East Pershing (Week 3 and 4)

By Laura Leigh on January 17, 2024

The largest roundup on the 2024 schedule has entered the third week. The first 3 days of week 3 were “no fly” days as the operation moved to the eastern edge inside the Battle Mountain District and storms hit. The “East Pershing Complex” is “managed” by Winnemucca, but includes overlaps with horses from the Carson District (Clan Alpine HMA) to the South and Battle Mountain to the East and Southeast (New Pass Ravenswood). This creates an exchange (seasonal migration) that BLM knows about but has never defined and none of these areas have a Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP), only a roundup plan. (Learn More in the “Know Before The Roundup) article).

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BLM has not gone into the Herd Areas (HA) yet in the north of the complex. HAs are areas designated for wild horse use but removed from active management. Most HAs have population of wild horses and are obviously capable of sustaining populations. BLM has the authority to repatriate an HA and establish a legally allowed number (what BLM calls Appropriate Management Level, AML), but in 50 years has never exercised that authority.

A word about “meaningful access.” Meaningful access means that we can assess the operation clearly. Sometimes terrain can interfere with an ability to assess all of the operation. However, when you can not clearly see capture, loading, sorting at temporary (or even see the condition of horses in holding corrals) access becomes rather meaningless and the lack of access (and the gymnastics BLM will engage in to hide) becomes all you can assess. This particular district and (person in charge) is notorious for meaningless access.

The roundup began on December 28.

Daily logs from week 1 HERE

Daily logs from week 2 HERE

BLM official cumulative (to date)

Captured:1,942 Wild Horses (805 Stallions, 890 Mares, and 247 Foals) of the 2,875 goal.

Shipped: 1,919 Wild Horses (792 Stallions, 883 Mares, and 244 Foals) to the off-limits facility in Winnemucca NV. BLM has never allowed any observation at this facility.

Deaths: 20 (captured day 1 and euthanized the next morning BLM said: 10 year-old Bay Stud – blind in left eye; 7 year-old Bay Stud – right front club foot; 16 year-old Bay Stud – blind in left eye; 14 year-old Bay Stud – blind in right eye; 14 year-old Bay Mare – blind in left eye; 20+ year-old Bay Stud – blind in left eye; 4 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken neck; 12 year-old Bay Mare, Euthanized – broken left rear leg; 7 year-old Bay Stud – previous injury, broken right front leg that healed on range crooked; 20 year-old Sorrel Stud – blind in right eye; Yearling Sorrel Colt – dislocated front right knee. On the same day: 20+ year-old Sorrel Stud – left front knee /cannon fracture; 17 year-old Bay Stud – left front knee / cannon fracture. 8 year-old BLACK stud incorrectly marked as bay, BLM said was club foot. 8-year old Bay Mare – Equine Lordosis- sway back; 15-year old Sorrel Stallion – pre-existing condition; soft tissue injury to right rear fetlock; 17-year old Roan Stallion was put down BLM said “due to pre-existing condition, broken left front knee; 18-year old Bay Stallion – BLM said shattered nose prior to gather, poorly healed resulting in respiratory issues; 12-year old Dun Stallion – Blind; 1-year old Bay Filly – Euthanized due to pre-existing condition, Blind.)

Released: 3 Wild Horses. Although BLM lists horses were released, no daily report notes releases. We can only assume they count a horse escaping from trap or temporary holding as “released” as has become BLM’s common soft wording for a horse jumping out and escaping after capture.

As you scroll through updates from this roundup, you can also take action to help us stop abuse. WHE is in the courts to gain an enforceable welfare policy. You can help push Congress to fund it. CLICK HERE.

It appears that BLM’s internal “CAWP” (welfare) team has come and gone. You can read our “Endorsement, not Enforcement” article to learn more about both welfare and access and the lack of enforcement of law by BLM HERE.

012624: 125 (49 Stallions, 56 Mares, and 20 Foals) captured. 012524: 68 (32 Stallions, 29 Mares, and 7 Foals) captured. 012424: Trap moved, no fly day. 012324 No fly day. BLM shipped horses out of temporary corrals and it appears will be moving back to the westside of the complex. 012224 78 (27 Stallions, 37 Mares, and 14 Foals) captured.

012124

Although it has been difficult to see any handling at trap clearly, and BLM has put horses in a temporary corral they are denying access to view (before sending horses to an off-limits to the public facility in Winnemucca), we can see transport. We see some odd injuries that we cannot explain like the one in the pictures below.

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100 (35 Stallions, 49 Mares, and 16 Foals) were captured and none shipped.

Nearly 200 wild horses spent the night in holding corrals BLM will not allow us to see.

012024

42 (20 Stallions, 19 Mares, and 3 Foals) wild horses were captured on the last day at this trap.

3 more were put down: 18-year old Bay Stallion – BLM said shattered nose prior to gather, poorly healed resulting in respiratory issues; 12-year old Dun Stallion – Blind; 1-year old Bay Filly – Euthanized due to pre-existing condition, Blind.

We are working on a long form report that contains footage we have not had time to publish and will link it here.

Note: As we edit video, it does not look like BLM uses the tarp around the panels when panels are out of clear viewing of the public. More in long form review soon.

011924

The operation moved down the highway to the Augusta HMA area (near the exchange point with New Pass/Ravenswood). Instead of keeping observers at the highway (over 4.5 miles away) as they had the last 3 days, observers were moved closer to where equipment is kept. There was no clear view of handing at trap, no observation of the temporary holding corrals.

This little one continued a break at trap when his family did not. You can see how rapid his breathing is as he is singled out for pursuit by chopper, a wrangler on foot and riders.

We are working on a long form story to include the entire event above and others and will link it here when loaded.

BLM caught 110 (32 Stallions, 54 Mares, and 24 Foals) wilds horses, shopped 45 to an off-limits to the public facility and killed 1. A 17-year old Roan Stallion was put down BLM said “due to pre-existing condition, broken left front knee.”

011824

For the 3rd day in a row, observers were held more than 4.5 miles from trap

BLM captured 37 (11 Stallions, 22 Mares, and 4 Foals) and shipped 74 (38 Stallions, 36 Mares, and 0 Foals) to the off-limits to the public facility north of Winnemucca (built in an area known for flooding).

BLM put down 2: 8-year old Bay Mare – Equine Lordosis- sway back; 15-year old Sorrel Stallion – pre-existing condition; soft tissue injury to right rear fetlock). This brings the total deaths to 16.

Our observer had to request multiple times just to see the trap. In reviewing video it looked as if BLM set trap wings, but did not put up the tarps around catch pens they claim are needed not to obscure visibility, but to keep horses safe. When we finally got to see the trap, there was no evidence of tarps in any trailer, on ground waiting to be loaded or on the trap.

011724

BLM captured 44 (23 Stallions, 16 Mares, and 5 Foals) wild horses as they squeeze the second trap outside the Augusta HA to get all the horses.

The black we reported on yesterday that evaded capture and fell was caught. He was put down. BLM said he had “club-foot.” It was confirmed today this was the horse BLM listed as “chronic” condition and was mis-marked in their report as a bay. No opportunity was offered to get him to sanctuary or foster before BLM put him down. (In contrast to the ongoing Black Mountain burro operation where foster was offered for a club foot.)

011624

Another day of “non access” where we can only bring you a general view. We saw wild horses fall and misstep. We saw a roped horse appear to go down. We saw a baby lag behind. We also saw trap and BLM and contract vehicles clearly visible to horses being driven across the valley and absolutely no reason BLM could not have allowed observers to be on the other side of the valley and viewing from their vehicles.

The horse above appeared to fall during a drive and made his way closer to the highway during the day. As the day wore on, his limping seemed to get better (taken at end of day). He was still off on the rear, showing he was injured during the run, but walking a bit better.

Diminishing access is common in this BLM district. It is particularly true after you report on action like routine use of hotshots to speed loading (as we did in week 1) or mischaracterization of an injury (we reported the incident of the colt that was roped based on our observation, not BLM, immediately at the beginning of week 2).

No observation at holding is being permitted and horses are shipping to an off-limits facility north of Winnemucca,

011524

BLM is outside the Augusta HA. This area was designated for horse use, but BLM decided they did not want to manage horses in the area. The HA is managed by the neighboring Winnemucca district. The mining and livestock in this area are managed by the Battle Mountain district. (Don’t ask us why. But this is very common with BLM.) This area contains expanding mining and wild horses are trying to move out of that area creating “conflict” with livestock.

This day was a day of zero meaningful access. No access to assess handling at trap (or even clearly see trap at all). No access permitted to temporary holding. No access to assess any horse shipped to an off-limits processing facility.

BLM official cumulative (to date)

Captured: 1,749 Wild Horses (726 Stallions, 805 Mares, and 218 Foals)

Shipped: 1,728 Wild Horses (713 Stallions, 798 Mares, and 217 Foals)to the off-limits facility in Winnemucca NV. BLM has never allowed any observation at this facility.

We need your support to remain on the frontline; on the range and in the courts.