Day 2 of the Fifteenmile Wild Horse Roundup in Wyoming
October 20, 2019Day 4 of the Fifteenmile Wild Horse Roundup in Wyoming
October 23, 2019Day 3 of the Fifteenmile Wild Horse Roundup in Wyoming
I am in the Worland WY BLM office parking lot waiting to go out to the Fifteenmile Roundup. It is much colder this morning and overcast. It is my understanding we are going to the same observation point as the previous two days which is 1.5 miles from the trap and where we cannot see the horses going into the trap.
We are on our observation spot on the horrible hill waiting for the helicopter to bring in horses. It was muddy on the roads after the storm. So far 428 horses have been captured since 10/17 with two roundup related deaths. You can follow the information on the BLM website here: https://www.blm.gov/wyoming/2019-fifteenmile-gather
There is snow on the surrounding mountains and some of the rock formations here.
First group of horses just came into the trap. A family of pintos and a group of mostly darker colored horses led by a gorgeous palomino stallion. They went into the trap. About 40-45 I think. A pinto family of 8 broke off and took off running the other direction, they have a beautiful tricolor pinto foal and big stallion bringing up the rear. They knew how to get away but the helicopter just went after them.
Seven more horses were brought in by the helicopter, then it stopped to refuel. We had a long wait then suddenly heard the big palomino stallion that we so admired when he came in had escaped and one member of our group saw him run away!
Ir is starting to snow a little, little balls of snow as we watched another group of horses about 20 being driven int the trap. Included were the 8 member pinto family who ran away earlier in the with cutest pinto foal.
A small group of 8 horses went into the trap, then the helicopter was gone a long time before bringing a group of about 30 horses plus in front was a small family of pintos, including a faded grey pinto foal. They took of the other direction from the big group, so while the helicopter was busy moving the big group in, they were headed for the hills. Now the helicopter has refueled and is heading after them. We are getting sun, snow, clouds, sun, rain, repeat today.
As the helicopter went out to get the escaped pinto family and drove them most of the way into the trap and them we saw the pinto stallion who had been bringing up the rear run out by the vehicles. The helicopter moved him back around and we think finally into the trap. Then a rider went out and we heard later that another adult horse had escaped, but the rider did not capture him.
In the last group of the day were three dark colored bachelor stallions who went one way, and a Pinto family with 6 members who went the other. The helicopter tried to get the pinto family into the trap for over 20 minutes, fling close over and over. We could not see th trap, just the gyrations of the helicopter. Clearly all this was not working, and finally the helicopter flew away and the horses headed for the hills.
We did not have to wait any time at all to go observe the horses in the temporary pens. We drove right over and found out that 112 horses had come in. We found out that the palomino stallion had jumped out of the “keeper” pen. That is the pen that the horses who might get released at the end were in.
We also found out that three horses died today. We were told that one stallion had a severely deformed leg, another stallion had a very serious infection and that the third was a mare who died due to the capture.
We were unable today to see the mare have trouble in the trap or the palomino jump out, or the pinto family being driving over and over at the trap because our observation point is 1.5 miles away and we have no view of the horses going into the trap. This is not meaningful observation – this is being put as far away as possible with a token very far away view of the horses running from the helicopter sometimes if not blocked by butte, wash, or hill. It is very frustrating to have to guess at what is going on – this is not helpful to the horses who are the reason I am here.
14 Comments
It’s so disgusting, why are they taking so many. If they don’t get adopted they sit in pens for years or get sold for meat,I’m sure
That’s where most of them end up, I’m sorry to say. And the entire reason the round ups takes place is because the government is favoring cattle ranchers, wild animals such as our beloved horses are considered pests, so they are removed with our tax money. They then get sold to kill buyers, who ship the horses off to Canada, Mexico and lately Japan, where raw horse meat is considered a delicacy. The true way to bring this barbarism to a halt is to stop eating animals and transition to plant based foods.
That’s so terrible I can’t even imagine the abuse they are receiving since they are not getting observed,I’m sure that’s why they located you at that point so you can’t see the panicked and exhausted horses dieting from being run to death.They are taking to many there will not be enough unrelated horses for breeding and they will get inbred and our wild horses won’t be the same thanks to Blm .
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Respectful Management is needed and more needs to be done to help get them Adopted. I have been at a Gather and I’ve Rescued a total of 8 Mustangs with 3 Pregnant Mares for total of 11 and they are Awesome. Roundups are needed as sad as that may be for some to believe. Adoption is a priority and working with the BLM to find better ways to accomplish that goal.
This is so sad to see! These wild horses don’t deserve to be captured in these horrific roundups by BLM! It’s all about greed between BLM and the cattlemen! These horses are icons of the west and belong free as they always have been and is all they know!
This is so sad to see! These wild horses don’t deserve this horrific treatment by BLM! They are icons of the west and belong free as they have always been and is only what they know! It’s all about greed between BLM and the cattlemen and needs to stop!!
Obviously, despicable cruel procedures being used. Why else would they have the “observation” point so far away from what needs to be observed. If they think having people close to the pens would interfere they could put cameras up to show how the entrapment is going.
This is not good. They are destroying the last strong genetic line of equines on the planet. The taxpapyer pays and the herds were self sustaining! Go figure!
yes, that’s how the BLM does it….keep observers as far away as possible so they don’t see the injuries and deaths inflicted on the horses….ps legally the choppers aren’t allowed to run the foals for very long, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped these pilots.
Why? Why can’t you just leave them alone. They have lived and provided for themselves for hundreds of years. Why why why?!?
I would love to adopt a couple but I have no idea how to go about it
You certainly may adopt a couple. The horses removed from this herd will for the most part be going to the BLM Rock Springs corrals in Rock Springs, Wyoming. They will be offered for adoption in January. Some will go to the Riverton Honor Farm in Riverton, WY for training and adoption. I will be posting photos, and you can go visit the facility because although it is now closed, you can go to the overlook to view them. Keep an eye out on this blog and Facebook I will be posting information on the adoption.