Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
Another phone call, and you guessed it, another Emergency.
I received an urgent call for 2 Pregnant Mamas, and 2 young Jennies headed to slaughter.
So many folks ask why so many pregnant mares end up at slaughter? It IS deliberate!! The heavier they are, the more money they bring. We can’t let these 2 innocent foals be cut of Mama’s belly, and thrown away on the slaughter floor.
Sadly, I have seen photos of that, and you cannot unsee them.
I know times are tough, and honestly, it is scary trying to raise enough funds to save them, and also be able to support and care for them, until they are ready to be re-homed.
We need $6500 for these SIX lives for bail, transport, vetting, groceries and all the other expenses that come with rescue. Please let’s save them.
PLEASE help now. I ONLY want to say YES, we will save them.
Today, I am heading back to the Doc, and my hauler is standing by and ready to go get them IF we can save them!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS. TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SO MANY LIVES!
THANK YOU, MY CHILLY PEPPER FAMILY, FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE! YOU ROCK!!!
You can donate to Goldendale Veterinary – 509-773-0369
You can donate to Zimmerman Vet – 775-623-0981
NEW – DONATE WITH ZELLE
Send Money with Zelle®
Wildhorses In Need
530-339-1458
New Venmo – @WIN-dba-ChillyPepper
New CashAp – $ChillyPepperMM
(Win dba Chilly Pepper)
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
You can go to gofundme<-
You can go to Paypal<-
PLEASE NOTE – Paypal shows Wild Horses in Need, as we are dba- Chilly Pepper
if you would like to help these horses.
->You can donate via check at:
PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS FOR CHECKS*
(For now while I’m at Camp Chilly Pepper)
Chilly Pepper
19 Weona Rd
Goldendale, WA 98620
You can also donate via credit card by calling Palomino at 530-339-1458.
Venmo – @WIN-dba-ChillyPepper
NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL – WE SAVE THEM ALL!
SAVING GOD’S CRITTERS – FOUR FEET AT A TIME
Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, WIN Project – Rescue & Rehab
We are now part of the WIN Organization
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Happy Wild About Wildlife Month!
The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is wild about preserving the lifelong freedom of America’s wild horses and burros in their natural habitats. And those habitats include a host of other wildlife who live alongside these iconic animals! Last year, we launched our Land Conservancy Project to protect the ecological balance of America’s wild herds and their cohabitants across America’s western landscapes. In celebration of Wild About Wildlife Month, will you donate to fuel our land conservancy project?
| FUEL THE LAND CONSERVANCY PROJECT |
According to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) own range data, much of the land it manages has degraded in condition due to extractive uses, such as the overgrazing of livestock. These activities — along with fire and drought — have depleted habitats for all wildlife, including protected species like wild horses and burros.
Our land conservancy pilot project area includes more than 3,000 acres of rolling foothills, sprawling meadows, and natural spring water around the Pine Nut Mountains of Nevada. This innovative conservation initiative provides a safe environment for thousands of animals to live, graze, hunt, and play.
Click here to enjoy 15 seconds of one local bear-y blissful bath! Our ponds and streams are also enjoyed by coyotes, deer, antelope, and many other species of wildlife that live alongside our cherished wild herds.
We’re proud of the progress made on this exciting project, which solidifies conservation as the key driver behind our advocacy for wild horses and burros.
As always, thank you for standing with our wild herds.
Onward,
Team AWHC
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Did you know that today is National I Love Horses Day? Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we take any and all opportunities to celebrate horses, both domestic and wild!
And, tomorrow, AWHC’s lawyers will be in Court arguing two cases that will decide the fate of not only the wild horses from Wyoming’s Checkerboard, which include the Salt Wells and the Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA), but will also set an important precedent for generations to come: Will private interests be allowed to dictate the use of public lands and decide whether our federally protected wild horses and burros can live on them?
| POWER OUR WORK |
In honor of National I Love Horses Day, we want to tell you a touching story from the Great Divide Basin HMA.
AWHC’s partner and co-plaintiff in this critical litigation, Kimerlee Curyl, was out photographing the incredible Great Divide Basin horses when she came across a stunning, heavily pregnant white mare. Kimerlee stayed a respectful distance away from her, watching the mare and her family interact. While she was sitting there, a group of boisterous bachelor stallions approached the band, trying to steal the band’s mares. But their lead stallion was not about to back down. He fought the bachelors with fury.
The other mares and a few youngsters in the group were extremely distressed, but they knew they had to protect their pregnant family member. They started running circles around her — kicking up dust, determined to keep her safe. This made it extremely hard for any bachelor to try and infiltrate the group.
Kimerlee wrote about this experience:
“Finally, the stallion drove the last of the bachelors towards the horizon, the ground shook with the stampeding of hooves across the desert floor. I didn’t think he could do it, but he did. The powerful stallion won this battle with his strength, determination, and the unbreakable family bond they possessed.
He swiftly galloped back to the family and returned directly to her side with an air of chivalry. A testament to the enduring noble nature of the wild. She returned her tired head to the space upon his back where she had been resting, let out a big breath and all was calm in their world once again. Witnessing such events and moments in their wild world is the inspiration to continue the fight to keep them wild.”
She memorialized the touching moment between this mare and her stallion with this photo.
Photo: Kimerlee Cryl Wild Horse Photography
It is stories like these that make us even more determined to protect wild horses and burros across the West — and it’s why we’ve been litigating for over a decade to protect this herd and set legal precedents that uphold the law and protect all wild horses and burros. This National I Love Horses Day, join us in celebrating our wild horses and the incredible family bonds they hold.
| POWER OUR WORK |
You are the backbone of our movement.
Thank you for your generosity,
Team AWHC
The following is from All About Equine Rescue:
HELP HORSES-IN-NEED,
DONATE AN AUCTION ITEM
We have received some wonderful items for this year’s auction, but we are falling far short of our need. Please, please help us help horses.
If you or anyone you know can work with us to find great auction items, we would greatly appreciate the support of AAE and our animals.
We have two immediate volunteer needs for Boots & Bling:
· Individuals to submit auction requests online. The team lead will provide you with a list of company and organization’s websites and content to help complete auction request forms. No phone calls required!
· We’re adding some fun with some contests and prizes at Boots & Bling to spice up the evening and make it more interactive. We are looking for some individuals to help plan and coordinate that. This team is not auction related, but it would be a fun role!
If you are able to help with either volunteer need, please contact the Boots & Bling team.
Here are several other ways you can help with the auctions!
Donate an item, donate an experience, or volunteer your professional service (This evening is a great opportunity to highlight your business with 350+ in attendance). This event has sold out since 2017.
Contact your family and network of friends and business associates who may be willing to donate items/products, services, or experiences.
Join our Boots & Bling Auction team and help us obtain items, products, services, and experiences.
Refer someone you know to the Boots & Bling team. If you’re not comfortable asking, share your ideas with us, and we can reach out. We would be happy to ask for you.
Ideas for donations include:
Airline miles, vacation rentals, cruises, hotel accommodations, timeshares, or any version of travel.
Businesses do not need to be local. Vacation/destination items help make wonderful auction packages or baskets!
Please don’t wait, we need your help now!! It takes time to create and build packages and baskets for the auction, then get information into the auction system. The sooner we have your items, the better the auction will be.
If you are able to donate to the auction, please complete the donation form found on our website.
If you have questions, please visit our event website or email our event team: bootsnbling@allaboutequine.org
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes really do make a difference; it’s what makes all of this work possible!
Thank YOU!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
Quick update!
The 1st Surgery went pretty well, although I am still in the hospital hoping to go home soon. Controlling the pain has been a challenge, but the new hip seems to be setting in well..
Unfortunately, I need, serious help with funding to keep hiring the help I need, pay down the vet bills, purchase feed, etc.
Great news from Golconda. Spice is starting to gain weight and is getting the proper nutrition she needs.
Rescue doesn’t stop for little things like broken legs, etc. Sadly it’s my life, so I can’t, or we wouldn’t be where we are. It just takes a bit more help and some creativity.
THANK YOU, MY CHILLY PEPPER FAMILY, FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE AND SAVING SO MANY LIVES!
You can donate to Goldendale Veterinary – 509-773-0369
You can donate to Zimmerman Vet – 775-623-0981
NEW – DONATE WITH ZELLE
Send Money with Zelle®
Wildhorses In Need
530-339-1458
New Venmo – @WIN-dba-ChillyPepper
New CashAp – $ChillyPepperMM
(Win dba Chilly Pepper)
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
You can go to gofundme<-
You can go to Paypal<-
PLEASE NOTE – Paypal shows Wild Horses in Need, as we are dba- Chilly Pepper
if you would like to help these horses.
->You can donate via check at:
PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS FOR CHECKS*
(For now while I’m at Camp Chilly Pepper)
Chilly Pepper
19 Weona Rd
Goldendale, WA 98620
You can also donate via credit card by calling Palomino at 530-339-1458.
Venmo – @WIN-dba-ChillyPepper
NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL – WE SAVE THEM ALL!
SAVING GOD’S CRITTERS – FOUR FEET AT A TIME
Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, WIN Project – Rescue & Rehab
We are now part of the WIN Organization
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), our team is dedicated to preserving the lifelong freedom of America’s wild horses and burros in their natural habitats. Every day we work to advocate for better protections by lobbying Congress, taking legal action, and mobilizing our grassroots army to achieve change.
We noticed you haven’t been opening our emails lately, so we wanted to check in with you to see if you’d like to keep hearing from us. If you’re still with us in the fight to protect our wild herds, let us know by clicking this link!
| COUNT ME IN |
AWHC is fighting on all fronts to end cruel helicopter roundups in favor of humane management and in-the-wild conservation initiatives, such as scientifically proven, safe, and reversible fertility control vaccines. Every year, thousands of our nation’s wild herds are rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and taken from their homes. These brutal operations often lead to severe injuries – or worse – deaths.
If you’re still with us, we’re so grateful for your continued support! We’ll be in touch with more opportunities to speak up for our wild herds. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on our social media pages to get all the latest updates on the fight to save America’s wild horses and burros!
Thank you!
Team AWHC
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
As the nation’s leading wild horse and burro conservation organization, some of the most important work we do for our wild herds is in the courtroom — and, as a matter of fact, we’re currently engaged in two significant court cases near where you live!
| POWER OUR LEGAL FUND |
In the southwest region of Wyoming known as the “Wyoming Checkerboard,” our decade-long struggle continues against the demands of the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) to remove wild horses from over 1 million acres of public land.
Twelve years of our legal intervention will come to a head on Tuesday, July 16 when we present oral arguments on BOTH cases in the U.S. District Court of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here are the details:
When:
Tuesday, July 16 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Where:
U.S. District Court
2120 Capitol Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001
Courtroom No. 3 / Room No. 2104
What:
If you come to the arguments, please be quiet, courteous, and respectful at all times. ANY noise or disrespectful behavior will result in removal from the courtroom and could have negative consequences for our case.
10:00 a.m. Argument | Striking Back Against Unprecedented Eradication Measures
In 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adopted amendments to a Resource Management Plan (RMP) that would authorize the federal government to eliminate more than 1 million acres of habitat across federal public lands in Wyoming and fully or partially eradicate multiple wild herds. Under these amendments, the wild horses of Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin would face total elimination. These unconscionable amendments are detrimental to the Checkerboard’s natural ecosystem. Moreover, they represent the first time in the 53-year history of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act that the BLM has eliminated entire wild horse herds where sufficient habitat characteristics (i.e., forage, water, space, and cover) exist on public lands.
Photo: Wild Horses of Salt Creek Wells by Kimerlee Curyl Photography
| POWER OUR LEGAL FUND |
2:00 p.m. Argument | Protecting Public Lands from Private Interests
Last March, the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) filed a suit compelling the BLM to remove wild horses not only from private lands used by RSGA members to graze livestock but also from federal public lands (also used by RSGA members’ livestock) throughout the Wyoming Checkerboard. AWHC immediately intervened against this preposterous lawsuit. Clearly, we’re up against very powerful interests who view wild horses as competitors to their private livestock on our public lands. A huge legal principle is at stake: Will private interests be allowed to dictate the use of public lands and decide whether our federally protected wild horses and burros can live on them?
| POWER OUR LEGAL FUND |
We’re at a pivotal moment, and your support has never been more important.
Thank you,
The American Wild Horse Conservation
4-14-20
Grooming is an important activity in your equine’s life and it need not be a struggle if it is done regularly. Chasity was not real sure of us, or what to expect when she first arrived, but she is gaining confidence and calmness with each grooming session that precedes her workouts. Right off, she is rewarded for going to her designated work station. This familiarity sets the stage for the tasks to come.
I begin with a wet towel to clean her eyes, then her nose and finally her ears. When cleaning the ears, I stroke upwards with the hair and try not to go against the way it grows. Most Longears enjoy having their ears rubbed anyway, but HOW you do it can make a huge difference in their willingness to comply.
Then I begin on her forehead and along her neck with a human, multi-bristled plastic hairbrush. If she had mud on her, I would have scraped that off with the shedding blade first. The human hairbrush is much more effective in getting deep into thick donkey and mule hair and will “aerate” the coat nicely where the shedding blade will only skim the top and often break the hair.
Chasity’s teats were as hard as a rock, but were draining a milky-looking substance. At first we thought she had just weaned a foal, but we found out later, that was not the case. At any rate, during grooming, I scraped the sticky drainage from her back legs. Then I discovered some crusty spots across her chest that resembled an old bot-hatching site that had not been addressed.
I used the shedding blade to scrape off the scabs and applied Neosporin to the area. Over several days now, the scabs are beginning to go away. Chasity enjoyed the scratching! They must have been itchy!
Chasity has an enlarged, crested neck and fatty deposits over her body that will need some attention. The crest has fallen over quite a bit, but I do think it is salvagable. It will just take the right kind of feed and exercise, and some time to correct.
On her withers, Chasity has some scarring where the saddles previously used on her were rubbing and turned the hair white. She is also sporting a bit of Lordosis (sway-backed) which should not be seen in an animal of her young age of 13 years. This will undoubtedly result in irregular movement when seeing how out of alignment her spine is with these issues. Equines are not designed to carry weight on top. Rather, their structure supports carrying their weight below the spine. This is why is is so important to pay attention to core exercises to strengthen the top line and abs to prepare to support the rider’s weight. Just because they are big animals doesn’t mean they can automatically carry our weight without undue stress on their bodies.
The crusty discharge on her legs is very sticky, so I sharpen my shedding blade before going after it. It is going to pull the hairs hard enough as it is. I want the shedding blade sharp so it will come off quickly and with as little pain as possible. Chasity appreciates my consideration for her!
Last, but certainly not least, I sprinkle Johnson’s Baby oil in her mane and tail. This protects the hair from drying out during inclement weather, will promote growth and keep other animals from chewing on it. Then I square Chasity up one more time in preparation for either tacking up or for leaving the work station. Although this all seems simple enough, keeping this routine weekly will keep things from getting out of hand and grooming will remain easy each time. A reward of crimped oats from the fanny pack around my waist is always in order for standing quietly in good posture!
If you have multiple animals, just take your grooming tools in a bucket and your fanny pack full of oats with you to their stalls and do them there. If they are all in one pen in a herd situation, do not wear your fanny pack until they can all be rewarded at the same time, at the end of grooming. Body clipping is not a healthy solution and should only be done when showing. During shedding season, it is impossible to get it all done at once and still keep the hair coat healthy. It is easier if you do it weekly and take off the excess hair gradually. When grooming is done regularly and goes easily, it greatly reduces anxiety and bad behaviors.
4-14-20
After doing her Hourglass Pattern exercises, first one way and then the other, we opted to add some variety to the workout by adding some straight forward obstacles. In our indoor arena, I have an open space of 60’ X 120’ and a 45’ round pen at the end of the arena in another 60’ X 60’ fenced off space. Around the outside perimeter of the round pen in that area, I put my obstacles. I have found that there is less margin of error learning obstacles in a confined space to add coordination to their core strength in good equine posture. They can learn to pay more attention and to be more meticulous in their execution of the obstacles. This is a helpful way to begin with obstacles. The first obstacle for Chasity was the gate!
After going through the gate and standing stock still while I latched it, we proceeded to the bridge. I was pleasantly surprised when she allowed me to stop her with only her front feet on the bridge. This is generally a Stage Two move in my program since obstacles are used for coordination. Most equines are so uncoordinated that they just want to keep walking over and through the obstacles without stopping at first. Good for Chasity!
Chasity then carefully walked up onto the bridge with all four feet and halted on command! This was going much better than I had expected!
When I asked her to square up, she got a bit skewed to the side on the bridge, but she was nevertheless squared up, just not in line with the bridge. So I took it and rewarded her effort.We can do better the next time.
Then we got off the bridge and I squared her up again. Then…I introduced her to the tractor tire.
She looked at it…wasn’t afraid of it…walked around it…
…and looked at it again. She was clearly NOT going to put her foot in the middle of that tire! I decided to quit while we were ahead and try again next time. Because I didn’t push her, she consented to walking through the smaller tires…
…tentatively, but she did it! And then she walked around the barrels with no trouble at all!
Just having Chasity navigate these obstacles without being afraid of them was a major accomplishment. We then walked into the back-through “L” and I decided to make it a little bit tougher.
After walking through the “L” forward, I asked Chasity to back through where she had come.
She was a bit perplexed, but slowly backed between the rails, made the turn at the elbow, and went straight back from there with very little forcible encouragement.
Once at the end of the back-through “L,” we headed for the tarp. She followed me obediently, but was so silly…
When we got to the tarp, she wanted to walk EXACTLY where I walked! I guess she KNEW it was safe there! Too funny!
I gave her a reward because she really didn’t balk and we proceeded out of the obstacle area.
As we left, we executed the gate correctly and she was rewarded again. She stood quietly until I was ready to move.
Then we proceeded down the arena wall towards the exit gate and stopped to turn off the lights. She was a little surprised that the wall opened up, but stood still while I opened the door and turned off the lights.
Then I closed the door and we exited the arena. Adding obstacles and simple expectations to her regular work in the Hourglass Pattern made the experience more interesting and engaging to Chasity. When you add new things to their lessons, you shouldn’t feel like the equine has to do it right the first time. Just quit while you are ahead and your equine WILL do better the next time! There is no battle to remember!
Beginning by negotiating obstacles in larger areas makes for a larger margin for error. Too many things can go wrong and lead to an unpleasant chain of negative events that suck you and your equine into unnecessary altercations. There is plenty of time to do them in the more open spaces once they have learned how to negotiate them in the smaller spaces. I first school green animals during ground driving and under saddle in the small open area of my indoor arena (60’ X 120” – Standard Small Dressage Arena Size) before I take them into the larger outside arenas. This has resulted in a decrease of bolting and running. When you set up your training environment, it is always optimal to set up the equine for success!
The following is from All About Equine Rescue:
Update on Seizure Group
More Adoptable Horses
Boots & Bling
Volunteer Corner, Volunteer Needs
Other Ways to Help
AAE Friends, Supporters, & Service Providers
UPDATE
Apologies it’s been a while since we sent an update on the seizure horses. We’ve been working hard to get them healthy and ready for adoption, and we’re excited to let you know they are all doing tremendously well. Nearly all are now available for adoption. Unfortunately, we don’t have the best progress photos of everyone to share, so know that some of these photos don’t do justice to all. The Arabians are all really nice group of horses, and they’ve made a ton of progress since arriving. Now, it’s time to get them adopted!!
Though some were touchable and enjoyed interaction, none were halterable when they arrived. None had likely had any hoof or dental care, at least for a long time. Today, all are halterable and handleable, some more confidently than others. All understand the basics, all have had the work (hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming and microchips). The older colt (Niko) has been gelded, the other will be done in the next month or so. Some are more confident than others, but they’ve all made good progress since they arrived the end of March and early April.
Learn more about each horse by clicking on the name or photo below.
Please read each horse’s description and needs carefully to make sure YOU are a good match for the horse (or to help find a good match)!
If you are (or someone you know is) interested in exploring adoption, please learn more about our adoption process, then submit an Adoption Inquiry (This is the first step to find your match). (We’re working on updating the website, so if you see someone you’re interested in, and the description is brief, submit an Adoption Inquiry and we can share more information to see if there’s a match.)
Refer a friend, share the info, repost! Together, we can make it happen!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We’re back in your inbox with another heartwarming rescue story. This time we bring you the story of Roxy the “spicy tater tot,” a spirited Virginia Range foal whose sheer determination and will to survive are an inspiration to us all! But first, could you please chip in to help refuel our Foal Rescue Fund? We’ve set the ambitious goal of raising $20,000 to ensure we are able to support foal rescues on the Virginia Range.
| REFUEL THE FOAL RESCUE FUND |
A few weeks ago, an observer on the Virginia Range in Nevada noticed a young foal being treated strangely by her band of wild horses. The observer noted that some of the horses showed interest — sniffing her curiously — while others were actively attempting to push her away. Our range partner, Wild Horse Connection (WHC), dispatched a rescue team to monitor the foal and assess the situation.
The rescue team confirmed the foal was likely caught in a mixup and separated from her family. So they spent hours searching the area for other bands trying to locate the foal’s mother, but as time passed, the foal grew more and more lethargic. Time was running out.
As a last resort, the rescue team brought the foal to the veterinarian hospital. The name “Roxy” stuck almost immediately. Roxy was treated for severe dehydration. She needed two plasma infusions and constant monitoring.
Lethargic or not, Roxy is a fighter! Volunteers got such a kick out of her spicy attitude that she earned the affectionate nickname “spicy tater tot.”
When she was released to WHC’s foal nursery, a long-time WHC volunteer on duty instantly fell in love and filled out adoption papers on the spot. Roxy was taken home to her new acreage that very afternoon, where she continues to be cared for and live her best life alongside her new family of horses and minis.
Your support has made it possible for us to help offset veterinarian bills for rescued horses and foals like Roxy. Our rescue work would not be possible without generous support from advocates like you.
| REFUEL THE FOAL RESCUE FUND |
| REFUEL THE FOAL RESCUE FUND |
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Are you familiar with the American Wild Horse Conservation Rescue Fund? We established this critical resource to help support boots-on-the-ground rescue organizations that save wild horses and burros when they are in danger. Today and tomorrow, we’re going to share some heartwarming rescue stories that demonstrate the impact of this critical fund — but first, could you please chip in to help refuel our Rescue Fund? We’ve set the ambitious goal of raising $20,000 so we can be ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice to save more wild horses from slaughter.
| REFUEL THE RESCUE FUND |
Last week, our partner, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG), alerted us to 28 historic Alpine wild horses who were removed from the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest and landed in the Cleburne Livestock Sale, a notorious slaughter auction.
We knew we had to help SRWHMG save these iconic horses. So, thanks to our rescue fund, AWHC was able to donate $10,000 directly toward saving the Alpine wild horses from slaughter.
We’re grateful to support boots-on-the-ground rescue missions like this one — and none of it would be possible without advocates like you.
Your generous support of our fund is what makes our rescue work possible. That’s why we need your help to ensure we have the funds to support our partners in rescuing wild horses and burros from slaughter.
Reaching our $20,000 goal will help us bolster our Rescue Fund and save as many wild horses and burros from slaughter as possible in the process. If you can, will you make a contribution to help us reach our goal?
Your support is so appreciated! Thanks for all you do.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
|
Keys to Successful Training Part 1 –
Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
4-14-20
We determined that Chasity had cataracts in both eyes, worse in the right eye than in the left. This made her hesitant to come to me at the stall door to be haltered. She wanted to come to me, but she just wasn’t sure. I insist that ALL my equines come to the stall door or gate to be haltered, so I knew I would have to train her and win her trust to get her to do it like all the others.
When she went away from the door, I simply stepped to the inside door of her stall and encougraged her to come to me from there, but she was still suspicious and ran to the far side of the pen. I just walked toward her and spoke in a calming fashion telling her to “Whoa.”
She began to get nervous and started to weave away from my approach, but before she could suck me into the back and forth along the fence, I stepped to the side, waved her into the stall and shut the door behind her.
She knew she was confined and went to the corner of the stall. I knew she could not see me very well with her right eye, so I opted to walk along the wall to her left side and approached her from the left side. Before attempting to put on her halter, I told her what a good girl she was and offered a handful of oats. I allowed her to finish chewing them before I put on the halter.
I was careful about putting on the halter slowly so I would not startle her and then gave her a reward of more oats for standing still. She was grateful and again, I waited until she was finished chewing before asking anything more from her.
Then I asked her to square up with equal weight over all four feet. This would become the protocol EVERY time she stops. I want to change her posture and begin to increase her core strength in good postural balance. The repetition of this movement will change her habitual way of standing.
I rewarded her again and then took off the halter while standing by the open door and watched her chew.
I rewarded her for NOT forging through the door, waited for her to finish chewing and then put the halter back on.
We then turned around and walked to the back of the stall to open the door I had closed, did another turn and exited the stall. She will soon tire of me going into the pen and chasing her into the stall. One thing that is also VERY important in halter training is the type of halter that you use. Although they do provide leverage, rope halters have pressure points everywhere there is a knot and the biggest knot is right underneath their ear. Try putting your index finger underneath your ear and ask yourself how long you could stand it just being there? Now put the palm of your hand under your ear. How does that feel? Nylon webbed halters lay flat against their face and do not cause distractions like rope halters will. The equine can focus their attention 100% on YOU and not be distracted by subtle pressure points!
I would much rather encourage my animals to comply happily and willingly than try to use any kind of forcible leverage with them. I have found it to be unnecessary. Building a willing bond between you prevents them from becoming herdbound and being sour about leaving their friends. It enhances the relationship between you so they really WANT to go with you. This particular routine gave Chasity an idea of what to expect and resulted in her coming to the stall door willingly when I call her after only two times of having to proceed this way…completely resistance free. She is a very intelligent girl and learns quickly despite the disadvantage of cataracts. I have other equines with eyesight issues that have been successfully trained the same way. The key is patience, understanding and a careful, respectful and sensible approach.
The following is from All About Equine Rescue:
Angel Jennings
Whiskey Found His Person
Adoptable Horses
Boots & Bling
Volunteer Corner, Volunteer Needs
Other Ways to Help
AAE Friends, Supporters, & Service Providers
Sweet Jennings earned his wings earlier this week after a very difficult cancer diagnosis.
Jennings had a persistent swelling in his sheath/groin area for the past few months. We hoped it was a stubborn pigeon fever abscess that hadn’t come to a head. Attempts to drain it in the field were unsuccessful, and a more extensive surgical procedure was undertaken.
Unfortunately, the swelling was a football-sized mass involving a lymph node. Biopsy results showed the tumor was a metastatic melanoma. Based on the type of cancer, the lymph node involvement, the size, and the location, there was little hope for a positive outcome for our sweet boy. The kindest thing we could do was to help Jennings across the Rainbow Bridge before cancer took its toll. F@*# Cancer!
Jennings came to AAE in 2020 with a baseball-sized mass on his sheath. He underwent surgery, and the mass was a melanoma. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, and there were clean edges around the incision site. We gave him time to heal, and after 12 months were very optimistic when he had no recurrent lesions. Thankfully, he stayed happy and healthy until this. That said, even with the swelling, he was his happy self!
Jennings loved attention; he was an absolute character. He was playful in his herd, and he always had a special gal by his side. Elli was his latest craze, and she made him a much better guy. He was aloof and much more independent (from humans) when he arrived, but the longer he was here, the sweeter he became. He loved to let you know he enjoyed your company. The pic above is one of the special Jennings moments Cindy experienced when he came up behind her, and he gave her a big, affectionate hug!
We’re incredibly grateful he knew (and gave) so much love while he was here. This special guy is going to be missed soooo much! Be free, our gentle love!
We’d like to bring Jennings home to stay at the barn with some of our other special angel herd-mates. If you can to help with his cremation costs and/or extensive treatment and hospitalization expenses, we’d sure appreciate the help.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We are just hours away from the beginning of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) summer roundup season.
Thousands of wild horses and burros across the West are scheduled to be removed from their homes through cruel helicopter roundups, endangering the lives of these innocent animals and costing thousands of tax-payer dollars.
Our team at American Wild Horse Conservation is fighting tirelessly to protect these iconic animals. And we’ve made significant strides thanks to supporters like you. From sending observers to document these inhumane roundups to launching groundbreaking investigations, filing strategic lawsuits, alerting the media, Congress and the public to the cruelty these animals face, we strive to ensure our mustangs and burros receive the protection and care they deserve.
But, we urgently need your support to continue this crucial fight. We are racing against the clock to reach our $25,000 goal, which we set to power our efforts through the summer roundup season. Can you rush a donation before midnight tonight to fuel our efforts and help us reach our goal?
The impact of your contribution is profound. Your support translates directly into more boots on the ground, more media coverage, and more strong advocacy on Capitol Hill. We’ve achieved so much together, but there is still so much to do.
As I write this, we’re still $7,482 short of our $25,000 goal. Reaching this critical goal will ensure we have every resource necessary to fight back.
Thank you so much — we could not do this work without you.
For the wild ones,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Conservation
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This is Jolene and Porter.
Jolene and Porter are from the Porter Springs Herd Management Area (HMA) — which Porter is named after — located in Nevada’s 2.2 million acre Blue Wing Complex. For years, thousands of wild burros and wild horses roamed these lands freely. But the photo above was taken just before a massive Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup in 2022 that changed the lives of many of these animals forever.
Over 800 burros and 1,022 horses were chased down by helicopters and captured in the 2022 Blue Wing Complex roundup. Even worse, the BLM publicly reported that 12 deaths occurred during the operation — including many older burros who had lived their entire lives wild and free, only to be rounded up and needlessly euthanized due to conditions like “pre-existing fractures.”
Now, the BLM is gearing up for another roundup in the Blue Wing Complex starting July 8. The agency is planning to round up nearly 1,400 mustangs and over 300 wild burros, and there’s no telling whether burros like Jolene and Porter will remain free this time.
AWHC is the last line of defense for these innocent animals. We’re the boots on the ground fighting in the field, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill to end helicopter roundups and conserve the public lands that wild burros and wild horses roam. But we can’t do it without your help. Can you please chip in to help us reach our $25,000 goal and power our work to end the cruel and costly mismanagement of our wild herds? Your support means so much to us, and to burros like Jolene and Porter.
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
Sadly, as you may have read in our previous email, the trauma of the Blue Wing Complex herd did not end when the helicopters landed.
Our FOIA requests uncovered a total of 37 burros died in federal holding at the hands of BLM — a tragedy that never would have come to light without the vital work of AWHC’s investigations team.
We’re fighting to stop helicopter roundups and secure the humane conservation of our wild herds. But until we make that happen, we must continue to document and expose the full impacts of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, both during roundups and after them, so we can hold the agency accountable through our legislative and legal work. With summer roundups beginning on Monday, can you chip in toward our $25,000 goal to help us continue this important work in the months ahead?
| DONATE |
Thank you for standing up for wild horses and burros like Jolene and Porter.
– Team AWHC
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
With Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup season starting in just a few days, we are sending observers to document any cruelty during these dangerous operations. But our work doesn’t stop there. We also investigate what happens after wild horses and burros are captured and funneled into the BLM’s overcrowded holding system. Our Investigations Team files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to obtain government documents that reveal the harsh reality wild horses and burros face in BLM holding facilities.
Below, I’m going to tell you about some of the important FOIA work we’ve been doing to expose what’s happening to our wild horses and burros in BLM captivity — but first, please chip in to help us reach our $25,000 goal and prepare for the summer roundup season! →
| HELP US PREPARE |
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that enables private citizens and organizations to access public records that federal agencies, such as the BLM, may be reluctant to release. This makes FOIA a powerful tool for uncovering critical and often revealing information about the mismanagement of our nation’s wild horses and burros.
For example, we discovered through a FOIA request earlier this year that, in 2023, a staggering 267 wild horses died at the Fallon (Indian Lakes) Off-Range Holding Corral in Nevada. This facility, which is the agency’s largest short-term holding facility in Nevada, has an average population of a little over 3,000 animals, with a capacity to hold over 7,000. This means 9% of the population died in just one year.
And these are not isolated incidents, Meredith. In 2022, we filed FOIA requests regarding the Blue Wing Complex roundup in Nevada. The BLM reported only 14 deaths during the roundup. But through our FOIA requests, we found that, in the 30 days after the roundup began, an additional 38 wild horses and burros perished in the Axtell holding facility where they had been sent.
As if that isn’t bad enough, the FOIA records also reveal in the three months after the roundup, another 25 horses and burros died in the holding facility. Their causes of death ranged from complications during gelding, to colic, to spinal cord injuries, and more. This brought the total deaths since the start of the roundup to approximately 77 wild horses and burros — a much larger number than the 14 animals the BLM reported as dead.
But perhaps the best example of how FOIA helps our cause is the work we’ve done investigating the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). When we first heard that the AIP was sending adopted horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, our investigations team leapt into action and filed dozens of FOIA requests to obtain the concrete evidence needed to expose the program. This work led to a front-page New York Times exposé and heightened congressional concern.
With thousands of wild horses and burros in the BLM’s crosshairs this summer, we’ve set a goal of raising $25,000 before July 1 to power our work to stand up for these iconic animals — including funding our investigations program. Will you make a contribution to help ensure our Investigations Team has the resources it needs to continue exposing the cruelty our wild herds suffer in BLM captivity?
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
Thank you for your support,
Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation