Chilly Pepper – Update – WENDY IS SAFE – Callie still needs your help!!!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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Horses
The fiscal cost of freedom lost
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
I first spoke at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) meeting in 2009. In the 14 years since, I’ve continued to advocate for our wild horses and burros. And I’ve seen it year after year, the BLM spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on costly and cruel helicopter roundups.
Here at AWHC, we know we can protect our wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong without the use of helicopters. Not only that, but we’re proving that it can be done through our boots-on-the-ground programs. By giving today, you’re advancing our efforts to reform the BLM’s program and to promote science-backed humane conservation solutions.
| DONATE NOW |
The moral cost goes without saying. But the financial numbers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 are truly staggering. Here are some figures you should know:
$154.8 Million
That’s how much taxpayers paid in FY2024 for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. This represents an increase of nearly $7 million from last year. If our government were putting that budget toward in-the-wild conservation and upholding federal protections for wild horses and burros, this may not be cause for concern. However…
$6,000,000+
That is the amount paid out to roundup contractors this fiscal year. This includes contractors caught on camera violating the BLM’s own animal welfare standards.
70% of the budget spent on off-range holding
This year, more than two-thirds of the program’s budget was spent on covering the cost of off-range holding facilities, where currently over 66,000 wild horses and burros languish and are at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline thanks to the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).
| DONATE NOW |
These rising costs only increase as the program continues to prioritize holding animals in captivity, rather than supporting humane, effective in-the-wild conservation initiatives.
But that’s not all. Now, the BLM’s 2025 budget request has ballooned to $170.9 million — including an additional request for $15 million to fund a permanent sterilization program.
The reality is that these expenditures come at a high cost to taxpayers and wild horses alike. Imagine what a $170 million budget would accomplish if it were directed toward scientific, sustainable conservation approaches that keep wild herds in the wild, where they belong.
Standing up for horses and American taxpayers,
Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation
How we’re taking action for Wyoming’s wild herds in the courtroom
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our wild herds are safest in the wild, where they can roam freely in their natural habitats with their families. But the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) inhumane policies are slashing wild horse and burro populations to dangerously low levels, depriving these iconic animals of their right to live freely on western public lands.
That’s why we’re working every day to end brutal helicopter roundups and keep wild horses and burros out of overburdened holding facilities. Today, we’d like to share an update on the critical legal work we’re undertaking in Wyoming to protect our wild herds. But first – if you’re able, please chip in to help us power our Legal Fund — and read on to learn about our efforts to defend wild horses in Wyoming. >>
| POWER OUR LEGAL FUND |
For over a decade, we’ve been fighting in federal court to prevent the BLM from eliminating 2.1 million acres of federally designated habitat for wild horses in the state and slashing the state’s wild horse population by one third, including entirely eradicating the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin populations.
At issue is the BLM’s decision to eliminate wild horses from the 2-million acre Wyoming Checkerboard area at the demand of the Rock Springs Grazing Association. This decision sets a terrible precedent, essentially handing over our public lands to private interests and allowing private landowners to dictate the presence of wild horses on public lands.
In July, our 12-year legal battle culminated when our lawyers traveled to Wyoming to argue against this dangerous plan in court. Unfortunately, the lower court issued a decision in August that approved the BLM’s plan.
Given the political landscape in Wyoming, we anticipated that this case would likely be resolved by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. With so much at stake for Wyoming’s wild horses and herds across the West, we moved swiftly to appeal. Just days after the lower court decision, our coalition of wild horse advocates, and animal welfare and conservation groups filed our notice of appeal. And just last week, we submitted our opening brief.
This opening brief is a crucial step in the appeals process, laying out our arguments as to why the BLM’s actions clearly violate the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and why the lower court’s decision is flawed. Our attorney, Bill Eubanks of Eubanks and Associates, has crafted a powerful case, and since we have previously succeeded on similar issues before this appellate court, we believe we have a strong chance of winning.
| POWER OUR LEGAL FUND |
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Chilly Pepper – UPDATE- MATCHING DONATION OFFER for Pregnant, HORRIBLY ABUSED, Mustang – Can We Save Her??
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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Chilly Pepper – Urgent help needed! Vet is coming and we need hay asap due to freezing weather
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
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Help us demand government accountability
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Just this past week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wrapped up another brutal helicopter roundup targeting the wild horses, including many young foals, who call the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area along the California-Nevada border home. More than 900 animals were captured and removed, and four tragically died.
As with nearly every federal roundup, American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) observers were on the ground with the goal of documenting the cruel reality these equines face in real time, but here’s the unbelievable truth: The public observation is often abysmal.
The trap site, where wild horses and burros are driven at the end of a helicopter chase, is the most dangerous part of a roundup. It’s here where severe injury and even death are most likely to occur.
Despite public observation of a government operation being guaranteed under the First Amendment, AWHC observers are frequently positioned up to two miles away from those trap sites — so far they can’t see them at all. Even with the most powerful camera lenses, observers can see and document only a small fraction of the dangerous moments unfolding during a roundup.
Is that what transparency looks like?
These pictures were taken by roundup observer Darlene Smith when she was deployed to the Sulphur roundup in Utah.
Photos by Darlene Smith at the Sulphur roundup in summer 2024.
Our observation teams are doing their best to document what’s happening to these iconic animals, but there’s only one way to guarantee no BLM atrocity goes unrecorded: Cameras on helicopters.
BLM roundups already take place in some of the most remote regions of the West — outside the public eye. Limitations on observation only further shroud the BLM’s irresponsible, unscientific management practices from the American people.
BLM roundups targeted more than 16,000 wild horses and burros last fiscal year— and more than 200 have died. These numbers include thousands of foals born mere months or weeks before being senselessly chased down and locked up, often separate from their mothers. AWHC is fighting every day to end costly, inhumane helicopter roundups. But until we can stop them for good, we need to ensure that we hold the BLM accountable for the cruelty wild horses and burros face during these tax-funded operations.
Thank you for your continued support of American wild horses and burros.
Onward,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Turning conversations into action for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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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.
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
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!