Action Alert! Please Comment Today on BLM’s Plans to Decimate the Onaqui Wild Horse Herd
July 9, 2018Action Alert: House Passes 2019 Appropriations Bill that Calls for Sterilized Wild Horse and Burro Herds
July 20, 2018Annual Tour of Wild Horses at BLM’s Axtell Private Feedlot with No Shade
Report of the Axtell Wild Horse and Burro Feedlot Annual Tour By Carol J. Walker
On Thursday July 12 I was able to tour the Axtell, Utah BLM Holding Facility and see some of the wild horses that had been rounded up in September and October of 2017. I had repeatedly requesting access to view and to photograph the horses since November, 2017. I was told no, this is a private facility. Because it is private it does not mean that the BLM cannot allow people in – it means they do not have to let people in. I was told they do not have the staff time available to allow people to track certain horses they might be interested in. I offered to help the wild horses get homes, because I had done that after the 2014 roundup very successfully. Again and again I was told no or simply ignored. Then finally they scheduled their annual tour which is open to the public. There were over 1200 wild horses from Wyoming shipped to this barren feedlot that has no shade, no shelter from the elements. Now, there are only 800 horses left, and of that number, approximately 500 are from the roundup last fall. What happened to these horses?
Here is what I was told:
Those horses over 6 years old were shipped to “off-range pastures” or “off-range corrals.” The “adoptable” horses were shipped all over the country to adoptions or will be shipped to adoptions. They are treating the horses over 5 as “unadoptable” with no opportunity to be adopted when the age for being able to be sold “without limitation” is over 10. Once these horses are sent to Long Term Holding, or “Off-Range Pastures” the BLM will not allow anyone to adopt or buy a specific horse. You can buy them by the truckload, however.
Of the horses that are still there, I was told that two loads of 35 horses each will be shipped to Ewing, Illinois for an adoption event. There were young horses in a pen, and I was told that they were going to youth who were going to train them for a BLM event “Impact of the Horse” and at that event they would be available for adoption.
The young horses
As I continued to walk from pen to pen in the hottest part of the 90 degree day, I noticed a group of older geldings who no longer had their numbered neck collars on, making it more difficult to identify the horses. I was told they were going to go to a Long Term Holding Facility, and it was as though they were “already shipped.” But they were still there. Another pen full of older geldings, again with their neck tags removed. When I in exasperation asked were there any horses that were not “already shipped” I was told that the older geldings in pen 17 had not been designated a destination facility yet. Also the mares with foals will not be available until the foals are weaned at 6 months old. Even the mares and foals had no shade or shelter in their pens.
Neck collars already removed
One thing I noticed immediately upon arriving was that there was alfalfa being fed to the horses. I was told that the young horses were getting straight alfalfa hay and the older horses were receiving both alfalfa and oat hay. Let me very clear – I am not a veterinarian nor am I an equine nutritionist. However, I have been a horse owner since age 12, and I currently have two mustangs of my own. Alfalfa would be the very last thing I would feed my horses. In my opinion it is far too rich for mustangs. I saw many overweight and very overweight horses at Axtell, and I do not ever remember seeing overweight horses at any holding facility I have visited before, such as at Canon City, Rock Springs, and more recently, Bruneau, Idaho. Being that overweight can be dangerous to a horse’s health. Look at the images and see for yourself. There is a body score system for horses called the Henneke which scores the body fat on a horse from 1-9. These horses did not look like this when they were rounded up. Here is the chart: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/body-condition-score-chart.pdf
Some of these horses are overweight
Here are the images of the wild horses in Axtell from the tour:
http://wildhorsefreedomfederation.org/18AxtellTourCW/
Please feel free to use the images for reference. I got as many tags visible in the photos as I could. The first images are from the pen of mares that are supposed to be going to Illinois, number 4 – 42. Next the mares and foals, from 43 – 70, then the older geldings, from 71-94, then mares from 95-143, then a mix of mares from Wyoming and other places plus foals in a very large corral from 144-166, then pen 17, older geldings from 167-196, then the young horses are from 197-2016, then last the older geldings in a larger pen from 207-226.
Pen 17
I did ask at the very beginning of the tour if people were interested in adopting the horses at the facility would they be able to do that? Initially Gus Warr and Lisa Reid told me yes. So I am going to post the images I took at the tour, and if you are interested in adopting any of these horses, I encourage you to act quickly, and to contact Gus Warr and or Lisa Reid in order to do that. I cannot stress enough that all of these horses are at risk of being sold to slaughter, sent overseas, or being killed while Congress is still debating the 2019 Appropriations Bill.
Lisa Reid, Public Information Specialist, Utah: lreid@blm.gov W 435-743-3128
cell: 435. 979.2838
Gus Warr, Wild Horse and Burro Lead, Utah: 801-539-4057, gwarr@blm.gov
Mares and foals
BE SURE TO LISTEN TO WILD HORSE & BURRO RADIO on WED., JULY 18th. CAROL IS DOING A RADIO SHOW ABOUT AXTELL (and more). YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE RADIO SHOW HERE: http://wildhorsefreedomfederation.org/news-alerts/carol-walker-on-blms-wild-horse-holding-facility-feedlot-in-axtell-utah-and-more-wild-horse-burro-radio-on-wed-7-18-18/
Related Posts:
Visiting the Checkerboard Mares and Foals at BLM’s Bleak Private Feedlot in Bruneau, Idaho
20 Comments
Are the individuals managing this facility associated with the former prison program? Who provides veterinary care?
The facility is privately owned by Kerry Despain. He would be in charge of arranging veterinary care.
Please. Treat them better. Shade water. FREEDOM
This is a SAFU situation!!!!!
I am ashamed of and disgusted with our country. This is beyond a disgrace.
How can we continually see people charged with animal abuse and yet our wild horses do not qualify for the same regard. To be fed terrible food and left without shade is straight up cruel and inhuman punishment. What can be done???
First of all the grey horses are prone to melanoma cancer being left out in the sun, the blacks are going to feel an intense amount of heat from the sun….so what’s wrong with you for not caring about anything other than your $5 a horse. Get these poor horses shelter. They need water, food, shelter and veterinary care….PLEASE DO IT NOW!!
Why aren’t HSUS and SPCA monitoring and demanding, taking legislative action, to have these animals treated better? And BLM is a government agency, employees are paid with tax money, those animals do not belong to them-it is time we demand they stop with the arrogance and work with people who want to save them from slaughter. Get rid of the egos, BLM!
Fattened up for what? Kill buyers?
This is heart breaking!! These horses should be free as nature intended, pure animal cruelty and should be chargeable. Someone please stop this now !!!
My immediate thought is “Are these horses being fattened up for slaughter?” I’m in the UK but I think this definitely needs investigating.
I used to work for BLM at their campgrounds hey don’t care about anything except their $$$, why would any one think they are going care about the wild horses other than for the $$$. As we all know our goverment needs a COMPLETE overhaul. These hotses should be at least in the hands of someonewho.cares about them not just the $$$. All of you working with and arou these horses should care more at least see they have shelterproper feed andget care. But then again this is a Goverment agencyso why would we expect anything other than what is in place currently. Please stop and care.
Sallie,
From what you’ve seen by working at the BLM, how do they get away with this year after year? It’s is smoke and mirrors, and one of the biggest ongoing scams there is in government. Reno, BLM, is another no shade/no water/lousy care holding center.
Bev
Hi
It is Carol here. Because the organization that should be going after the BLM for this mistreatment of wild horses in holding, Humane Society of the United States, is doing nothing. It is disgusting their inaction.
STOP THIS ABISE OF OUR COUNTRY’S WILD HORSES give all the horses the proper nutrition by giving the correct feed, provide them with plenty of shade, eater and they should not be in pens BLM has so much land fence in a large holding pasturegor them so they aren’t all crowded together, not to mention the mares and foals,the foals need room to grow . STOP sending them (All horses or even other animals)to slaughter, if not sold turn back to wild. JUST STOP !!!!!
Horse
Race with the wind,
unrestrained
and uninhibited
Dazzle with your speed,
charm with your beauty
Nostrils flared with fire,
thick mane flows free
Tail proudly held aloft,
four hooves defy gravity
I’m entranced
and I’m bedeviled,
by your indomitable spirit
I’m impressed by
and I’m in fear of
your great strength
You radiate warmth
all around,
yet you shiver
at an admirers touch
Suppress your inborn instinct,
to recklessly flee
from everything
You find it so difficult
to rely on humans,
but there is no wild herd
to escape to
A harsh hand
releases your flood of fear,
a soft touch
soothes you horse
Gentleness usually doesn’t work,
with hyenas, piranhas or wasps
Lightness will bring
a happy response,
from the equine
most every time
Earning your trust
is my goal,
seeing you at peace
is my reward
Bonding with
your wildness,
fulfills
my most fervent
fantasy
Please see me,
please hear me,
please believe me,
valiant horse.
Robert Shafer
it’s obvious whom they work for and it’s not the wild horses and burros
This is beyond pitiful!!! Where is the shelter for these innocent animals! This is pure EVIL ANIMAL ABUSE!! The BLM must NOT be in charge of these animals because it is plain to see they are only in it for the $$$$. What a DISGRACE! Ashamed of the BLM!
All these horses are much better off in the wild- it’s their natural home. Set them FREE as in FREE TO ROAM and leave them alone.
QUESTION??? Are these horses being FATTENED UP FOR SLAUGHTER??? Why feed them expensive hay ??? If they won’t let you in…….hire someone with a DRONE. I bet someone would DONATE their services!! BLM doesn’t want THEM tracked. THIS IS WRONG…… WRONG…… WRONG…… AND TAX PAYERS ARE PAYING FOR THIS?????? LET’S VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT!!!!