Wild Horses: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Wyoming Roundups, Part 1
November 6, 2011Wild Horses: The Good, The Bad and the ugly in Wyoming Roundups, Part 2
November 14, 2011
Mare and foal in Great Divide Basin
Three weeks ago I was asked by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign to lead a BBC News Crew out to see wild horses near Rock Springs. Since the closest herd to Rock Springs, living in the White Mountain Herd Area had recently been rounded up and its numbers decimated, the best choice was the Great Divide Basin Herd, which was scheduled to be rounded up at the end of the month.
Here is the video that they took on our day on the horse range:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15599367
I headed up the day before to scout the area to see the best place to find horses, and saw several bands with horses curious enough to approach me.
Stallion stays in front
Stallion and Mare
The whole band
The nest morning we headed out to the horse range early in the morning with the
news crew and Jonathan Ratner, Director of Western Watersheds.
Proud stallion runs up
We spent about 5 hours driving around the area and saw over a hundred horses. One of my favorites was a mare with dreadlocks, and another huge band was far off on the horizon, but did not allow us to get closer.
Stallion running down the hill
The wind began to get stronger and stronger, typical of Wyoming, as we drove, and yet we continued, with the crew interviewing both Jonathan and I.
The crew working getting sound
Interviewing Jonathan Ratner of Western Watersheds
They told me that they had an interview in Rock Springs scheduled with Lance Porter of the BLM but were unable to find any Rock Springs Grazing Association members willing to comment on camera in their part in the lawsuit against the BLM that seeks to remove all wild horses from over 2 million acres of private and public lands in Wyoming.
Small band runs
We had a wonderful day and saw many bands of horses, proud and wild and free as they should be.
Large group of horses on the hill
It was sad leaving the area, knowing that the next time I would see these horses would be as they were being rounded up and most of them removed, soon to lose their freedom forever. The roundup of the Great Divide Basin horses is taking place right now. Over 1100 horses have been rounded up, and only a fraction of them will be released.
A stallion turns toward us
6 Comments
I really care about theses horses but find it difficult to read about all the roundups going on. I appreciate all the efforts of those that work full time on trying to get things changed with the management of these horses and lands. However, it is quite a complicated and a real controversal issue. I cannot believe was happening and got involved with learning more about their plight. Never knew about all the politics involved with the BLM. I’m doing my best to help things by writing letters, signing petitions, etc. In the meantime thousands are losing their freedom everyday. Hearbreaking situation.
International coverage of the BLM roundup debacle is appreciated in order to provide wider knowledge of what the BLM is doing to wild horses (and burros) it was, however disconcerting to see Deb Sundberg (mustang adopter) acting as an opologist for the BLM by stating horses are starving and need to be saved by rounding them up. Apparently Sundberg hasn’t noticed how fit and healthy these herds are and bought into the BLM propaganda.
Great job in showing the BBC these beautiful bands of proud, wild horses, free to be what they are.
I was refreshed to read about some one else that has found that same warm feeling I have everytime I am around these magnificent animals and the very nice pictures he took and exhibted and about theses Wild Horses living in their environment. He helped me to get that feeling back again. I have not been able to spend that kind of time with them anymore since I was involved in a truck driving accident, which has left me in chronic pain 24/7 and materially broke to the point I can not go to a place like this to get that warm feeling of being with these Wild Horses in Their home.
Once again Thanks so much for the return visit,
Ross S. Zumsteg
A Rancher will welcome a fracking well on their land, but complain about the wild horses. The value of wild horses on our lands can never be replaced. The water taken away by fracking our lands will also never be replaced.
Beautiful article & photography. I despise the various U.S. government bureaucrats responsible for this outrage, however.
[…] Carol shares her account of that day, including many gorgeous images of the wild horses, on her blog. […]