"The love for a horse is just as complicated as the love for another human being... If you never love a horse, you will never understand."
~ Author Unknown
This time they brought the issue to Washington. President Obama, you saw them in Reno, but made no response. You weren't in Washington while they were there, but how could you be unaware that they were there and what they wanted?
This brief statement byPaul Killington says it all. Did you hear him, Mr. President?
Did you see this on CNN, Mr. President? This is what's happening to our wild horses. We've been trying to tell you, but you don't seem to have heard us. The horses don't have much time left, Mr. President.
Here are some of the people who have been frantically writing to you, begging for help. Now they have come to Washington to plead the case for the horses. So what happened when they got to the Department of the Interior - these American Citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly, paperwork all in order and nary a firearm in the entire group? They were met by armed guards - unfriendly armed guards - outside the door of the DOI. Then the Mounted Park Patrol joined the group, followed by Homeland Security and a motorcycle policeman. This for peaceful citizens carrying nothing but signs and information?
As they stood in front of the Mounted Patrol, facing the DOI, they could see people at the windows, but no brave soul ventured out amongst these horse hugging terrorists. Finally, someone did come down to get the packet of information from them, and probably ran all the way back up the stairs. It all made me so proud, Mr. President, of the Advocates. As for my country and its leadership - I don't believe I have ever been so sad and disappointed. Although, I suppose we should thank the DOI for providing those wonderful horses to help make the point.
On the other side of the Pond, our soul mates in London made their own demonstration in front of the US Embassy. We can never thank you enough, dear friends, for helping our precious wild horses. They obviously mean more to you than they do to their own government. The horses know. They always do.
The ball in in your court, President Obama. Do you remember your campaign promises that you were squarely for protecting our wild herds? But once elected, your ongoing silence has become a deafening roar as concerns and pleas for intervention continue to be meet with absolutely nothing.
The vast majority of us voted for you because of these campaign promises. You promised to protect our wild horses. Since you made that promise, so many horses have been removed from the ranges - or killed in merciless roundups - that there is real doubt as to how many are actually left in the wild.
We are waiting for you to keep your promise, Mr. President. The horses are waiting for your promised protection, Mr. President. They don't have much time.
Internal documents from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) shed light on the agency's motives and plans for the wild horses and burros.
Two reports issued by the BLM for internal use only, The Herd Management Option Plans from October 2008, and the Team Conference Calls Report from July-September 2008 contain astonishing proposals to manipulate the WFRHBA and NEPA, eliminate the wild horses and burros altogether from the wild, and until they can be euthanized or sold most likely for slaughter, sterilize them and place them in feedlots paid for by rescue organizations duped into thinking the animals are in private "preserves".
BLM is the agency within the U.S. Department of Interior that is tasked with protecting the wild horses and burros pursuant to the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, 16 U.S.C. §1331 et seq. (WFRHBA) as free roaming animals in their historic herd areas and designated ranges. "All management activities are to be at the minimal feasible level." 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1333. Wild horses are not to be subject to "capture, "harassment" or "death". 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1331
BLM team members involved in these discussions included Jim Stratton, Rob Jeffers, Al Kane, DVM; Jim Johnson, John Neil, Lili Thomas, Gus Ward, Alan Shepherd, Bud Cribley, and Don Glenn.
These reports are almost certainly the precursor to BLM's current proposal issued by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in October, 2009. The plan as announced is essentially to:
(1) work with non-profits and wild horse enthusiasts to create "preserves" in the Midwest or east, an idea that runs counter to the WFRHBA mandate to maintain free-roaming behavior and avoid zoolike settings for these wild animals,
(2) designate additional ranges that under WFRHBA are to be "devoted principally" to the wild horses and burros, but under BLM they have been afforded the same or even less preference than grazing cattle and sheep and other uses of the land, and
(3) work to restore the "sustainability" of herds and public lands which, translated from BLM-speak, means more slaughter and euthanasia of wild horses and burros and extinction of the herds through continued removal of wild horses from their herd areas and ranges, aggressive "fertility control", monitoring of sex ratios, and introduction of non-reproducing herds.
This proposal is floating around Congress and the Obama Administration. There has been no indication there will be a hearing or any changes made to the laws or authorization of appropriations that may be necessary to implement the plan. The full plan has never even been made generally available to the public.
And, earlier during the first week in December, without any public announcement, BLM rounded up 217 wild horses on the Nevada-California border. This gather of what are known as the Buckhorn wild horses had been scheduled for the summer, 2010. The roundup was conducted in secret, and it is not known how many horses were injured or killed or what happened to them.
Currently, allegedly "excess" horses, those deemed necessary to remove from designated herd areas or ranges basically because of overpopulation or to "maintain a thriving natural ecological balance", are generally held in short-term (STH) or long-term holding facilities (LTH) on private lands. 16 U.S.C. §§1332, 1333 As of May 31, 2009 there were 8,532 horses and 57 burros in short-term holding facilities that have a total capacity of 15,645 animals. As of that date there were 22,126 horses in long-term holding facilities that have a total capacity of 22,100. The long-term holding facilities are full. BLM claims there are 10,350 excess wild horses and burros that must be removed from herd areas and ranges. Since 2000, BLM has removed more than 74,000 wild horses and burros from the wild, 40% of the population.
Manipulating the WFRHBA
In these 2008 reports BLM employees and consultants discussed placing the wild horses and burros in LTH facilities on public lands by converting grazing rights for cattle. To do this legally, requires changing the status of the horses and burros from wild to titled or owned livestock. The WFRHBA protects wild horses on public lands, meaning they can't be corralled in LTH there. BLM team members discussed that to keep the animals in LTH on public lands, they would create non-reproducing herds: "One could argue that a non-reproductive herd is not self-sustaining. Also refer to [43 CFR 4700.0-6 (c]) which states: "Management activities affecting wild horses and burros shall be undertaken with the goal of maintaining free-roaming behavior." By managing for sterile animals we may be taking away their "free-roaming" behavior by altering the social interactions." If the animals are no longer ‘free-roaming", they are not wild and arguably could be considered livestock and kept in LTH on public lands.
In effect, BLM proposed to manipulate the WFRHBA by actually intentionally destroying herd behavior, free-roaming behavior, which as an agency they are supposed to protect, so that they could get around another provision of WFRHBA to allow the horses to be kept in LTH on public lands.
BLM team members also considered ignoring the WFRHBA prohibition on"relocat[ing] wild free-roaming horses and burros to areas of the public lands where they do not exist" but noted, "However, a solicitor's interpretation concludes BLM is not prohibited from moving excess wild horses to LTH areas on public lands because no case law implies such a prohibition. Should BLM elect to move excess horses to LTH areas on public lands, appeals or litigation would be likely and could take years to resolve."
BLM team members discussed that the LTH facilities could be nothing more than feedlots. "BLM (or others? ie horse advocacy groups? would buy livestock permits with the objective of managing the allotments for a non-reproducing herd. Due to trouble finding additional pastures for excess horses, we may need to have feed lots. If the humane organization did take over payment of feeding excess horses they would need to pay for whatever type of facility is available."
Note that BLM's current plan as described by Interior Secy. Salazar, calls, in part, for humane groups to take over the cost and care of wild horses and burros placed in "preserves" in the midwest and eastern states. "Preserves" is presumably a euphemism for "feed lot".
In this way, BLM would also manage the animals to extinction. The BLM team member discussed, though, "This alternative may require a change in regulations based on 43 CFR 4700.0-6 (a), which states: "Wild horses and burros shall be managed as self-sustaining populations of healthy animals in balance with other uses and the productive capacity of their habitat."
Actually, for this plan to be legal, Congress would be required to repeal the WFRHBA requirements that BLM manage wild horses and burros as free-roaming "components" of the public lands at the "minimal feasible level" and avoid "capture", "harassment" and "death". 16 U.S.C. § §1331, 1332, 1333.
Aggressive sterilization and manipulation of herd ratios
Other plans discussed by the BLM team to reduce the wild horse and burro populations included adjusting herd ratios from 50/50 to 70/30 male/female ratios with some of the horses returned to the wild after being gelded and an increased use of PZP, as well as using other unauthorized fertility drugs called Gonacon and SpayVac.
Team members acknowledged Spayvac was "barely available" for research, let alone approved for use as a contraceptive.
With PZP the BLM Instruction Memorandum requires field officials to consider using fertility control and justify when it is not used. During a June 15, 2009 meeting the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board noted the liquid the longer term effectiveness of the pelleted form of PZP is unproven. It is also well known that PZP may cause out of season foals.
In the 2008 team reports, BLM team members noted, "This alternative may require a change in regulations based on 43 CFR 4700.0-6 (a), which states: "Wild horses and burros shall be managed as self-sustaining populations of healthy animals in balance with other uses and the productive capacity of their habitat. ...One could argue that a non-reproductive herd is not self-sustaining. Also refer to (c) which states: "Management activities affecting wild horses and burros shall be undertaken with the goal of maintaining free-roaming behavior." By managing for sterile animals we may be taking away their "free-roaming" behavior by altering the social interactions."
Despite the clear language of WFRHBA and some of its own regulations, the BLM team asked, "Do we have an obligation not to affect horse herd behavior?...Does it affect behavior and do we care? Burger stated in the late 80's that you should aim at a ratio favoring females, but BLM thinks a 50/50 ratio is natural. Would having more stallions change the band structure, will mares and colts be beaten down at water bottlenecks? Since we do not have any evidence [changing the sex ratio] is bad, the BLM should be allowed to do this on a large scale. We do not know if it is bad so should we wait until we know?"
BLM team members discussed options such as filling herd areas with only geldings or sterilizing all mares. BLM also discussed placing wild horses in non-reproducing herds and wanted to look in each state for possible places for these herds.
In one discussion team members proposed it would be easier to "justify" a non-reproducing herd rather than zeroing out herd areas.
The idea was to eliminate a herd management area for every non-reproducing herd area that was created.
The team noted, "When making changes on HMAs (sex ratio, gelding, etc) the implementation would be a trial and error".
BLM knew the aggressive sterilization of mares would mean an increased death rate of at least 10% and admitted that "herd behavior would be out the window". BLM admitted, in effect, these aggressive sterilization plans would not only be potentially dangerous to the wild horses and burros, destructive of their herds and families, but also illegal and ultimately cause their extinction.
Euthanasia and Slaughter
The BLM team's favorite ideas for eliminating wild horses and burros appear to be euthanasia preferably in the field and also by reducing restrictions on sales.
The team considered, "How many could be euthanized at a gather without having a NEPA?" The BLM is required by National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321, et seq., to prepare Environmental Assessments or EAs or, if indicated, Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) or Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), for any proposed changes to public lands that may have a significant environmental impact. The law directs the agency to identify environmental concerns, consider alternatives including no action at all and take a "hard look" at the problem and minimize significant environmental impact. A significant environmental impact includes actions that are likely to be highly controversial or have uncertain effects on the quality of our lives and that affect cultural and historical resources. 40 C.F.R. §1508.27(b).)
In other words, BLM hoped to be able to kill as many wild horses and burros in the field as possible without implicating NEPA.
BLM also discussed drastically reducing the time wild horses and burros are available for adoption or sale before they would then be euthanized.
The team observed, "People willing to put down healthy horses at gather sites could be a problem....Having vets put down healthy horses at preparation facilities could be a problem...Provide counseling due to stress for employees and contractors that have to euthanize healthy horses".
Team members also asked how many more horses could be euthanized without affecting disposal practices. It was noted that Reno Rendering, for example, "will take as many as could be sent". They checked on the capacity of other rendering plants to take more wild horses.
One team member questioned, "Are we euthanizing horses to save money to complete gathers?"
Under the WFRHBA, "[a]ny excess animal or the remains of an excess animal shall be sold if--
(A) the excess animal is more than 10 years of age; or
(B) the excess animal has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times." Currently, a wild horse or burro must be offered for adoption at 3 specific satellite or adoption events before qualifying for sale under subsection (B). Wild horses and burros sold in this way are called 3 strikes horses. Animals sold under this provision lose the protections of the WFRHBA. 16 U.S.C. §1333(e).
Adopters can take possession of 4 wild horses or burros at a time and title is not transferred for at least one year. 16 U.S.C. §1333(c) Only then do the wild horses or burros lose the protections of WFRHBA.
The team notes indicate, "The team needs to address selling horses without limitation....We need to make horses easier to [sell] by changing our policy on the criteria for what constitutes a three strikes horse."
The team discussed selling eligible horses at the gather site.
The team discussed that a horse would get a "strike" after each adoption event and also each 30 day period where a facility is open to the public by walk up or by appointment. In that way, BLM could say the horse had been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times for a period of 30 days, even if no one ever even looked at the horse let alone considered the animal for adoption. After the third 30 day period of unsuccessful adoption offers, the horse would be euthanized on day 31.
A note from a team member states, "Sally had an e-mail from a person in Canada who wants 10,000 horses that he would slaughter the horses and send them to a third world country. Don is going to send the email....Making horses easier to sale by changing policy on the criteria for what constitutes a 3 strike horse, which could be horses that have been in facility for 90 days or 3 weeks. Jim said he has a demand for horses going to Denmark, but they are having a problem getting titled horses."
Another note advises, "Address the need for congress to change the adoption law and allow instant title."
Notes from a June 15, 2009 Wild Horse and Burros Advisory Board meeting indicate "that BLM [should]advertise and market sale eligible animals (with the intent clause) in foreign countries with known good homes by offering "select sales" for sale eligible animals 11 years of age and over, and for younger animals that have been offered for adoption three times during a 90 day period and that BLM continue to explore opportunities to foster foreign aid by providing sale eligible animals (with the intent clause) to foreign countries for agricultural (nonfood) use."
Only BLM would call a slaughter house a "known good home". The BLM is obviously in contact with kill buyers, those that buy horses and transport and sell them to slaughter houses. Despite the mandate of the WFRHBA, BLM, the agency charged with protecting wild horses and burros as free roaming components of the public lands at the "minimal feasible level" is clearly attempting to smooth the way for their slaughter.
During its discussions in the past year BLM considered ways to keep the public away from round ups and the killing and sales of healthy horses and burros and planned to brand protests as "eco-terrorism". This was all to be done in secret. Unless Congress or the courts step up and stop this rogue agency, it looks like BLM's plan may succeed.
These pictures are heartbreaking for me, and it took me a while to decide to reblog them from The Cloud Foundation blog. However, this story needs to be told - to everyone possible. So here it is, in all it's pain and glory...
HUMANE OBSERVER REPORT re NEVADA’S “CALICO” COMPLEX WILD HORSE ROUNDUP
10 January 2010
By now, many of you know I have been monitoring the Calico Complex roundup as a humane observer and that I was also likewise engaged last summer in the Pryor Mountains of Montana during the roundup of Cloud’s herd where the horses were driven 11 to 15 miles down the mountain. I do my best to document and share with all of you who would be here if you could what my eyes and my camera see. Craig Downer and Bob Bauer have been stalwart companions in the first weeks, and we’ve been gratified to see others coming out to stand vigil for our beloved mustangs who are losing their freedom and their home in this deeply wild and sparsely beautiful mountain range in Nevada. It is our aim to provide updated, regular reports of what we see although logistically we’ve not been able to keep you all as updated as we would like. There is a tremendous amount of driving involved – Nevada is a big place – along rugged roads in very bad Pogonip ground fog and icy cold conditions. It is sometimes so cold even my camera objects to being outdoors and won’t work properly, and I must turn it off and on again to coax it to photograph. Nevertheless, she has been a real trooper and continues to serve us all as well as she can.
First let me say these horses are beautiful, healthy wild horses. They are far more uneasy around people than Cloud’s herd, who are more accustomed to the sight of humans. The wild horses of the isolated Calico Complex and become quite nervous and swell together in unanimous, anxious whooshes of agitated movement when humans approach the pens.
At this point the beautiful stallion, Freedom, and his struggle and ultimate escape is familiar to many. While Craig and Bob were over on the side of the pens where they saw closely his attempts and ultimate flight to freedom, I was on the other side of the pens filming the “processing” of the individual horses, which is when I took the photos of Freedom standing upright, with his right front elbow stuck over the top of the fence to the jerry-rigged processing/sorting area the Cattoors set up at their portable trap sites. I’ve previously posted a picture you’ve probably seen of Freedom’s predicament, in which he got himself into in this sorting/processing alleyway by rearing up in an attempt to go up and over the fence and gate. After horses are driven in by the helicoper, they are individually put through this little processing area to be identified and evaluated for gender and age, and assessed for injuries and overall condition. Most all of the horses had a very difficult time with this area. They are afraid, claustrophobic, extremely anxious, backing up into each other and into the rear gate to the area, heads swinging down low side to side, rearing, kicking the back gate. Some just stand there frozen. Often it’s a first experience for them of being enclosed. They are afraid and very anxious.
Freedom, however, is in a class by himself. I believe Freedom to be Nevada’s Cloud. Cloud is the only horse we have ever seen turn to face the helicopter before being driven into the pen. His intelligence, courage, strength, and sheer spunk, as well as his tender affection for his family and his legendary good looks (!) constantly set him apart. Cloud has kept his head in numerous difficult situations, both on the range and in the hands of man, which is why he became a band stallion at only 5 years old. I believe Freedom has demonstrated that same true greatness of spirit embodied by his courage, presence of mind, and unflinching determination in the daunting face of his greatest natural predator: man.
I took numerous, rapid-fire photos of this incident, and as a tribute to him, to Freedom, I have decided, in response to people’s interest, to post them lest we forget what it means to these magnificent free spirits to be f r e e.
Here is my whole sequence in chronological order, complete with timestamps: a wild horse’s terribly frightening ordeal at the hands of humans, yet this is par for the course in the day of the BLM and the roundup contractors. I am not alleging any specific abuse at the hands of man, rather, it is the general abuse inherent in this entire process of interfering with the wild horses’ right to run free in his own legally designated area. Calico Complex, consisting of five separate but adjoining wild horse herd areas — Black Rock East, Black Rock West, Warm Springs, Calico Mountain, and Granite Range — consists of 550,000 acres, easily enough room for 3,095 horses, almost 200 acres per horse. They are healthy and beautiful now in the dead of winter; they do not need BLM’s form of “help”; what a travesty. While they are drastically reducing the numbers of the wild horses, BLM has increased the number of cattle allowed to graze in the Soldier Meadows allotment. These facts need to be known.
Freedom’s story needs to be told, and told again and again, to children and grandchildren. To this end, Craig Downer and I feel privileged to share the photos we were so fortunate to take, so we are making available these photos to tell Freedom’s story. We want to do all we can to ensure that his sacrifice was not in vain. Personally, I am certain he sustained serious injuries to his chest when he hit the barbed wire fence full bore. Craig observed a deep bloody gash just above his hoof on his front right leg as he freed himself from the wire, but close study of my photographs indicates he arrived into captivity with this fresh cut. Nevertheless, I find some consolation in the fact that wild stallions sustain serious injuries every season during fights to win and keep mares. Their resilience is legendary, and with our prayers, God’s grace, and Freedom’s indomitable spirit, he will recover to start a new family and be a reigning stallion in the Black Rock Range if he can stay out of sight during this and future roundups, and stay out of the crosshairs of those few albeit deadly people who seek to rid the range of his magnificent and gloriously beautiful kind.
To put it in Freedom’s perspective: This ordeal was so serious for him, he was motivated to risk everything in order to escape the possibility of more of the same in captivity. It only lasted one minute, but his life is now forever changed. We must stop these roundups and the terrible stockpiling of these tremendously beautiful, peace-loving animals.
Photo A by Craig Downer 1/02/10 11:11:32 a.m.
Freedom’s band being driven into the trap area from Craig’s vantage point up on the mountain. Note the foal in the rear, trying to keep up. More foals than adults die from roundup injuries and subsequent complications. Additionally, many foals end up footsore and limping. We saw numerous foals limping in the Fallon holding facility on Thursday, 1/7/10 (separate reports to follow). Like human babies’ bones, their hooves are not yet hard, and they simply cannot sustain the pounding inherent in long treks keeping abreast with frightened adult horses, especially here on the hard lava rock, at any speed over a walk.
Freedom is in the front attempting to lead his band away from the helicopter threat, to safety. Sensing danger, he has slowed to a trot despite the looming pressure of the helicopter. Stallions are all about protection of the family. They are either in front, leading, or at the rear, placing themselves between the perceived threat and their family, in which case the dominant or “lead” mare assumes the responsibility for leading the band.
PHOTO B: Freedom stretched out now in a full gallop, a last-ditch effort to escape the demon helicopter on his tail. Although the helicopter sometimes hangs back over the long drive toward a trap site, at this critical juncture the pilot applies maximum pressure to make sure the horses move past their resistance all the way into the pen. This means the helicopter is very close and very low. The noise and wind are terrifying. This is a great shot by Craig capturing the release of the Judas horse, who is trained to run ahead of the wild horses straight into the pen. The wild horses, being frightened herd animals, tend to follow a strong leader.
Photo B by Craig Downer 11:11:46 a.m.
PHOTO C: Thirty seconds later, seen from my (Elyse’s) vantage point on the ground: Hard pressed, Freedom is hesitating, forced to lead his band into the trap. We can see the red-alert position of his ears, high head and arched neck. Note the wrangler hiding outside the jute-lined fence. Once the last horse (the foal) has passed, he and others likewise hiding will duck under the fence and start waving their flagwhips as they walk and run toward the horses to push them all the way up into the pen and slam the gate shut.
Photo C – 11:12:11 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Trapped, frightened horses. Freedom is farthest right. Photo D (above) – 11:20:38 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Freedom and band huddle together. Note that the deep gash above his right front hoof. It is a fresh wound.
Photo E (above) – 11:24:09 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Intelligent and alert, Freedom (farthest right) watches me photograph him while his band looks elsewhere. I am so very sorry, ashamed of my species… I tell him what I told Conquistador when photographing him up on Commissary Ridge while trapped in the trailer in Montana: I am so sorry; I will tell your story. I will tell the world. Photo F (above) – 11:24:09 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
PHASE II of Captivity
Stuck on the Fence, Freedom. Photo G – 1/2/2010 11:28:48 a.m – Elyse Gardner
This processing area was a narrow alleyway approximately 15 feet long within which the Cattoors would individually separate the horses to assess gender and condition. The horses were spray painted on their backs in here, also, to identify from which herd area they were taken.
As you can see below (photo H), Freedom is stuck (see right front elbow). Sue Cattoor is holding her flag whip (see the thigh-level white plastic bag, which is affixed to a whipstick approximately 3 feet long).
Freedom’s hind legs, his only traction, are struggling, and he’s slipping on the icy walkway as he thrusts to get enough lift to extricate himself. His mouth is slightly open in these photos; he is extremely stressed. Being immobilized is frightening enough to a horse, let alone a wild horse, but being immobilized in such close proximity to the greatest predators on earth would be a terrible ordeal for him. We can be sure he is highly motivated to get down off this fence.
Photo H – 11:28:51 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Below in Photo I, two seconds later, he continues stressed. The pressure of the wrangler on the opposite side of the fence with flag whip uplifted is clearly felt. He now has some relief in that both hind legs are back solidly on the ground.
Photo I (above) – 11:28:53 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In Photo J, below, two seconds later, he’s collecting himself. His mouth is closed. I am impressed with his self-containment at this point. He is nevertheless highly motivated to extricate himself from this terrible predicament. Note that the wrangler opposite Sue Cattoor is no longer present; he is walking around to this side of the processing alleyway.
Photo J – 11:28:59 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
This very present, collected band stallion of ten other horses driven in with him (eight mares, two six-month-old youngsters — a sizeable, very respectable band) now turns to look at his persecutor, below. He has his left front leg over the fence bar as well, giving himself some relief from hanging on the one side and definitely wanting to go over this fence and be free. I’ve seen horses escape confinement; their only interest is to get away.
Photo K – 11:29:01 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In the photo below, Freedom struggles again to dismount off the fence. Bear in mind it’s only been about 6 seconds since the wrangler walked away from the opposite side of the fence. What I’ve termed a “rest” was really just a split second of cessation of struggle. He was struggling ongoingly to come off this fence.
Photo L 11:29:04 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In photo M below, spray can in ungloved right hand and holding in his left hand his right-hand white glove, along with something else you’ll see in the next photos, BLM’s Nevada wild horse and burro specialist arrives on this side of the fence striding purposefully into the area. Freedom has removed his left front leg from the fence but remains trapped by his elbow. Sue Cattoor’s flag whip is visible below Freedom’s left front leg.
Photo M – 11:29:07 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In Photo N below, BLM’s WH&B specialist places on the ground a yellow and gray object resembling a DuraProd electric hotshot (an electric cattle prod). If that is in fact what it is, I see no evidence of its having been used in this instance.
Photo N – 11:29:12 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Photo O- Enlarged
Below in Photo 11, Freedom is highly agitated and struggles desperately to free himself as he is goaded and flagged by Sue Cattoor, her wrangler, and the pressure of the presence of the BLM employee. His open mouth conveys the angst and depth of his struggle. He was not struck with the flagwhips; no one yelled at him or made any noise. People moved slowly and deliberately. From the wild horse’s perspective, it is clearly nevertheless a terrible ordeal.
Photo P – 11:29:15 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In Photo Q, below, 3 seconds later, Freedom is falling backwards as he finally unhooks his elbow from the fence. I’ve seen domestic horses sustain terrible injuries from fences like this, and I fervently pray he is okay. This turns out to be the least of his worries, as we have all learned.
Photo Q – 11:29:18 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Below in Photo R, Freedom is catching himself, and he righted himself quickly. What tremendous power and determination in this very special black stallion. I also notice the bottom of his hoof. What beautiful, healthy feet these horses have. This will change as they become prior-wild horses living in holding pens with no grazing nor any opportunity for roaming over rocks in their natural habitat to naturally wear down the hoof. If they go to long-term holding facilities in Kansas, Kentucky, and the like, they end up in flat pastures, and their hooves will grow unchecked like our domestic horses’ do, and they will then need routine hoof care. How does a wild horse get hoof care? They are generally brought in and driven with flags, much as we see here, into a squeeze chute that turns them on their side, and then their hooves are filed down with an electric sander-type device. Long-term holding is not without its horrors for these horses. They are amazingly resilient, peaceable animals who deserve to be left to run free. I notice the presence of the yellow and gray device on the ground to the left of the BLM wild horse and burro specialist.
Photo R - 11:29:20 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
In photograph S, below, we see Freedom unhooked from his fence nightmare trotting briskly through the now-open gate into the adjoining pen where he would, in the next few minutes, gather all his strength and make several failed attempts at jumping the 6-foot fence before succeeding.
The fence predicament took just under one minute, from 11:28:48 a.m. to 11:29:25 a.m., but it was a life-changing minute for this horse. Some of our life-defining moments are very short-lived, aren’t they. This experience left an indelible impression on this horse: ”I will get out of here, whatever it takes.”
Photo S- 11:29:25 a.m. – Elyse Gardner
Less than a minute after extricating himself and escaping the looming pressure of human presence so close by, Freedom is now in the adjoining pen, immediately beginning his first approach to fly the fence into the relief of his mountains.
Photo T – 11:30:18 a.m. – Craig Downer
Failing his first effort by having hit the fence and fallen backwards, Freedom now struggles to see over the fence and focuses his full acumen on assessing the power and stride necessary to clear this fence, this barrier to freedom. I feel such pathos in this hysterically desperate, burningly focused, do-or-die mission to flee to his mountains. He wants it, needs it, so badly he can taste it…
Photo U – 11:30:34 a.m. – Craig Downer
After unsuccessfully hitting the fence twice, Freedom recalculated, and in a final herculean effort he mustered the wherewithal to sail over the fence only to encounter this terrible barbed wire perimeter fence which he hit full bore, becoming ensnared in its strands.
Photo V – 11:31:33 a.m. – Craig Downer
Finally, a bittersweet freedom, making a run into the relieving embrace of his mountains, leaving his cherished family behind. His mares were desperate. There was one mare in particular, whom I’ve got on video, who made several runs at the fence but knew she couldn’t clear it and repeatedly slid to a halt at the fence, stopping short of an actual jump. It was heart-wrenching.
Photo W – 11:31:36 a.m. – Craig Downer
Freedom looking back a last time to the family he has to leave behind.
Photo X – 11:31:48 a.m. – Craig Downer
Turning back toward the mountains.
Photo Y – 11:32:14 a.m. – Craig Downer
Freedom slipping into the welcome embrace of his mountain home. We are with you, Noble One. May you heal and stay always free.
Photo Z – 11:33:25 a.m. – Craig Downer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Freedom, in tribute, for your sake and all your wild family.
And to the wild horse supporters, all of you who take a moment to write congresspeople or call the President to help the wild horses and burros stay wild and free, THANK YOU for giving at least one wild horse a voice every time you take action.
For the wild horses and their humble friends, the wild burros,
Elyse Gardner with thanks to Craig Downer Caring is great; action is better. — Elyse Gardner, Humane Observer
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