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June 5, 2012
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June 21, 2012
The mares run on the ridge
On Saturday morning, I drove to the Walmart in El Dorado, Kansas to go on the tour provided by the Bureau of Land Management of one of the largest Long Term Holding facilities for wild horses in the country. With 4400 wild horses on 32000 acres, Bob Buford’s Shadow 7 Ranch is known to the BLM as the “Teeterville Complex.” There were lakes and plentiful waterholes and very green grass, almost so green it hurts your eyes, completely unlike the arid, sparse range that these horses are used to.
Mares at a waterhole
Over 200 members of the public signed up for the tour, and there were more BLM staffers than I have ever seen in one place before, including from Washington D.C. Lily Thomas and Joan Guilfoyle, new Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Division. Many of the people on the tour had never seen a wild horse, but there were also people wearing mustang club t-shirts.
Coming off of the buses
Watching the horses
While on one of the 5 huge air conditioned buses, we were given explanations about wild horses on the range and the need for holding facilities, and shown excerpts of the shiny new BLM Propaganda DVD “The Story of America’s Wild Horses and Burros.” We were also told that the main problem facing wild horses was overpopulation. There was absolutely no mention of cattle or sheep on the range, who vastly outnumber wild horses.
The mares watching the people
At least they did not include portions of Lili Thomas’ video where she claims that wild horses are far better off in long term holding than in the wild, and that the BLM is “removing them from stress” – in case you missed this gem, here it is: http://www.thehorse.com/Video.aspx?n=behind-blm-pasture-gates&vID=578
Mares on the hill
Some of the rhetoric made it seem as though the horses in this facility would never leave, no longer eligible for adoption, but live out their lives in idyllic splendor in the rich grass fields of Kansas. But I did ask and clarify that the 10 and older horses could be sold without limitation, and were at risk of ending up who knows where – at risk of being slaughtered. Paul McGuire from Oklahoma told me that only 1000-1500 horses were sold per year from long term holding, but when I had an opportunity to speak to Bob Buford myself, those figures seem low. He told me had had just sent 200 to a couple of different states, and this last year had sent 1700 to Hutchison Correctional Facility. He told me that the mortality rate is about 3 – 4% and the horses can live to 25 or even 30, which is a good 5-10 more years than in the wild.
The freeze brands are clearly visible on these mares
35 million dollars from American taxpayers is spent every year keeping these wild horses in short term and long term holding facilities, instead of leaving them free on the range. Many more millions are spent each year rounding up and removing them from their homes.
Mares moving away from the people
With 5 buses, you can imagine that wild horses might not be easy to get close to, and you would be right. We started in the mare pastures, with horses being segregated by sex, as in all the holding facilities. At the first stop, as people piled off the buses cameras in hand, the horses ran, stopped, moved around, and got further and further away from all the hullabaloo. Some of my closer images were taken out of a tinted bus window.
Mares circling the buses
Then run to join the big group
We got off the buses two more times, and were treated to a large group of mares curious enough to run a big circle around the vehicles. Then we headed to a huge machine shed for lunch, mercifully not being treated to a long lecture by the BLM – they though better of it given the heat and so many people packed into the building.
The closest we got to the geldings was as we drove by
A magnificent sight as they run by
After lunch we headed for the gelding pastures in another part of the ranch. The geldings seemed far more skittish than the mares, and every time we saw horses they ran. They also were in much smaller groups, and we saw two or three horses together as well.
Bob Buford attempted to get a group of geldings to come closer with the help of 4 wheelers, but the wild horses were smart enough to get away, and keep going.
The geldings run through the middle of the caravan in a cloud of dust
During the tour, I was very aware of the absence of one of the most vital parts of wild horse society – family. It was odd seeing groups of mares all by themselves – they formed in large groups, very unlike the usual small families of 2 to 10, with the stallion, mares, youngsters and foals. It is a beautiful, sterile environment, and reminded me more watching of a group of ranch horses than wild horses.
Geldings watch the buses go by
The horses seemed to be in good condition, and many people asked me about their feet, which I was not able to get a good close look at, but zooming in on the photos showed wear and tear that looked like in the wild.
These horses do not belong here - they belong in the wild
After this, the decision was made to head back to Walmart and our cars, including mine with my “Save America’s Wild Horses” magnets on the side – I received quite a few thumbs up on this. The BLM stayed to answer questions, and I was happy to get on the road heading toward home, and my three adopted mustangs.
46 Comments
Carol, Thank you so much for reporting on this facility and making the trip to check on our horses. Heartbreaking that males are gelded (stallions don’t go to slaughter) and even after that, kept separate from the mares. So salazoo is a reality. Personally, I think this is just a “fattening” up stop before sale without limitation. So tragic. I’m trying to look at the silver lining here but my heart is breaking.
Less than 1 acre per horse, but they were “overpopulated” in the wild! Yeah right.
Sadly, there is no silver lining. Without mares and stallions together, the herds will eventually die out. And these are not even real herds with family associations. This is an entirely artificial setting designed to lull the American public into believing all is well in the BLM’s version of “wild” (no longer) horse maintenance.
We the public MUST continue to speak out. We must also remember when voting just who was responsible for undoing the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971, when Congress under Bush caved to cattle lobbyists and slipped in a little bill declaring wild horses to be an invasive species. With that one act, the wild horses’ and burros’ fate was sealed.
Check your elected officials’ voting records, and PLEASE continue to petition them, and Obama, to stop this, and to stop horse slaughter, since many wild horses end up in slaughter yards.
Very well said Lauriel!
Hi Lisa, I come up with 7.27 acres per horse. That’s 32,000 acres divided by 4,400 horses. I was on the tour and the grass out there was just amazing. The horses looked very healthy. That’s the plus side. Of course, it is sad they no longer have their family groups. I keep signing petitions to try to change things and I keep telling others too.
I read that KS doesn’t even want the Wild Horses there. BLM is taking far too much control over ‘our’ government. & our American Icon.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience on the tour of these beautiful creatures. I’m sure though it had to sadden you not to see them in groups as families, as it should be. I am sickened by all the negative news, in regard to our wild horses and feel so helpless. I appreciate your compassion and dedication to them and pray somehow this nightmare we’re in will turn around in a positive way for these magnificent God-given creatures.
For some horrible reason I am reminded of the book, Soylent Green. 🙁 I guess mares (and geldings) aged at time of ‘gather’ are branded with Sales Authority mark then?
I would like to help in the very very importent mission of preserving the wild horses at north America. If you need me to come for the US,I can do it! Best Regards
Gadi Wiess,ISRAEL
Thanks Carol. One of my Washington contacts Debbie Collins I believe participated. Did you get to meet her? I’m sure you met a zillion so silly question.
Your hard work and dedication are only surpassed by your photographic genious!
Steve
I’m glad they are healthy. I wish they were free. Truly, they are no longer wild wild-horses. What a sad deception on the paying public. Thank you for going to see them and reporting to us.
I don’t understand how they can’t be embarrassed as they lie through their teeth! What a farce! So glad you were able to attend. It must be heartbreaking to see but essential that they know that we know!
I have been wondering for a long time now what long-term holding looked like. It is exactly how I pictured it in my mind and Carol described it perfectly, a sterile environment without family band behaviors. Green pastures are all well and good, but I agree, wild horses belong on the range with their family bands intact! Thanks Carol, for sharing your tour with us.
Carol, Thank you so much for reporting on this tour. Many of us cannot get there personally and it is so important for someone like you to report for us.
I am torn between wanting these horses to be truly free and happy to see them in such lush circumstances and obviously healthy and happy. They are free even though not the way they were previously.
The horses that I really feel for are the ones in the holding pens, just standing around….it is really sad. Some of the pens are just wastelands with hay.
This piece of land is truly beautiful and these particular horses are very lucky in many ways.
I have purchased your book in remembrance of my now-deceased Mustang Mare, Lily. I miss her so much!
My heart aches at the lack of family units here.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us on your blog.
i have two mustang mares. one, SHATARA, eas given to me by a friend who couldn”t keep her anymore. This mare is so special it would take a book to mntion all t6he good things this horse has done for me and her previous “mom”. Herformer owner was physically somewhat handicapped. Shatara somehow knew that and literally took care of her. She is about 30 years old now. Wev still go on trail rides at her pace . SHE is AWESOME, AND i WOULD like to be able totell the whole world about her someday. BUT MUSTANGS SHOULD BBE FREE!!!!!!!!!
Carol, thank you so much for going on this tour, taking photographs, and letting us all know about the tour. I was glad to have your reliable eyes checking on the horses and facility.
Thanks for this candid report, Carol. It is a shame these magnificent horses have been displaced from their rightful public lands in order to accommodate the greedy ranchers and big game hunters and other selfish and thoughtless interests. They have so much to contribute in the wild whee they belong. Hope some of you can read my book The Wild Horse Conspiracy which goes into considerable detail and provides some good insights and directions. It is available on amazon.com or from me, also Barnes and Noble website.
Thank you, Carol, this was wonderful…
It seems to me the wild horses would already be in lush green pastures if that’s what the natural order of things were meant to be…but it’s not…they were meant to be where the BLM won’t allow them…
The BLM places 4400 wild horses on only 3200 acres of land, yet they continue to remove horses from millions of acres of land with the excuse there is not adequate acreage for them in the wild.
I agree with the fact this appears as a large horse ranch, because actually that’s what it is. It’s a damn pity!!!
Thank you, Carol, for this enlightenment.
I didn’t think these so called “ranch’s” existed because the BLM wouldn’t give out their addresses. To me it’s nothing but a show to get the public on their side. This is why these tours are arranged. But where are the rest of the horses that have been rounded up? I think they were sent to slaughter. Eventually most of the horses the BLM has locked up on these places will gradually disappear as the public forgets about them. As we all know there are very few Mustangs left anywhere in the US. These animals are all nice and fat just what the KB’s like. In the 90’s the BLM was caught selling Mustangs out the back door to slaughter, there was a big stink about it but nothing was ever done to really stop it. Has anyone been able to get a list of the BLM holding pens in each state and the number of horses in the pens? The number of animals on these ranches don’t match the number of horses removed.
I think the horses are happy, with such a pretty place. Running free with food and companionship. They are not being chased, and They can do as they please.
It may be a pretty place but I guarantee you that the horses are not happy when they are removed from it and sold without limitation – they are all at risk of this.
How did you know about this tour opportunity? I’ve been so upset that I literally live 45 minutes from there & have not ever had the chance to know the true status of this facility or the horses inside. There’s no public road access, everything is hidden… Even though they are OUR HORSES! WE pay for them & WE love them!!! So very sad about the loss of the family bonds. It’s truly what makes them special. Cannot express the frustration I feel about taking something innocent & free and placing it in captivity without a choice… to “rehabilitate” someone who willingly gave up their freedom; then selling off like it’s the most fabulous mutual love affair since PB&J!!! Give me a break! These horses belong in the WILD, not in a prison! If some program makes them more adoptable, hence less likely to be slaughtered, then sobeit, but cut the crap. We’ve all had enough from the BLM!
Sorry that you did not hear about it Cristin – I heard about it through a BLM press release.
WE ARE TIRED OF THE MISUSE OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS FOR LIVESTOCK FOR WHICH
THE OWNERS PAY A VERY SMALL RENTAL FEE WHILE THE LIVESTOCK DEFECATE IN THE
WATER&EAT THE GRASS MEANT FOR THE MUSTANGS UNTIL THE LIVESTOCK ARE KILLED FOR
THEIR MEAT&THE OWNERS PROFITS! ALL THIS IS BEING PAID FOR AT A GREAT PRICE
TO THE AMERICAN CITIZEN&TAXPAYER YEARLY!
WE ARE NOT DECEIVED! WE ARE OUTRAGED&WE PROTEST PAYING FOR LIES&GREED!!
THE BRUTALITY&HELICOPTER FEES ARE STUPENDOUS!STOP THIS MADNESS&COSTS! THIS
DOES NOT SUPPORT OUR NATION,LIVES, RESOURCES, OR DEMOCRACY! NATALIE REED
FYI: The ranch and the land the wild horses live on in Kansas LTH is 32,000 acres and NOT 3,200. 🙂
Wow, isn’t amazing how 4400 horses can live on 3200 acres of basically man made pasture, but, far fewer than that, can’t live and thrive on millions of acres(of which legally they were allotted) where they have lived for hundreds of years. How on earth is this allowed to go on?
These so called ranchers are making a mint off of rent on these poor horses(what is it? $1 a day per horse? on their green pastures) and are obviously in cahoots with the kill buyers.
Makes me physically ill and extremely sad and angry. I am kinda tied down for a bit, otherwise, I would be their to offer any help, in a split second.
Thank you Laura, Carol, RT, and everybody else involved in this fight
Sinerely, Jennifer
Please excuse my grammar
Please excuse me for leaving so many other important names out of my Thanks.
Thank you Stephanie for pointing out my typo – it is 32,000 acres not 3200.
You are welcome! 🙂
Beautiful pictures & I’m sure many people on those buses thought the horses had a wonderful life there because they didnt know exactly how the horses GOT there – probably looked at it the same as Tamara Blits. I have always wondered how taking horses that are accustomed to arid desert (pretty much) acclimate to the lush grass pastures. Breaking up the families is beyond cruel. changes their whole life & not in a good way.
Had to be very hard for you to look at this place & take your pictures, without being frustrated beyond belief not to be able to do anything to change this.
What is to be done about this outrage? If these Mustangs belong to the public and the land they graze is public owned, how come the greedy ranchers get to round them up? I am not from the USA so maybe I’m missing something. Why are they allowed to do this? If a law was passed under Bush, surely it can be repealed under Obama. If not then we should be lobbying for a brand new law. These horses were there first. We must not let the ranchers get their own way yet again. Who besides the ranchers are gaining by this? Someone is taking backhanders to allow it. Where are your investigative journalists?
Hey Carol – I just had a thought, while someone (like yourself) taking this bus tour, would hand out a very brief but informative paper to all those that were on that bus, back at the Walmart parking lot. To give these folks … the real going ons out there. The more people we reach in letting them know the blatant cruelty, lies, total mismanagement of the wild horse & burros. It is letting more & more of the public wanting to question the BLM/Salazar etc.
If there is any other wild horse/burro advocates out there to take these ‘tours’ ONLY to spread the truth!
I am in England. I am well versed on BLM’s quest to eradicate the wild horse and burro from their grazing in favour of ranchers and the trophy hunter crowd and their methods of roundup.
WHAT I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND IS WHY AREN’T THE ROUNDUPS – WHICH ARE CRUEL AND DANGEROUS – FOR THE MARES IN FOAL AND YOUNG FOALS AND THE GENTLE BURROS – NOT MADE INTERNATIONAL?
IF FOOTAGE WERE SHOWN ON THE BBC AND THE PUBLIC MADE AWARE THERE WOULD BE AN UPROAR AND A CALL FOR SOME REMEDY.
IMAGES OF CRUELTY STAY IN THE MIND, PRINT IS DIFFICULT TO RETAIN.
Great job, Carol! Thank you so much for this insightful report!
Keep publicizing this – share it on facebook, tweet it, and get the info out.
Cruel practices must stop. I don’t understand what makes people so selfish and cruel.
the reason the international media doesn’t cover the lousy, politically driven wild horse policy of our government is the same reason it selectively reports all news that mostly benefits the owners of that same media—they are the same ones who want use of our public lands. Financiers who back livestock grazing, mining, drilling, housing development, etc. etc. all using exponentially more water and grass than the wild horses. They are the same ones benefitting from war, weapons, etc.
WE need to get control of the media and make it truly investigative and open.
It was so nice meeting you, Carol, on the tour.
BLM Propaganda DVD is so accurate. Actually, if they did the helicopter roundups as described on the DVD, it wouldn’t be so traumatic for the horses. When I asked the lady on our bus about her personal experience with the roundups, I could tell she had been coached on what to say. (Her job was to be with the observers, and she commented that sometimes it can be hard to find a hiding place for 20 people.) She went on and on about why they had to do roundups and the positive aspects of helicopters. Then she said something I still can’t believe she said. She figured I had seen the video of the helicopter skid touching a horse. She said that sometimes the pilots will “gently nudge” a mustang during the roundup. How on earth do you “gently nudge” an exhausted horse who is scared to death?!! When I asked how close they are allowed to get to the horses, she said the FAA had gotten involved and ruled they had to stay 500 feet away from horses and humans in case of an accident. She made no mention of the litigation involved in that ruling.
I think she took only one more question after mine. (I was very polite in how I asked my questions though.)
I met Bonnie from California and I appreciated her comment. She said the BLM does a lot of good. The activists are just trying to change the bad.
Thank you Carol, awesome work (my heart is with the mustangs everywhere) wild mustangs do not deserve this treatment. It is tactics that Hitler used. Proven sick person at the helm.
Thank you all you for the comments left by all the people who know right from wrong. And your compassion. It is so important!!
Thank you for standing up for the Wild Mustangs everyone of you, your words are helping educate myself and others, never give up, spread the words the pictures!
The part that hurts and cannot be changed is the damage that has been done to the herds by removing them, this damage caused cannot ever be made right, it sickenings me to know that this cannot be taken back, the misplaced, the deaths, the babys feet torn off and left to suffer & die, the confusion the mares are separated,the brave Stallions confused when they lost everything and continue to look long after the trucks take their families away, and then only to be tortured by being gelded without pain medication, and then all displaced forever, without shown MERCY OR COMPASSION. How sad this country of ours is doing nothing to stop this out of hand dept, this is the worst part nothing is or has been done to stop this senseless farce and there is no-end in sight. I will stay positive and hope soon I will be allowed to stand someday and say “We stopped the ROUND UPS”, that is my only hope and wish in my life. The lawsuits are great but slow and time consuming and the Roundups continue every week somewhere in some state the horses are being hurt beyond our wildest nightmares.
Last but not least and most important issue is the NUMBERS OF REMOVALS OF HERDS (COUNT OF HORSES FROM EACH HERD) AND THE NUMBERS OF HORSES IN THE CORRALS AND TEMP & LONG TERM HOLDING FACILITIES, AND HOW MANY HAVE BEEN “ADOPTED MUSTANGS” JUST FOR ONE YEAR – HAS ANYONE BEEN ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER IN WRITING FROM THE BLM? DO THEY HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR HERDS WITH NUMBERS, I KNOW THEY HAVE DUPLICATE NUMBERS ON THE HORSES – HOW CLEVER.
I will stop now, it’s beyond my thoughts of knowing what all of us that care about what is happening.
I have suggestion – Is there not someway all the non-profits,all the websites that are out there, every person on Facebook, every person that makes a comment on a blog – Can we not form together ONE DAY AN EXAMPLE MAKE IT – SEPTEMBER 1ST 2012 A VISION AND THROUGH ALL THESE NETWORKS SPREAD THE WORD AND PUT THE WORD OUT TO CALL ON THIS ONE DAY CALL CONGRESS THE BEST NUMBER ? 202 456 1111 (suggestions welcome)this was spur of the moment idea – EVERYONE STAND TOGETHER TO ON THAT DAY AND ACT ON THAT DAY EACH PERSON MAKE A CALL TOGETHER TO STOP THE BLM FROM ROUNDING UP ANYMORE HORSES. I might not have thought this out – but there ARE SO MANY ORG’S THAT COULD GET THE WORD OUT – the T.I.P TRAINERS, EXTREME MUSTANG MAKEOVER… ENDLESS ORG.S i.e. IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS, ANIMALS ANGELS, PROTECT THE MUSTANGS,JILL STARR IN LANCASTER, THE AUTHOR OF THE WILD HORSE CONSPIRACY,ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THE RALLYS,THE ARTISTS AND MUCH NEEDED PHOTOGRAPHERS (WHO ARE THE EYES FOR THE MUSTANGS), THE LADY WHO COMMENTED IN ENGLAND RE; PBS, MADELINE PICKENS,(THERE ARE AT LEAST 300 GROUPS) EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US STAND TOGETHER AND OPPOSE THE BLM ROUND UPS OF WILD HORSES –
EVERYONE PLEASE – LEARN – THINK – STRATIFY –
THERE IS ALWAYS AN ANSWER!! NEVER GIVE UP!
START TODAY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
PLEASE & THANK YOU IF ANYONE HAS ANY THOUGHTS OR IDEAS PLEASE SHARE AND RESPOND WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS THERE HAS TO BE A WAY.
I AM WILLING TO HELP IN ANYWAY TO FROM MAKING FLYERS MAILING THEM TO ALL THE GROUPS – PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS A GOOD THOUGHT ANY COMMENTS GOOD OR BAD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MUCH GRATITUDE TO ALL THE COMMENTS HERE.
Carol, I read the part of your report which quoted the facilities manager as saying he shipped 1700 horses to Hutchison last year. If he’s actually referring to 2011, then there seems to be a problem. Facility reports I have from July, 2011 and December, 2011 indicate less than 300 horses in Hutchison (about the same number in the most recent facility report issued for June, 2012 to be found here:) http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/Planning_and_Renewable_Resources/wild_horses_and_burros/statistics_and_maps/holding__adoption.Par.95446.File.dat/augfacrept.pdf
Maybe he told you something he shouldn’t have?
Lisa what is really curious is why would the BLM be sending wild horses from Long Term Holding back into Short Term Holding? Unless they are shipping them somewhere else….
I could see them going to Hutchison for training. But not 1700. And certainly the numbers at Hutchison would show a bump up to reflect that. But they don’t, they are consistent for all three reports that I have.
Well, time to follow up and get the BLM two step, if I get an answer at all. May I quote your blog in my correspondence with them?
Also, here is the link to the reports of “sale” authority horses. I know many of these horses are sold for the Mustang Makeover but these numbers don’t jive with what McGuire told you.
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/adoption_program/sales.html
[…] has been 2 1/2 years since the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last gave the public a tour of any BLM Long Term Holding Pastures, which are used to warehouse once wild horses that were rounded up by helicopters used by BLM […]
[…] facility make pretty good sense, with 32,000 acres of land and around 4,400 wild horses on it (link here). This still leaves about 42,000 horses/burros unaccounted for in other facilities. I feel as if […]