Wednesday, August 25, 2010

IS TWIN PEAKS A BLOODY ROUNDUP?

  Some, including myself, took issue with the description of "bloody roundup."  I'm reconsidering.
(To enlarge photos, just click on them. —EG)
      (For instructions to make a tax deductible donation to this field work, please go to the bottom of this blog.  Thank you).
          ©Photo by Craig Downer
       Craig Downer said he observed blood dripping from this horse's nostrils in the trailer shortly after being driven in by the helicopter.  The horses -- young, old, sick, healthy -- often must travel great distances under pressure from the helicopter.
                     ©Photos by Elyse Gardner
STEEP, ROCKY gather route on 8/14 on 8/15 at this Rush Creek
trap site in the Skedaddle area,  my first two days present.

Trap site at Shinn 2 8/20/10
All about family...
      In the same pen, this was going on just behind Atticus, who was pacing around as the video depicts.
©Photos by Elyse Gardner                          
8/16/10  Eyes white and wide with fear, this terrified sorrel in very cramped quarters is unmercifully harassed by dominant black who would not let go of this young stud's neck.  The crowded conditions precluded the sorrel from escape. 
                         ©Photos by Elyse Gardner   
 While the black harasses the terrified sorrel with the blaze, all this handsome big bay stallion I call Atticus could think about was his family, who had arrived on a trailer in the the last few minutes.
 Once their calls to each other had been answered and they had connected, they maintained constant verbal contact.  His mare and foal were calling regularly to him, and he answered every time.  Video to follow.   The poignancy of this tragic situation was not lost on us as this civilized, magnificently healthy stallion was subjected to the crassness of the people and some of the stallions around him.  The black tried to harass him at one point, and Atticus shrugged it off as if to say, "I haven't time for this."  He had nothing to prove; his focus was completely on his family.   Those of us aware of what was happening were in tears listening to their anxious, eager calls.
©PH
      Pandemonium reigned everywhere that day.  All this took place during processing.  Timothy J. Harvey, the new Humane Advocate (wearing hat, back to camera) stood astride the catwalk peering down into the chute watching the contractor and BLM innoculate, brand, and "process" these frightened, baffled souls who've just been driven out of their peaceful mountain homes into crowded pens, stripped of family, plastic-bag-whipped into all kinds of enclosures, and poked with needles and shaved with loud electric clippers.  All of this within six hours of their capture.  

                              
We've seen a lot of facial injuries.  Tim Harvey said the horses were coming in fine; there were very few facial injuries in the trap pens.  The horses were seen crashing around in the temporary holding facility, colliding with the metal panels as they rear and panic in the unfamiliar confinement.  We watched a mare resisting the squeeze chute entrance rear and smash her face against the metal, resulting in a bad laceration bilaterally around her orbital area.  The issue of padding was raised, and we were relieved that the contractor is willing to install it in at least some places.
       These horses did a lot of crashing around, and it was often pandemonium during processing.  These animals are completely disenfranchised.  They are equipped to live in harsh climates and take beautiful care of themselves.  They are helpless in the face of the helicopter and our flagwhips because, by their very nature, they are gentle prey animals, and the predator that is man is not respecting their right to live even in the corner of the world we had once called their legal Herd Area.  Cows and sheep natural gas and steam power plants are taking water over even in their Herd Management Areas (HMAs).  

      They maintain a vigilant, expectant waiting now in this phase of their captivity.  In a few weeks following their captivity, the Calico horses became depressed and seemed to lose hope.  They became irritable and started picking fights at the feeders.  
           ©Photo by Craig Downer
 Both of these horses have facial injuries near the eyes, as do many others.
 Mr. Harvey is observing.  I tried to get his attention so he would turn around and see the fighting among the stallions.  It's one thing to hear them shrilly scream warnings to each other in the stallion way, which is often a ritual which does not lead to violence.  It's another thing entirely when they actually engage, and there was a lot of engaging going on.
      Mares slotted for release are shot in the right hip with PZP twice (a shot and a booster) making it a two-year treatment.  Mares can go as long as five years with no foal, and some in Cloud's herd have not foaled in seven years.  Many horses rear and back quickly up crashing around in the small area before entering the enclosed chute.  
      A yearling stallion reared, smashed his head, flipped over, and died from the impact.  
Californians are outraged about this roundup and the loss of over half of our wild horses and burros, as are many non-Californian Americans.
          Finally, is this a "bloody" round up?  Warning:  some graphic photos
©Photo by Elyse Gardner
This older stallion had an old, healed injury.  He was being aggressively attacked by another stallion.  I alerted staff, but they were busy and didn't separate the horses in time, and he was reinjured.  Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.  Vet said he will recover.  He had a bloody bite wound on his neck, also.  All this just after being chased by helicopter.  If this isn't government subsidized animal abuse, what is?  I believe more upsetting than this injury for this horse is being trapped in a pen with an aggressive stallion.  When staff first "separated" them, they unfortunately put him in a pen alone with the aggressive stallion. I want to thank and acknowledge the Litchfield staff; they were trying and are working hard, but the horses were still let down.  Let's try a little harder, please, everyone.  
©Photos by Elyse Gardner
©Photos by Elyse Gardner
                            
©Photos by Elyse Gardner
                            


                               
          BLM personnel have been polite in my presence, accommodating except for the most important thing to me:  Access to the horses at some critical times, like when they arrive at trap pen and then when they arrive at holding facility.
         Lest we forget, the issue is not making roundups humane, but in ending this myth of wild horse and burro overpopulation by looking at the real numbers and animals and special interests in the HMAs couched in the spirit of "multiple use."  
         Overcrowded pens are thrust on the horses, which forces them into nerve-wracking awkward situations with each other. 
          What is left?   There are pitifully few areas where the horses are the "principal but not necessarily exclusive" presence as mandated by the unanimously passed 1971 Act.  Consequently, they are being systematically squeezed off our lands in escalating speed and numbers.  There is no time to lose. 

          A real investigation is vital and will demonstrate this a BLM-created overpopulation in name only, and our last viable herds are being drastically, dangerously, unnecessarily reduced.  BLM chooses to call the wild horses "excess"; they can just as easily label the cows "excess."  Let the horses have their puny 26.6 million acres; why must they take a back seat to livestock on their own HMAs (herd management areas) ?
         Apparently my senator's office went and sent an aide to see one day of this roundup but spoke to no advocates about what she/he was seeing.  Without talking to experienced advocates on the ground, I fear it will be BLM-speak and business as usual for my senator.  How savvy is this person?  Time will tell.  I am pleased that Senator Feinstein has a finger on this pulse.
         Senators, California voters who care for wild horses and burros need you badly right now.  Senators Boxer and Feinstein have been a big force for change in many arenas; we are looking to them here.   I love my home state, and I want it to prove different than the others.  
      What I'm asking:  stop this roundup now, before we are down to the scant 450 horses for which BLM is targeting.  I know there is a plan in place.  I know about the legalities.  I also know that hundreds of wild horses and burros are losing everything, and they don't know how to read.   
Released stallion
©Photo by Elyse Gardner
It was very nice, and it is the right thing to do:  California BLM actually released a 15-year-old stallion it captured after he spent a couple of hours in the trap pen.  I'm told BLM used to do this on site with the age 10 and older horses.  This is more like it, BLM.  But this is only one, and it is rare.  
       California BLM have been courteous and somewhat accommodating, but as usual, the process is terrible for the horses.  This is not about personalities; it's about the horses. 
     I still want to have five minutes to document the horses upon arrival to determine not only their general condition, but to pinpoint when injuries are occurring.  Tim Harvey did that briefly, but he is no longer on site.  The contractors have agreed to pad some areas of concern (the metal bars on the chute and perhaps the trailers). 
      It simply is not right that no representative of the public can see what's happening if a member of the Board isn't there.   I am an officer of the courts, an equine science major, and I have a great camera.  I simply want five minutes close up at the pens to document condition; then I walk away.   Someone needs to do it if not I.
    To see the Twin Peaks horses in their natural environment go the Linda Haye's new blog.  She's been documenting these horses for many years.   
I remain,
For the wild horses, captive and free,  and their humble burro friends,
Elyse Gardner

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54 comments:

  1. This is the saddest thing I've ever seen. What can be done? How can the terror these horses feel, not be taken into account? What can I do?

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  2. Elyse, thank you for being there -- our eyes and ears to the horror and inhumanity of the "gathers". This unnecessary cruelty breaks y heart. It has to stop.
    I call the White House every day, have called my congressmen...sign every petition I can find. But the BLM honors no laws -- either governmental or humanitarian. Shame on them. SHAME!!!

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  3. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this front-line, painful and vital work.
    Tammy Wyke

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  4. Thank you for observing and documenting. I wish we could do the same.

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  5. If I really say what I truly feel and how I would like to say it then, this post would be deleted immediately so therefore, I will try my best to keep my true comments to myself. I would like to say though...sometimes, I hate the human race!! Not everyone just the idiots that involve them selves with this type of action. I know these people think they are helping but one thing I know for sure is....God is in control. So there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  6. Good on you Elyse. I'm with you even from Down Under. We love our brumby's here too.

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  7. I am trying to stay calm and post something other than curses at everyone who cannot see that this is abuse of the most horrible sort, and that there is nothing unreasonable about having a moratorium (A delay, postponement or waiting period. For those who don't seem to understand what that long old word means) so that some REAL science can be applied to the situation.

    For those who believe the BLM IS using "real science" read the Inspector General's report:
    https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BwxnQ91Hgo-LNzY5MzYwNjMtYmU5Zi00Mjg1LTg3NWEtNzY1MDQ2N2UxNTg2&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

    Masterful post, Elyse.

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  8. Elyse, I am with the other posters on this blog, it is hard not to want to go just shoot the people doing this to the horses, it is sooo hard to stay calm when you see this kind of outright degradation of our wild horses, or any kind of animal or human & to believe that humans can do this & keep doing it year after year. I don't envy what you are doing but I do thank you from the pit of my soul.

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  9. BLM YOU ARE NOTHING BUT S.O.B. YOU ARE CRUEL, INHUMANE , DISGUSTING ANIMALS, HOW DARE YOU TAKE WHAT GOD PUT ON THOSE LANDS AND YOU TAKE THEM AWAY, MAY HE STRIKE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU DEAD, AND BRING DEATH UPON YOUR FAMILIES...THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO THOSE INNOCENT ANIMALS THEY ARE MORE GRACIOUS AND KIND, THEN YOU COULD EVERY BELIEVE, I HATE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU THAT HAVE DONE THIS TO THEM, THE PILOT THAT FLIES THE HELICOPTER MAY YOU CRASH AND BURN, NEVER IN MY LIFE OF 62YRS HAVE I SEEN SUCH INHUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS THAT ARE SO PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL....YOU ARE ALL GOING TO HELL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

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  10. I don't know how you do it...I would be a sobbing mess. I know WHY you do it...for the horses and I thank you SO much for that. Atticus' calls to his family were heartbreaking. A lot of the stallions gathered at the panel when the mares arrived to try and find their families. How much sadder can it be?! Cindy

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  11. Thank you Elyse, for all that you do for wild ones. It is vital to have a qualified humane observer at these round ups. Someone that the Agencies can learn to respect and trust not to go ballistic on them. I have no doubt that threats have been made towards them. We really need establish intelligent and calm communication between involved parties. You fit the bill perfectly, but can't possibly be at every round up. We MUST build a working relationship with the people in charge! I HATE what is being done to the horses! I also know that hate won't help the horses. I would like to see the cold-hearted profiteers,such as the Cattoors, out of the equation. Do you know if anyone is working on that end of this problem?
    Please continue to let us know how we can help. Our prayers, heart and spirits are with you. <3

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  12. BLM and the other guilty governmental parties will all be introduced to something called KARMA! Those poor horses. I have written letters, signed petitions, phoned Senators, phoned congressmen.... and yet, this nightmare continues.

    Elyse, bless you and the others who can go keep an eye out on the schmucks from the government. I would wind up in jail for sure, because I'd knock the crap out of the person in charge. This is inexcusable and such a heartbreak. Those are OUR horses, how DARE THEY!!!

    Some democracy!!

    I'm going to go hug my woofers.

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  13. Our letters and emails are falling on deaf ears, the horses are the ones being punished for just being wild horses.
    no one is helping them. such sad eyes and souls. I pray they will survive. BLM needs to rethink its policy and stop rounding up the horses

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  14. These are the true treasures of the West! BLM when is this going to stop!If these were people populating and eating in the fields would you do the same thing? Looks like a scene from "Planet of the Apes". Inhumane!!

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  15. Just heartbreaking, one more time. BLM has the corner on playing the villain and have been the cause of so much pain and anguish, for these poor innocent horses, and for so many of us who can see exactly what is going on as the abuse and brutal cruelty that it is.

    Thank you, Elyse, for being there, for witnessing, for maintaining composure under such a burden. Knowing they have no voice is the only thing that makes me keep on with the actions I take on their behalf. If I could not keep focused on that fact, the pain of seeing this and reading this and knowing this would drive me mad and certainly away from doing anything, into a stunned silence of sorts. I will keep on and I know you will too. Thank you again for what great sacrifice you make to do this for them....

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  16. this is soooo sad and i feel so nieve that i didnt know this actually was going on, i feel ashamed to be a human to know that as humans we let this go on, WHY! hope it stops soon thankyou to you who have posted this on here cos like myself the more people that see this the more that will know and try help it stop, credit to you that are trying to save our beautifull angelic horses they mean the world to me, good luck to all of you and god bless...

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  17. ANYONE UP FOR ORGANIZING A TASK FORCE TO GO OUT THERE AND OVERSEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING? I'D GO BUT DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. IF YOU WANT ME TO GO AND CAN HELP CONTACT ME. I THINK WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS CAN CARPOOL OUT THERE AND GET IT DONE. THI IS UNFAIR, DEGRADING TO OUR HERITAGE AND JUST PLAIN SICK!! IF YOU CAN HELP EMAIL larcfl2006@yahoo.com and I will represent you or your organization. Winters coming, and this is just plain sickening.

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  18. I would like to see these people in the helicopters and anyone involved in this roundup, whether on the ground or in the air, stripped naked and run for miles in 100 degree heat over rocks and cactus to see if they can survive and see how it feels. Man is supposed to be a higher being. God gave him/her the right to rule over the animals to TAKE CARE of them. Not torture, maim, abuse or ruin them or each other. And all because of greed, money and power. It kind of reminds me of the Hitlers, Stalins and others of their ilk.

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  19. So is this what kind of place are President is making America. A cold,cruel,inhumane bunch of government officials who have no compassion or heart for anything but their pocket books.Blm employees and our government should be charged with the highest degree of animal cruelity and abuse and should be behind bars.

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  20. if the only people who seem to want these horses captured, tortured, terrorized are the BLM and the BP greedy pigs who push them, WHY is it still happening???? For this reason only I am so sorry that I voted for Obama, by allowing this to continue he proves that he does not care about justice in any form. The roundups need to cease permanently and immediately AND every single horse and burro being held in BLM prisons need to be released IMMEDIATELY. thats it, there is nothing more to say. Our land, Our horses, OUR MONEY!!!!

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  21. this is the hardest thing to look at these magnificent horses treated in such an inhumane way. we are supposed to be the superior being on this earth and it sickens me that we harm horses or any animal in this fashion. This needs to stop and we the people can do it and stop this kind of tragedy. please email all friends and help stop this. remember in november take the trash out and vote for the right people that will stop this and other things this goverment is doing.

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  22. One side of the story.

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  23. this is sick hey people karma will hunt u all down for the mis treatment of our horses of history . wake up f,,/,.people u wouldnt want it done to u or ur family. these beautiful animals have family bonds just like us but some people dont think they can feel pain or loss ,lonelyness. wake up and quit be so stupid u know who u are....karma ,karma,karma....ouch bites hard

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  24. You are a brave and strong advocate for these horses. We must all call our Congressmen and the President, Senators all, and overturn that 1971 act. It is evil. Thanks so much, dearest friend. Your will is strong, let it be that we are all concerned so much, and get something done. Amanda

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  25. the round-ups are always bloody. we can't always 'see' the blood. Every kick, every slam into metal pipes, every time they hit those trailers hard enough to bend steel! (look at the bends in those trailer bars) causes a 'bruise'. a bruise is bleeding under the skin. The founder is bleeding in the hoof!

    we don't have to "see" red flowing blood to know round-ups cause pain and bleeding.

    Laura Houston

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  26. Thank you Elyse for being there and documenting this for us. How can we try to get BLM CA to release this stallion and his mare and foal? This stallion just tore at me. I know Flint feels the same way cause he just had his family taken from him by another band stallion. At least Flint can see his mares and youngun's.

    What happened to that beautiful sorrel who was being beaten up by that black?

    And the pretty grey? He looks like he had a patch torn off his nose. Is that a vein or artery left behind???

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  27. I really don't care who is polite or courteous of the BLM horse abusing staff. They are all animal abusers of the first order. If your neighbor was abusing his horse, but was polite and courteous to you, would that make it ok? No. It is absolutely irrelevant who is polite or not. They are animal abusers. All of them.

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  28. Who really believes they will leave behind 450 horses? Not me. They left 200 on a half a million acres in Tuscararo. They shipped more horses to the stupid prison inmates than they left on the range. They are systematically wiping them out one HMA at a time. And this summer is fast track to oblivion. 1/3 of all wild horses wiped out by October.

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  29. I, too, am an officer of the court, although in CT. Could someone start a protest at BLM's offices in D.C.? I know these guys hate bad publicity above all. Especially should it ever get on the TV news... The ASPCA could arrange it, or the Humane Society, or even PETA.

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  30. Why??? Where is the ASPCA, Humane Society and Peta???

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  31. THESE PRICKS SHOULD BE SHOT. SHOT RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY & RIGHT OFF THEIR PERCHES! WHAT KIND OF BRUTAL, CRUEL SAVAGERY IS THIS? WHY WOULD ANYONE BUT HEARTLESS CORPORATIONS WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES ASSISTED BY BIG GOVERNMENT, EVEN THINK OF EXTERMINATING OUR LIVING AMERICAN HERITAGE IN SUCH AN INHUMANE & COLD BLOODED WAY!?! SOMETHING MUST BE DONE...LEGALLY OR OTHERWISE!!!

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  32. I will admit I did not get to read the whole article but I have had some experience with this event before. I do hate what is happening to the wild horses. One thing people have to understand is that horses have not naturally been part of the North American wildlife for over 10,000 years. The died out about that long ago because the environment could not sustain the herds. No one can know why, but they do not belong in the wild here and are damaging nature. It is a man made disaster. I wish there way to humanely deal with it. What I would recommend is that the BLM take the funding they use to do there roundups and see if some horse loving group would be able to do it in a more humane way for the same money. They need to control the population, but there must be better ways then this. The hardest part will be to make sure there is no fraud in how the money is spent. I could see a "roundup" vacation for would be cow hands to spend a time working with the professionals to do it.

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  33. Someday this is YOU and ME! Government controlled healthcare. Sounds good at the start, so did the creation of BLM. Now we have a run-a-way unmonitored bunch of bullies doing things their way - likely getting cash under the table from cattle farmers (or cattle corporations). They are BREAKING THE LAW themselves with no control or oversight. Congress delegates their authority to big named bureaucracies with people who've let power go to their heads. And I just love idiots like "One side of the story." -- WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE OTHER SIDE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY! THERE IS *NO* EVIDENCE OF OVER POPULATION, DISEASE, OR OTHER THREAT TO THESE HORSES; BEING THROWN OFF LAND THAT WAS SANCTIONED BY CONGRESS (BY LAW) FOR THE HORSES! NOT LIVESTOCK FEEDING GROUNDS! Senseless cruelty and a complete waste of MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS!

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  34. Thank you Elyse!
    and GLEN - keep in mind what the BLM does is still inhumane regarding the wild equines - ah, come on, using a helicopter?
    Penning them all together in tight quaarters is THE recipe for disaster - and surely injuries occur just from this stupid act.
    And do not believe the lies the BLM tells about the condition of the land or the flora and fauna that live on it as they have no real science or data to back up ANY of their claims! These roundups/gathers cost $60 million and every year the BLM asks for more money! To do what? Round up horses and send them to slaughter or holding pens while livestock lives on the range intended for equines? I'm sure if they gave me $60 million to take care of the 'wild horse' problem, I could get it done safer and cheaper than the BLM does now without culling the herds as is done now.
    The BLM Wild Horse program needs a serious overhaul!

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  35. Is this what the govenment has in store for us... if they have no compassion for the free roaming horses.

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  36. Since all has been said from real people with a heart and know when they see and read something really, really wrong against nature, I got one thing to say the boys of BLM, can you say 50 caliber long distance snipper rifle?
    I would be real careful boys, a lot of peeps in ur neck of the woods have em, and since the word is out now, and everyone knows what ur doing, I would grow eyes in the back of ur head if I were you!
    You just never know when it's comin.

    This is right in there with the slaughtering of dolphins in Japan at Slaughter Bay. It's time to wake people of this earth, and stop the insanity that is being done, just because it's been done for a long time due to ignorance.
    Man has killed the oceans, polluted the air we breathe, and filled the land with toxic nightmares. Will we not figure it out until all life is dead due to our stupidity?
    Man no longer has the right to push aside the earth's creatures for land, greed, or dog food, or politics or whatever stupid reason man can come up with.
    A new age is coming and now that we know the difference between right and wrong, and all living creatures feel pain and happiness and have the right to exist and roam our, and THEIR, earth, this is really wrong and must stop. Please before this thing escalates into violence, and it will eventually since this has been brought before the world now, choose to do the right thing and tell your boss, hell no, I won't take part in that no matter how much you pay me. Look at them busted up faces and bodies on those horses! Karma doesn't act instantly, it takes time and sneeks up on ya when ya least expect it, and BLM, ur's is coming in a big way!

    Shame on you boys, how do you sleep at night? And Mr. Helicopter pilot that knowingly maneuvers his aircraft to scare the bejeeeezes out of them cool creatures, well, I would do extra checking on your once over before every flight, one day you just might find an unexpected hydrolic leak or fuel contamination that will really mess up ur day! Did you Mr. pilot, see the post about running you through the desert naked over rocks and cactus in scorching hot heat with no shoes? You're pretty vulnerable up there in ur flying machine, a very easy target! Think about that one next time on your sortie of cruelty to a majestic animal that can't do anything to you but run away!

    You boys have got a lot of peeps angry beyond belief and to the point of taking action to stop such a crime against nature!!!

    Good luck cowboys, and may every killed, injured and harassed beautiful harmless animal invade your dreams at night and haunt you to the point you can't sleep and wonder, what is that noise outside my window at 3 in the morning!
    I think ur gunna get visitors soon for what you have done!
    All for a few bucks, for a really nasty, inhumane days work.
    HAVE A NICE DAY!

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  37. I do think this is disgraceful and the people doing it should be shot.
    That being said, to all you dummies talking about how "god" put these horses there you should really go over the history of this country.
    Horses were brought to this country back in the early 1600's.
    Your "God" did not put them here.
    They were put on boats and sailed across the ocean.
    Stop talking about "god" when you don't know what you're talking about

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  38. HOW SAD
    IT WILL NOT BE LONG,,, PEOPLE
    BEFORE THEY WANT TO ROUND YOU UP.
    SO WE NEED TO PUT A STOP TO THIS,,,,,
    HERE AND NOW.
    THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

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  39. Obama is the terriblest President the United States ever had. He hats Animals. I wish the badest things on him, which ever you can wish to someone.

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  40. It's always the same story and this horse roundup is a very good example. Every year at horse roundup time people start belly aching about all the cruelties inflicted on this poor animals. We can not blame the BLM. We only have ourselves to blame! How is this? Because we all LOVE OUR BEEF! Cattle needs a lot of space and a lot of farm land to grow food for them. Plus have you ever watched the cruelty at roundup time of cattle and the inhumane butchering of these poor animals? No because we LOVE OUR BEEF! So you personally are to blame for all of the cruelty of these horses AND cattle. The only way to stop the cruelty is to stop eating beef! So think of this the next time you slap a nice juicy T-Bone stake on your grill. The less people eating beef the more room we would have for these horses and other wildlife creatures. So before you start shooting the BLM workers if you are guilty of eating beef then start by shooting yourself first. It’s always easier to put the blame on others. Enough said…..

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    Replies
    1. AMEN AMEN AMEN I recently - last year gave up meat FOR THIS VERY REASON if you are not part of the cure you are part of the problem - when I learned of this - the terror the destruction of families (wolves included) I wanted with all my heart to put the beef industry out of business but I can't WHAT I CAN DO is my part. These horses are our heritage I sit here and WEEP from my soul - it's painful in my heart to know that we as a society value something so important SO LITTLE that we can't sacrifice something that is so bad for us anyway - BEEF. Save a horse - give it up

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  41. This is pitiful! BLM..which stands for "bastards leaching money" need to be put out of business!!!

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  42. sad just sad but its like that with numbers people

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  43. I have read the article and all the comments. There are those of us who have been fighting the yearly gathers for many years, right along with Horse Slaughter. It is pointless to point fingers at the White House. This buck stops in the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Year after year after year there have been bills introduced to prtect horses only to be voted down by lobbyist for the Cattle industry, voted down or tabled. Two years ago, one Bill actually made it to the floor only to be tabled by Conrad Burns of Montana. He then slipped in a addedendum to the national budget that stripped the horses of the protection once offered by the Wild Horse Annie act.

    They have no protection, because greedy men are always finding loop holes in laws and stay up nights finding ways to block the horse advocates.
    In the last analysis it always comes down to who has the most money. And the poor horses are broke.

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  44. We torture, rape, murder and perform unspeakable cruelty in war against each other because of our old caveman consciousness and wild horses persecuted by the BLM Nazis is horrible but low on the totem pole of importance.

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  45. Animals are Soul too, just in another form and state of conciousness, sometimes in a higher state than that of humans. What we do to them be it kindness or cruelty will come back to us as karma. We all live under this law of cause and effect.

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  46. The BLM bastards are nothing but a Natzi organization withing the government.

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  47. The absolute lack of respect people have all over the world for God's creatures is appalling. Even their death should come with respect and God says we are not to torture an animal! I know He sees all this abuse of his creation and will bring judgement accordingly! May he be merciful to these unprotected horses against mankind.

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  48. Elyse -- I've known about these roundups for years, but I think I've steeled myself against the depth of tragedy here. Your video of Atticus has been bothering me for days, and I don't know if I can get past it while the BLM is still doing this. I commend you for being the observer here. I've worked in animal shelters, and have always thought that bearing witness to animal suffering, even and especially when you're powerful to stop it, is very noble, and gives the animals' disrupted lives a little meaning, since at least somebody saw, knows, and feels for them.

    I've written my probable new senator, who is very much anti-government waste. I don't know how he feels about horses, but this is clearly not an acceptable use of taxpayer dollars.

    I looked at the "Run With the Wild Ones" blog you linked to -- is that not Atticus with his family in the April 30 pictures? I feel so conflicted to see both his noble, peaceful natural state and his devastating trauma. I wish he could somehow understand that the ruin of his life and family is not without purpose -- through your blog it has woken me up forever about the true tragedy of the BLM roundups.

    Thank you for being there.

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  49. i cant believe this is goin on!!!! it makes me cry every time i watch a video of the wild horses that involves the BLM it makes me feel ashamed to call myself an american it makes me disappointed in my country!! ALL THE MONEY I SAVE IS GOIN TOWARDS HELPING THE WILD HORSES IN AMERICA!!!! I AM TIRED OF THEM BEING TORTURED WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY!!! ITS STUPID!!!

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  50. i want to add to my comment above
    if the government is so worried about payin off our national debt and improvin our systems, why are they wastin money to round up and kill harmless creatures that are a symbolism of our freedom, just cause they think they are overpopulated and cant survive on their own even though they have been doing so for hundreds of years!!!!!!

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