Sunday, March 3, was a warm, sunny day in the Pryors. The mountain was blanketed from top to bottom with a fresh coat of wet snow. This is great for future forage production, although it made accessing the range a challenge—but that’s part of the adventure!
A very snowy Sykes Ridge
We drove just a few miles up Tillett Ridge “Road” (more like a rocky obstacle course), when we spotted the new band stallion, Grijala, and his little family foraging on a hillside. Just a few miles past them we found Jackson and his expanded family. The hefty, coyote dun stallion had somehow acquired part of Cloud’s band! While it is great that Cloud’s daughters, Dancer and coming 3 year-old, Jasmine, are with the Jackson band, we were surprised to see that Cloud’s young mare, Ingrid and her cute little dun foal, Lynx, were also with him. (more…)
Idaho has very few wild horses left, and they need your help. Some of you are probably even thinking: Idaho has wild horses? Yes, but not very many. According to BLM’s own data, there are fewer than 500 wild horses left in the entire state. The Challis Herd Management Area (HMA) is Idaho’s largest remaining wild horse population, and BLM wants to reduce the herd down to only 185 horses on over 160,000 acres.
BLM is currently soliciting the public’s comments for a scoping period regarding a helicopter roundup that would occur this fall. Discussion topics include “reducing population growth by fertility control vaccines, modifying sex ratios, and gelding [emphasis added].”
A wild horse from the Challis herd (Photo by Andrea Maki)
There are good days and bad days, but Tuesday was a great day! The Cloud Foundation, Western Watersheds Project, and American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) achieved another victory for the wild horses of the Pancake Complex in Nevada. The U.S. Dept. of Justice signed an agreement Tuesday cancelling plans to round up 198 mustangs living in the U.S. Forest Service’s Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory.
Our legal challenge prevented not only the removal of the Monte Cristo horses, it blocked BLM’s attempt to geld 200 stallions and return them to the range, and to zero out the entire Jakes Wash herd.
Comments Needed for Cibola-Trigo Environmental Assessment
Dear Wild Horse & Burro Supporters;
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages wild burro herds at disastrously low numbers throughout the West. One of the few viable burro herds lives in the immense Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area (HMA) in southwestern Arizona along the Colorado River—a 600,000 acre area.
Yet, even here, burros are in danger. The inept Sun J roundup crew is set to swoop into their peaceful desert home in early April, the height of the foaling time for burros.* Pregnant jennies are in danger of spontaneous abortion and small foals can be permanently damaged or killed.
Dear Friends of Cloud and his herd, and all our wild horses;
Cloud Foundation board members, Ann Evans (Denver) and Anni Williams (S. CA) and I traveled north for a quick, two-day trip to the Pryor Mountains. Despite less snow so far this winter, this is still the toughest season to spot horses. The most valuable pieces of equipment we carried with us were our spotting scopes. The most valuable trait in using them is patience.
I know many of you have already sent in your comments to the BLM regarding the planned permanent removal of 30 young Pryor mustangs, but I’d like you to consider adding a special plea for Echo, Cloud’s little grandson (BLM name is Killian).
In April 2010, Bolder’s black mare, Cascade, gave birth to a pale colt. It was early May before Makendra and I could get up on the Pryors to look for the colt that supposedly looked like Cloud. We spotted Bolder and his family far out on a still snowy, finger-like ridge on Sykes. We could see a little colt lying in the snow under a juniper tree. He looked snow white but, on closer examination, I could see his stockings and the blaze on his face. On the tip of his nose he had a pink snip, just like his great grandpa Raven, his grandpa Cloud, and his father, Bolder.
We’ve just learned that the BLM Field Office in Billings has extended the comment period for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) until January 20th. Emailed comments will be accepted (BLM_MT_Billings_FO@blm.gov), but physically mailed comments are encouraged (Jim Sparks: BLM Billings Field Manager, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101).
Little Lynx in Cloud's band could be removed if bait-trapping proceeds.
The Billings BLM has decided to accept emails (BLM_MT_Billings_FO@blm.gov) and faxes (406-896-5281) for comments on their Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) which calls for the permanent removal of 30 young horses (ages 1-3 years) from the Pryor Wild Horse Range during 2012. Comments are due by close of business (4:30 pm MST) January 6th.
2-year old Adelina, granddaughter of Blue Sioux & Red Raven
An Update on Cloud, his Family, & All the Pryor Mustangs
Dear Friends of Cloud and the mustangs;
On our three-day trip to the Pryor Mountains this month, Lauryn and I saw only 76 wild horses. Most of these were dots through the spotting scope. But the ones we saw up close and personal were pretty spectacular—Cloud and family, his son Bolder and family, and Flint with his band! It is a thrill to see any wild horses, but these three bands are what I consider the “trifecta” of Pryor wild horse viewing!
Day One: December 15, 2011—the 40th anniversary of the Wild Horse and Burro Act
The BLM is proposing another significant removal of wild horses on the Pryor Mountains. I know. Just when you thought it was safe… they’re back!
BLM’s recently released Environmental Assessment (EA) seeks to remove via bait trapping and potentially water trapping,30 young Pryor mustangs, ages 1-3 years. Bait and/or water trapping could begin as early as mid-January. Comments are due by January 6, 2012. We urge you to comment and to support the NO Action Alternative, the only alternative that keeps a viable population of horses on the mountain.
Cloud's yearling daughter, Breeze, is just one of the horses that could be removed in 2012
FINALLY—the adoption of the WY Checkerboard horses from the ‘21-22 roundup is on March 13-20 in Wheatland, WY. The… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…5 days ago
thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com 
A Snowy Visit to the Pryors
March 15, 2012Sunday, March 3, was a warm, sunny day in the Pryors. The mountain was blanketed from top to bottom with a fresh coat of wet snow. This is great for future forage production, although it made accessing the range a challenge—but that’s part of the adventure!
A very snowy Sykes Ridge
We drove just a few miles up Tillett Ridge “Road” (more like a rocky obstacle course), when we spotted the new band stallion, Grijala, and his little family foraging on a hillside. Just a few miles past them we found Jackson and his expanded family. The hefty, coyote dun stallion had somehow acquired part of Cloud’s band! While it is great that Cloud’s daughters, Dancer and coming 3 year-old, Jasmine, are with the Jackson band, we were surprised to see that Cloud’s young mare, Ingrid and her cute little dun foal, Lynx, were also with him. (more…)
Tags:bighorn canyon national recreation area, Cloud, mustangs, pryor mountains, wild horses
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