Cumulative totals for the first 2 days:
Captured: 462 Wild Horses (160 Stallions, 194 Mares, and 87 Foals)
Shipped to Wheatland Corrals:235 Wild Horses (15 Stallions, 147 Mares, and 73 Foals)
2 deaths (in BLMs words): 1 – A mare was kicked by another horse at the temporary holding corrals, resulting in a head fracture. 2 – While at the temporary holding corrals, the onsite veterinarian diagnosed a foal with Wobbler Syndrome (cervical vertebral malformation (CVM)). This condition worsens with age. The foal was euthanized.
BLM does not count the foals death as roundup related.
For those of you that do not know what “Wobblers” looks like, below is a link to a video we grabbed from YouTube. It is unclear if BLM “suspected” or “diagnosed” the disease. It would be hard to imagine a foal with Wobblers being able to run 5-10 miles and then simply have symptoms show up. Perhaps when a necropsy is performed, BLM will have confirmation that is was not a spinal cord injury instead?
Click here to see a suspected case of “Wobblers” in a foal.
Day 1 of the North Lander roundup can be found by clicking HERE.
On the second day of the North Lander Complex roundup we remained at the same trap in the Conant Creek HMA.
BLM shipped 235 wild horses of the 388 captured yesterday, overcrowding the holding corrals. That left 148 wild horses in the temporary corrals at the start of trapping today.
BLM captured 79 (36 Stallions, 31 Mares, and 12 Foals) wild horses today. This brings the overnight total at the corrals to 225 (after 2 deaths).
The deaths are noted above in the operation totals: A mare kicked in the head and a foal BLM said had “wobblers.”
As with day one, the two choppers bunched bands together and pushed them toward the trap. Two bans broke off.
The band was driven back toward, and into, the trap. They hesitated as they moved closer to the trap pens and then turned and the entire band made a break for it. A mare and her small foal fell behind.
The band was pushed up and down the mountain, sky-lining several times. The pursuit went from one end of t he valley to the other. After about 45 minutes, the pilot left the horses to go over the ridge.
Observers had to wait almost 3 hours to see temporary holding. Once again, no opportunity to view handling at trap or temporary was provided.
We suggested another option to allow a view of actual handling. We asked if we could be permitted to watch loading of the semi-trucks in the morning to go to Wheatland so we could see how the crew was working such large groups of horses so quickly. The response: “Nope. Not a chance.”
We did do a tour of temporary holding and will edit additional footage as time allows.
Our team will be back onsite in the morning.
Below: Image gallery
Thank you for keeping WHE on the frontline in the fight to protect and preserve our treasured wild ones!
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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