One question on a lot of peoples’ minds: what does this mean for the wild horses?

Right now, none of the fires burning in the state are threatening any of the wild horse herds in Colorado.

One dun Colorado band stallion

The fires nonetheless are very serious, many people have lost their homes and thousands more have been evacuated across the state. The Waldo Canyon Fire is the one threatening a lot of the western side of Colorado Springs. As you may know, the Cloud Foundation office is located in Colorado Springs, but we are not close to the fire. Many thanks to those of you have called with your concerns.

Two Colorado bachelors

Colorado has 5 wild horse herds left:

- Sand Wash Basin (near Maybell & Craig, off US 40)

- Piceance/East Douglas (south of Rangely, east of Hwy 139)

- West Douglas (south of Rangely, west of Hwy 139)

- Little Book Cliffs (northeast of Grand Junction)

- Spring Creek Basin (north of Cortez, just east of Egnar)

You can hear more about the herds from Ginger in this short video. It also gives an update on West Douglas, which is under immediate danger from BLM, not wildfire.

America’s wild horse herds are in peril of extinction, but award-winning equine photographer Carol Walker is ready with viable solutions in her new book, Galloping to Freedom: Saving America’s Wild Horses. Through a campaign at web-based fund-raising platform Kickstarter, Walker invites wild horse supporters to be “part of the solution” by helping her print and distribute this important guide to ensuring the future of our legacy animals.

“My contributors can take satisfaction in their role in solving this problem,” says Walker.  “It’s my passion to preserve this important part of our American heritage,” she says. “There are solutions, and I want to get that information to the public.” An astute observer of horses in their natural habitat—and herself an adopter of three mustangs—Walker has made an intensive study of  Wyoming wild horse bands. “These herds are sustainable with reasonable management tools,” she says. “Round-ups ultimately make no sense. They jeopardize the animals’ genetic viability and result in tens of thousands of horses living out their days in miserable holding pens or other inappropriate facilities, at immense taxpayer expense.”

Galloping to Freedom provides pro-active approaches—collaboration, litigation, effective planning and support for sanctuaries—that will change the way the public and land managers resolve the wild horse dilemma. Presenting the serious argument for Walker’s proposed solutions, Galloping to Freedom is also a standout hard-cover coffee table book, filled with Walker’s evocative images of horses in the wild and in sanctuaries, all in vibrant color. Without doubt, Galloping to Freedom engages the reader’s intellect and emotions.

Donors to the Galloping to Freedom project will receive autographed copies of the book, be named in book, web and media acknowledgments, and (depending on the contribution level) will receive signed art prints of images from the book. Contributors can be assured that Walker will produce: She has a significant track record of successful publishing. Her first book, Wild Hoofbeats:  America’s Vanishing Wild Horses, earned numerous awards; her popular second book, Horse Photography: The Dynamic Guide for Horse Lovers, also continues to sell well.

Walker has selected online platform Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com ) to manage her fundraising campaign. Funding is all-or-nothing; if the project doesn’t earn enough support in a specified time period, the offering is cancelled and no money changes hands. If Walker gains sufficient support, the book will be published in 2012 and will get the urgent message out to people who can help save America’s wild horses. As Walker says, “Time is crucial. Another year passing means more horses will be rounded up, taken from familiar ground and their family bands, and face an uncertain future. This is the right time for this book to reach publication.”

The time frame to support Galloping to Freedom is just 30 days—from now until July 20. Contribute online at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallopingtofreedom/galloping-to-freedom-saving-americas-wild-horses . For more information and to contact Carol Walker, visit www.WildHoofbeats.com.

Please take action now!

Press Release:  For immediate release

PUBLIC CALLED TO ACTION TO PREVENT THE REMOVAL & POSSIBLE SALE TO SLAUGHTER OF ARIZONA WILD HORSES WHOSE HISTORY TRACES TO 17^TH CENTURY MISSIONARY

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) indicate that the US Forest Service may remove horses from the Tonto national Forest without period for public comment or environmental impact study

 (Phoenix, AZ May 31, 2012).  The Conquistador Equine Rescue and Advocacy Program (CERAP), a 501c3 equine rescue and advocacy charity, has received material under the Freedom of Information Act indicating that the United States Forest Service (USFS) may be considering the imminent removal of unbranded, free-roaming wild horses living along the Salt River on the Tonto National Forest (TNF) near metropolitan Phoenix in Arizona.

Documents received under FOIA indicate that the USFS does not acknowledge that the horses are wild and thus protected under the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act.  Asserting the horses are not unclaimed, unbranded free-roaming horses as defined under the Act, the TNF considers them “trespassing” on USFS land and may remove all of them.  It is possible that the horses would be taken to the Pacific Livestock Auction near Phoenix where they are at great risk of being purchased by killer buyers to sell for slaughter.  FOIA material demonstrates that officials of the TNF have had horses removed before without any public comment period or study under the National Environmental Protection Act, a requirement for removal of wild horses on USFS land.  In one case, forest officials admitted in emails that five horses gathered from the Cave Creek ranger district probably were not “trespass” or “feral.”  The horses were sent to the Pacific Livestock Auction.  CERAP was able to rescue the one foal with the herd of a stallion and his mares.

Historical documents indicate that the Spanish Missionary, Father Eusebio Kino brought horses and other animals to the area in the 17^th century.  Oral histories by witnesses indicate that they have seen and photographed the horses for decades on the TNF and a  picture shows three of these magnificent animals in a 1957 Arizona Highways Magazine.   While the Tonto NF claims the horses are “trespass horses” from the bordering Salt River Pima Maricopa Nation and the Ft. McDowell Reservation, to the best of CERAP’s knowledge the tribes have NOT claimed the horses.

CERAP working together with community members is asking that people across the country immediately telephone their United States Representative, two United States Senators and the Forest Supervisor for the Tonto National Forest telling them they do not want the unbranded, free-roaming unclaimed wild horses living on the Tonto National Forest removed and that the horses, living symbols of the West, are a very important part of United States and Arizona history and a very important natural resource.

Fact sheet on who to contact:

To find contact information for US Congressmen and US Senators by State, by name, or by zip code, go to the link below:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

The Tonto National Forest Supervisor Reta Laford may be contacted at:

Telephone:  602-225-5200

Fax:  602-225-5200

2324 E. McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Email:  tonto_webmail@fs.fed.us

Calls should be made immediately followed by a letter faxed to the 2324 East McDowell office or emailed to that office.

#

Washington, DC – May 10, 2012 – The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has rejected an attempt by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withhold and ignore critical scientific evidence in its decision-making process for the implementation of a precedent-setting plan to castrate wild stallions. At issue were expert declarations submitted to the BLM from leading experts in wild horse behavior and biology outlining the devastating impacts of castration on the health and natural behaviors of wild free-roaming stallions and wild horse herds. 

The ruling is part of litigation filed in December 2011 by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC),Western Watersheds Project and The Cloud Foundation challenging the BLM’s  illegal plan to castrate hundreds of wild stallions in eastern Nevada’s Pancake Complex, as well as to eliminate wild horses from the Jake’s Wash Herd Management Area, which lies within the Complex. The ruling on this case will have widespread implication for thousands of the remaining wild horses living free and wild on public lands. 

The Honorable U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell stated in her 23-page opinion that the agency “may not simply remainstudiously ignorant of material scientific evidence well known to the agency and brought directly to its attention in timely-filed comments.” She decisively rejected the BLM’s attempt to exclude the expert declarations from the agency’s decision-making process and affirmed that the Court would consider the “material scientific evidence” contained in the declarations as in future rulings in the case. 

“The BLM went to great lengths to avoid considering scientific information provided by leading wild horse experts,” said Suzanne Roy, director of AWHPC. “The agency is not interested in science, it’s only interest is clearing our public lands of wild horses to make room for livestock grazing and other commercial interests.”  

“This is yet another example of the agency’s epidemic refusal to incorporate science in its management of wild horse and burros herds,” said Ginger Kathrens, executive director of The Cloud Foundation. “We commend Judge Howell for seeing through the BLM’s thinly veiled excuses and standing up for science and the right of the public to have input into government management decisions.” 

The scientific evidence submitted by Plaintiffs that the BLM attempted to ignore included a declaration from Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick, the Director of Science and Conservation Biology at Zoo Montana and a foremost authority on wildlife reproductive biology. He stated: 

“The very essence of the wild horse, that is, what makes it a wild horse, is the social organization and social behaviors. Geldings (castrated male horses) no longer exhibit the natural behaviors of non-castrated stallions. We know this to be true from hundreds of years experience with gelded domestic horses. Furthermore, gelded stallions will not keep their bands together, which is an integral part of a viable herd. These social dynamics were molded by millions of years of evolution, and will be destroyed if the BLM returns castrated horses to the HMAs. . . . Castrating horses will effectively remove the biological and physiological controls that prompt these stallions to behave like wild horses. This will negatively impact the place of the horse in the social order of the band and the herd.

The other declarations, submitted by Dr. Allen Rutberg of the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Anne Perkins of Carroll College in Montana;  and Dr. Bruce Nock, a faculty member at Washington University School of Medicine provided further scientific information about the impacts of castration on wild stallions and wild horse herds.

Other plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging aspects of the Pancake roundup include wildlife ecologist Craig Downer and photographer Arla Ruggles, who enjoy wild horse viewing in the HMAs and whose professional and aesthetic interests will be harmed if the BLM moves forward with its plan. The plaintiffs are being represented by the Washington D.C. public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal. A previous lawsuit filed in July 2011 by the firm prompted the BLM to withdraw a similar plan to release hundreds of castrated wild stallions in two HMAs in Wyoming. 

The complaint alleges that the BLM’s plan for the Pancake Complex violates the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act. The complaint can be read here. 

# # #

About the Plaintiffs

The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) is a coalition of more than 45 horse advocacy, public interest, and conservation organizations dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.

Western Watersheds Project is a non-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives and litigation. The group works to influence and improve public lands management in 8 western states with a primary focus on the negative impacts of livestock grazing on 250,000,000 acres of western public lands.

The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.

Media Contacts:

Lauryn Wachs

617-894-6939

lauryn@thecloudfoundation.org

Deniz Bolbol

650-248-4489

deniz@wildhorsepreservation.org

This event will be held at the main Boulder Library, 1001 Arapahoe, Thurs., April 26, 7-9 PM.

There will also be time for a Q & A after the talk.

BLM expands removal plan for young Pryor Mustangs

BILLINGS, Mont. (April 5, 2012)—Yesterday, BLM issued their Decision Record to permanently remove up to 40 young Pryor mustangs from their home in the mountains of southern Montana. The bait-trapping operation would begin no earlier than June 4th and could continue until September 30th.

“Surprisingly, the removal decision exceeds the level they outlined in their preliminary Environmental Assessment,” states Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. “Regardless of the nearly 10,000 comments sent to BLM requesting they proceed with caution, BLM has significantly increased the number of young horses to be removed. So much for listening to the wishes of the American Public.”

BLM’s Preliminary Environmental Assessment issued in December, 2011, called for the removal of 30 Pryor Horses in the 1-3 year-old category. This final Environmental Assessment ups the removal number to as many 40 young animals–two thirds of the young population.

BLM reports that they received only 1,000 comments, although it is likely they received 10 times that number. More than 4,000 comments were generated by American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) alone, but were only counted as one letter because they used “a sample letter or talking points provided from internet sites.” 

Thousands of comments came to BLM, asking that Cloud’s look-alike grandson, Echo (Killian) be allowed to continue to live free on the Pryors. Although Echo could be removed based on age, BLM has acknowledged his rare color and genetics, and has ranked him as a horse to be removed only if they cannot achieve their target removal numbers. 

# # #

Media Contact:

Lauryn Wachs

Lauryn@TheCloudFoundation.org

617-894-6939

Links of Interest:

BLM Q&A on Pryor Bait Trap: http://on.doi.gov/HhwIpi

BLM 2012 Pryor Decision Record: http://on.doi.gov/HhwMpg

Final BLM Environmental Assessment: http://on.doi.gov/HhwLl4

BLM Sets Sights on Another Massive Removal in Cloud’s Herd (Foundation release): http://bit.ly/tFeuWZ

What is Bait Trapping? http://bit.ly/HhurdO

Stop the Fencing in of Cloud’s Herd – Foundation video: http://bit.ly/vO4kvw

Jasper (Flint x Feldspar) of the Pryor Mountains

From Respect4Horses:

Summit of the dead horse turns on haunches and runs.

Oklahoma City, OK (R4H) – While last year the two conferences representing opposing sides of the explosive Horse Slaughter Debate took place in Las Vegas, this year’s Equine battleground was set to play out in Oklahoma City no farther than one city block away from each other.

Although they had been planning it for over a year, spent a lot of resources and had sold many $150-$300 tickets, the United Organizations of the Horse, (the Pro- Horse Slaughter faction) announced today that they postponed their dead horse Summit to January 2013, in order to focus resources on a rescue and rejuvenation program!

“I believe the ground was getting too hot for them in Oklahoma City. 80% of Americans are against Horse Slaughter, and although they believed Oklahoma was an exception, it turns out that it is not,” states Simone Netherlands, the organizer of the Summit of the Live Horse Press Conference.

The Summit of the Live Horse Press Conference is in no way quitting and the live online broadcast will move forward as scheduled:

The Summit of the Live Horse Press Conference

Holiday Inn, Will Rogers Airport

4401 SW 15th St.

Oklahoma City, OK 73108

12 – 1PM CDT

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

“Just because they canceled their conference it doesn’t mean that they will stop strategizing about how to increase the demand for horse meat, how to slaughter our wild horses and how to open new horse slaughter plants in the U.S.,” says R.T. Fitch, writer and also one of the speakers of the Press Conference of the live Horse.

Will horse slaughter be coming to your neighborhood? Do we need horse slaughter in America? Can horse slaughter be made humane? Is horsemeat toxic? Does horse slaughter solve abuse and neglect? Does horse slaughter encourage over breeding? Will our wild horses be slaughtered? Will it stop horse slaughter across our borders?

The Summit of the Live Horse Press Conference, will have a panel of equine experts and professionals who will answer the above questions and offer solutions and alternatives.

Panel members will include:

• Scott Beckstead, Senior Oregon Director for The Humane Society of the United States
• Carolyn Schnurr, Federal Legislative Manager for the ASPCA
• Ginger Kathrens, Filmmaker and Director of the Cloud Foundation
• Dr. Jennifer Madden, DVM
• Simone Netherlands, Horse trainer and Director of Respect4Horses
• R.T. Fitch, Writer and co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
• Brogan Horton, Founder of Animal Rescue Unit

“We collectively suggest that they take their deceptive name, their deceptive propaganda and their deceptive agenda far away and go pretend that they care about horses and horse people somewhere else,” states Simone Netherlands.

The interactive Summit of the Live Horse Press Conference will be broadcast on Ustream.tv, April 3, 2012. This service will give the press conference global coverage and allow anyone to participate in the question and answer sessions afterwards. Search Ustream.tv/Respect4Horses at 12:00 noon CDT to log into the live broadcast. The link will also be available at http://www.Respect4Horses.com

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Dear Wild Horse & Burro Friends;

Some of you may remember my first trip to the Sand Wash Basin herd back in June, 2011. We didn’t see very many horses, but we were also clueless where to go. That’s why we got the low-down ahead of time—before St. Patrick’s Day weekend rolled around. With detailed instructions from Sand Wash expert Nancy Roberts, I drove up to Denver to meet fellow wild horse advocate and enthusiast Rachel Reeves. We loaded up Rachel’s dad’s pickup on Friday evening (complete with instructions), and drove the winding roads to Craig, arriving at the little motel just shy of midnight.

Our instructions from Rachel's dad

The next morning we drove the 40 or so miles to Sand Wash. After crossing the Little Snake River, we left the pavement behind. Twenty minutes later, when we crested a hill, we spotted our first horses. After that the spotting got easier. The basin is largely open sage country, though I was a little appalled by the amount of sheep sign I saw on the range—poop and tracks all over, especially around the waterholes.

The first band we spotted

Sand Wash Basin

There was sheep sign all over the place

We drove on, spotting many bands from afar. Rachel is more familiar with the bands than I am (but I have her beat on the Pryor horses!). We dropped down off the tableland and found a few bachelors around a waterhole just off the road.

Bachelors play in the water

The distant sage offered no more horses, so we turned around to go back up to see if any of the horses had moved closer to the road. We took a two-track out to another waterhole when all of the sudden two bands came streaking over the hill and down to get a drink. One band left as soon as they finished drinking, but the smaller band led by a stallion named Voo Doo, who had two beautiful mares with him—a red dun and a pregnant-looking sabino—stuck around a little longer.

One band galloped to water

The linebacked palomino band stallion, Corona (not to be confused with the dark bay Pryor band stallion of the same name!) and his family moved closer to the road where we got a great look at them. But all too soon, we had to leave for a meeting in Craig held by Nancy and a few other locals who are working to establish an organization for the Sand Wash horses. It was great to see people coming together because of their interest in one of Colorado’s last wild horse herds. There are probably fewer than 600 wild horses left in all of Colorado. Sand Wash Basin is home to the largest herd, even though they number only a couple hundred on over 150,000 or so acres.

Corona with two of his mares

After the meeting, we hurried back out to the horse range as the sun was setting. In the fading light, we quickly set up camp amongst some junipers that we hoped would shield us from the brisk wind. Patchy clouds gave way to stars as we went to bed. Around three o’clock in the morning, Rachel and I were awakened by a howling wind slapping at the tent, sometimes trying to lift it off the ground. We eventually succeeded in going back to sleep amid the commotion, only to be awakened by our 6 AM alarm.

Not even bothering to get out of our PJ’s, we broke camp and set out in the darkness to find some horses. In the beautiful, early morning light, the sage began to glow, but we were feeling really discouraged. Where did everybody go?

Rachel

Lauryn
Many thanks to Rachel taking that while I was still wearing my headlamp!

Then, when we drove around a bend, right on the road only a quarter of a mile away was a band of horses, led by the flashy stallion, Picasso. Rachel hit the brakes and we set up our cameras. The impressive, tri-colored pinto (guess how he got his name?) walked toward us with his two mares, the buckskin Monet and a pregnant Medicine Hat paint named Mingo. Rachel and I were practically giddy with our good luck.

Picasso

With his mares Mingo and Monet

Monet

Pregnant-looking Mingo with Picasso

When Picasso and his band moved over the hill, we moved on too. We’d driven only a half-mile when twenty or so horses came roaring up a slope to our left. Corona’s band was leading the way, followed by another large band. Jumping out of the pickup, we watched as Corona faced off with the buckskin stallion and a dark bachelor who was dogging both bands. Quickly Corona swirled and ran off to follow his band, leaving the other two stallions to confront each other.

Corona and the buckskin face off

The dark bachelor challenges the buckskin

Corona catches up to his band

After everyone galloped off, we followed them over the hill on foot. The buckskin stallion, named Bugs, caught up to his band at a hidden waterhole. Corona’s band was standing above them, waiting their turn. Clearly, the buckskin was the more dominant stallion.

Bugs watches as his band leaves the waterhole

Corona's band waits their turn

Part of Corona's band at the waterhole

Rachel and I decided to hang out by the waterhole to see who else might come. It was a wise decision. Within minutes, more horses crested the hill and came down to drink, including a group of bachelors led by an older grey stallion named White-Out. The other bachelors were much younger than this guy, who was clearly the babysitter of the group. Rachel was quick to rename him the handsome grey “Stud Muffin.”

Two bachelors goof around while White-Out looks on

White-Out (A.K.A "Stud Muffin)

Our day on the range was cut short when the skies grew darker and so threatening that we left rather than get stuck in a rainstorm (those dirt roads turn to mud very fast). As we were driving off, we spotted Tripod—a three year-old bachelor with an unusual condition. I was told that Tripod had been severely injured as a foal and no one thought he’d make it through his first year. Well, a few years down the road this little guy is hanging on, despite his club foot and soccer-sized hock. I know he’s stolen the hearts of many who’ve visited the range just because of his perseverance. But, I know if they ever have another helicopter roundup, he’ll be in serious trouble—he could die trying to run from the helicopter. However, because the herd is currently being managed with PZP, I hope this herd will never endure another helicopter roundup (their last one was in 2008).

Tripod

Tripod's injured leg - see his hoof?

With spring comes renewal, and new grass popping up under the sagebrush. I hope the wild horses of the Sand Wash Basin enjoy the coming season. I know I’ll be back to see how they’re doing.

New grass popping up

Picasso

Best,

Lauryn