Will the BLM Help?

Removed from Twin Peaks HMA on August 12th, 2010   BLM photo

Now suffering in Michigan

On June 20th the Bureau of Land Management was given the opportunity to step up and do something good and right for these former residents of Twin Peaks Herd Management Area. The following is the email and letter sent through their ranks.

Attached is a letter of action that I am requesting of the BLM, on behalf of Jodi Louth of the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition (MHWC) and the 29 starving horses now in Michigan from the Twin Peaks HMA. As we discussed last Friday on the phone the real situation in Michigan is far more grave than the press releases have described. Jodi Louth has expressed to me that this number of wild horses is far beyond their area of expertise.
Law Enforcement and Animal Control do not know where to go with or even how to get this many horses to safety so they have not yet done a seizure. While they are looking for help, transportation and foster care, the horses remain with Wendi Bierling, who continues to mistreat and starve these caged wild animals. Mares and foals have already perished and 3 of the geldings are in critical condition.
The saving grace in this whole mess is that Barbara Clarke at DreamCatcher’s Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary has promised to give these misplaced horses refuge, a place to live the rest of their lives in peace, which is a very generous security.
We just need to get them there.

Followed on June 21st by...
The situation is getting worse, the authorities are letting Wendi disburse the horses so they will not have to seize them.
Jodi Louth is desperately trying to find where they are going and is afraid it is "Port Huron, the gateway to slaughter in Canada".

We had been informed by a friend of Wendi's that the horses go without food sometimes for days.
There are photos showing they had resorted to eating the wood siding and insulation from exterior barn walls.

We then pointed out to the BLM their own laws protecting Sale Authority Horses.

Congressional Record - House Vol. 151, Pt. 8 May 19, 2005

Before all sales this Sale Questionnaire must be reviewed and signed by BLM official Sally Spencer after interviewing the buyer.
Sally Spencer
Wild Horse & Burro Program
Office: 202-452-5196
Cell: 202-641-6106
Fax: 202-653-9084

Then a  Bill Of Sale is signed for each horse sold, stating purchaser understands a wild horses needs and intends to provide humane care for the horse.

Read more about sales here...
BLM Wild Horse Sales Information Page 

So it would seem not only are Michigan humane care laws being broken but Federal Laws as well. 

We were not asking for the BLM to repossess the horses or even provide care for the animals financially or physically, but only to assist the local authorities in the recommended seizure and transport.

So far, not even a reply from the BLM.

Attempting to lead his family to safety August 20th, 2010  BLM photo

At Litchfield Corrals October 8th, 2010

Now in Michigan

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Hay bribe

photo by Jonathon Gruenke | Kalamazoo Gazett

They call him "Surfer Dude"

Above horse, photographed here the day of his capture...

photo by the Humane Observer: Elyse Gardner

photo by the Humane Observer: Elyse Gardner

Also visit Humane Observer blog for more information and ways to become involved.
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Release Day

On March 31, 2011 BLM's Eagle Lake Field Office Public Affairs Specialist, Jeff Fontana, announced they would be releasing a small number of horses, mules and a Jack burro back out to the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area on Wendsday April 6th, 2011.

The release included two stallions at Shinn Ranch Road in the Observation South Home Range and two stallions at Horn Ranch in the Observation North Home Range. 11 mules and one burro were released into the North Twin Peaks Home Range at Buffalo Meadows Ranch near Parsnip Springs. Also released were two mare-foal pairs and two additional pregnant mares into the Skedaddle-Dry Valley Home Range near Telephone Springs. All four mares were treated with the fertility control drug PZP while in foal.

"The mare release will achieve the targeted sex ratio of 60 percent stallions and 40 percent mares in the home range," said Ken Collum, manager of the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office. “The stallions have the saddle horse conformation and size that will maintain the characteristics of the Twin Peaks wild herd. The mules and burro are being released because they are over adoption age. The mules will not contribute to population growth.”

The BLM removed 1,579 wild horses and 160 wild burros from the Twin Peaks HMA in a roundup conducted last August and September.

According to the BLM a three-day helicopter survey was conducted in October 2010 showing there are now about 790 wild horses and 160 wild burros remaining in the HMA, slightly over the upper limit of the appropriate management level of 448-758 horses and 72-116 burros.

An independent areal survey shows numbers far lower.

We made the trip to Litchfield arriving at 8:15 AM  in time to watch the trailer loading. First the mules and burro, then the 4 mares and 2 foals, and finally the 4 stallions.

Loading trailers.
We had to stay outside the perimeter fencing.

The Stallions. More pics of them here.

The Paint mares headed down the ally toward the waiting trailer.

The Dun mare watches.

Dun and Buckskin mares with their foals coming down the ally.

Mares and foals loaded, wranglers checking everything over.
One crew member stated the safety of the foals was his highest concern.

Ready to roll

The Mollie Mules. These eyes belong to her.

Leaving the corrals!

4 trailers, loaded with the lucky ones who were returned to their home land, each headed in a different direction.
We chose to follow along with the mares and foals.

The road into the Skedaddle Range.

The gate comes open and the Dun mare was first to emerge from the trailer.

Closely followed by the Buckskin and both foals.

Seen the day she was captured at Shinn 1 trap site in the Observation North Home Range,
here, here and here
(Note- in the last photo here the young smaller buckskin mare, on the right side of photo,
perished at the corrals on 1/21/2011, she was only three years old.)

They pause looking back for the others who were calling to them from inside the trailer.
Her son that was with her the day of capture... seen here and here
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Then out come the Paint mares eager to catch up.

Leaping the sage brush.

With the Buckskin mare leading they made their way up the hill.

They have already stopped to nibble the new spring grasses.

The last glimpse of the baby as they moved to the other side of the hill.

One last look back.

Plentiful new spring growth.

The Black Stallion's Family

August 2010 post  A Mule?

Update

After posting the previous video of the family we call the "Thunder Horses", I visited Linda's blog Run With The Wild Ones, and found she added more photographs.

This is the one that immediatly stood out...

Photo by Linda Hay

It is the Thunder Horses!
They eluded capture and are still together, last seen November 14th, 2010.
See this photo and more of who remains free here... Run With The Wild Ones 
Thank you Linda!

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A Story of Disappointment

"As she was drifting to sleep her thoughts were of horses, and of the open country, and of horses. Horses still wild on the mesa, who'd never seen a woman afoot and who knew nothing of her or her life yet in whose soul he would come to reside forever".

adapted from ~Cormac McCarthy

A story of a girl and Wild White Stallion.

Photo by Leslie Sterling, Sacramento Bee

This girl came to be an ardent admirer of an amazing guardian and father while doing Biology research and writing her thesis for a Masters degree, in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area near Susanville, CA. The Stallion and his band were intentionally/inadvertently within the confines of a small grazing allotment at Spanish Springs, Summit Trough near Ramshorn Campground, off Rye Patch Road.

Guarding his family.

While in this small allotment many admirers of wild horses came to visit him and his family, but this one girl, she was totally swept away by the vigilant care he showed his family, the way his large band of mares and offsping looked to him for guidance and protection, and the way his babies mirrored his every move displaying to the world confidence and comfort in their high desert home.

  His youngest son already taking charge of his world. 

Photo by Leslie Sterling, Sacramento Bee

On August 20th, 2010 he, his family along with 2 other family bands, seen in the below photo, were gathered by helicopter at the Shinn 1 trap right on Rye Patch Road.

BLM Photo

Soon after the roundup this girl, with images on her computer and in her mind of this battle scarred Wild Stallion, decided she must do something to keep him in his wild home. It couldn’t be his rightful home but she found the next best thing.

BraveHeart giving warning to another stallion.

With a new sanctuary home secured, correspondence began with his captors and guardians at the Litchfield WH&B corrals in October. By way of photographs, many descriptive emails and phone calls the wranglers said they had identified him, but neither the promised tag number nor photographs were returned to her by email. According to staff he had been deemed un-adoptable because of his age so he was the considered “sale authority”, now hip branded and gelded. The correspondence continued with very few, delayed replys, still no tag number and no pictures just apologies and word that the sale authority horses would be available on January 1st, 2011.

Last seen here 8/21/2010 the day following his capture.

Word finally came from the corrals on December 9th, "we may have sold him with a load of 40 sale authority horses going to Michigan" then the same day "we think you should come to the corrals and pick him out".

A visit was paid on January 4th to the corrals hoping to find her freckled white stallion gelding. The search lasted most of the day checking every pen. He was not there! She left the corrals very disappointed, with only a list of 17 appaloosa and gray horses that had been shipped to long term holding on December 8th, and a "good luck finding him" wish from the staff.

Why was it the very day after horses had been shipped to long term holding that she was told he might not be there? How could it be that a horse who had a private home may now be a long term ward of the Federal Government? Why were long term horses shipped before Jan 1st when they were said to be "available"? Where has he really gone? How many others has this happened to?


BraveHeart and his family will forever reside in this girl’s thoughts and soul.

She says "Every horse deserves special consideration, and should not be just pushed through the process." 

Our girl will not give up on the search for her BraveHeart.

*UPDATE:  We received word today about the search for BraveHeart...

March 18th, 2011 

"We discovered today that our BraveHeart is dead. It is not how he died that matters, it is how he lived … and I think you are aware that this special stallion lived the true wild horse life. He was extremely dedicated to his family and he loved his world each and every day that he had on the range, being who he obviously was put on this world to be … a very, very special wild stallion. His story will be told. He will not be forgotten."

BraveHeart will live on through his many admirers, many photographs, his young son Pableu's Cloud Blanket, and in the heart of our girl.
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Adopt a Wild Mustang

November 24th, 2010 continued...

The Twin Peaks roundup concluded Sunday, September 19 with a total of 1799 horses and burros gathered. So far there have been only 8 adoptions from the Litchfield WH&B corral. There are many that need good homes.
The following shows the process after paperwork is complete.

Bringing up the weanlings.

Sorting the 1 to 3 year old mares.

Mother and baby reunited.

Removing neck tag.

Loading into trailer. 1

2

3

Adopt a Wild Horse or Burrow

The three we brought home were from the first herd we saw here at Summit Trough at Spanish Springs.