BLM treated 27 mares (added 1 from original goal). Mares will be released after second treatment with GonaCon in about 30-40 days.

30 stallions released (added 3 to the original estimate due to the capture of additional wild horses over the target number).

Video loaded HERE.

July 2

Our observer was the only member of the public onsite.

BLM captured 50 (25 Stallions, 16 Mares, and 9 Foals) in a dingle run at the second trap location. These wild horses are used to being captured every 3 years due to fertility control treatment (catch, treat, release). Many of you remember BLM stating re-treatment with fertility control makes horses harder to catch. Reveille horses have always seemed to respond as if they “know the drill.” 1 foal was roped.

Freshly captured wild horses preparing to be loaded onto trailers heading to the temporary holding corrals prior to shipment to Ridgecrest.

Video above shows foals before being loaded onto the trailer. A youngster appears to place itself between the younger foals and the wranglers and then finds itself in the pen by itself.

BLM put the findings online of the injured colt from day 1. The colt suffered an injury and BLM did list it as acute.

*Follow-up on the colt that passed on July 1, 2023. A necropsy was performed by the on-site APHIS veterinarian; the diagnosis was “Neurologic” due to spinal cord injury caused by blunt trauma to the lower neck, right side.Examination: Skull and neck were skinned to look for signs of trauma. All major thoracic and abdominal organs were examined. There was a rub mark above the right eye, no break in the skin. Subcutaneous tissues of the skull were normal. There was a small area (3cm) of bruising and hemorrhage in the musculature of the lower neck overlying the spinal column on the right side. No abnormalities were noted in the abdominal organs. Urine was normal straw colored. Chest cavity, heart and lungs were unremarkable. No other significant findings noted.

We hope the trend continues. Transparency has been sorely lacking,

Studs will be released and mares will be treated with GonaCon and held for 30-40 days for a second treatment.

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July 1

On the first day of Reveille BLM captured 83 (37 Stallions, 40 Mares, and 6 Foals), more than half the total targeted for this operation. One BLM employee stated, offhand, that they had to switch to GonaCon because someone purchased all the supply of PZP and they cannot get it. We are checking the validity of that statement.

Our volunteer met BLM at 3:30 a.m. for the convoy out. She is the only observer onsite.

She was kept far from the action and the trap was not visible. There were only 3 runs of (approximately) 75 wild horses at 8:30, 3 at 9:50 and 5 at 10:22, including a young foal. Only 4 young foals were spotted by our observer throughout the day.

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BLM reports 1 death, but provides no information on how the wild horse died, where the horse died or which one (we will try to get more info today).

BLM also reports that an estimated 3-month old foal is ataxic (ataxic horses are those that are unable to control the rate, range, or force of their movements resulting in an inconsistent gait). BLM does not note any causal factors (such as heat, run too far or too young for a drive like this, or other reason) but state they “hand watered and treated with electrolytes, anti-inflammatories and pain-relieving medications” but do not expect it to survive.

Temporary holding corrals (sorting for shipment) are near the same location as previous years, but no access is being permitted (private property) and observers must stay on the road.