HORSES DON'T LIE: WHAT THE GERLACH HORSES TELL US

               Here is an uncharacteristically short blog post.
               I just had to let some of the Gerlach wild horses tell their stories.  After being told by the BLM COR Melanie Mirati that their roundup was "easy as pie," and "a piece of cake," and, "They went right in" [into the trap pen], only to go and see them myself an hour later looking...well, please watch this short, informative video of what the horses have to say, and judge for yourselves.

              I had to bring this straight to you.  I am tired of the minimizing and marginalizing of these animals.
              I will probably get comments from naysayers saying to toughen up; the horses aren't made of china; the horses are fine.  My point:  this is about the horses' wellbeing, and about communication and credibility.  This was no "piece of cake."  BLM, let's develop some credibility, please.
              I could not ignore the misrepresentation, completely negating the obvious drama and major exertion these horses experienced.
              I will ask for an update on the Gerlach stallion tomorrow.  How much can I trust what I'm told?
              Getting ready for Calico roundup resuming in the morning.

CHRISTMAS: WHAT IS THE GREATEST GIFT?

Merry Christmas, everyone.

       What is Christmas? In honor of this significant holiday, on behalf of the wild horses, I want to step outside the box...

Pryor Mountains bachelor band

        Whether one adheres to a Christian faith or not, the Christmas story is one which teaches that God took the initiative and reached out to offer forgiveness to his creation which is ensconced in corruption and self-centeredness and where God was largely ignored or rejected.   And the story states that at great personal, sacrificial cost, God offered forgiveness to many who didn't even know or acknowledge they'd done anything wrong.
         So Christmas is really a model of humble forgiveness, of a wronged party being willing to take the initiative to mend fences with the offending party.  Hmm.
         The Christian faith teaches that man is the only part of creation that requires forgiveness, but the entire creation is affected by man's relationship with his creator.  We also get a wonderful model of forgiveness in the animals, who are generally very forgiving, some more than others, willing so often to forgive and trust us again, and again....and again.
        The premise is that man needs forgiveness.
         I need forgiveness.   I can guarantee I will sooner or later either do or say something that will require someone's forgiveness; or someone will harm me, real or imagined, and I will hopefully become willing to forgive them.  And there is nothing sweeter than to hear my friend say, "No worries, I forgive you," and not keep beating me up with my wrong.  Likewise, offering the gift of forgiveness feels so very good to the one offering, surprisingly.  But sometimes we really have to wrestle to become willing to forgive.
         So the great gift and meaning of Christmas, as I understand it, is all about the amazing issue of forgiveness.  The free, yet costly gift.  It means I give up my right to remind you of your wrongs.  It means I give up my right to discuss them with others.  It means we move forward.
         We all need forgiveness, don't we?
         And is there someone, or a group of someones, who needs your forgiveness?
        So often we judge one another and write each other off, and that's it:  that person is a  "bigmouth"; "she is a tale-teller, a gossip"; "cheat," a "liar"; "Jake cheated me.  He borrowed money and never even called to apologize for not paying it back."  And we tell all kinds of people...more wrong done.
         It's always going to be something because this is a corrupt world with imperfect people.  It helped me to learn that "Forgive"is a banking term, means a debt has been canceled and you no longer owe the bank, for instance, anything.  You expect nothing of one another anymore.   They expect nothing from you; you expect nothing from them.  It goes both ways.  Doesn't mean you love the person or institution or would do business with them again; it's just an ability to accept things as is, right now, and fluidly move on, not bringing up the old debt which has been canceled.
       QUESTION:  Is it possible you might be committing a greater wrong than was done against you by your rancor and self-righteous judgement against someone who has perhaps wronged you, and for talking about it and keeping it going?
        I want to challenge all of us reading this to venture to give the precious, priceless gift of forgiveness in this last week of 2011 so that we all might start 2011 moving forward for the horses, for a better world.  Or at least begin to wrestle with the issue if you are unwilling at this time.  After all, holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and expecting it to affect someone else.  Forgiveness makes room for new growth, for all kinds of good things.
       Are we willing to bury old hatchets for the sake of seeing what new good thing can grow in place of all this bitter baggage we may be dragging along?  Doesn't mean we have to have a hug fest, but leaving room for a power greater than ourselves, whom I call God, to restore, and to do new things.
       Just some things to think about... thanks for bearing with my diversion from my usual blog, but it is all related.  There is also a new blog post up just before this one, containing three new videos (one revisited one, actually).  I hope you will take the time to peruse it.

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  And now about the horses:

          I came upon this thought provoking passage the other day in the Old Testament book of Zechariah, an Old Testament prophet, in the first chapter.

            7  Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of the reign of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet. Zechariah said,
            8  I saw in the night [vision] and behold, a [a]Man riding upon a red horse, and He stood among the myrtle trees that were in a low valley or bottom, and behind Him there were horses, red, bay or flame-colored, and white.
           9  Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the [b]angel who talked with me said, I will show you what these are.
          10  And the Man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth and patrol it.
          11  And they answered [c]the Angel of the Lord Who stood among the myrtle trees and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth [patrolling it] and behold, all the earth sits at rest [in peaceful security].

 ///

         Now, I don't want to make a new religion out of this passage, but I will simply say, hmmm.  It is fitting, is it not?  Whether symbolism or God has created and commissioned the horses as watchers of the earth, those who patrol and report back, these great, magnificent, peaceable creatures are like the canaries in the mines, whom the miners used to assess the conditions in the mine by lowering a canary into the mine shaft before humans descended.  If the lowered canary got sick or died, the workers knew it was toxic. 

        The Creator can come alongside and see, How are my horses?  What do they perceive?  How are they being treated?

     Pryor Mountain bachelor boys

   Because if God ordained that horses patrol and go to and fro and report, he wants the report from their eyes, and their perspective matters to God.  Hmmm.  Something to think about...  I don't claim to understand this passage or God's entire intent.  But the passage really bears some consideration.   I do understand that whatever it means in its fullness, these animals are unique and wonderfully special and deserving of our best, of far better than the lot mankind has dealt/is dealing so many of them, and in the new year, I will be working on their behalf.  I can't begin to describe what they give me.

        Just some thoughts.  Merry Christmas.

BITTERSWEET: TWIN PEAKS, CALIFORNIA, MUSTANGS STARVED IN MICHIGAN ARE HEADING HOME

  KEELEY AND EIGHT OTHER TWIN PEAKS HORSES STARVED IN MICHIGAN ARE COMING HOME TO CALIFORNIA— THANKS TO DREAMCATCHER SANCTUARY, GENEROUS SUPPORTERS, and MICHIGAN HORSE WELFARE COALITION

(My earnest gratitude to Jodi Louth of the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition and other committed California advocates for making their photos available to us.)  

          

MEET Keeley the day after her capture from the lush Twin Peaks, California wild horse range.  Notice (above right photo) the nicely rounded hip, the little heart-shaped indent in the middle of her spine (just to the right of her left eye) illustrating how filled out she was, how the muscle and flesh thoroughly cover and pad her spine.  This is a healthy horse "in good flesh."

Keeley managing to sustain her new foal,  Firehawk, 4 months later in Michigan, where she was allowed to starve along with most of the 28 other horses bought by Wendi Bierling.  Seriously underweight, her spine is clearly visible here and we can count individual ribs.  Her skeleton is evident and there is no curve or roundedness remaining anywhere.   This was the typical look of most of the horses left in Wendi Bierling's care.

FINALLY, an update on the Twin Peaks horses stranded in Michigan.  Of the original 29 horses who were sold to a woman in Michigan — claiming to have homes for them but who ended up abysmally neglected and starving —  eight horses and a new foal will next week be heading to west their forever home at for DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro sanctuary.   
         While the Allegan County Sheriff recommended prosecution of Wendi Bierling for her failure to care for or obtain veterinary care for these animals, the Prosecutor failed to act, and Ms. Bierling retained control of most of these animals.  She still has a chance to do the right thing by facilitating the return of the remaining horses in her control.  
           Two of the original 29 lost their lives in Michigan (see my earlier blog at Updated: Twin Peaks Horses Stranded and Starving in Michgan...) 
           Barbara Clarke, Director of the northern California, 2,000-acre wild horse and burro sanctuary, has worked hard and is committed to restoring the lives of the remaining horses by getting them home — or as close to home as possible.  DreamCatcher is only 20 miles from these horses' wild habitat which they were chased from by helicopter in August of 2010.  I defer to Barbara; let's hear it with her own words in this UPDATE she publicized on August 30:

UP DATE

Aug 30, 2011

Twin Peaks Horses Set to Come Home

Despite a plethora of obstacles determined to prevent the return of the Twin Peaks horses to California, we now have 3 geldings, 4 mares and one mare/foal pair set to head west.  If...we can raise the rest of the transport money.  And in these tough economic times this is going to be no small feat. 

So we are going to sweeten the deal by offering a Catherine Scott photo of the Twin Peaks horses to any donor giving at least $100 and for donations of at least $1000 a VIP tour of DreamCatcher, participation in our 2012 spring release of the horses onto summer grazing, and two night stay at the resort in Eagle Lake (donated) which is only 20min away.

We have been able to reduce the transport costs from $18,500 to $10,500 and we have already paid a nonrefundable $1000 deposit.  The final quote was given to us by Bob Hubbard Equine Transportation and includes a large and comfortable van which they are going to retrofit for the mustangs.  Hubbard is scheduled to pickup the horses in Michigan September 9 and they will arrive at DreamCatcher approximately 2 and a half days later.  Once here they will be immediately released into a large pasture area where they can run. roll and enjoy some freedom amongst the sights and smells they are familiar with.  They will be back HOME.

Those wishing to help us bring these horses back home may donate:

• On-line by going to our web site and click on the donate button www.dreamcatcherhorsesanctuary.org
• By mail:  DreamCatcher, PO Box 9, Ravendale CA 96123 or
• Call the office for a credit card donation 530-260-0148 

        Remember, this is a time sensitive situation since horses are scheduled to be picked up September 9th in Michigan.

The horses who are returning to California are listed below and you can see some photos on this link http://wherethewildhorsesare.blogspot.com/

# 1765 Keeley - red spot appy mare with appy colt

# 1994 no name - buckskin mare - dun colt not coming

# 1981 Jewel - sorrel mare

# 1755 no name - drk grey mare w/black mane - colt not coming

#  2006 chocolate brown pinto mare w/white spot on left side

# 1598 Duke - light dun buckskin gelding

# 1557 Onyx - black gelding star & cropped ear

# 1523 Cortez - black gelding w/4 white socks

While we were not able to get possession of the rest of the horses at this time, we - along with the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition - will be monitoring the situation and will come to the aide of any of the horses that may need us in the future.  We will not give up until we know all of the Twin Peaks horses are safe and happy.

Thank You For Caring

Barbara

Left:    Jewel at her worst, and getting ready to foal.  Her foal didn't survive
Right:  Gaining weight and strength, ready to make the trip.  Hang in there, Jewel, you are almost home.  

LATEST UPDATE 

     AS OF September 1, 2011, generous, caring people have taken action, and the $10,500 has more than been reached.  We cannot thank you enough!  

         If you still would like to be a part of restoring these horses and providing for their ongoing maintenance — the most expensive part of owning a horse — the invitation to give still stands, and so do the Thank-You Gifts as stated above, i.e.,  the tour of DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary, participation in the summer pasture release, and the Catherine Scott photo of the Twin Peaks horses to those who give as indicated above.   
         Additional donations will be used to purchase extra hay, put up new fencing for the new arrivals, and, best of all, some put aside for another future group of Twin Peaks horses stranded in Michigan to return home.  There are already stirrings in that direction, and we are committed to bringing each and every one back we can.  
         You can view the list of returning horses along with some photos at the Where the Wild Horses Are blog. 
PERSONAL UPDATE
          To my readers:  It's great to "see" you again!  This blog has been "silent" since July, but I have continued engaged for the wild horses as well as more personally involved with them than ever.  I have departed from California and am currently in Colorado in a remote area with inconceivably slow internet where it is difficult to even load photographs on this blog and nearly impossible to watch Youtube videos.
           But I am here with my mustang filly which BLM shipped all the way from Nevada to Nebraska back in May 2010 despite my being actively engaged in adopting her; that is another story I will share with you and Congress at another time.  
           Please do check in periodically as I will be updating and posting.   And the links at the front of this blog are vital in helping us continue to take action on behalf of the wild horses, who need us more than ever as BLM contemplates creating "nonreproducing herds" using permanent infertility methods (i.e., releasing large populations of geldings and/or spayed mares, a dangerous and costly procedure), which of course make these horses no longer wild populations, and thus BLM would be in violation of the law they are charged to carry out, i.e., managing wild horses in the wild with "minimum feasible" (the legal language) interference.  
For the wild horses, captive and free, and their humble burro friends,
all who were and those yet to be,
Elyse Gardner, Humane Advocate Observer