Ep #28: Living with Mustangs
March 11, 2024
White Mountain Wild Horses Once Again at Risk: Please Comment by 3/22/24 to Help
March 18, 2024
by Carol J. Walker
The McCullough Peaks Herd is a small herd of horses near Cody, Wyoming that is much beloved by people across the country and all over the world. I have been following and photographing these horses since 2004. Since 2011 the mares in the herd have been given a form of birth control called PZP that has resulted in a 2% increase in herd size – which the BLM proudly touted as a success story. But they rounded up and removed 40 horses anyway.
This is an ageing herd with a large proportion of horses over 20 years old, which is quite an old age for a wild horse. 6 horses died over the summer, and after the bait trapping began, 6 more died and 5 more went missing. Yet 5 days before the end of the bait trapping the Bureau of Land Management announced that it was going to take not 35 horses as they at first claimed but now 43 because suddenly on January 1, all of the foals born in 2023 were classified as adults, and according to the BLM, brought the population from 175 to 183. In no other HMA in Wyoming are foals less than a year old and even yearlings who are 1 year old are classified as adults and counted toward the population number totals.
The Environmental Assessment that the Cody Field Office put out was full of flaws and inconsistencies, truly the worst EA I have ever read. The only justification for the roundup was that the herd was 35 horses over the Appropriate Management Level of 140. In order to justify a roundup, there needs to be a range assessment showing the impacts of livestock as well as wild horse grazing, showing that there was range degradation from the wild horses that would justify their removal during the bait trapping. That was never done, or if it was it was not included in the Environmental Assessment. The fact that many horses would pass away on their own of old age in the next couple of years was not accounted for. A plan for maintaining the genetic viability of this very small herd using data about the various bloodlines was never made nor carried out. The BLM was concerned about “non-responders” or mares that foaled despite the use of PZP and they added that they would give GonaCon, a known sterilant, to mares over a certain age who had already foaled. However, according to the website, there was no birth control given at all to any of the mares. The local group Friends of a Legacy initially voiced concerns in their comments on the Environmental Assessment, but finally, and much to my bitter disappointment, endorsed the plan of the BLM for this bait trapping.
In the Cody Resource Management Plan it states that foaling season starts February 1 and to avoid wild horses gathers from 6 weeks before to 6 weeks after peak foaling season.
The public was told many things – that only horses 5 and under would be taken. That it would only be 35 horses that were taken. That they would remove horses who had more of a genetic contribution to the herd. That the Lead would stay out there with the horses.
All of these things flew out the window.
The gates between all the pastures were padlocked, the horses were trapped in smaller areas. Of course, the public was not allowed to observe. Roads were blocked off, barricades were put up and only by standing on top of vehicles and using scopes very far away could advocates see what was going on.
When the BLM finally captures horses, they removed nursing foals from their mothers, including 4 month old Skydancer, 5 month old Bandero, and yearling Kat Ballou. They left them in a temporary holding pen alone overnight without supervision, without their mothers, not knowing anything about being in a pen or corral and Kat Ballou was found dead of a head injury in the morning. The necropsy report showed that she did not die immediately. This never should have happened. Foals this young should never have been removed without their mothers. Despite the outcry, the BLM next removed Thora, a 6 month old filly who was still nursing, and a favorite of thousands of people all over the country and the world. With all of the outcry about the removals of these youngsters, the BLM started posting photos to prove they were still alive in the Rock Springs corrals – they have never done this before.
In the last week of the bait trapping, as the March 15 end date (to preserve sage grouse) approached, the BLM was clearly panicking about not meeting their quota and brought in staff from Rock Springs to help capture the horses. In the trap off Whistle Creek Road, the 15 year old stallion named San Jose was only allowing his family inside the trap. So the BLM captured and removed him and his 13 year old mare Black Beauty, initially telling advocates that they would release them later. This is what happened in 2013 during the last bait trapping when Tecumseh was dominating the trap, and he was later released. But they changed their minds and sent San Jose, the last of his bloodline, and Black Beauty to Rock Springs corrals. The BLM had claimed that they would “focus their removal on horses 5 years old and younger.” Instead, 19 out of 40 of the horses removed are adults and some as old as 15. Instead of adjusting the sex ratio as they had planned to more stallions than mares, they removed 21 males and 19 females.
The Cody BLM Office started hanging up on callers and finally unplugged their phones. The Wyoming State office told 4 people I know of that they would release San Jose, Black Beauty and Thora, I think to just get them off the phone. The Office of the Department of the Interior started hanging up on people then stopped answering their phones. This is our government, we pay their salaries and this is a disgrace.
The last two days they announced that they would now be removing 43 horses instead of 35. Instead of picking and choosing which horses would be removed, the BLM removed entire families including many horses in their twenties. They took them to temporary holding in Cody until they were finished sorting them, and then released 10 older horses back to the range. Sandy Sisti happened to be there and was the only member of the public to witness the release. Mares without their stallion, stallions without their mares.
The final count of those horses removed was 40, which includes Kat Ballou. And yes this was less than the 43 horses they had planned – and for these 3 horses that are still free, that is a win. If you would like to see which horses have been removed with photos please see Sandy Sisti’s blog here:
https://www.wildatheartimages.com/blog/mcpeaksroundupthoselost
The herd has been gutted and genetically compromised and if the end game was to ensure its eventual demise then job well done, BLM. This roundup should never have occurred. There are now 138 horses left in this herd, below the number necessary for genetic viability. And no, BLM’s stupid solution of bringing in horses from other HMAs to supposedly fix this is NOT the solution. Taking less horses in the first place is the real solution.
Thank you to all of you who care about these horses and called and emailed, and showed your support for the advocates who went out there for the horses to see and report back what they could. Thank you for all your light and prayers directed to help the horses. Now the focus comes on finding good, quality, safe homes for those who were removed. The BLM has said that they will announce the dates that all the McCullough Peaks horses will be offered for adoption in the Online Corral, and they will be announcing the dates on their Wyoming BLM Facebook page as well as here: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales/events
What can you do now? Well yesterday I received the wonderful news that Gina at the sanctuary For the Love of Aria has offered to help all of our beloved McCullough Peaks horses find homes. Gina is working directly with other sanctuary organizations and private adopters to ensure each and every one of these horses get to where they will be safe. Given that many are over 10, this is truly a wonderful blessing for the horses.
Please donate what you can to For The Love of Aria below. I appreciate everyone who cares about these horses.
You can donate at:
PayPal and Zelle: fortheloveofaria19@gmail.com
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fortheloveofaria
Venmo: @fortheloveofaria
https://account.venmo.com/u/fortheloveofaria
Mail cash or check to:
For the Love of Aria
PO Box 952
Kiowa, CO 80117
11 Comments
I’m outraged you are at the overall management of our wild horses and burros and that you need help from the White House. We are that as a tax paying citizen i’m outraged that my tax dollars are funding such a broken program for our wild horses and burros, Bureau of Land Management is failing at running the Wild Horse & Burro Program and as an American citizen (or international fan of wild horses), I’m incredibly disappointed that our government isn’t protecting wild horses, who are a federally protected species
There isn’t a competent leader at BLM. Not a leader of men nor horses.its disgraceful. But what’s it going to take to change to care first and disrupting last? Must we stand aside and let these wrongs go on?
Very well written, addresses everything the BLM is doing wrong & exactly how it’s hurting the wild horses & not protecting them like the BLM is being paid to… Thank you so much for taking the time to put this all together for us & the wild horses🫶
Please consider reaching out to every tax paying American citizen about this by addressing the financial cost of the BLM’s current ideas on how to “protect” & manage the wild horses who should still have priority of the lands they roam. Removing this federally protected species just so they can turn their protected ranges into better pastures for domestic livestock grazing for a handful of politically fused ranchers is NOT fair, just, or any rational human beings idea of protecting! $500 million every year going to benefit only 2% of our ranching industry, ON TOP of it being at the cost of our iconic wild horses losing their homes & freedom, is about as un-American as it gets & something that everyone in this country should be upset about!
To understand the level of evil happening by our government towards us read or listen on audible “Beyond a Pale Horse.” We can not fight a system we do not understand. We can not say words to make these people care about us or the horses. The planet is on the verge of collapse and balance will only be restored when humans reclaim their divinity and sovereignty. The fact is the round up for us is next, if we don’t stop this evil agenda.”
The McCullough Peaks bait trapping never should have happened. BLM you targeted an aging herd and you broke your own rules wich apparently mean nothing. All agencies involved in this ended up disconnecting phones or not answering after receiving such a huge number of outraged taxpayers expressing our disapproval if the tax paying citizens m9ney to be spent, injuring, killing and breaking up the families. The federal government has exceeded in letting their responsibility if good stewards to the horses and instead choos to decimate our wild horse herds. Know this, there is definitely a special spot in Hell for you so called humans that abuse innocent creatures.
It is Time the Wild Horse/Burro HMA’s were Managed Primarily For the Wild Horses and Burros. That Means Reducing the Number of Domestic Livestock Grazing on Wild Horse/Burro HMA’s. BLM must be Prohibited From Zeroing Out Any More Wild Horse and Burro HMA’s. The Fact Is BLM Management is Showing No Motivation or Inclination tward the Protection and Preservation Wild Horses/Burros on the Wild Horse/Burro HMA’s. The BLM Target AML Goal of 25,000 WH/B is Entirely to Low to Maintain Herd Integrity, Herd Health and Healthy Genetics. Scientific Studies have Proven Individual Herds Need at Least 200 Individuals to Prevent InBreeding and Mutated Genetics. BLM ‘s own DNA Testing has Verified That Donkey Herds are Starting to Show A Decline in The Ability to Maintain A Heathy Gene Pool. “The Path Forward Needs to Be Vetoed”. Positive Steps need to be Taken to Preserve and Protect what Wild Horses/Burros are Remaining on the Wild Horse & Burro HMA’s. BLM needs to Stop Wasting Money on Removing Horses that are in Small Herds Sucessfully Managed with PZP. BLM needs to Evaluate Herds Individually and Conduct an Environmental Assessment before Removing Any Wild Horses/Burros from their HMA’s. BLM needs to Remove Domestic Livestock Before Removing Any Wild Horses/Burros From their HMA’s. BLM needs to Hire BLM Management Persons that Are Experienced and Educated in Equine Management and Herd Health. BLM needs toStop Ware Housing Wild Horses/Burros in Holding Facilities designed like Commercial Cattle Feeding Facilities. Wise Up BLM! It is Bad Animal Husbandry to Ware House Wild Horses/Burros in Condensed Holding Facilities. DISEASE and Death Run Rampant in Condensed Environments. All BLM Facilities housing Wild Horses/Burros need to be Transparent and Accessable to Public Scrutiny. ALL BLM Records Pretaining to Wild Horses/Burros need to be Up To Date, Transparent and Available for Public Review. AMERICA’S Citizens and Tax Payers are Deeply Concerned about America’s Treasured Wild Horses/Burros. Please Listen to Our Voices and Our Concerns. The Whole World is Watching this BLM Fiasco (The Path Foreward) which threatens the Future of Americas Beloved Free Roaming Wild Horses/Burros.
The Wyoming and Cody BLM are so unconscientious in their “management” of this unique and globally appreciated herd. Such a mockery of their honorable duty of defending the rights and integrity of the wild horses under the basic tenets and meaning of the WFHBA! Clearly a major reform is called for. This stated, I must again stand up for Reserve Design and larger herd numbers and habitat provisions for truly genetically viable population levels in commensurate wholistically complete and long-term habitats. This can happen! But enough of us must just insist on it!
The way these horses are treated is the. Most cruel hateful thing. Those babies are no different than a human baby. There are no reasons ever good enough for this. It’s Criminal. It’s mean. A lot of animal haters. There are many ways to fix this but nobody wants to take the time to work together & use Common sense. These animals DONT HAVE TO SUFFER & DIE A CRUEL DEATH.
This information needs to be sent to every news station, national and local. The BLM and our government that oversees them show their true colors with their actions and then dare to lie to callers demeaning answers. Hanging up on the very people whose money is being used for this atrocity. We need the tv and news to conduct accurate investigations into each and every aspect of the BLM
To governor Kristi Noem.. you need to get this figured out FOR OUR WILD HORSES.. you are the most prominent local official where the BLM is ruining one of your tourist attractions and OUR national heritage.
#wyominggovernor #passthesafeact
Mark Gordon is the Governor of Wyoming.