Older mare gave birth in the Litchfield corrals right after her capture during the North Complex roundup. A Mother’s love is beautiful no matter where it is viewed.
A bit of history: The BLM’s Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corrals near Susanville, California, opened in the fall of 1976, becoming the agency’s first wild-horse and burro facility in California (and records indicate the first permanent facility in the nation).
The corrals have expanded over the years. But for anyone that visits facilities you can see the older structure everywhere in the corrals today.
Some people know about the firebombing of a facility. Did you know it was Litchfield? An arson attack in 2001 destroyed the facility’s hay barn, and perimeter fences were cut. BLM’s historical account describes the incident as part of a history of vandalism and attacks at the corrals associated with opposition to the agency’s wild-horse management. In 2006, four people were indicted. In 2012, the final perpetrator was caught.
A visit with the North Complex captives. There are also still Twin Peaks horses and Oregon, Sheepshead. We will post those in future updates.
Above: Studs from Dogskins and Granite
Below: The three older wild horses that were in poor condition after the roundup are doing much better. In addition to the original potential sanctuary, a second potential home has been located. We are keeping in contact with BLM to see if there are additional special needs horses that may need placement.
One of the mares we are tracking is the one that goes down in the wings of the trap after a very long run that happens after this band fractured off from previous runs. The video is linked here for anyone that would like to see it. She goes down during the final dust filled push into the trap.
Above: The 3 “oldies” in poor body condition. These horses are being aged at “mid to late twenties.” The average natural lifespan of a wild horse is 18 years old. Over 20-years old is unusual.
All of the horses that came in from the North Complex were in good shape. Older horses in a herd get thin as their teeth wear out and other issues of age take a toll. This was not a “rescue” operation as BLM stated. When BLM notes something like a “body score 3-5” please remember a 5 is perfect and the lower number most often represents older horses.
Below: Wild horses being referenced as Flanigan were the ones captured a few miles from Twin Peaks.
The North Complex roundup ended on October 22. You can find the team reports HERE.
So many locals and other people from around the country have reached out asking howe to adopt these horses. For herd like Dogskins, Granite and Flanigan this is a nice change spotlight. Herds like these are often overlooked when it comes to adopting a wild horse.
As these horses are tagged and branded we will update you on how the facility will run adoptions (onsite and/or online).
Flanigan studs
Below: Some of the Dogskins/Granite mares and foals
We are getting a lot of requests for facility visits. Most facilities we cannot visit because they are off-limits to the public. We will add more facility updates as time and access allow.
