Turning conversations into action for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Horses
The devastation doesn’t end once the helicopters are grounded
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Across the West, our nation’s iconic wild horses and burros are rounded up at an alarming rate. These helicopter chases cause deep trauma – and the impacts on survivors left behind on the range can be devastating.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that roundups are necessary to maintain healthy wild horse and burro populations, but the facts don’t support this. Beyond the immediate suffering that mustangs and burros face during helicopter roundups, these operations actually threaten the long-term viability of America’s wild horse and burro herds.
Photo by Tandin Chapman
Family bands – critical social structures for wild horses – are torn apart by roundups as new generations are stripped from the wild, separating them from their families and weakening essential bonds for survival. Older, experienced horses are often removed, and with them, the wisdom needed to thrive in the wild is lost. Additionally, the BLM often sets the Appropriate Management Level (AML) of wild horse and burro herds below the standards recommended by equine geneticists to maintain herd genetic viability in the long term.
The fact of the matter is that roundups are not an effective way to maintain healthy populations of wild horses and burros. Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we’re fighting for more humane and effective alternatives to roundups, such as PZP fertility control, which keeps horses and burros safe and in the wild where they belong.
| DONATE |
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Chilly Pepper – Meet the Kids – Great Joy, Blessings and Heartbreak. We need your help!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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Will you help us keep up the momentum?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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You Can Support Horses-in-Need, Even from Afar!
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Each year during our annual Boots & Bling event, we emphasize a vital need for support at All About Equine through our Fund-A-Need (FAN) effort.
This year, as a result of increased hay costs, general inflation, and the ongoing demand to support more horses-in-need, our FAN is focused again on supporting our general operations.
Last night, hundreds of fellow supporters celebrated All About Equine’s 11th Annual Boots and Bling and 15 years of helping horses-in-need. During the event, we shared a video featuring some of the incredible work made possible by your support over the past year.
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Raising awareness on the plight of America’s wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
In recent years, the plight of wild horses and burros has become more prominent in the public’s eye. This is, in part, thanks to our recent awareness efforts. American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading organization in the fight to keep wild horses and burros wild, so it’s our job to educate the public and build the grassroots army necessary to rise up and advocate for these iconic animals.
If we’ve learned one thing as an organization, it’s that once people learn about the suffering of wild horses and burros, they are upset, frustrated, and ready to take action to protect them. That’s why over the past several years, we have greatly ramped up our awareness efforts to inform Americans about this important issue.
Our Awareness Fund has been key to our success. Through this Fund, we’ve worked to bring the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by deploying billboards, digital ads, TV commercials, and traditional media hits. Can you chip in today to fuel our Awareness Fund and help us keep spreading the word about wild horse conservation?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
This year alone, we’ve placed over a dozen impactful stories in the media highlighting the dangers wild horses and burros face, including government mismanagement, the inhumane use of helicopters for roundups, the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) slaughter pipeline—which is threatening the lives of hundreds of wild horses and burros—and more:
And last winter, we made one of our biggest media moves ever. We launched a billboard in Times Square from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve – New York’s peak tourism season with an average of five million visitors!
This work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of folks like you. Your contributions enable us to continue shining a light on what’s happening to our wild herds, and with over 11,000 wild horses and burros in danger of roundups next year, it’s critical that we continue to push the issue of wild horse and burro conservation into the forefront. Can you make a contribution to power our Awareness Fund today and help us continue this important work?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
Thank you!
Team AWHC
Bid with Your Heart ❤️
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Tomorrow night we will join together for a cause that’s close to all of our hearts – helping horses who need us most. Horses like Clyde.
Clyde is an intake from a nearby law enforcement agency. He and another horse were left on a property to fend for themselves. He had a cancerous eye tumor, and once he was in stable condition, his eye was removed (before coming to AAE). Clyde is a big, gentle soul, most of the time, and we’ve already seen him improve in the short time he’s been with us.
Boots & Bling isn’t just about good food, great company, and lively bidding – it’s about making a difference for horses-in-need. Here’s how you can help change lives:
- Attend Boots & Bling: If you haven’t already, you can still purchase a ticket and join us! There are a limited number of tickets available, so act quickly!
- Silent Auction: The Silent Auction is virtual, so people far and wide can participate, all in the spirit of helping horses-in-need! It’s a HUGE auction with something for everyone. If you haven’t registered for the auction, there are instructions, below, plus some bidding tips. If you don’t win, consider making a donation to AAE!
- Fund-A-Need: Whether you’re with us in person or in spirit, you’ll have a chance to directly support horses. Stay tuned for more information.
Imagine the difference we can make together!
Thank you for your support this weekend and always!
Some important auction information:
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There is a better way
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Chilly Pepper – MATCHING FUNDS for saving these precious souls – We need YOU to Help Save Them!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
| It’s GO Time! We need more funds to keep them safe. I have to commit For Sure by Monday at 9 A.M. Our beautiful Angel offered to match up to $1500. Matching that would cover the costs to KEEP THEM SAFE. It doesn’t cover the costs to get them home, but we need to get them SAFE, before anything else |
| I cannot even imagine how horrible it would be to be butchered in someone’s back yard. I have seen some pretty horrific situations, and these horses don’t deserve that. |
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Update from Colorado
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
It’s officially month 4 of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundups, which continue to inflict stress and suffering on wild horse and burro populations on public lands across the West. Since June, the BLM’s inhumane helicopter roundups have amassed more than 90 deaths (and counting). Make no mistake: We will continue to expose the brutal reality our mustangs and burros face until these cruel, unscientific BLM roundups have ended for good. To continue these efforts through the fall, we need to raise at least $20,000 by the end of September. Will you chip in to help us reach this ambitious goal?
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
Just this week, the BLM wrapped up a roundup in the Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area in northwest Colorado, which aimed to reduce the herd size by 57%. This goal was based on an unscientific appropriate management level (AML) of 90-150 horses. Based on the data reported so far, here’s what we know about this operation:
A total of 140 animals were captured and removed, including 21 foals. This roundup also resulted in three unnecessary deaths.
Photo of Little Book Cliffs Roundup by WilsonAxpe PhotoAdvocacy
The Little Book Cliffs roundup is yet another stark reminder of the ongoing battle to protect our wild horses and burros. The BLM’s mismanagement continues to raise serious ethical concerns, and we cannot remain silent while these animals are subjected to such treatment.
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
The cruel and costly BLM roundup is expected to cost American taxpayers up to $154 million and this summer has targeted more than 10,000 wild horses on the public lands in Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, California, Oregon, Arizona and, now, Colorado.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Our work at the American Wild Horse Conservation proves there are more humane, cost-effective ways to manage our wild horses — especially in Colorado where the state is poised to help support and expand existing fertility control programs.
| FUEL OUR FIGHT |
Thank you for being an ally in our ongoing fight to protect America’s iconic wild herds from eradication. Together, we can stop inhumane helicopter roundups and fight for in-the-wild conservation for our cherished wild horses and burros.
Together,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Take action for the Montgomery Pass Wild Horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Last month, we asked you to speak up for the Montgomery Pass wild horses (also known as the Mono Lake horses). And thanks to your advocacy, we generated nearly 5,000 letters demanding that The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) implement humane, scientifically led conservation solutions instead of cruelly rounding this historic herd.
Now the wild horses who roam the 50,815 acres of public and private lands need your help again. On August 8, 2024, the BLM and USFS released an Environmental Assessment, detailing their proposed action for the Montgomery Pass wild horses.
This inhumane plan calls for multiple roundups in order to remove all horses who currently reside outside of the Territory, as well as to achieve the unscientific Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 138 to 230 animals. This AML was set in 1988 and has not been re-evaluated in the 36 years since.
| Object to this Proposed Action |
When evaluating the final proposed action in this Environmental Assessment, the agencies failed to consider:
- Relocating the horses: According to binding USFS regulations, the agency must consider relocating the removed wild horses. In this case, the USFS should relocate the Montgomery Pass horses inside the Territory and address the ecological conditions that are causing them to leave their designated habitat. If that is not possible, they should evaluate other USFS lands where the horses could be relocated.
- Reevaluating the AML: The BLM and USFS should conduct a thorough reassessment of the AML using new and updated scientific data to ensure it reflects the current ecological reality.
- Implementing Fertility Control: Utilize humane, scientifically studied, and reversible fertility control initiatives to humanely manage the population of the herd, without resorting to removals.
- The impact of Livestock Grazing: Assess and acknowledge the detrimental impacts of livestock grazing on the Territory and incorporate this understanding into all management decisions.
- Protecting predators: A 25-year study on mountain lion predation shows this herd has been managed successfully by predation. This study provides invaluable insights into natural population control mechanisms and should be considered for re-establishing natural predation to manage the herd’s population.
| Object to this Proposed Action |
This proposed action is not guided by science and allows for the most outdated, costly and cruel methods of managing wild horses including helicopter roundups. Speak up now to formally object to this proposed action!
| Take Action |
Thank you for your advocacy,
Team AWHC
We’re Fighting for Transparency — Can You Help?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The investigative work we do at the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) represents some of the most impactful action we take for our nation’s iconic wild herds. A critical component of that work includes our ongoing efforts to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests uncovering the fate of captured horses and burros. This wouldn’t be possible without your support. As we enter the final stretch of summer and fall roundups, will you rush a donation to fuel our investigative work through the end of the year?
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
Every time the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts a roundup, we get to work filing FOIA requests to shine a light on what’s really happening to wild horses and burros after they have been ripped from their habitats. The BLM often reports low death rates during these operations, but our investigations have uncovered a more grim reality.
For example, in 2022, the BLM rounded up 1,022 wild horses and burros from Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex. The government reported 14 deaths associated with that roundup. But, our investigation revealed an additional 63 animals perished in the months following the operation — including 31 burros who likely died of a condition typically brought on by extreme stress.
These heartbreaking deaths would have remained hidden if not for the records we obtained through our FOIA efforts. The worst part: This is not an isolated incident. We are on a mission to continue pursuing transparency and holding the BLM accountable. At any given time, our team is following up on dozens of active FOIA requests, many of which are subjected to a series of unnecessary delays. As a result, we have filed over 20 FOIA lawsuits just to access public information from our own federal government.
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This work is vital to exposing the truth and pursuing meaningful change for American wild herds — especially with yet another federally funded roundup operation set to begin this month in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) straddling Lassen County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada. The Twin Peaks roundup will deploy helicopters intent on trapping and eradicating over 800 wild horses from their home on 758,128 acres of public land.
We can’t do this alone. Your support allows us to continue filing FOIA requests, taking legal action, and shining a light on the BLM’s failures to provide humane treatment to America’s wild herds.
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
Thank you for standing with us and for these incredible animals.
Warm regards,
Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation
Coming Soon: Boots & Bling Auction
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Boots & Bling is coming!!
Are you ready??
Thank you to all of our donors! Our community has supported horses in a big way, and the Auction Team has been building a fabulous auction for our 11th annual Boots & Bling! The auction will be ready for you to view starting this weekend! You’ll want to check back often, as we will be releasing items until everything is ready. A few great items are still trickling in, too, and we have so much to share.
The silent auction is abundant with variety, and there is something for everyone! We have an amazing African Safari, several appealing hotel stays with Hyatt, ski tickets, a slough of wine tastings and wine, lots of horse items, art, and so much more! Take a look this weekend and start making your bidding wish list!
The auction is virtual, so people far and wide can participate, all in the spirit of helping horses-in-need!
If you are attending the event, you can get up close and personal with the auction, and show your support for our sponsors and All About Equine. This year’s Boots & Bling will feature ONLY a live dessert auction, and you must be in attendance and partying in person to bid on our desserts.
If you’re unable to attend Boots & Bling, you can still show your support for horses-in-need and AAE by registering for the auction, and bidding to win on the items of your choice! You can also support by donating to the Fund-A-Need (more information to come on that, too!).
Stay tuned for more information, including dates and times for the auction and how to register and view all of the exciting items available! You won’t need to register to view, but you will need to register to bid.
Thank you to all of the donors who made the Boots & Bling virtual silent auction possible! Because of your generosity, we have an incredible auction to support horses-in-need and AAE.
To ALL of you horse-lovers, we need everyone’s support! Please come to Boots & Bling, and invite your friends, family, and co-workers. Register for the auction, and share our links far and wide!
Don’t have a ticket to Boots & Bling yet? What are you waiting for?! Get yours today!
Boots & Bling is AAE’s most important fundraising event of the year. The horses are counting on you to be there!
Our latest investigative findings
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Chilly Pepper – The Sad Six are home. Badly injured, Going blind?, Broken Jaw??
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
This is a rough one. We need so much help with these precious souls. Y’all met the “matching funds”and they were used for bail, transport, existing vet bills in NV, & paying the guys to haul, break down, and put up the new shelter.
These horses are in rough condition. The little baby named Barkley, appears to be going blind. He has issues with both eyes, and a badly infected leg. Stormy appears to possibly have a broken jaw? We had Doc out for an emergency vet visit to make sure we were not torturing her waiting for a regular appointment. He is going to sedate her, check out her mouth and then do x-rays to see what actual damage there is, and to possibly schedule surgery. Scarlett has a horrible injury on her leg and another injury that is infected on her side. Most of the time I don’t even see the horses, and I never have any real idea about injuries etc.
We need to pay off the panels, which is another $2,000, the vet bill in WA which is about $3500, order more hay, grain, special feed for the babies and more clay.
| Raising money is difficult in this economy. I know folks get tired of it, I know I AM extremely tired of doing fundraisers. I think some people forget that I don’t get paid, am working with a broken leg, and am simply doing my best to keep saving the horses. But for EACH AND EVERY ONE THAT YOU (WE) SAVE, IT IS A TRUE EMERGENCY AND IT IS BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH! It’s so hard to say yes sometimes because I have to be able to care for them and pay the folks who help out while I am broken. |
| I also received a call about a big, starving, older draft horse. I cannot begin to think about saying yes if we can’t cover the day to day and costs for the horses we have rescued. Winter is coming, and I know we have to be prepared. IF folks want to help and we get enough to cover at least most of the expenses, I would definitely try and help the draft horse. Until then, I simply can’t say yes to him today. |
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We must ensure accountability for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our wild herds are suffering. Contractors, hired by the federal government to conduct wild horse helicopter roundups, are violating the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) very own animal welfare standards. These violations endanger our iconic wild horses and burros and put them at risk of serious injury.
Since 2021, the BLM has sent Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) teams to assess five roundups conducted by Cattoor Livestock, one of the BLM’s longstanding roundup operators. These assessments revealed that in the five roundups assessed, Cattoor Livestock contractors violated the animal welfare standards 30 times. Over 20 of those were “major” violations, which means they impact the health or welfare of our wild equines.
One of the more concerning cases was the 2021 Antelope Complex roundup, where 11 wild horses died. Numerous violations were recorded including, separating foals from their mothers for at least six hours, and overcrowded holding pens. The BLM’s own publicly-available CAWP report from this roundup states:
| “The contractor was observed to be disagreeable and argumentative at every opportunity for discussion with the COR, the contractor offered more excuses than demonstrated interest in complying with the CAWP standards.” |
| HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY |
This is not an isolated incident. In 2022, at the Black Mountain roundup, an employee of Cattoor Livestock was documented using a paddle in an abusive manner by jabbing and striking burros in their most sensitive areas, all while visibly angry and frustrated.
And at the Piceance-East Douglas roundup in Colorado, the federal contractor company was cited for seven major violations, including failure to provide proper facilities to care for vulnerable horses, including foals, improper water trough placement, and neglecting to control dust levels that posed respiratory risks to the animals. These violations of basic animal welfare guidelines are unacceptable.
| HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY |
Thank you.
American Wild Horse Conservation
Chilly Pepper – Fabulous 5 is now the Skinny Six Funds needed by Monday to save the kids
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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URGENT: Speak up for the Tassi-Gold Butte burros!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The Tassi-Gold Butte burros in Arizona’s Mojave Desert are in urgent need of your help. Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Park Service (NPS) are considering a proposed action that would remove every single burro from their home in the 100,000-acre Tassi-Gold Butte Herd Management Area (HMA). We can’t let this happen!
The BLM and NPS are accepting public comments on this plan until September 9th, and your voice could help make a difference. Will you speak up for these wild burros by sending a letter to the agencies opposing this unscientific and destructive plan?
| TAKE ACTION |
In 1998, the BLM and NPS set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for burros in this area to zero – a decision based on unscientific information, which hasn’t been reevaluated in over 25 years. Now, they are using that decades-old AML to justify the complete removal of these historic animals from the land they call home.
The agencies claim the removal is necessary to protect the critically endangered Desert Tortoise, but research shows the real threats to the tortoise are human-caused: habitat loss, invasive grasses, and habitat fragmentation due to roads. These wild burros are being unfairly blamed, while the actual problems go unaddressed.
This cruel and costly plan threatens not only the Tassi-Gold Butte burros but also the balance of the desert ecosystem. We need to stand up for these innocent animals and demand a more humane and scientifically sound approach. Please take a moment to send a letter to the BLM and NPS opposing this disastrous proposal and calling for humane alternatives instead!
| TAKE ACTION |
Thank you,
Team AWHC
Chilly Pepper – QUICK UPDATE – We need $3450 for tomorrow to get the panels and the babies.
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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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 and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
This week’s eNews: A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This week’s e-news contains an exciting announcement about American Wild Horse Conservation’s annual fundraiser, important information about the dangers of feeding wild horses, and recent media coverage about the plight of mustangs and burros, including an opinion piece by wild horse champion Representative Dina Titus (D-NV). Read on for more!
Experience the Wild with AWHC In Los Angeles This Month
On September 19th, join AWHC and our passionate community of wild horse advocates, along with celebrity ambassadors and special guests, for an unforgettable evening celebrating the majesty of wild horses. This exciting event will feature our guest of honor, Jenni Kayne, who is our 2024 recipient of our annual Freedom Award. We’re also delighted to have special guest, DJ Brandi Cyrus and her remix of Wild Horses and WildFlowers be a part of our evening program. We’ll have an immersive art experience of documentary and fine art provided by Kimerlee Curyl, KT Merry, and Scott Wilson, with select fine art prints featured in our curated auction. All proceeds will benefit AWHC’s life saving conservation work. Don’t miss this opportunity to support our cause, and be part of a wildly fun night!
| Get Your Tickets |
A Fed Horse is A Dead Horse
Wild horses are a captivating symbol of the West, drawing visitors from far and wide to witness them in their natural habitats, particularly in Reno’s Virginia Range. However, despite good intentions, feeding or giving treats to these wild horses can do more harm than good. Learn more about the dangers of feeding wild horses, especially those in the Virginia Range below.
| Read More |
Op-ed: Rep. Titus: There is a better way to help wild horses
On August 25th, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) published an opinion piece in the Las Vegas Sun. It shines a light on the cruelty faced by wild horses and burros due to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups and highlights AWHC’s fertility control program in Nevada as a model for wild horse management across the West.
| Read More |
Recent Media Coverage
We are making headlines as we ramp up efforts to protect wild horses and burros across the West. Recently, AWHC’s Scott Wilson was interviewed for the Sopris Sun about the importance of fertility control in Colorado. And in Nevada, Amelia Perrin talked to KOLO TV about the wild horse abuse AWHC documented during the Blue Wing Complex roundup.
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of e-news,
Team AWHC