Our team was the only organization onsite each day for the high profile Callaghan Complex roundup. The largest roundup of the year was the subject of multiple “campaigns,” yet we are the only ones that stayed through the blistering heat day after day.  Our team is the only organization litigating issues at Callaghan. 

The Callaghan Complex roundup has ended. 

The discussion surrounding all that happened at the roundup is only beginning. 

The lawsuit to stop the severely flawed plan that would allow this to continue for the next ten to twenty years is active, right now, in the courts.

Cumulative totals (7/27) not final: 

The BLM website has been down since around 2 p.m. Pacific time on July 25. Official numbers cannot be updated until BLM publishes them. They would not give us final numbers during shipping this morning.

These totals are incomplete and we believe BLM has removed around 2000 wild horses.

We will publish the full count as soon as it is official.

The operation that was scheduled from 7/10-8/31 ended in just 15 days as BLM pushed through dangerous heat index days, during the actual foaling season in these Herd Management Areas( HMA), instead of stopping.

At least one mare arrived dead (July 22) after the long drive to the holding facility. 

During this operation we have noted that BLM  classifying foals that died suddenly, with no diagnosis,  as “not gather related.” BLM confirmed there are no necropsies being performed. They confirmed there is no vet onsite (but they can talk to one on the phone). BLM said they will revisit the sudden deaths and reclassify them. 

Apparently the BLM IC and COR are making the final euthanasia decisions. This includes the two mares they claim had previous (chronic) injuries where they lost and eye (on ranges we never documented such a mare) to euthanized them and not ship them. At that time they would have gone to Palomino Valley Center north of Reno and could have been tagged for adoption. Only the first 700 went to that facility. The rest went to the off-limits facility Broken Arrow on Indian Lakes Rd. in Fallon, NV.

It had rained and visibility was slightly better. This is the very last trap, very last day.

In this clip above you can see a horse make a break and head back into the wings where, apparently, a foal had lagged behind. Instead of allowing the horse and foal to settle and move… the helicopter essentially chases the adult of the foal. The foal tries to follow. After several minutes of continued pursuit, the foal is roped. The adult, possibly the mare, is not. 

For every trap during this operation we could not even show you this much, who went into the trap and who did not. Access at this operation has been the worst from trap-to-trap we have experienced in a long time. Access to view sorting at temporary holding, on public lands, was forbidden (and is a denial of historic access).

The last horse… an escape. 

The last wild horse pursued at the Callaghan Complex roundup escapes the trap. Climbing to the top of the hill the wild horse looks down at family trapped. It appears that the horse tried to move to the backside of the trap to be near family and is pursued. 

The last wild horse was not captured. 

As our team continues the battle in court for long term protections for this herd we will carry the spirit of this wild one… deep in our hearts.

Above: temporary holding, second clip slowed down.

Concerns with the lack of a formalized welfare standard run deep. Gaining an enforceable welfare policy that contains clear standards is vital. The concerns include concerns with foaling season, air quality and heat index standards. All of these critical issues are very relevant to this roundup. 

You can learn more about the issue and take ACTION here.

There is still a lot to report on from this operation. Our team member did attend shipping today. 

We will have our final update from the active roundup for you tomorrow. 

It will not be the final update from the Callaghan Complex as our lawsuit moves forward.

The long days and heat take a toll on our team members too. We want to give a big “thank you” to the dedicated spirit of our volunteers and team members from the field to the courtroom. Updating the public every single day with extensive video while working with lawyers on this case (and others) is not an easy task. Gratitude. 

WHE is a small organization with no corporate sponsors or big endorsements. We need your support to keep our teams engaging lawmakers, our team fighting in the court, our team ready to run the roundup schedule.

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.