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Wild Horse and Burro 2022

Wild Horse and Burro articles for 2022

The Sand Wash Basin wild horses are at risk AGAIN. Take action NOW to protect them >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We wanted to share some recent news about roundups, an update on the disease outbreak in the Bureau of Land Management’s Cañon City facility, and actions you can take to help protect Colorado’s Sand Wash Basin wild horses from further danger. Read on and see how you can help to protect these cherished animals!

TAKE ACTION: Protect the Sand Wash Basin Wild Horses!

Photo by Kimerlee Curyl

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) removed almost 700 wild horses from the Sand Wash Basin in September 2021 due to what the agency determined as “drought conditions and lack of forage.” The roundup was stopped due to a public outcry after 684 horses were taken.

Now, concentrated Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use, is proposed for close to 19,000 acres in the southern part of the HMA. Please take immediate action to urge the BLM to make sure that the recreation plan for the South Sand Wash Open OHV Area protects the wild horses and their social structures, and does not detract from historic wild horse viewing opportunities!

TAKE ACTION

Press: Countless Animal Welfare Violations Found at BLM Holding Facilities Across the West

In the wake of 145 wild horse deaths at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cañon City Off-Range Corral, we are calling for an emergency halt to all federal wild horse and burro roundups citing recently released BLM internal assessments documenting widespread animal welfare violations that place thousands of federally-protected wild horses and burros at risk of disease, injury, and death. Read the latest here:

READ MORE

Roundup Recap: The Sinbad Wild Burros

AWHC Program Specialist, Mary Koncel has been on-site at several wild horse and burro roundups. Watching these iconic animals being chased by helicopters, driven into trap pens, separated from their family members, then trailered off to holding pens is nothing short of senseless, inhumane, and heartbreaking.

The roundup of 153 wild burros from the Sinbad Herd Management Area (HMA) though, could only be described with one word: brutal. Read her report below and learn about ways you can help.

LEARN MORE

Thanks for all you continue to do to protect wild horses and burros, Meredith!

— AWHC Team

 

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

This year, wild burros are facing an unprecedented assault on their populations, thanks to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) mass roundup and stockpile plan.

Even worse, the agency is using helicopters instead of bait trapping to chase the animals into traps. Historically, burro helicopter roundups have been traumatic for the animals. Unlike wild horses, burros are incredibly stoic and stand their ground in the face of danger. This has led to documented instances of abuse, such as helicopter skids striking a burro, as well as abusive handling practices by BLM contractors.

AWHC sent observers to document the first three operations on the schedule, and unfortunately witnessed many issues we raised concerns about when we heard the helicopters would descend on our beloved burros. Below is a recap of each roundup, but first we need you to speak up for wild burros and call for a halt to helicopter roundups! 

TAKE ACTION NOW

Centennial, Panamint & Slate Herd Areas, California: Completed

The Centennial, Panamint, and Slate Range Herd Areas (HA) encompass roughly 1.7 million acres of public and private land and are home to an estimated 500 wild burros. The BLM has plans to remove every wild burro from these HAs — a decision AWHC legally appealed.

AWHC had a field representative on site but was not permitted by the BLM to view any of the operations citing “safety concerns.” We did visit the burros in the wild, and checked on those recently captured in holding throughout the week. There was no shade at the facility for the burros, where temperatures right now are reaching the 90s.

The goal of the operation was to capture 490 burros, zeroing out the whole population, but the roundup concluded early with 181 captured. There was one death after a jenny (female burro) suffered a head injury, and injuries such as “rope burn” were reported.

Sinbad Herd Management Area, Utah: Completed

The Sinbad Herd Management Area (HMA) encompasses 99,241 acres of public and private lands and is currently home to 328 burros. As part of a 14-year-old plan, the BLM set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for these burros to a mere 50-70 animals.

AWHC had field representatives on the ground for the majority of the operation. We witnessed several violations of the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program including contractors reportedly leaving captured burros on stock trailers for potentially hours with no visible access to water and excessive roping, which led to a burro being knocked to the ground.

This roundup ended early, only capturing 153 wild burros instead of the BLM’s goal of approximately 300. There was one death, after a 7-year-old burro fell into a 5 foot crevice while being pursued by a wrangler. His body was left on the range, where AWHC observers found him the day after he was euthanized.

Black Mountain Herd Management Area, Arizona: Completed

The Black Mountain HMA encompasses over 1 million acres of land in northwestern Arizona. This vast habitat is home to — according to BLM estimates — 2,900 wild burros, making these burros one of the largest and most genetically healthy burro populations in the country. The BLM planned to remove approximately 1,080 wild burros.

AWHC had field representatives on the ground, but the public observation was extremely limited. The BLM kept us over ~300 yards from the trap site on flat ground and the contractor’s trailers blocked our view of the captured burros in the trap. From the little we could see, burros were chased for long distances and seemed stressed. One burro even crashed into a gate panel and one burro entered the trap, obviously distraught and from what we could see, attempted to charge the wranglers. The BLM even granted the contractors permission to use electric cattle prods on several animals while loading them onto trailers. But the abuse didn’t stop there. 

The BLM’s own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program Assessment reported that the contractor’s staff treated burros in an abusive and inhumane manner, including “aggressively hitting and jabbing the paddle into the sides and sensitive areas of burros.” Despite the violations, the roundup continued on for several weeks. The operation concluded on May 25, with 1,109 burros captured.

Wild burros represent the historic and pioneer spirit of the American West and they deserve to be treated as such! So, as we close out Burro Awareness month, please take action to protect them from cruel and brutal helicopter roundups. They need your voice now more than ever.

TAKE ACTION

— The AWHC Team

FWD: You won’t want to miss these speakers! >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

In just two short days we’ll be hosting “A Wild Night: A Series of Short Films” — please join us this Sunday, May 29 at 7pm ET/4pm PT for this virtual event that you won’t want to miss!

RSVP HERE

During the event, we’ll be showing a series of documentaries featuring our beloved wild horses with an expert panel discussion to follow! Hear from our distinguished speakers:

Greg Hendricks is Director of Field Operations for the American Wild Horse Campaign. As an avid wild horse advocate, he has worked to support the Prison Adoption Program in Carson City from which he has adopted two wonderful mustangs. He also represents Wild Horses & Burros for the Bureau of Land Management’s Sierra Front N.W. Great Basin Resource Advisory Council.

Erik Molvar is the Executive Director of the Western Watersheds Project. He is a wildlife biologist with published research in the behavior, ecology, and population dynamics of Alaskan moose as well as large-scale conservation planning. He spent 13 years as a conservation advocate and later Executive Director of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and led WildEarth Guardians’ Sagebrush Sea Campaign for three years.

Erick Lundgren is a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark, receiving his PhD at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. His work primarily focuses on novel ecosystems or communities composed of both introduced and native species. Most of his research focuses on large herbivores, in particular equids, in which he has shown remarkable ecological processes hidden by notions of ‘naturalness’.

Scott Wilson is a landscape photographer of 20 years and team member of the American Wild Horse Campaign. Scott was recently named Open Photographer of the Year in the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards and also brought home the Natural World & Wildlife Award for “Anger Management,” which depicts a wild Colorado mustang kicking up a dust-storm.

Kris Thompson is a leader in the Reno area business community. He is the Project Manager of the Tahoe Reo Industrial Center which encompasses 1/3 of the Virginia Range horse habitat in Reno, NV and is President of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center General Improvement District. Kris is a member of the Storey County Planning Commission and is a retired army cornel who commanded combat troops in Desert Storm and other conflicts.

Meredith, this event is sure to be a hit! Please join us this Sunday, May 29 at 7pm ET/4pm PT to hear from our expert panel, watch documentaries that celebrate our cherished wild herds, and learn more about our work to keep these animals in the wild where they belong! Click here for more information and to RSVP for the virtual event.

RSVP HERE

We hope you’ll join us!
— American Wild Horse Campaign

———- Forwarded message ———
From: American Wild Horse Campaign <contact@americanwildhorsecampaign.org>
Date: Wed, May 25, 2022 at 8:20 PM
Subject: Save the Date: A *Wild* Night this Sunday, May 29 >>
To: <meredith@luckythreeranch.com>

Please join us on Sunday, May 29 at 7pm ET/4pm PT for “A Wild Night: A Series of Short Films” featuring our beloved wild horses and an expert panel discussion to follow! Click here for more information and to RSVP for the virtual event.

Our cherished wild horses capture the American public’s imagination like no other animal. The image of magnificent mustangs running wild on the vast open range embodies the best of America, our independent and free spirit.

While technically protected by federal law, wild horses and burros continue to face constant threats, diminishing their chances of survival in the West. In just the last year alone, some of the largest wild horse helicopter roundups in recent history have occurred and will continue into 2022.

Our team is leading the way to protect these iconic animals and the western public lands where they roam. 

Please join us this Sunday, May 29 to learn about the latest science and the groundbreaking programs we’ve implemented in Nevada to keep wild horses wild. A series of short documentaries will be shown and an expert panel discussion featuring biologists, researchers, business leaders, and range specialists will follow!

RSVP HERE

Thank you and we hope you can join us!

American Wild Horse Campaign

Save the Date: A *Wild* Night this Sunday, May 29 >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Please join us on Sunday, May 29 at 7pm ET/4pm PT for “A Wild Night: A Series of Short Films” featuring our beloved wild horses and an expert panel discussion to follow! Click here for more information and to RSVP for the virtual event.

Our cherished wild horses capture the American public’s imagination like no other animal. The image of magnificent mustangs running wild on the vast open range embodies the best of America, our independent and free spirit.

While technically protected by federal law, wild horses and burros continue to face constant threats, diminishing their chances of survival in the West. In just the last year alone, some of the largest wild horse helicopter roundups in recent history have occurred and will continue into 2022.

Our team is leading the way to protect these iconic animals and the western public lands where they roam. 

Please join us this Sunday, May 29 to learn about the latest science and the groundbreaking programs we’ve implemented in Nevada to keep wild horses wild. A series of short documentaries will be shown and an expert panel discussion featuring biologists, researchers, business leaders, and range specialists will follow!

RSVP HERE

Thank you and we hope you can join us!

American Wild Horse Campaign

 

UPDATE: Join Governor Polis in standing up for Colorado’s wild horses!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the deadly infectious disease outbreak occurring at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Cañon City facility in Colorado — and keeping you updated along the way.

By now, the Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) has killed at least 144 horses at the facility since April 23.

Yesterday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis took necessary action when he released a statement calling for a halt to the Piceance wild horse roundup planned for this summer while an investigation into the BLM’s Cañon City facility and the welfare of it’s warehoused horses is conducted.

“We have long advocated for the health, safety, and wellbeing of Colorado’s wild horses, and will continue to do so as we seek a humane future for our mustangs.” – Gov. Jared Polis. 

AWHC is incredibly grateful to Governor Polis for his leadership in protecting these iconic animals, but we need more elected officials to speak up on their behalf! Can you lend these horses your voice and call on your members of Congress to demand an investigation into the BLM’s holding corrals?

TAKE ACTION →

EIV — a virus that is routinely vaccinated against in the equine world — is included in the BLM’s vaccine regiment for captured animals. And yet, all of the 144 deceased wild horses were either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated against EIV, despite being rounded up late last summer and in the BLM’s care for nearly 10 months. 

The crisis only confirms what we already know — our beloved wild horses are safest in the wild. Rounding up horses and confining them in cramped pens where they are susceptible to deadly diseases like EIV is unacceptable, especially when there is humane, scientifically-proven birth control readily available as an alternative to removals.

Captured wild horses need your help. Please contact your members of Congress RIGHT NOW to call for an investigation into the BLM’s off-range corrals.

TAKE ACTION →

Thank you for standing up for Colorado’s wild horses,

– AWHC Team

The major corporations behind the wild horses and burros crisis

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Recently, AWHC Communications Director Grace Kuhn was on a television segment for TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee to talk about how billion-dollar corporations are major players in public lands livestock grazing …all at the expense of the American taxpayer and wild horses.

That’s right: Giant corporations actually represent the 20 largest grazing permit holders on public lands. This industry is consistently lobbying to round up and stockpile wild horses and burros so more of their livestock can graze at below market rates, thanks to tax subsidies.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop at ranching either. Simplot Livestock, which operates the taxpayer-funded Bruneau wild horse holding corrals in Idaho, is operated by J.R. Simplot Company, the extended family of J.R. Simplot, who until his death in 2008 was one of Forbes’  four hundred richest Americans.

It’s outrageous, and we’re grateful to Sam and her whole team for having us on to talk about this important issue. This would not have been possible without you! Will you make a contribution so we can double down on our efforts and continue getting our message out to as many folks as possible?

DONATE →

In order to create public education campaigns and continue our essential work in the field, we rely almost entirely on contributions from folks like you who know the importance of protecting our wild horses and burros.

With who we’re going up against — the powerful livestock lobby — your support is always needed!

Our investigations team is continuing to dig into this program and its players, and we hope to bring to light how wild horses and burros are being eradicated from Western public lands all in the name of profit.

But we’ll need you along with us to do this! Will you contribute now to fuel our efforts?

DONATE →

Thank you for your support!

The AWHC Investigations Team

Tell your senators to protect wild horses before the FY23 deadline!!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Until the end of the month, the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations is accepting requests from fellow senators on language they would like to see included in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2023 spending bill. 

And at a time when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is looking to expand its fertility control measures, securing funding dedicated to humane, in-the-wild management of our wild herds is more critical than ever: 

TELL YOUR SENATORS: PROTECT WILD HORSES

The BLM knows it needs to expand its fertility control efforts — and for the first time ever, the implementation of a robust fertility control vaccine program is being mandated by Congress. But instead of using humane fertility control vaccines to keep horses in the wild where they belong, the BLM continues to prioritize brutal — and often deadly — helicopter roundups instead.

History was made when Congress passed its FY22 omnibus spending bill that required the BLM to spend up to $11 million to implement a robust fertility control vaccine program as a humane alternative to cruel helicopter roundups. Now, we’re calling for the same language to be included in the FY23 spending bill to increase pressure on the BLM to shift toward this humane alternative to roundups!

We need your help. Will you contact your senators right now calling for humane management in the FY23 spending bill?

TAKE ACTION →

Thanks for your help, Meredith!

— AWHC Team

The BLM has set its sights on the Wyoming Checkerboard Wild Horses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just finalized plans to eliminate more than one million acres of habitat and most of the federally-protected wild horses in the Wyoming Checkerboard.

This would be the largest eradication of these iconic animals from western public lands ever. The plan calls for the removal of every single horse from the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMAs) and the drastic reduction of the Adobe Town HMA mustang population.

Our team here at AWHC have been involved in litigation to protect this iconic herd for over a decade – and we don’t plan on stopping now. Can you make a donation right now to help us prepare for the legal fight ahead to protect these wild horses and their habitat?

DONATE →

As a precursor to the eradication plan, the BLM conducted the largest wild horse roundup in agency history in the Wyoming Checkerboard, capturing over 4,000 wild horses and permanently removing 3,502 from their habitat. 

The BLM says that 37 wild horses were killed as a result of the roundup, but records we obtained through the Freedom of Information Act indicate the death toll in the weeks and months after the roundup was actually higher.

Most of the horses who were lucky to survive have been crammed into the Wheatland Off-Range Corrals, a facility currently experiencing a large-scale outbreak of a highly contagious infectious disease known as strangles. The disease has killed 11 horses so far.

These wild horses do no harm where they belong — in the wild, but our government is placing them in harm’s way by subjecting them to brutal helicopter roundups and cramming them into crowded, dangerous holding facilities.

Our team is leading the charge to end the cruel and harmful practice of helicopter roundups and move the BLM toward true humane protection for our wild horse populations on our public lands. Will you make a contribution today so we can continue our fight to protect the wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard and across the West?

DONATE →

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Campaign

ACT NOW: BLM targets the ONLY designated wild burro range in the west!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input for a proposed roundup of the historic wild burros of the Marietta Wild Burro Range in Mineral County, Nevada.

The Marietta Wild Burro Range was publicly dedicated by the BLM Director in 1991 for the 20th anniversary of passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Marietta is the BLM’s only wild burro range, and means that the area will be “principally” managed for the animals.

The Range is home to an estimated 400-500 burros. However, the agency set an unscientifically low appropriate management level (AML) of just 78-104 wild burros on the 68,000-acre range, threatening the genetic viability of the herd.

These burros need your voice NOW. Will you speak up for the Marietta Range wild burros right away by submitting comments to the BLM in strong opposition to this proposed plan?

BE THEIR VOICE →

The agency’s current proposed action is to round up and remove most of the Marietta Range burros. This means that if the plan goes through, the BLM will put hundreds of these animals at risk of serious injury and death through its brutal and inhumane helicopter roundups.

Further, the BLM is ignoring recent scientific evidence that shows that wild burros dig wells in their environments, actually boosting the availability of water in desert landscapes across the American Southwest!

We can’t allow the BLM to endanger the lives of these wild burros, Meredith. If you oppose this disastrous plan, speak up and submit your comments to the BLM now!

TAKE ACTION →

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Campaign

YOU can help end inhumane helicopter roundups. Here’s how.

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Earlier this year, Congress took a historic step towards reforming the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program when it passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus spending bill. This bill required the BLM to spend up to $11 million to implement a robust fertility control vaccine program as a humane alternative to cruel helicopter roundups.

Now, Congress’ FY23 appropriations process is in full swing. Right now, Senators are submitting their priorities for the federal appropriations language — and we need your help to ensure next year’s spending bill includes efforts to protect wild horses and burros. 

Our Government Relations team here at AWHC is working hard on Capitol Hill to divert funding away from the BLM’s helicopter roundups and towards humane fertility control vaccines that keep wild horses on public lands. But we can’t do it alone. We need as many voices as possible to echo our message and urge Congress to enact a pro-horse and burro agenda for 2023.

Can you contact your two U.S. Senators right now and ask them to ensure the BLM’s FY23 budget reflects humane management strategies on behalf of our beloved wild horses and burros?

TAKE ACTION →

We are incredibly proud that Congress’ FY22 spending bill included important language championed by AWHC and our allies in Washington like U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Dina Titus (D-NV), U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and over 60 other members of Congress!

But Meredith, the BLM is still set on its mass removal plan using brutal helicopter roundups, and starting on July 1, roundup season for wild horses will begin again in full force. Captured horses and burros are suffering RIGHT NOW in BLM holding facilities across the West. In the BLM’s Cañon City corrals, at least 138 wild horses have died from Equine Influenza Virus in just over two weeks.

This is unacceptable. We cannot continue to round up wild horses and burros from their native habitats, cram them into holding pens, and expect a good outcome for the animals or the taxpayers who are stuck funding this broken system.

Our next steps are critical. To ensure the BLM puts a stop to roundups and shifts towards a humane solution, we MUST secure ongoing funding for fertility control vaccines. That’s why we need your help today. Will you call on your Senators to support $11 million in humane fertility control vaccine treatments in the FY23 spending bill?

TAKE ACTION →

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Campaign

We *herd* it’s Mother’s Day!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Mother’s Day can be a challenging time for many of us – especially for those who cannot be with their moms or who have lost loved ones. Our team is thinking of you today. Please make sure to look after yourself and feel free to skip this message if you need.

From all of us here at AWHC — Happy Mother’s Day!

Photos by Mary Hone Photography

Today we’re celebrating mothers of all kinds and the nurturing spirit that brings new life into this world and guides it through. 

Moms do so much for us. They are the backbone of so many of our families! That’s why today, we’re taking a break from our usual messaging to say: 

To all the wonderful moms, grandmas, stepmoms, and moms-to-be out there — THANK YOU for all that you do! 

We support you and today especially, we celebrate you. Have a very happy Mother’s Day! 

— American Wild Horse Campaign

UPDATE: More than 124 wild horses have now died at this BLM facility

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last week, we alerted you to a highly contagious and deadly infectious disease outbreak occurring in real time at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Cañon City holding facility in Colorado. In just the last 11 days, at least 124 wild horses have died in these holding pens — making this possibly the deadliest disease outbreak in BLM history.

Nearly 2,500 wild horses are confined in this facility and remain at risk  — please speak up for them now by calling on your members of Congress to demand an investigation into the BLM’s holding corrals.

Since we last emailed you, the BLM was able to identify the virus that has killed dozens of these cherished animals — Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) — a virus that the BLM is supposed to vaccinate wild horses and burros against once they are rounded up and removed from the wild.

The BLM reported that the 124 mustangs killed were either entirely unvaccinated or only partially-vaccinated against the deadly virus even though they had been at the facility for over 9 months. 

At the same time, an active disease outbreak is occuring at the BLM’s off range holding corrals in Wheatland, Wyoming, where a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes strangles has so far infected half of the 2,750 horses confined there.

This developing situation raises serious concerns about the conditions in the BLM’s off-range holding system where 59,749 wild horses and 862 wild burros are being held — and we deserve answers.

Please contact your members of Congress now to call for an investigation into the BLM’s off-range corrals. Also, urge them to support federal appropriations language to allocate at least $11 million of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program budget to fertility control vaccines to keep wild horses and burros in the wild and out of holding facilities in the first place.

TAKE ACTION →

Thanks for your help.

— AWHC Team

———- Forwarded message ———
From: ACTION ALERT! via AWHC <contact@americanwildhorsecampaign.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 27, 2022 at 6:26 PM
Subject: BREAKING: Wild horses are in danger at this BLM facility
To: <meredith@luckythreeranch.com>

Since Saturday, at least 67 wild horses have died in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility in Colorado due to an unidentified, highly contagious, and deadly infectious disease. 

More than 2,500 BLM-managed wild horses are confined to the Cañon City facility where this outbreak occurred and are at risk. You could help us speak up for them by contacting your members of Congress calling for an investigation into the BLM’s off-range corrals.

TAKE ACTION →

This is the second government holding facility to close in recent weeks due to disease outbreaks related to the intense confinement of these wild animals. 

RIGHT NOW → almost 60,000 wild horses and 862 wild burros are confined in BLM off-range holding facilities. And with plans to remove 19,000 more wild horses and burros from public lands this year, the BLM is putting thousands of these innocent animals at risk.

And  — wild horses and burros aren’t just dying from disease in these facilities. Records show that hundreds of mustangs are dying from traumatic injuries like broken necks, skull fractures, broken legs, and even evisceration from castration surgeries following capture at government facilities across the country.

These wild horses do no harm where they belong — in the wild, but our government is placing them in harm’s way by cramming them into crowded holding facilities.

We must protect the thousands of federally-protected wild horses and burros in captivity today, but Meredith, we need your voice to help them. 

Please take action to protect these cherished animals by contacting your members of Congress now to call for an investigation into the BLM’s off-range corrals. >>

TAKE ACTION →

Thanks for taking action — we’re grateful for your support.

AWHC Team

The History of Horses in North America

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The image of a wild horse, free and running through a rugged landscape, has long been the symbol of the American West. This is echoed in our film and literature and contributes to the idea of America as a bold new landscape. However, much of the history of wild horses in America is disputed. The origin of this species is a debate that looks not only at the deep history of our planet, but also the claims to land management and ecology that various organizations and communities are involved in, to this day.

The once common idea that horses arrived in the “New World’ via Columbus in 1492, has now been discussed in several publications that look at the prehistoric records of North America. Wild horses have always been a part of the North American landscape. It is the question of whether or not this animal is “native” or introduced to the landscape that haspeople looking closer at this narrative.

[fancy_link link=”https://tacktrunks.com/whitepapers/the-history-of-horses-in-north-america/” variation=”blue” target=”blank”]Read More[/fancy_link]

Help us make Burro Awareness Month a National Holiday!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

It’s the first day of May – and you know what that means – the first day of Burro Awareness Month!

We started Burro Awareness Month back in 2012 to highlight the beauty of one of our favorite equine species, the majestic wild burros of the American Southwest, and to educate the public about the unique struggles they face.

While wild mustangs often get the spotlight, burros tend to get left out of the conversation. So we dedicate this month every year to raising awareness about all things pertaining to our beloved burros – and , it’s about time we make it a national holiday!

Will you join us in calling for Burro Awareness Month to become a nationally-recognized holiday? Sign our petition below!

SIGN THE PETITION →

Burros were first introduced to the Southwest desert by the Spaniards in the 1500s and served as a reliable companion to explorers and pioneers on their treks throughout the West in the centuries thereafter. Originally from Africa, these pack animals were prized for their hardiness in arid environments!

They worked tirelessly to carry supplies and machinery to mining camps and became indispensable to the workers of the West. At the end of the mining boom, many burros escaped or were turned loose, and with their innate ability to survive under the harshest conditions — wild herds eventually formed and flourished.

They’re not just rugged work animals though…wild burros are also some of the most adorable and cuddly creatures you’ll ever see! They have long ears, a short mane, and vary in color from black to brown to gray and even to pinto!

We’re sure that if more people learned about these beautiful creatures, burros would get the credit and attention they deserve! So this May, we are once again asking for your help to spread the word about our beloved wild burros. Will you sign on to our petition today to help make Burro Awareness Month a nationally-recognized holiday?

SIGN THE PETITION →

Thanks!
AWHC Team

TAKE ACTION: Two wild horse herds are at risk (!!) in Oregon

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans that put two of Oregon’s iconic wild horse herds at serious risk (!!)

The BLM is accepting comments for a disastrous 10-year plan that would drastically reduce the populations of the wild horses who call both the Three Fingers and Jackies Butte Herd Management Areas (HMAs) home.

YOU can be their voice. Will you speak up for the Three Fingers and Jackies Butte wild horses right now by submitting comments to the BLM in strong opposition to this devastating plan?

SPEAK UP FOR OREGON’S
WILD HORSES →

The BLM’s proposed plan would utilize brutal mass helicopter roundups and removals, and several methods of controversial contraceptives like the untested GonaCon vaccine and IUDs.

The BLM’s ultimate goal? They want to reduce the populations for both of these HMAs to a devastating total of just 75 wild horses on 63,000 acres and 65,000 acres of land respectively. 

That’s one horse for every 800+ acres of land in these HMAs. Meanwhile, the agency will continue to permit thousands of privately-owned cows to graze on these public lands.

We refuse to stand by while the freedom of thousands of Oregon’s wild horses is stripped from them all to provide more land for commercially-owned cattle.

If you want to see Oregon’s wild horse populations protected, will you speak up for them right now? Please submit your comments to the BLM now telling them that you strongly oppose this disastrous roundup.

TAKE ACTION →

Thanks for all you do to protect America’s wild herds.

American Wild Horse Campaign

Show wild burros some love as we finish out our Help A Horse Day festivities!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

So far this week we’ve shared stories with you that highlight just how critical our PZP Program and our Legal Funds are to protecting the freedom and the lives of America’s wild horses. Today, as we close out our National Help A Horse Day festivities, we wanted to show our cherished wild burros some love, too!

Over the next several months, approximately 2,500 wild burros will be targeted for removal by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Around 2,300 of these innocent animals will be sent to holding facilities, where many could be funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).

Our Rescue Fund helps us ensure we have the funds necessary to partner with organizations to rescue victims of the AIP who have ended up in the slaughter pipeline. Will you make a donation to fuel our Rescue Fund today so we can help save more wild horses and burros?

Meredith: Our Rescue Fund has helped us save over 100 wild horses and burros from the slaughter pipeline including the Oklahoma 12:

Last year, our investigative team documented these 12 burros sitting in an Oklahoma kill pen ready to ship to slaughter at any minute. We used our Rescue Fund to assist our rescue partner Evanescent Mustang Rescue and Sanctuary to pay the bail for each of these 12 burros so they could quickly get out of this kill pen and into foster care.

After these animals were safe, we obtained their title paperwork. And Meredith, as we guessed — all 12 burros were adopted through the BLM’s AIP. Even worse, they were all adopted by one family who as soon as they got their incentive payments, flipped the 12 burros to slaughter.

Even though the Oklahoma 12 are now safe and in loving care, the BLM’s unprecedented attack on burro populations means an increasing number of BLM burros will be moving through the AIP and are at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline.

So, as we close out our Help a Horse Day festivities and more burro roundups rapidly approach, will you help us save more burros like the Oklahoma 12 with a donation to our Rescue Fund today?

FUEL OUR RESCUE FUND →

Thanks,

— AWHC Team

What Cirrus inspired:

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Happy National Help a Horse Day! 🐎

It’s hard to put into words just how important holidays like today are to our team at the American Wild Horse Campaign. To celebrate a national holiday specifically dedicated to protecting the animals we hold so close to our hearts means so much to our team who day in and day out carry on the fight to protect the lives and freedom of our wild herds.  

So today, as we celebrate a holiday meant to inspire the masses about the plight of our dearest equines, we wanted to tell you about Cirrus — a mare whose story continues to inspire each and every one of us at AWHC. 

In 2018, an AWHC field representative was on-site to report on the ongoing helicopter roundup and removal operations happening at the Warm Springs Herd Management Area in Oregon. There he saw the most extraordinary mare: 

PROTECT MARES LIKE CIRRUS →

Cirrus had the likeness of a horse imprinted on her neck. As she ran, chased by helicopters, the horse moved with her. To see something so beautiful in the most devastating of circumstances… was surreal, in a way that perfectly embodied the beauty of these innocent animals and the tragedy they are plagued by.

We managed to keep track of Cirrus while she was in holding, hoping to find her a forever home. However, we found that she was slated, along with a dozen other mares, to be a test subject for a surgical sterilization study — an unproven and brutal procedure with a high mortality rate.

When we found this out, we knew we had to continue fighting against these studies. So we joined forces with two of our partner organizations and filed a lawsuit to stop the barbaric surgeries from proceeding. And , we won. 

Thanks to donations made to our Legal Fund and our amazing legal team, we were able to make this court win a reality. Saved from an uncertain fate, Cirrus is living out the rest of her days at AWHC’s Board President Ellie Phipps Price’s 2,000-acre sanctuary, Montgomery Creek Ranch — the next best thing to being wild and free.   

So, this National Help A Horse Day, we’re asking you to make a contribution of whatever you can afford to fuel our Legal Fund to help us win more battles in the field, on the Hill, and especially in the courts to protect more horses like Cirrus.

FUEL OUR LEGAL FUND →

Thanks for your continued dedication to our wild horses and burros.

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

The countdown to National Help a Horse Day starts NOW!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Tomorrow, April 26, marks National Help A Horse Day — a day dedicated to bringing horse advocates like yourself together to protect America’s beloved equines and to spread awareness about the threats many of these cherished animals face. Help us celebrate with a donation today! >>

Here at the American Wild Horse Campaign, we’re kicking off this important day early, because there is just so much to cover when it comes to protecting America’s wild herds! We never stop fighting to preserve the freedom of mustangs and burros, so this week we wanted to share exactly how we are protecting these innocent animals and highlight some heartwarming stories from along the way!

Allow us to introduce you to Saddle Shoe.

HELP MORE HORSES LIKE SADDLE SHOE

Saddle Shoe is a 10-year-old pinto mare that lives on Nevada’s Virginia Range, a 300,000-acre habitat in the greater Reno area where we operate the world’s largest wild horse fertility control program! Through our documentation of the wild horses who call this area home, we have discovered that Saddle Shoe is the mother of at least 4 other mustangs who live wild and free!

The lands surrounding the Virginia Range are slowly being swallowed up by encroaching urbanization as commercial companies build offices and housing throughout their habitat. We started our PZP program on Nevada’s Virginia Range because we wanted to ensure horses like Saddle Shoe and her babies maintain their freedom on the lands they’ve called home for centuries.

Our work on the Virginia Range provides scientific evidence to the public and lawmakers that there is a humane way to manage wild horses that doesn’t require mass roundups, crowded holding pens, or dangerous sterilization surgeries.

One of the biggest wins from this groundbreaking program? The wild horses of the Virginia Range, like Saddle Shoe, get to stay together with their families, and in the wild just like they’re meant to be! 

So, Meredith, as we kickstart our Help a Horse Day celebration, we’re asking that you donate $30 or more if you can today — the cost to dart a mare with PZP — so that we can keep more horses like Saddle Shoe wild and free for years to come.

FUEL OUR PZP PROGRAM →

Thanks for your support,

– American Wild Horse Campaign

FWD: One final Earth Day ask of you

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thank you so much for standing alongside us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros this Earth Day and every day.

While we take some special time to celebrate today’s important holiday, I want you to know just how grateful the entire AWHC team really is for your continued dedication to protecting our beloved equines year-round.

I also wanted to make one final ask of you this Earth Day. As part of this special holiday, we’ve set a goal to recruit 50 new monthly donors to fuel our fight for America’s wild herds.

Allow me to explain — as you well know by now, preserving the freedom of our cherished wild herds is an ongoing battle. One that isn’t won overnight. So, recurring monthly donations help to keep us in the fight for our wild horses and burros throughout the entire year. Monthly gifts, no matter the amount, are critical to continuing our work on the Hill, in the courts, and in the field.

So, this Earth Day I’m asking: Will you join us as an AWHC monthly donor and continue to fuel our fight to protect our cherished wild herds year-round?

BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR

Thanks, Meredith.

— Suzanne

———- Forwarded message ———
From: American Wild Horse Campaign <contact@americanwildhorsecampaign.org>
Date: Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 12:34 PM
Subject: 3 ways you can celebrate  Day AND protect wild horses and burros >>
To: <meredith@luckythreeranch.com>

Happy Earth Day! 

More than 50 years ago, Earth Day was created as a day to put all other issues aside and focus on the protection of our beautiful planet and all of the amazing creatures who call it home.

Every single day, our team sees firsthand the threats that wild horses and burros face — whether that be the dangerous adoption incentive program, brutal helicopter roundups, or the interests of the cattle industry superseding the needs of these innocent equines.

So this Earth Day, we can think of no better way to celebrate than by lifting up our voices together to protect wild horses and burros and the public lands these cherished animals call home! TAKE ACTION FOR WILD HORSES AND BURROS AND MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD →

Over the next 5 years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to conduct mass roundups and removals of over 100,000 wild horses and burros from across the West – more of these animals than even exist today! 

What has been framed as a plan for “necessary” population management, is no more than a thinly veiled attempt to appease the special interests of the livestock industry — an industry that has been lobbying Congress for decades so that ranchers may graze their personal animals on public lands for cheap. 

This is not a path forward, it’s a path toward ecological destruction. 

So, as we celebrate Earth Day today, we can think of no better way to commemorate this special holiday than by doubling down on our commitment to ensure that our cherished wild horses and burros remain free, in the wild on the public lands they call home. Here are 3 ways you can take action to support our wild herds today:

  1. Call on your members of Congress to support wild horse-friendly language in the FY23 Appropriations bill.Congress already took historic steps this year when it passed the FY22 spending bill to ensure the BLM utilizes up to $11 million to implement a fertility control vaccine program. Now, we’re calling for this historic move once again in the FY23 bill! Take action now to ensure humane management of our wild herds →
    2. Watch & share on social AWHC team members’ national interview with Samantha Bee from her political satire show, Full Frontal. Get ready to laugh and learn more about the plight of our wild herds.
    3. Purchase a KT Merry wild horse print. As part of an Earth Day special, KT is donating 30% of all print sales to AWHC to keep wild horses in the wild where they belong! Promo ends on 4/23.

While we may celebrate this important holiday just once a year, our fight to preserve the freedom of wild horses and burros never stops.

Thanks for continuing to stand by our side, Meredith, and happy Earth Day!

American Wild Horse Campaign

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