Humane Observer: Elyse Gardner: wild foals

Showing posts with label wild foals. Show all posts

Saturday, October 30, 2010

FOALS AND ROUNDUPS: HOW DO THEY FARE?

UPDATED POST: 11/2/10

You can see the six-day-old mule foal in the back next to Mom with the blaze

BEFORE PROCEEDING, please let me ask you:

The material I document on behalf of the horses touches many people deep in the core. The pain and outrage thousands feel on behalf of the horses is leaking out -- bursting out -- in very raw language and violent emotion in the "Comments" section of this blog.

I earnestly ask that everyone put on their adult, civilized, proud-citizen-of-this-still-amazing- country hat, and put on civility even if you don't feel it. I so appreciate your comments but any violent or threatening comments are counterproductive.

Please channel this energy by writing directly to your Congressional Representatives and Senators, as well as to our President. Send them the link to this blog: Tell THEM TO DO SOMETHING. EXPRESS YOURSELF IN THE VOTING BOOTH on November 2nd. Work with me to cut off the incessant roundups through budget restrictions to make the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program spend our taxpayer dollars for the horse (e.g., more toward on-the-range management as intended by the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act), not against them. (You can learn more here from the Cloud Foundation).

I have made an effort to NOT audit the comments on this blog, but I feel I will need to in order to stop what are turning into counterproductive remarks. I earnestly thank you for taking the time to comment, for expressing your love for the horses and support for my work and that of others documenting these roundups. You all rock; just try to do it in a more civilized manner. Gratefully, Elyse

NOW FOR THE BLOG... (PART 2 TO FOLLOW)

(As always, click on the photographs to enlarge them.

Click on the video to watch it; click twice to watch it in Youtube if you have trouble viewing it.

©2010 Elyse Gardner

This baby in the Litchfield Corrals during California's Twin Peaks roundup was separated from his family. He had been without his mother -- and without food -- for at least 6 hours when I filmed this, and possibly as long as 36 hours. I was not sure when he had arrived. He was clearly distressed. Watch the film below.

©2010 Elyse Gardner

This little black filly stuck like glue to her friend, hobbling around the pen on her painful feet. You can see her holding up her sore leg here. They were in a pen with adult mares but seemed to take no comfort from them: they wanted their parents. He continued to call for them. She just quietly endured and followed very closely by his young side, a true little wild stallion and filly.

A month later (after the above video was filmed), the roundup was continuing. I bring you the stills for now. We film their stories and share them so that their struggles in their young lives will not be in vain -- will not be meaningless or without purpose.

This baby I've called Little Red Warrior was roped and brought in on 9/18/10, the same day as the tiny, six-day-old mule foal was driven in (who was also lame and could barely walk the following day).

The thing I so dislike about the name I've given this baby, "Little Red Warrior," is that in all likelihood he was not a warrior at all; he was a baby, a young wild horse simply terrified and fighting for his life right here. He saw the pen they wanted to put him in, and he was desperate to stay out of it. It was evident to me, as it so often is, that this horse thought he would die if he went in that pen. Whether it is a pen, a trailer, or a chute, whichever one it is, they aren't given a chance to understand any of this. They are frightened and fighting for their lives, and often, with regularity, they actually lose their lives in this process. But here, despite the stacked odds, with not one other wild horse present, adult or otherwise, he fought.

According to the Vet Report of 9/18/10, a foal brought in this afternoon was euthanized the following day, as referenced and filmed briefly in the video clip above. (I was being hurried and was not permitted to stay and film more of that injured foal in the pen.) Might this baby be he? He fought so hard, it is likely he was injured in this process. The foal in the vet report suffered a serious degloving injury (big fold of skin removed like a glove) to left rear leg, and other cuts, followed by weakness, dehydration, and heart failure.

The shocking thing about that is even in that poor condition, the decision was made to transport this baby, at least a three to five-hour trip, to Fallon, Nevada's closed holding pens at Broken Arrow for further treatment. What kind of medicine is this? He could barely walk; forcing a seriously injured, weakened foal to endure such a trip would likely have killed him if he hadn't been euthanized before transport. Why on earth not leave him at Litchfield, a mere hour from the temporary holding pen? Where is this caring I keep hearing BLM and the contractors speak of? Where?

BELOW: This youngster I call Dignity came from a long way off, enveloped by a wrangler close on each side. That's Dave Cattoor on the buttermilk. While taping, I soon realized the foal was staggering slightly, and they were keeping very close to him, making sure he stayed on his feet. When he tried to rest for a moment, I saw Mr. Cattoor's right hand jerking upwards, yanking on the rope. I soon realized they had a rope around his neck and a rope strung between them, going under Dignity's tail, rubbing against his anus. (This is an old cowboy method of moving them forward.) They wanted him to keep moving, keep moving. He was not in good shape. Nevertheless, Dignity kicked out at the wrangler to his right at one point, "Quit crowding me."

©9/16/10 Elyse Gardner

   Imagine the trauma of running for miles struggling to keep up only to finally lose your family, watching them disappear from view, finding yourself alone, without any adults, for the first time in your life.
   I'm not trying to be dramatic but to capture the truth of this experience: the burning lungs, dry throat, the terrible dust from the churning hooves of all the adult horses in front of you; the shooting pains in your feet, the final horrible moments when you give up and stop running because you haven't any more left...
   Such is the experience of every foal you see roped and escorted by a wrangler. No, a helicopter chase does not seem in any way humane for the babies.

For the foals, it's always a struggle: As much as I dislike generalizations, my experience is revealing that whether we are at the Twin Peaks roundup in northern California, the Calico roundup in the wide open mountains of Nevada, or the Pryor Mountain roundup of Cloud's famous herd, the foals' experience is pretty much the same.

In the lives and film of these foals, they tell the story of their similarly disenfranchised cousins all over the wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas who are being rounded up.

THE VIDEO of Dignity: I decided to step it up and get the video up for you.

Looking at the Twin Peaks vet reports -- and you might want to save these reports before they are removed by BLM -- one can see the numerous instances and yet casual manner in which footsore or lame foals are addressed. It is an expected result of the helicopter chase. (To get to the Vet Reports, click on the link above, and then scroll down the page to the bottom right. You will see a list of dates. Those are the vet reports according to date.

Watching these little ones struggling to keep up with mature horses mile after mile -- and yes, I have seen it mile after mile -- I know that our Congressmen and Senators would insist on a change if they really dared to watch this process.

I have more, but that is enough for anyone to have to take in in one article. I have Sorro, and the Pryor Mountain foals... and Hope, whose feet were literally run off (called hoof slough), and he was euthanized in tremendous pain.

Check back in the next week for Little Red Warrior's story.

Please encourage your friends and colleagues to learn more and take action by getting on the mailing lists and responding to alerts from them. My aim is not so much to convert those who do not care (although I try to help people see the amazing individuals the horses and burros are); my aim is to motivate those who do care to take action. You can help the horses by subscribing to these mailing lists and responding to alerts and things as they arise:

http://thecloudfoundation.org

http://WildHorsePreservation.org

http://idausa.org

http://savingamericasmustangs.org

Thank you.

Please send this blog post to your elected representatives. They need to know what is happening.

For the wild horses, captive and free, and their humble, hardy burro friends,

Elyse Gardner

Friday, October 22, 2010

INHUMANE PRACTICES DOCUMENTED BY BLM

(Still the same blog with a new look. Welcome.)

(Don't forget to click on the photographs to enlarge them; they nearly come alive. -- EG.)

Twin Peaks horses in their living room.
On May 7 I went with five other people to see the range and the horses. I found a lush, spacious expanse perfect for the wild horses and burros. That they thought so, too, was evident in their well muscled beauty and shining coats, and general contentment and solidarity that radiated everywhere they went in their family groups. These were fulfilled horses. You just felt great looking at them -- and frightened, knowing what was coming.

Twin Peaks horses where they belong. The rightness and serenity of these horses on the ranges cannot be described. They are at peace, their society rich and tender, fierce and strong; loyalty, friendship, and family bonds evident in all their interactions. We are the aliens here.
   I have thoroughly enjoyed perusing my photo library and finding these opening photographs for you although it's taken me on a two-hour detour from my task at hand. But this stroll down recent memory lane has again reinforced the absolute rightness -- no, the utter, overarching need -- for these unique, irreplaceable animals, the wild and free horses and burros, to remain wild and free on their home ranges in genuine, solid numbers.
    C.S. Lewis said it is more important that Heaven should exist than that any of us should get there (The Essential C.S. Lewis, by Clive Staples Lewis, edited by Lyle W. Dorsett). In the same way, it is more important for Americans to know our wild horses and burros remain an intrinsic, wild part of our west than it is for the average American to get out and see them:   The wild horses are there, the wild horses are happy and safe, and all is well with the world.
   The 1971 Congress understood this very well when they drafted the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. They used the words "intrinsic," and "enrich," and "fast disappearing." And what the Bureau of Land Management is now doing is tampering with a very sensitive core of our society. Will they get it? -- that these animals are tied to us and we to them, and it is not just a numbers game?
   I have a sense of urgency for the sake of the mountains as well as the horses and burros, for the sake of all that is right, to protect them and to see that they get to stay in their homes in the healthy, full numbers that they deserve and need, not this frightening skeleton crew straggling on the mountains that the Bureau of Land Management is leaving.
   ©5/7/2010 Elyse Gardner (Click on the photo...)

This lovely, fair sorrel mare was keeping a not-very-concerned eye on us as we enjoyed these horses. A newer young horsewoman with us was thrilled in learning about reading horse body language so we wouldn't drive them away. And yes, it is thrilling to be able to simply "hear" what they tell us, if we just stop and listen. The horses teach us how to respect each other's space, take the time to read the messages others are giving us: Her head comes up and she looks at me: You are getting too close; I don't feel safe. If you want to be with me, you need to stop pressing in, or I'll flee. We stopped and stepped back a pace or two when she did this. She went back to grazing. Ah, yes, they teach me all the time if I listen...

Here she is with her whole family -- stallion and son -- who are watchful but accepting of our presence, a very sweet time. We were only about 50 feet away. Around 6 p.m., sun is going down. Wonderful time.

A fellow advocate said she saw them in the pens; they were rounded up.

I cannot explain it; I only know it is so, that the heart and soul of America is still tied in a rudimentary way to our wild horses, yes, and their humble burro friends, and we are committed to their well-being. Am I being heard, somebody? And I am here to do everything I know to see that we are not sold a lie, that we are not told by a conflict-of-interest-driven Bureau of Land Management that all is well with our wild horses while they proceed to decimate wild horse and burro populations, forcing them off and stealing their ranges to make way for special interests, including but not limited to natural gas, foreign investing, gold mining, and not last and certainly not least, livestock interests, and benignly calling it "multiple use." (See Debbie Coffey's article, The BLM's Multiple (R)USE Mandate.)
©7/19/10 Elyse Gardner

Vulnerable wild horses. I took this from the helicopter in the

flyover Laura Leigh and I made with George Knapp on July 19, 2010.

From the helicopter the horses are so vulnerable. Just look at them. A helicopter is a tremendous power. It is far too easy to abuse these animals with a helicopter. We must get protections in place, parameters around helicopter use and wild horses and burros -- or any animal, for that matter. We stayed up very high.

THE HELICOPTER REMOVALS

   The horses lose everything in the process, freedom and family, and suffer tremendous fear as well as physical strain and hardship. It is a marathon of fear, and often of pain. And I think the only thing worse than being abused is to have one's abuser and witnesses not even recognize the suffering inflicted. "No, that didn't hurt. You're fine. You'll get over it." And that is what we have here.
   I have frequently heard BLM and roundup contractors talk about how humane helicopter roundups are for horses. They could be if done correctly. However, what we see here is hardly humane.
     Let's watch some footage that the BLM itself has provided to roundup contractor Rick Harmon, who owns Cayuse, Inc., for the purpose of his promotional video. This film is in the public domain and was made with taxpayer dollars.
   BLM makes promotional videos all the time, which is perfectly fine. Let's see what BLM and Mr. Harmon are promoting. These films were taken during the Twin Peaks roundup of 2007.

And you will see below, these practices are not contractor-specific, that is, these are two different contractors using helicopters physically to physically goad horses, and it is certainly not a thing of the past. Although it is under different circumstances, the roundup contractor in Twin Peaks also pushed a horse, just a yearling. You may have seen the still photographs I took of this young horse I've named Banner. Here is the video. I apologize for all my noise in this video, but I don't want to tamper with the soundtrack. This really got to me. It was a long month...

   The use of the helicopter in this manner is wrong. The most chilling part of this may be the fact that BLM and the contractors don't even recognize the wrongness of it. Their ability to have compassion has shriveled.   There was no justification and no need to push that mare with the helicopter.
   If this is what the public is seeing, what kinds of atrocities are happening about which we never learn? Does this not qualify as criminally abusive to animals? Doing something wrong for years will never make it right. It is definitely time for a mounted video camera with timestamps.
   My hope with Banner is that as his story is shown, Banner will represent a pivotal turning point, be a "banner" horse, a portend for what is to come, a recognition and incentive for BLM to examine its ways and change OR to have its wrist thoroughly slapped and for the President to recognize the need for change in his Department of the Interior, and Congressional and Senatorial representatives to look at this and demand some boundaries to protect these innocents from the inherent violence of a roundup to every extent possible.
   RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE PREOCEDURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED:
   1) The American public wants to see these horses protected, and we are requesting a freeze; we are asking that roundups halt and a Congressional investigation of BLM practices be initiated. We very much want to see the National Academy of Sciences complete their study of the remaining wild horse and burro populations before they are decimated and before any further discussion of roundups ensues.
   IF/WHEN THERE ARE ANY HELICOPTER ROUNDUPS, WE REQUEST:
   1) The pilot to approach wild horses and burros at no closer than 100 feet. No exceptions. Violations should be fined a minimum $500 each occurrence and/or prosecuted as allowable under animal cruelty statutes.
   2)   Barring a moratorium, a mounted live-feed video camera on the helicopter, transmitting at all times the helicopter is airborne, with the BLM representative and representative from the public witnessing the transmission.
   3) GPS coordinates to be obtained from the trapsite and made available to BLM and the public;
   4) GPS coordinates to be noted and made available to the public of where the wild horses and/or burros are located when the pilot began the drive toward the trap pen;
   5) Videotape to be dated and time-stamped.
   6) That the pilot be held to a speed limit to the best of his ability, of no more than 10 mph for horses and 7 mph for burros. (Note: I have seen these figures before in BLM documents, but BLM never actually holds the contractors to it because they never ask for the data, according to two BLM sources.)
   These amazing animals so beautifully equipped to live in the most sparse, rigorous landscapes of the high desert, have no means to protect themselves from the likes of flying glass monsters used like a whip. This is wrong, and it needs to stop. I have all but given up hope that the Bureau of Land Management will police itself or its agents. All they consistently appear to do is try to marginalize the suffering of the horses and burros, and I am so sick of it I cannot tell you. But many of you are sick of it, too, and I don't need to tell you.
   ©9/17/10 Elyse Gardner

Youngster struggles to keep us, falling behind. No need for helicopter's pressure like this.

   BLM, go ahead and surprise me. I would love to be wrong about you.
   But we have now seen for many years that the Bureau of Land Management will not stop unless it is stopped, and that needs to come from the President or from Congress.
   ©9/17/10 Elyse Gardner

Pregnant mare racing as fast as she can. There is no need for this level of helicopter pressure.

   What do I mean by "marginalize the suffering"? One example that comes to mind is Legacy's story (click on the purple link to view my video). Legacy was an approximately eight-month-old colt who had a poor reaction to his castration and did not want to stand up (click on the link to see another short video of Legacy) even when two unfamiliar humans approached closer than he was comfortable with. When he did stand, he staggered a little and could barely walk from the pain and obvious swelling. While observing this, a BLM official told me he wasn't in excruciating pain; he was "just a little stiff." I videotaped this episode, and after reviewing it, Dr. Eric Davis, the HSUS vet, stated he would have treated this colt with bute; further, he is recommending that gelded horses be given banamine. As of this writing my understanding is BLM is doing no such thing.
   This is by no means unusual, and BLM's credibility in my view has been compromised because of it.
   We believe a moratorium is called for because of the low numbers of wild horses and burros especially in relation to the ongoing, untouched populations of livestock in the very limited wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas. Without exception, the livestock vastly outnumber these wild horses and burros, yet the horses are being removed.
   Please speak up for the wild horses and burros. The White House line is 202/456-1111. Ask them to log your call. Stop destroying our last big herds. Stop the trauma and assault on these animals now. Look at the abusive practices and rein in your BLM, Mr. President. Helicopters prodding horses are not okay.
   A friend wrote me and sent this out among many. His straightforward way touched me deeply as he spoke for me and for thousands more Americans who love our horses:

Is this the best we can do for these horses, low cross bars they hit their heads on and kill them. Tying saddle horses next to a pen of a wild horse family and expecting nothing to take place, running the hoofs off of young horses. Not padding the panels or the gates to prevent injury. Forcing a Mare to stand over her dead stallion. I mean really, this is the best we can do. I'm not saying stop the gathers but if we must do it, then don't you think we could do it with a little more respect than this. This saddens me. It's that simple (caring doesn't cost money).

Please encourage your friends and colleagues to learn more and take action by getting on the mailing lists and responding to alerts from them. My aim is not so much to convert those who do not care (although I try to help people see the amazing individuals the horses and burros are); my aim is to motivate those who do care to take action. You can help the horses by subscribing to these mailing lists and responding to alerts and things as they arise:

thecloudfoundation.org

http://WildHorsePreservation.org

http://idausa.org
http://savingamericasmustangs.org

Thank you. Please send this blog post to your elected representatives. They need to know what is happening.

For the wild horses, captive and free, and their humble, hardy burro friends,

Elyse Gardner

Stallion and mare at Twin Peaks as it was... and the day winds down, 6 pm.

Were they rounded up? If so, they are separated forever.

-o0o-

To make a tax deductible donation to my field work, please go to DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary. Click the "Donate" button, and as you go through the process, you will have the option to earmark your donation as you wish.

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Or mail checks to:

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Make a note as to your intentions in the "memo" section as indicated above.
Thank you so much.