On Monday, BLM did what some employees refer to as “clean up” and some refer to as “squeeze.” In other words, they spend a day looking for any horses left in the area. BLM captured 7 horses (5 studs and 2 mares); a bachelor band and a gorgeous Palomino and his mares. With no horses left in this area of this trap, BLM broke trap and moved back southeast to “clean up” that area.
When BLM began at this trap they were shipping directly to the off-limits holding facility in Winnemucca. They said it was a much shorter drive. Apparently, BLM switched back to sending wild horses to holding corrals and did not inform the public. The drive to holding corrals is longer (even according to the justification BLM used when explaining why they did not move holding back west and just sent to facility) and the change makes no sense, we are looking into it.
Why is this important to understand? When loading at trap the only sorting done is of small foals; mares and studs are loaded together at trap in the same compartments. It is common to see fighting on both stock trailers and semi trucks when BLM does not sort by sex. The idea/claim is that sorting by sex cannot be accomplished at trap and is a primary function of temporary holding before loading onto a semi for shipping to a facility for branding, vaccinating and shipping off to other destinations. When shipping direct to facilities, it also inhibits information about death rates (if a horse is severely injured and/or euthanized for any condition BLM determines, those are facility deaths and not reported in roundup totals). We are sorting through dates and filing FOIAs to get information to fill in the blanks.
Low cloud cover inhibited the helicopter and a “no fly day” was called for the 6th. This gave us one of the few opportunities during this operation to see the trap.
Many people have made the assumption that BLM clears traps of sage, rocks and fills in ditches. The images in the slideshow above show trap set and ready to go. It is unusual for us to see a trap before horses are driven in and provided an opportunity to show you.
Our observer took a fast shot of the trailer floor ready to transport wild horses at the start of the day (if operations had no been halted due to weather).
Having a “no fly day” allows you to look into other things when you are onsite.
Many of you have been asking how barbed wire fencing was laid out at the trap BLM ran for 4 days (the one in the “clean up video” at the top of the page). If you ask a question onsite, 9 times out of 10 the response is just “file a FOIA.” When you are near the district offices, where that information would be available, it is easy to just stop and ask.
What the public does not understand is that there is not “one BLM.” There is not one standardized way BLM does things in practice, even how they deal with the public. After 15 years of experience and looking at documents, participating as a volunteer and engaging, our founder says BLM offices still do not even treat record keeping and data collection in a uniform fashion. She calls them “A series of petty kingdoms.” So you may have a good experience with BLM for one herd and then travel to the next state or district and have an entirely different experience. Or a public affairs officer could be flown in from another state or district and the person you meet is not the decision making district.
The “no fly trap” (the new trap) is in Battle Mountain. Our observer stopped and asked for a fence map. They gave her a map and even told her that the map was about 40 years old and there was not a newer map. It is true that many BLM offices are understaffed and spend the majority of their time dealing with rapid-fire approval of mining and new “green energy” projects.
In Winnemucca, the district that is running the East Pershing roundup, she was first asked to wait and an employee would find out how to get the map. Then someone else came out and told her she had to file a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request) and sternly chided. Even when she said that can take years because the FOIA office is backlogged and she was trying to be helpful by coming by the office, she was refused any info, continued to be chided. She left empty handed.
So when we make a note about “those in charge,” we are trying to show you patterns. The BLM person in charge of East Pershing, is the same person that was in charge at the Antelope Complex roundup last summer where we filed litigation to address the lack of an enforceable welfare standard (in active briefing now).
Please remember that when it comes to planning and actions at the field level, there is not “one single BLM,” but a series of very distinct field offices. The more you dive into your journey as an advocate, the more you will see the distinctions.
Even though the helicopter did not fly yesterday, there is always a lot to learn.
As the last helicopter drive operation of the season (July-February) pushes toward conclusion. we have focused on gaining an enforceable welfare policy as a priority for the public and for Congress. You can continue to help.
You can send a fast letter to your lawmakers in Congress by clicking the linked text: Roundups need to stop until BLM creates an enforceable welfare policy. Click HERE.
Cumulative totals:
Captured: 2,554 Wild Horses (1,027 Stallions, 1,180 Mares, and 347 Foals)
Shipped: 2,505 Wild Horses (1,013 Stallions, 1,148 Mares, and 344 Foals) to the off-limits facility in Winnemucca NV. BLM has never allowed any observation at this facility.
Deaths: 26 (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. BLM killed 3 horses, 20-year old Sorrel Stallion – arthritis, 8 year-old Grulla Stallion – club foot, 4 year-old Dun Mare – swayback, 9 year-old Buckskin Mare – missing left eye. 4-year-old Sorrel mare, broken eye socket, 20-year-old stallion, missing an eye.)
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.
We need your help to continue to document, expose, work toward reform with lawmakers and litigate. Our wild ones deserve to live free on the range, free from abuse and you deserve a voice.
Thank you for keeping us running as we work to protect and preserve our wild ones.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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