Ep #14: Wild Horse Roundups: The Abuse Must End
August 14, 2023
Ep #15: Blue Zeus
September 4, 2023
by Carol J. Walker
The first time I met Bubba was in June, 2020. I asked my friend, who is that gorgeous black curly stallion? “His name is Bubba.”
From the wonderful curls of his mane to the big body with waves of curl in his coat, I was immediately enchanted. And when he ran by me chasing another stallion away from his mare, I felt the ground shake. He reminded me of the drawings of the huge destriers ridden by knights in armor. And I was fascinated by the curls – I had never encountered curly horses before, let alone wild curly horses.
I found out that there are only two herds in Wyoming that have curly horses in them – Salt Wells Creek and White Mountain. Although Bubba was big and could look very intimidating to other stallions, he was a gentle soul with his family.
In October, 2021 there was a roundup in Salt Wells Creek, and although I was there for quite a lot of the roundup, the day Bubba and his family were captured I was not there, but the day that the Bureau of Land Management announced that they were releasing some of the stallions to go back to their home, I was there.I was concerned that they might put him down because of his large knee which had been injured at some point, but it did not slow him down or make him limp. I held my breath when they opened the first trailer, and then the next, hoping that Bubba was going to be among those released. He was! As he jumped out of the second trailer I felt like cheering. There he was with another stallion Named Medicine Man. It was bittersweet – although he was free again, his family was not.
I did not return until spring of the next year, and was relieved to find Bubba.
He had a new family, two mares and a foal, and he looked good. The foal was not his, but he was devoted to all three of his new family members.
This year, 2023, I got to spend a couple of days with Bubba and his family in June. I was delighted to see two new foals in his family.
Bubba was always near his rival and friend Scarface, and the two of them would rear up and scuffle from time to time, but I never saw any serious fights.
I returned in August and looked for Bubba, but did not see him. I was not alarmed because it is a large area, and the horses go to different places all the time. But at the end of my trip, I was deeply saddened to hear that a local called the BLM because Bubba had an acute injury, and he was put down the day I arrived.
Bubba was in his twenties, which is old for a wild horse, and he lived his entire life wild and free. He had almost two more years in the wild after the roundup, and leaves a legacy of beautiful foals and offspring, and wonderful memories of time spent with him for the people all over the country and the world who have been captivated by his beauty, pride and gentle spirit.
The Salt Wells Creek Herd has been targeted as one of two herds in Wyoming for being zeroed out – meaning no wild horses left in their new Resource Management Plan. How can you help? Donate to the legal fund to aid in the lawsuit filed to stop this action at American Wild Horse Campaign, https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/litigation and spread the word. I know that Bubba would not want his herd to become just a memory.
These and other images can be found on my website at http://www.LivingImagesCarolWalker.com.
28 Comments
What sad news. But what a glorious equine in Bubba. May his spirit live on in the offspring.
So sad. Humanity’s actions sometimes. It hurts so much to hear of all these killings. Why?
There are always more than one solution to solve issues.
These beautiful animals deserve to live their lives in the wild. They were there first and have earned that freedom.
IF YOU DONT START ADDRESSING THE RICO ACT BETWEEN BLM AND THE CATTLE ASSOCIATION! WE WILL LOSE THIS FIGHT! BLM HAS BROKE THE LAWS OF A FEDERAL JUDGE! YOU DO NOTHING ABOUT IT! ID HAVE THAT ALL OVER NATIONAL NEWS! BLM ARE NOT HODS OVER THESE HORSES! THEY NEED TO BE AUDITED FOR PAYOFFS TO CONGRESS! BLM IS THE CROOKED ESTABLISHMENT ON RECORD.! GET A FEDERAL INVESTAGATION GOING ON HOW THEY CAN IGNORE FEDERAL JUDGES ORDERS! NOW! RON SHARP OF BLM KILLED 22 HORSES IN 100 DEGREE HEAT! THEIR LUNGS BURSTING, LATHERED IN WHITE SWEAT! THEIR FOALS HAD DROPPED MILES BACK! THE HELICOPTER HOVERED OVER THE DOWNED HORSES FORCEING THEM TO BREATH NOTHING BUT FLYING DIRT! THEY SMOTHERD TO DEATH! KILLED BY BLM WHO PURSUANT TO CFR 43 4.21 CANNOT BEGIN BEFORE AUG 31! ALL ROUNDUPS BEFORE THAT DATE WHICH IS ALSO BEING CONTESTED! ARE ILLEGAL AS ALL GET OUT! RON SHARP SHOULD BE ARRESSTED FOR ANIMAL ABUSE! ANIMAL CRULTY! DISOBEYING A FEDERAL JUDGE DESERVES PRISION TIME ALONE! WONDER HOW THE JUDGE FEELS. WHEN A LOW LIFE LIKE RON SHARP TELLS HIM TO F OFF! CALL THE JUDGE AND ASK HIM YOURSELF!
What can be done? Are these organizations lobbying to do something.? What about Humane Society, SPCA, PETA.? All other animal advocates. Giving money doesn’t help unless it is used to legally stop BLM from continuing these horrible practices. Who in the federal government can really help with this?
You can donate to American Wild Horse Campaign’s lawsuit to stop this action by the BLM.
Such a sad story. Heartbreaking on many levels. This is a conspiracy between BLM and cattle industry and needs to b criminally charged! They are OUR American horses and deserve to be free!!!
You are 100% dead on target!! All aspects of BLM’s shady dealings need to be out in the open!!
Such sad to hear he was a VERY MAJESTIC HANDSOME GUY.I hope his young uns carry his curl l have a curly also but only curly in winter.He is going to be missed by you al that got to photo him
May Bubb a’s foals run free and wild all their days. May Bubba’s memory live long after.
As you said, Bubba was free and wild.. it’s so sad he had to be put down, just like that. 😥It’s heartbreaking that Wyoming wants to get rid of our mustangs! 🤬🤬🤬. Wish they could just be moved They deserve to live there, wild and free.
They do not need to be moved, they need to STOP taking the area up for stupid reasons like selling to China, or giving it to livestock owners to use. They need to LEAVE OUR WILD HORSE ALONE AND GO GET A REAL LIFE DOING SOMETHING THAT HELPS OUR WILDLIFE NOT HURT THEM AND DESTROY THEM. Anything the government, big ranchers, and trophy hunters, and big money people have their stinking hands in gets destroyed, and that is a fact!!! I am Cherokee and know that or a fact!
So sad. Humanity’s actions sometimes. It hurts so much to hear of all these killings. Why?
There are always more than one solution to solve issues.
I will never understand why the BLM is allowed to “zero out” such beautiful animals.
I agree and they should be protected because the Curly’s are so rare. They are definitely an endangered species and they should be saved and protected. Please let them remain wild and free forever!
I can’t understand the BLM being allowed to continue their Barbaric handling of OUR WILD HORSES AND BURROS! After All these years they still refuse to comply with the conditions of their purpose and how the rest of OUR Government Officials can Allow this to continue! OUR PUBLIC LANDS were and are designated for OUR WILD ONES to remain WILD AND FREE ON, but that isn’t what’s going on. BLM has no true formula to back up their actions involving their BRUTAL Roundups and THEY SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT CAN DECIDE EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO DO AND DO TO OUR WILD ONES. I don’t understand how they can say that the Beautiful, Sleek, Healthy Animals that we see being Brutally Rounded up and corralled by the Thousands and Confined to Small Overcrowded Barren Pens where they end up Dying of Deseases and Other Complications including the way they are fed and cared for in this Cruel Inforced Confinement that Not Only Destroys Their Health but Their Spirit and Soul, is For Their Own Good! Yes, they have Souls! LOOK Into Their Eyes. They are Intelligent, Thinking, Feeling Beings. They have been Removed form Heaven and Throw into Perpetual HELL! EACH DAY EXACTLY THE SAME, JUST STANDING AROUND AND WAITING FOR SOME FOOD TO BE PUT OUT! BOREDOM! No Running the Hills and Valleys, Grazing on the Foods THEY are Use to and Has Kept Them Healthy and Sleek for Generations. Drinking Fresh Cool Water and Wading Out Into the Water to Enjoy the Feel of it! NO! NOW IT’S DEFINITELY HELL! AND THE SLAUGHTER POSSIBILITY THAT ALWAYS LUMES IN THE FUTURE FOR ANY DOESN’T MAKE THIS HELL ANY BETTER!
I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW (example) 150 WILD HORSES ALONE CAN OVERGRAZE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES!!
OUR WILD BURROS ARE ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING STORY! THEY ARE TREATED BY THE BLM SS THEY DO OUR WILD HORSES, BUT THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN A HORSE. THE BLM ARE TRYING TO TOTALY DESTROY, WIPEOUT, ANILALATE ALL OF OUR WILD ONES!
WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN!!!!
Your tribute is so beautiful! He was a magnificent stallion. The curly horses are so unique that they should be considered a national treasure.
Thank You for letting us know about Bubba, I would have been wondering what happened to him.
The loss of Curly Wild Horses should qualify for a category in the 1973 “Endangered Species Act”. Loss of habitat and genetic variations define these beautiful mustangs in the Salt Wells Creek Herd as “Endangered”. BLM will geld every stallion thus create the genetic loss of this rare herd. This extinction movement of our Western Wild Horses is a tragedy in progress .
Well said Louise. The so called “Path Forward” is the Path to Extinction of America’s iconic wild horses. How tragic to live in a world where wild horses no longer run wild and free…
We must fight the decimation, by the BLM , of our beloved wild horses . The welfare of our wild horses takes precedence over the special interest groups who are usurping our public lands.
Such a beautiful tribute to Bubba and your photos are gorgeous!
Carol, beautiful tribute to magnificent Bubba. Your photographs capture his proud essence. I am so sorry to learn that we lost such a glorious stallion. I am grateful that Bubba lived wild and free. His legacy will live on in his progeny.
I hope that this herd will not be zeroed out on the grounds that such a rare curly haired breed of horses will become extinct if permanently removed from the range.
I Truly would NOT want to be any of these people that decide on doing this BLM !! They will stand before God and be asked why !! An answer of any kind will NOT be nothing but excuses !! Why would they(BLM) U kill one of the most beautiful animals that I put on earth to be enjoyed by all my people….SHAME ON U ALL (BLM)
It’s a crying shame the BLM,Greedy politicians, Ranchers are wanting to erase such bloodlines, outstanding genes out on that range!! Magnificent horses! Karma is such a b**** and I hope it lashes out in the worst way towards these despicable people! SAVE THE HORSES!!!!!!
Youre right Carol – he would fit perfectly in those old Spanish pictures of knights & their big horses. Looks much like a Friesian! Twenty years to live wild? Darned good life.
Such beautiful photography. I’m sick to my stomach at what our government calls “management.” blm should be totally dismantled. It has done absolutely NOTHING to protect these iconic symbols of freedom. I’ve loved horses for my entire life. I was guardian and friend to four, a beautiful grade stallion and three gorgeous Arabians. I am in the process of writing to all my elected officials to urge them to take horse issues seriously. Horse slaughter must end, Wild horse roundups must end, horrible horse cruelty (big lick Tennessee Walking horse classes) must end It leaves me speechless that in 2023 we’re still allowing such brutality to these horses. Thank you for sharing this with us. I pray Bubba and all his beautiful departed friends are runnign wild and free in Heaven. Jesus, you cannot come back too soon!
A loss … This boy will be missed …
So sorry to hear this sad news, its heartbreaking.
Beautiful pictures and story of this memorable stallion, well done.
Run wild , healthy and free in Heaven Bubba, you had a life well lived.
You will be missed by many here.