BLM and University of Wyoming Continue Dangerous Radio Collar Study on Wild Mares
February 21, 2017Please Comment to Protect Wyoming’s Wild Horses from the Devastating 2017 Checkerboard Roundup
March 28, 2017Wild Adobe Town Mares with Radio Collars Released in BLM and University of Wyoming Study
The line of vehicles
On Saturday morning, on a very cold day, I joined up with the BLM, researcher from University of Wyoming and a BLM ranger as we caravaned out to Adobe Town to release wild mares that had been fitted with radio collars on Thursday. There were also some mares that had been being held for several weeks at the Rock Springs corrals, and I was very glad that they were finally being released. As usual, I was the only member of the public attending.
Meryl jumps out of the trailer
Her friend is just as eager to get out
We turned off at Bitter Creek Road, and started down the road, which was in good condition until after we passed Eversole Ranch. Then, as we continued south more and more big drifts of snow covered the road. The big truck towing the horse trailer in front was breaking through the drifts for the rest of us. After about 10 miles, we stopped, and let out the first collared mare, a light grey color, I am calling her Meryl. She jumped out and then her friend, a bay mare jumped out behind her.
Meryl turns to look at us
Meryl and her friend do not look concerned
Together
Even though she was being let go about 20 – 25 miles from where she had been captured, at least she had a friend with her, unlike most of the mares who had been released before, all alone. They went a little way from the trailer, then turned around and looked at us, then casually strolling and exploring. They did not seem alarmed.
We got back into our vehicles, then stopped after 2 miles. After checking with the researcher, we got back in – despite the worsening road conditions he wanted us to go further away – they want these mares’ collars to be “spread out.” We kept going another 2 miles until stopping at a big snow drift – the truck and trailer were stuck in a huge snow drift! So they decided to let the remaining mares out there just past Cow Camp, a collection of old derelict buildings.
A sorrel mare jumps out first
The mare with the radio collar and friend
This time the horses are a bit confused and so the contractor has to wave the flag a bit to get them to come out. First is one of the mares without a collar then the collared mare and another mare come flying out of the trailer, and into deep snow by the side of the road.
Through the snow
The brown mare steps high in the deep snow
The sorrel mare with the collar
All three form a line
There is no way to tell if these mares were from the same family – no one kept track of that important fact, but I was told that they were captured in the same area. Certainly the collared mare, who I am calling Sunny, looks very similar to the other sorrel mare, so perhaps they are related. At any rate, they leave the area where the trailer is quickly, pausing briefly by the old buildings.
Pausing by Cow Camp
Then I see them head out, and they are soon out of sight. Again, I am very happy that this mare had two friend with her, and they were all released about 20 miles from where they were captured.
Truck pulling them out
So now they have to get the truck and trailer out of the snow drift. I am very glad it was not my vehicle that was stuck. Soon we all turn around and head back on the long trek toward the highway.
On the way home I am thinking about the mares with radio collars, 10 so far out of the 20 that they want to put these collars on. I am hoping that the collars are not too tight, digging into their necks, and also hoping that none of these mares gets hung up on a post or fence or her own hoof. 18 months is a long time to wear these old fashioned, bulky and dangerous collars. And I hope that if any of these mares do run into trouble that the researchers at University of Wyoming are actually able to release the collars before the mares die. I still very firmly believe that the best way to study wild horses is in the field, without capturing them and removing them from their families, without endangering their lives with these dangerous radio collars.
Link to Daily Gather Reports:
Previous Posts:
BLM and University of Wyoming Continue Dangerous Radio Collar Study on Wild Mares
The BLM Continues Lack of Transparency in Adobe Town Wild Mare Radio Collar Study
Stunning Lack of Tranparancy in BLM’s and University of Wyoming’s Adobe Town Wild Horse Study
Equine Advocates and Animal Welfare Groups Challenge Adobe Town Wild Mare Experimentation
Please Comment to Stop the Dangerous and Cruel Adobe Town Wild Mare Radio Collar Study
4 Comments
Why don’t they leave these horses alone. To put a tracking collar on a wild horse is dangerous this in itself tells me that the welfare of the horse is not in the BLM’s interests. For those people participating in this cruel practice ‘study’ you are equally as bad as the BLM.
There are plenty of causes in need of research putting a tracking collar on a wild horse is not one of them. This is a waste of tax-payers dollars! Quite awful!
Have you ever thought that the collar you have put on the horse is endangering its life. If it gets hung up who is going to release it? Or do you care?
I’m so sad to see the BLM is carrying out this ridiculous manner of research on the wild horses of Wyoming. It certainly seems that in this day and age they could come up with a much less invasive way of conducting their “research.” I worry that these mares could end up caught on something or as mentioned, putting a hoof through a collar, as we all know can happen even with domesticated horses putting a hoof through their halters. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I can only hope the BLM figures out this is a bad idea before something tragic for the horses happens.
I thank you for being there for the horses and being the witness those of us who can’t be there. I can’t imagine the frustration, knowing your care and concern for these horses. This is all so unnecessary and needless. There are so many better ways to track these horses than collars, destroying their familiar social units which in turn, negates the results.
I haven’t learned much about mustangs just yet, but I’ve learned all that I can find at the moment, and my school’s library has even purchased books for me on this subject as a type of gift so I could learn more about them. I did a project on these horses after I found this website three years ago and I’ve been following it since then, reading every post. The ones like this, make me feel a mixture of emotions like sorrow, fear, and infuriation. In the last three years, I’ve heard of horses run to death, seen herd activity (from a documentary, so probably not a lot) and horses separated from their family bands because of the BLM. If one of these horses were to get these collars caught on something, say a low, jagged rock or branch, and weren’t able to free themselves, they would (probably) keep trying to get the collar off the thing its caugh on, or they would be stuck there and starve. If a horse were to try to scratch its face with its hoof, would its hoof get caught on the collar? And if so, would the horse keep trying to pull its leg back, only hurting his or herself? Again, I know nowhere near as much about the mustangs as other do, and I don’t need to be told that because I already know I don’t. I just really want to see these horses being cared for by people who actually, truly care for them. People who won’t put collars around the horses’ necks or use them for tests or stuff like that. This is a bad idea on the BLM’s part, and I hope that someone with them knows that and is trying to get rid of it, but I can only hope about that part.