You can find our daily report log HERE.

BLM is calling this the “outside” Antelope HMA Emergency gather. So far, all of these wild horses are Antelope HMA horses just off the boundary as they usually are this time of year…. before the livestock go out. BLM is claiming “drought and lack of feed” create an emergency.

On day two, 76 wild horses (29 Stallions, 34 Mares, and 13 Foals) were captured. Trapping began at around 26 degrees, cold and dreary, at the same trap as the previous day.

Two ropings are featured videos in this update, both broken into two pieces. Both horses broke and tried to head up the mountain in the direction of home…. back toward the HMA.

We guess they felt it was taking too long to get the frightened and tired wild horse into the trap after it was roped and decided to use the ATV as part of the crew pushing the horse into the wings so they could get the horse into the trap (video below). You should know, nowhere does BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), the gather plan, any law, approve ATVs for use moving wild horses in any way.

The roping below took a very long time as the horse evaded helicopter and wranglers and headed toward the top of the mountain.

Roping #2

Reports of an “escape attempt” are often described as a “stallion escaped.” In reality, mares are just as likely as stallions to flee or attempt to return home.

At this time of year, such efforts to break away are particularly concerning, as they often signal that a mare or stallion is desperate to reach a newborn left behind. Like a fawn hidden in the brush awaiting its mother’s return, young foals often lie quietly near the site from which their families were first driven. This image was impossible to ignore during a recent incident in which a wild horse led wranglers up a mountain in an attempt to return home (see above.

Our team member on-site did raise welfare concerns. Our representative approached the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) official overseeing the operation—the individual responsible for authorizing any roping activity. He was not positioned at the trap itself, but seated in a vehicle near the public observation area. Our observer requested that he halt the roping and allow the horse to go free. The official declined, providing a procedural explanation of his discretionary authority. When asked again for a simple yes or no, his final response was “no.”

Although BLM routinely claims to “care about the horse” and to “consider all welfare concerns,” their actions consistently fail to reflect those assurances. In practice, decisions in the field seldom err on the side of caution or compassion.

Our team member onsite is sending in reports from today and we will update the daily log shortly. 

83 wild horses shipped to Palomino Valley Center yesterday and more shipped today. Report coming soon. 

Our legal team held a conference today and has begun writing the administrative appeal for Callaghan where a roundup plan masquerading as a management plan threatens over 5000 wild horses. We are preparing to take this matter into federal district court.

Help keep our teams on the frontline and in the courtroom.

Every mile we travel to cover roundups or assess a herd, every court case we bring, every win, every action we take is only possible because of your support.