Wild Horse Alert: Wild Horses and Burros in Danger from “Stewart Amendment”
June 16, 2016Galloping to Freedom Wins 2016 Colorado Independent Publishers’ 1st Place EVVY Award
August 22, 2016
Beautiful family in South Steens
I just returned from 5 days in Burns Oregon, and while I was there, the BLM finally released their Decision Record for the Mare Sterilization Experiments that they are planning to do at the Short Term Holding Corrals in Hines, Oregon.
Here it is:
https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FONSI06242016MareSterilization.pdf
They had been sitting on this decision and not releasing it to the public for at least a month, no doubt since it is spectacularly unpopular with the American public. Despite thousands of emailed and mailed comments sent to the BLM in opposition to the plan, as well as thousands more emails and phone calls to Oregon State University, who will be supervising and overseeing the cruel and barbaric experiments, the BLM has tuned a deaf ear and plans to go forward with this, the first in a series of sterilizations for our wild horses. 225 wild mares will be sterilized using three different procedures.
You might ask why. It is because sterilization is the keystone in the BLM’s long term goal of completely eradicating our wild horses from our public lands. Despite hysterical claims of Congressmen and BLM while pushing for approval of the 2017 Appropriations Bill, there is no overpopulation of wild horses and burros on our public lands. In fact, in the vast majority of wild horse herds there are not even enough adult members to ensure genetic viability – 150 minimum according to the leading geneticist for wild horses, Dr. Gus Cothren.
Why am I opposed to this sterilization study of wild mares? First of all, our wild horses do not belong in holding corrals, nor should they be experimented upon like lab rats.
Second, 100 mares in this study are going to be in various stages of pregnancy. The outdated, dangerous and barbaric procedure of ovierectomy via colpotomy will be used by veterinarian Leon Pielstick, and using this method which is NOT used any more because there are much better, safer and more humane methods available. The mares in the early stages of pregnancy are likely to absorb their foals, while those in the later stages may abort their foals. Then there is serious risk of infection given that they are doing the procedures at the Hines Short Term Holding Facility which is anything but a sterile environment, and there is risk of evisceration, hemorrhaging, colic and death. Despite extremely compelling letters from respected equine veterinarians against using this procedure, this will go forward.
Wild mares have never been touched by humans. Even coming close to the fence at the Hines corrals scared these mares. Can you imagine how terrified and panicked these wild mares will be, forced into this squeeze chute, restrained, tranquilized, and being operated upon? Many mares will simply die of fright.
Another very disturbing aspect of this experimentation is the sterilization of foals. They plan to sterilize fillies over 8 months old – they only have to weigh 250 pounds, and they will do laser ablation. Torture of foals who in the wild would still be nursing their mothers is absolutely outrageous. In the wild, fillies don’t usually leave their families until 1 1/2 years old to or 3 years old, once they reach esterus.
Mare and foal in South Steens
Where will these mares come from? Currently at the Hines facility there are 400 wild mares and fillies who were rounded up from the Beaty Butte HMA in November, 2015. But most of the mares have already foaled so they need “fresh mares” that are still pregnant. We were told that 100 more mares will be taken from two upcoming Oregon roundups in the fall at both the Three Fingers Herd Management Area, which will be rounded up by helicopter, and mares from the South Steens Herd which will be bait trapped.
Mare and foal in South Steens
Three Fingers:
http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/whb/jackiebutte-threefingers_gather.php
South Steens:
https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BU_SouthSteensBaitTrapGather_July1.pdf
Peacefully grazing in the early morning in South Steens
Will these two South Steens Fillies be in the experiment?
Visiting the South Steens Herd for the first time, I was charmed by these gorgeous, healthy horses whose families were large and who seemed to be very peaceful in close proximity to each other. I tried not to think about what was going to happen to some of these spectacular horses in the herd that is a favorite to many, in a few short months. The horses would be losing their homes, their families, and some will end up being experimented upon and possibly dying. It was also hard to imagine that the wild horses are overpopulating the area given that I counted over 300 head of cattle in the same area, courtesy of the Roaring Springs Ranch.
The cattle at South Steens
Cattle at South Steens
I visited the short term holding corrals on Monday, and had to gear myself up to go. It is a horrible experience spending time seeing these formerly free wild horses standing in filthy pens, with horses of the same sex that they do not know, with no shelter from the elements and no possibility of a return to their homes. You see the light go out of their eyes as they spend day after day in this environment. First I saw the mares, then moved on to the fillies who were separated from their mothers much earlier than they would leave them in the fall, and these fillies are likely to be subject to the laser ablation experiment.
Pregnant mare – will she be in the experiment?
At the Hines Facility
Then I moved onto the mares with foals, and I wondered how many pregnant mares would lose their foals in these experiments, and never get to have them by their sides? If they do the sterilization on mares with foals at their sides, how many of these foals will lose their mothers?
Mare and foal at the Hines facility
Keep in mind that there is no overpopulation of wild horses. This is a convenient lie that the BLM right now is using to justify selling wild horses to state agencies as a way to send them to slaughter, and is using to justify this barbaric, cruel and completely unnecessary torture.
Fillies who would still be with their mothers
What should the BLM be doing? They should be managing wild horses as the principle species in the herd management areas that they are currently in, on only 12% of our public lands. They should be retiring grazing leases from these herd management areas and reduce or eliminate livestock grazing in these areas. Instead of contemplating how to kill the 47,000 wild horses currently warehoused in holding facilities, they should be working to return them to the herd areas that were taken away from wild horses.
Fillies – will they have the laser ablation procedure?
What can you do to help? Right now write and call your Senators and Congressmen.
Comments from Don Moore, DVM on the proposed experimentation:
https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DonMooreCommentsOregonSpayProposal.pdf
Mares and foals at the Hines facility
55 Comments
Thank you, Carol, for this excellent report. In all my years as an advocate this is the worst plan for extinction the BLM has had.
A mare could be easily and safely sterlized…. in a way it could undone if needed…..How do you ask….with a marble……a simple implanted GLASS MARBLE….NO cutting involved….the uterus would think it was pregnant already….Ive heard it done by Equine Vets Already….for the Marish Show Horse… that seems to come in to heat…the minute you unload at a show….and she sees horses she doesnt know…..You people should doing more for PEOPLE getting Birth control….How much Goverment and tax payers money was spent doing these STUDIES ???? Leave the wild things wild…..and worry about something more important like CANCER…..or building SOLAR ENERGY PLANTS !!!
Unfortunately there are too many people in the world and doubling every two years. they have to live somewhere and the animals of all kinds lose to man. I have nature preserve and the neighbors just kill the animals when they leave the preserve. It’s a battle all over the states for the native animals. we don’t even have the state grizzly bear in California now. They killed 15 a day in Big Bear California until they became extinct here.
The growth rate of the horses is more like 10 – 12 % per year. Mots of the herd management areas where horses live are in the high desert on the poorest of lands. There is not competition for housing, but for livestock grazing.
They are stopping evolution in the equine. Some of those babies have wonderful confirmation. Maybe someone would do a study on the evolutionary progress of the wild equine. That might stop it.
Great article. I really do not understand what is wrong with our government. Guess it all has to do with who has money and who can be paid off in the government.
If they want to try “this sterilization” why don’t they try it on the horses being sent to glue factory? Even that is a sad thing.
THIS IS SO BARBARIC! BLM SHOULD FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO! WHAT IF THIS PROCEDURE WERE DONE ON THEM! WOW! THESE ARE GOD’S CREATURES AND BLM WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THEIR ABUSE AT SOMETIME. GOD HELP US!
To The BLM and Oregon State University: I think you are all the sickest people in the entire United States. You should be ashamed of yourselves for doing this barbaric treatment on Americas treasure, the wild mustangs. I will never believe that this is necessary. OSU: you barbarians are doing this for money only and it makes me sick.
I am totally opposed to these barbaric, cruel practices. I loudly object to use of my tax dollars to support these practices, even one cent. I think these plans are nothing but a ploy to eliminate all the wild horses. The best thing to happen would be for each person taking part in these practices to first be sterilized so that eventually people who think like this will become extinct. The whole plan is a disgrace and tiresomely typical of ideas from those who have no respect for anything else that lives.
I love your idea!!!!
I agree, Janet! And your idea to “remove” the people who are so wrong, frankly is a good one! Bet they would have a whole other way of looking at it or if not, eventually it wouldn’t matter!
HOW ABOUT WE BRUTELY STERILIZE THESE NO BRAIN IDIOTS. Who the hell do they think they are?. Am sick and tired of morons such ad these. The horses are GODS creatures and OILY GOD has the right to do anything to such beautiful creatures. This crap keeps up and there will be no animals on this earth.
There needs to be a lawsuit filed against the University and the BLM and anyone else advocationg for this unnecessary procedure. It needs to be stopped forever. It’s brutal and barbaric act. On behalf of of taxpayers and the horses who are innocent and helpless in this situation . They are defenseless creatures and these horrible agencies are taling advantage of that.
This decussing and sad that we would think of doing this.
I’m with Janet… I too believe BLM is corrupt, and acting to ensure they will kill all wild horses into extinction. I wish they ould be fired and a better land management company be hired to actualy do the right things!
No! No! No!
Really? What has “humanity” come to mean? We sink lower and lower and learn nothing. Is killing and obliteration our only answers? I feel crushed by “man’s inhumanity to…” everything!!!
I am totally against this. Why can’t you leave our animals alone! You are not GOD and shouldn’t play at it! I don’t why you let the power go to your head on making decisions for everyone and everything. I am tired of hearing about abuse of animals and trying to get rid of animals legally by doing things the public is not in favor of. It is not in the best interest of earth. STOP the torture!
I think this is disgraceful and very ugly in the killing of these beautiful horses. But hey it goes to figure they do this just like they did ‘The Native American Indians’. They don’t value life of any kind and their lives aren’t worth a plug nickle in my book. GOD put them here on Earth just like he put all of those low life murders, its a disgrace to all living life.
What is wrong with you people? I’m a researcher and I know that these types of experiments are not ethical and they do not contribute to theory or practice. Stop this craziness! Which IRB approved this nonsense?
I find this cruel people always wanna throw natural order of nature into pets and do what they want how about sterilize yourselves stop playing like your GOD. Let nature runs its course instead of being a wild horse abortion clinic. We are all to be fruitful and multiply and these peaceful creatures have done no wrong their freedom, wild , untamed nature should be loved and appreciated. This grieves my spirit.
Why would anyone want to exterminate wild horses? They represent freedom! They’re a part of our history and helped mske America what it is today. In this day and age we need our national symbols to help remind us of where we’ve come from and where we need to be#
From all that I’ve read over the past 3 years, the ranchers influence the BLM and ranchers have no “use” for anything that competes with their cattle. Round ups are decided not by any other fact but cattle are more important that wild life on public land. I’ve seen the hundreds of horses in the Hines, Oregon muddy pens. Leave the horses on public land, rescind grazing leases. Public lands are for wildhorses too.
The BLM is doing this to appease the ranchers whose cattle have absolutely no right to be on the land. I am sickened by the treatment of those magnificent horses. Isn’t there any way this barbaric plan can be stopped?
Does the BLM do anything positive, useful or worthwhile? Why are taxpayers forced to pay for torturing wild horses?! Of all the wild animals living free on public lands are horses the only ones so mistreated. Leave them alone.
This simply must be stopped.
How can this cruelty be stopped?
Kill those people or don’t eat the cows anymore, think these upset people will do that, I don’t, but they can complain, humans are killing all kinds of animals and none deserve the cruelity and horror of it, all of it is for money. And that is why these things will never end, the planet has to end to stop it, I am willing to die right now with this planet, are you, pray with me for the end of time, maybe the universe will hear us and deliver us from evil.
These sterilization practices are completely barbaric. You cannot possibly excuse these practices as “betterment” of the land. Horses do not strip the land, but cattle do. This is all a ploy to have the land for ranchers to use as grazing land for their cattle. Natural herd selection keeps the wild horse herds at a manageable size without these inhumane sterilization experiments. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not go through with this!!!
I strongly believe, that there got to be something done for ideas like that. Maybe if the rule was that when someone come up with a cruel idea like that, that before they test on the animals, the person that came up with the idea and those who agree with it, should be the first one to have the test done themselves before they try it on the animal. Then I am pretty sure that they will have a better understanding of the decision they make. YES, LETS TEST ON THOSE HUMANS FIRST THAT COME UP WITH THE IDEA.
I BET ANYTHING THAT THEY WILL STOP COMING UP WITH CRUEL IDEAS!
Eradication of the Wild Horses of America will take away a heritage of culture for our children. BLM you are paving the way for grazing of cattle – for lease dollars!!! How dare you take away an American Icon for what American used to stand for. You are murdering the future! Stop this barbaric program.
Leave the the hell alone…wild & free¡!!!!!!
I am horrified. This is yet another example of money trumping common sense and so called “scientists” not being honest about the real reasons for this completely unnecessary action. I am saddened that there is no way to stop this until it is too late for many of these creatures who have done nothing wrong except to exist. May God have mercy on the persons who have chosen to walk this path of death-dealing and shame.
Why is OSU agreeing to participate in this ? You would think preservation and encouragement for indigenous animals in their state would be one of their primary concerns. Why would they partner in this unprofessional experimenting ?
I would think the BLM would care more about their image than to ignore the amount of opposition to these procedures they are planning..it sounds horrible and will bring some much negative attention to them..apart from causing way more problems then it would solve.
Sterilization is an excellent option. Have you ever come across a herd of straving or thirsty mustangs. It is not beautiful. Let thme roam free, but not overpopulated and starve. What a bunch of nonsense in this article! Seriously, go out and see the wild mustangs in their habitat! They would all be gone if it weren’t for the ranch with his watering troughs and wells for his livestock. You are an ill informed journalist.
This was written before the BLM Sterilization Plan. Saving America’s Wild Horses
With drumming hooves, they come running.
With tails flagged high, they come running,
With flowing manes, they come running.
With flared nostrils, they come running.
Oh, what a glorious sight!
Clouds of prairie dust mark their passing.
The scent of crushed sage comes drifting.
Glistening hides in sunlight, reflecting.
Separated mares and exhausted foals nickering.
Oh, what a careening flight!
What would cause this reckless running?
Over rocky hills, unshod hooves come crashing.
Older horses lose their footing
Lathered sweat whitely spraying.
Oh, what a panicked flight!
Exhausted, on splayed legs, with sides heaving
Too spent to nicker at their mothers’ leaving
Foals collapse, roiling dust enshrouding
From the chopper blades’ wild whirling.
Oh, what a tragic flight!
The strong ones lead, the rest conforming
As they heed the fences’ hazing
Into the catch pens’ terminating
Rails forcing a bewildered milling.
Oh, what an end to their flight!
Looking for lost foals, mares pacing
Bloated bags with warm milk dripping
A mute and painful weeping
O’er the Truth so horrifying.
Innocence, a victim of their flight.
Stallions answer Nature’s calling
Rearing, striking, biting, screaming
Close-quarter conflicts inciting
Instinctive challenges contesting
The bloody purpose of their flight.
Growing herds expanded grazing
Might harm the desert tortoise feeding
Politicians paid for by Big Oil, Big Mining
Approved detailed plans for exterminating.
Greed, the “No Exit” signage of their flight.
Some spend months in metal pens confining
Forgotten, rains ease their frantic thirsting
Thousand rib and hip bones testifying
Slow starvation caused their dying.
Human error the Reaper’s demise of their flight.
Too few selected for public adopting
Wild Horse Protection Act ignoring
Auctioned prices climbing, ever rising
The “Killer Man” nods and ends the bidding.
One final sorting changes the nature of their flight.
Steel trailers travel south to border crossings
Squeezed into plywood crates, foreboding
Bewildered captives endure hours of flying
No hay or water to ease their silent suffering.
Japan’s slaughter houses, the destination of their flight.
Electric prods keep dazed mustangs moving
On slimy steel, hooves slipping, horses falling
They’re lined up, wild eyed with nostrils snorting
At the stench of filth and hot blood flowing.
The Kill Box, the vile termination of their flight.
Spinal cords severed by Ice-pick stabbings
Strong legs collapse to the sounds of groaning
Hind legs wrapped in chains are lifting
Through cut throats, life’s blood is draining
Can glazed eyes see their souls take flight?
Wild burros, horses, mules trapped for Federal culling
Race horses, ponies, trotters too old for sports or breeding
Loyalty, trust unnoticed in the equine steaks now steaming
As patrons of foreign dining enjoy their gourmet gorging.
Ignorant of the bloody, heinous outcome of their flight.
Horses carried men in battle, no beribboned medal dying,
Pulled prairie schooners across the plains unending
Built railroads, carried mail, plowed fields for planting
In Arlington, proudly paraded veterans to their final resting.
We must preserve, forever, the freedom of their flight.
With drumming hooves, they come running.
With tails flagged high, they come running,
With flowing manes, they come running.
With flared nostrils, they come running.
Oh, what a thundering, glorious sight!
© June 2, 2016 by Janice E. Mitich
Picture Rock, AZ
I give permission to wild horse advocates to copy my poem including copyright information and send it to State and Federal Congressmen/women and/or use on websites working to save our wild horse and burros.
I think everyone working for the BLM right now should be fired.They could care less about these beautiful horses.They need to hire people that want to preserve our past and save these horses.Funny how the cattle aren’t destroying the land but the horses are.Sickening how greed has taken over and doing the right thing is something of the past!!
The government needs to stop this insanity!The last time the government set out to do this terrible thing was when they almost completely wiped out the buffalo population.Evil deed doers can only be stopped when good people with love in their hearts stand up and say “no more insanity!”
What A CRUEL thing to do. Have been to the area & just loved watching the wild horses. !!
Along with Jane, I oppose using my tax dollars to support this. Mother Nature will take care of the herds without “man” or the BLM intervening, insofar as reproduction is concerned. This is nothing but a ploy to exterminate the wild horse herds. The more I read about or see what the BLM has done, the more I question there ultimate goal of land management. It’s a disgrace at what our tax dollars are used for.
I have a helluva idea seeing how FWP wipe out all the elk in Yellowstone with their wolves bears and lions why not move the wild horses to the park killing two birds with one stone the horses are released back into the wild and the predators have something more to eat
If there is no over population of wild horses… Why is the BLM feeding thousands of them in Nebraska and other places… These are horses taken off public lands because of over grazing along with other concerns…
I also have been an advocate for years now, I have emailed and I have called my Maine Senators and Congresspeople and they know me well, but what have I accomplished? Nothing—-I have called every person I could find a number for at the Oregon University, to protest these horrendous procedures, what good did it do?—-None!
It is decided!—–They are going to eradicate every Wild Horse and Burro from the Public Lands, That is it! And I don’t believe anything short of “GOD” Himself, coming down out of the clouds, will change a single thing—
I would advise anyone who has the acreage and the money to start buying up some of the horses in holding with the good ole genes, and keeping small herds that could be a viable source in some kind of future plan to keep the Wild Ones living on.
They want to sterilize the mares! How about sterilizing themselves first. How would they fill if the procedure has to be done on them, there wives, and children (daughters). No children for you. No grandbabies for you. Your genes will not be passed on. They will die with you!!!! God said to go forth and multiply. That is all the horses are doing. Following God’s plan!
Beatys Butte I was told is one of the least photographed or watched herds. Their population (according to BLM) had 20 to 250% growth these last few years.. BS yes.Now they are returning 100 to the range. 60 stallions to fight over the 40 mares that will have received 2 years of birthcontrol. They just do not get it. Everything they do has nothing to do with the preservation of these herds. They write something and act on it just because it is written. Than when someones in the thousands point out what is wrong with this picture, they just grab a soundbyte; overpop, degradation, cost out of control, drought, sage grouse,and what ever Luntzed word or phrase they have memorized to evoke emotions such as; starvation, invasive, feral, etc etc. The few who do work for them that are good are made to be silent or brainwashed. I do Not Get it. How can so few animals be such a threat to commercialization? Elk in an area will be alloted on average 30%to livestock and their numbers are in the 10’s thousands in a given area not just a few hundred. Ecological Socialpaths. It is time for a thorough house cleaning. Top to bottom and no more Good Ole Boy’s to bully the populace. If anything good from all their mismanagement crimes it will be that the wool is no longer pulled over our eyes.
[…] Gruesome Wild Mare Sterilization Experiments by BLM & Oregon State University Begin Next Month […]
DO NOT TORTURE OUR WILD MARES with YOUR BARBARIC STERLIZATION!!!! This should NOT EVEN BE A OPPTION!!
Do not sterilize our Wild Mustang Mares with this vile unsanitary painful operation to sterilize these mares. You will kill them eith infections and it will be torture . This is a hideous barbaric sick idea . The vacination birth control method is the right one and is humane.
Carol agree with you 100% why aren’t they using the contraceptive shot this makes no sense to me at all and seems very underhanded and sneaky like there’s a ulterior motive for this surgery rather than true contraception.
Leave the last of this nations natural beauty alone,free&natural. They are a gorgeous piece of our heritage and deserve to be left in peace and with their ovaries and every other piece of their flawless beauty.
Why are they operating on these horses to remove ovaries when they’ve already got a contraceptive shot that is good for 2 years.
The original argument on the shot was that it was too difficult to give to Wild mares.. but if they can get a horse into a chute to do this incredibly stupid surgery on it would certainly seems easier and cheaper to give a shot to.. than to do an expensive, unsanitary and unsafe surgery.
Those idiots at the BLM all need lobotomies.
It’s simple..STOP IT!! It’s called having a soul. Do you wish this procedure to be done on humans? Think about it. Your family goes to have their ovaries checked and come to find out the Dr is actually opening them wheel an instrument is used with no pain relief or sterilization and can’t move. Have a heart for all those who have opposed this attrocity.
pkease stop this barbaric thing you are going to do to theses wild horses and burros. if you think for some god forsaken reason u must { don’t know why you wont just use pzp then do it right and humanely way I have read that mares and burros have died already from this act that even veternanrians say they wouldn’t use in the field so why would you.
I am embarrassed and appalled that I studied at CSU and they are part of this barbaric torture of wild horses. This treatment is cruel and Inhumane.I am disgusted that the BLM treats America’s wild horses with cruel and complete disregard for for their safety and quality of life. I hold both accountable and I know a higher power will hold every one involved that tortures these animals accountable.
Please email your comments today to the BLM: Email: blm_or_spaystudy_warmsprhma@blm.gov