November 29, 2007

• Las Vegas NOW has reported the Nevada BLM has pushed back final test results until next April regarding WHAT caused 71 wild horses to die on the Tonopah Test Range in July. Click HERE to view the KLAS broadcast with complete details. For more wild horse and burro news, go to www.lasvegasnow.com
• Filmaker James Kleinert will show excerpts from his upcoming full documentary, The American Wild Horse this Saturday in Sante Fe, NM.
• Western Horseman Magazine presents an article on how America's wild horses are being used to protect our borders titled Project Noble Mustang.
• American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign has posted the 2007 Final Gather Results and the 2008 Wild Horse & Burro Gather Schedule for those interested in those statistics. BLM releases the Gather Schedule with a "disclaimer" - all gathers, removals and information is subject to change. To view the Schedules, go to: www.wildhorsepreservation.com
• BLM is at it again...more emergency round ups in the Antelope HAs and HMAs in Nevada. This time, BLM states that if they don't immediately remove the wild horses, their deaths will be CATASTROPHIC over the winter. Why? Because BLM "experts" can't seem to figure out by even the largest margins how many wild horses actually reside in their "well-monitored" ranges. Antelope horses were removed in 2002 and again in January 2005 cleansing another 964. At the time, BLM claimed only 319 remained but a "new census" in October revealed that the population had exploded to an estimated 1,181 wild horses in just two years. Wow, are these guys good or what? BLM gave the public 15 days to respond to the CATASTROPHIC emergency round up (having absolutely nothing to do with a fence recently erected that prevents wild horses from migrating to their normal winter range) and BLM expressly forbids the public from commenting via email. If anyone would like to tell BLM what you think about that, you can email William Dunn, Field Manager at William_E_Dunn@blm.gov or Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Benjamin Noyes at Benjamin_Noyes@blm.gov or Public Relations Specialist Chris Hanefeld at Chris_Hanefeld@nv.blm.gov or Nevada Wild Horse and Burro Lead Susie Stokke at Susie_Stokke@nv.blm.gov
• The BLM has announced an extension through December 7, 2007 of their original deadline for public nominations to fill three vacancies on the national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The categories to be filled are: Wild Horse and Burro Advocacy, Veterinarian Medicine and General Public Interest. For experienced WH&B advocates who know how to read between the lines, BLMs extension of the nomination deadline translates into no one has yet submitted a nomination that BLM will "approve of". While advocates who have passionately pursued wild horse and burro preservation have been continually denied appointments for many years, perhaps NOW is the time to try again since BLM seems a little short of qualified individuals they haven't "reappointed to death". For qualifications and submission requirements, go to: For qualifications and submission requirements, go to: href="http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/0711/NR_07_11_19.html">http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/0711/NR_07_11_19.html
• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.

To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html
Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html

November 27, 2007

• Yesterday, Inside Edition did a special news report on the status of Horse Slaughter in America. To read the text of the report, go to: http://www.insideedition.com/ourstories/reports/story.aspx?storyid=1080
• American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign has posted the 2007 Final Gather Results and the 2008 Wild Horse & Burro Gather Schedule for those interested in those statistics. BLM releases the Gather Schedule with a "disclaimer" - all gathers, removals and information is subject to change. To view the Schedules, go to: www.wildhorsepreservation.com
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses cancelled their scheduled November 26, 2007 meeting due to "technical errors", i.e., failing to post their privately sent agenda where the Commission stated it would be posted or to provide for adequate public notice. The Commission did finally post this "secret agenda" the day the meeting was cancelled.

Since the Commission intends to discuss and posssibly take action on significant wild horse and burro issues, both within Nevada and on a National level, the rescheduled date of their meeting addressing these issues is greatly anticipated. The agenda can now be publicly viewed at: www.wildhorse.nv.gov

• BLM is at it again...more emergency round ups in the Antelope HAs and HMAs in Nevada. This time, BLM states that if they don't immediately remove the wild horses, their deaths will be CATASTROPHIC over the winter. Why? Because BLM "experts" can't seem to figure out by even the largest margins how many wild horses actually reside in their "well-monitored" ranges. Antelope horses were removed in 2002 and again in January 2005 cleansing another 964. At the time, BLM claimed only 319 remained but a "new census" in October revealed that the population had exploded to an estimated 1,181 wild horses in just two years. Wow, are these guys good or what? BLM gave the public 15 days to respond to the CATASTROPHIC emergency round up (having absolutely nothing to do with a fence recently erected that prevents wild horses from migrating to their normal winter range) and BLM expressly forbids the public from commenting via email. If anyone would like to tell BLM what you think about that, you can email William Dunn, Field Manager at William_E_Dunn@blm.gov or Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Benjamin Noyes at Benjamin_Noyes@blm.gov or Public Relations Specialist Chris Hanefeld at Chris_Hanefeld@nv.blm.gov or Nevada Wild Horse and Burro Lead Susie Stokke at Susie_Stokke@nv.blm.gov
• The BLM has announced an extension through December 7, 2007 of their original deadline for public nominations to fill three vacancies on the national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The categories to be filled are: Wild Horse and Burro Advocacy, Veterinarian Medicine and General Public Interest. For experienced WH&B advocates who know how to read between the lines, BLMs extension of the nomination deadline translates into no one has yet submitted a nomination that BLM will "approve of". While advocates who have passionately pursued wild horse and burro preservation have been continually denied appointments for many years, perhaps NOW is the time to try again since BLM seems a little short of qualified individuals they haven't "reappointed to death". For qualifications and submission requirements, go to: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/0711/NR_07_11_19.html
• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.

To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html

Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html

November 24, 2007

• The recent death of a black stallion in Corolla, Virginia has been confirmed as resulting from a gunshot wound- the seventh wild horse shot in the area in the last six years. http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_111907_horse_wild_shot.1c683737.html
• The Wild Horse Preservation League is sponsoring the Fund-a-Flake program by distributing donation cans around Central Lyon County. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071123/DAYTON/111230132
• An interesting historical letter from Chief Seattle dated from the 1800's that poignantly describes a completely different attitude towards living with the Earth and of course, wild horses. http://jameskilgarriff.wordpress.com/2007/11/23/letter-from-chief-seattle/
• In true irony, while Australia plots the murder of 10,000 "feral" wild horses, they celebrate the birth of the first Przewalski foal in seven years at their zoo because it is the only "true" wild horse and therefore "special". It's special mainly because it was hunted into extinction in the wild with the only survivors having been domesticated. http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/11/133.shtml
• By odd coincidence, a blog titled Kyklops offers photos of wild horses in Japan that have strikingly similar features to the photo provided of the Przewalski horses referenced above. http://kyklops.blogspot.com/2007/11/horses-of-cape-toi.html
• A newly released study focuses on horses dispersing weed seeds. While cattle, sheep, rabbits and deer were also cited as having many seeds survive, the study only focused on the "large numbers of horses on public lands". Wonder who cut the check that funded that study? http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/11/135.shtml?refer=rss
• BLM is at it again...more emergency round ups in the Antelope HAs and HMAs in Nevada. This time, BLM states that if they don't immediately remove the wild horses, their deaths will be CATASTROPHIC over the winter. Why? Because BLM "experts" can't seem to figure out by even the largest margins how many wild horses actually reside in their "well-monitored" ranges. Antelope horses were removed in 2002 and again in January 2005 cleansing another 964. At the time, BLM claimed only 319 remained but a "new census" in October revealed that the population had exploded to an estimated 1,181 wild horses in just two years. Wow, are these guys good or what? BLM gave the public 15 days to respond to the CATASTROPHIC emergency round up (having absolutely nothing to do with a fence recently erected that prevents wild horses from migrating to their normal winter range) and BLM expressly forbids the public from commenting via email. If anyone would like to tell BLM what you think about that, you can email William Dunn, Field Manager at William_E_Dunn@blm.gov or Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Benjamin Noyes at Benjamin_Noyes@blm.gov or Public Relations Specialist Chris Hanefeld at Chris_Hanefeld@nv.blm.gov or Nevada Wild Horse and Burro Lead Susie Stokke at Susie_Stokke@nv.blm.gov
• The BLM has announced an extension through December 7, 2007 of their original deadline for public nominations to fill three vacancies on the national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The categories to be filled are: Wild Horse and Burro Advocacy, Veterinarian Medicine and General Public Interest. For experienced WH&B advocates who know how to read between the lines, BLMs extension of the nomination deadline translates into no one has yet submitted a nomination that BLM will "approve of". While advocates who have passionately pursued wild horse and burro preservation have been continually denied appointments for many years, perhaps NOW is the time to try again since BLM seems a little short of qualified individuals they haven't "reappointed to death". For qualifications and submission requirements, go to: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/0711/NR_07_11_19.html
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.

The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:

1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.

3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.

4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.

• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.

To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html

Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html

November 21, 2007

• Give A Horse A Second Chance, a book about adopting and caring for rescue horses. Includes favorable reviews for the book by Western Horseman, Horse Illustrated and the Natural Horse. http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK1HIOS8NBG4MAM
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.

The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:

1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.

3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.

4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.

• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.

To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html

Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html

November 20, 2007

• Another horse was found dead by gunshot on Friday from the Corolla wild horse herd, bringing the total up to seven since 2001. An additional horse was found decomposing in a march in July 2006. Despite the reward of $12,000 being offered for information leading to arrest and conviction of the horse shootings, no progress has been made in the investigations. http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=137210&ran=182430
• Committee member, Sharon Brown of the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Preservation Society in New Zealand is pressing for oversight of the horses owned by Murray Haitana and Martin Foote's Wild Horses of Aotearoa Charitable Trust. Horses are skinny and have been put down with their remains allowed to naturally decompose on the sanctuary grounds. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4280959a11.html
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.
  
  The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:
  
  1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.
  
  2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.
  
  3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.
  
  4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.
  
  
• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.
  
  To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html


• Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007
  http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
• Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008
  http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
• Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008
  http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
• Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008
  http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
• Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
  

November 19, 2007

• The National Transportation and Safety Board has released a preliminary report regarding the reasons a helicopter crashed during the recent removals of wild horses from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The final reports release date is still unknown. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=7bd6552f-e93d-4a15-beb6-174faf2e1d56
• Hoof Rehabilitation Specialist, Pete Ramey, posts an article about his first time experience with studying wild horse hooves. Pete is pioneering new techniques and data regarding hoof care and is also working on sharing his valuable insight and studies with others through extensive workshops, a book titled, Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You and a recently released DVD series titled, Under The Horse. Expanding his research to include wild horses, Pete states, " So I walked into wild horse country thinking I was a tourist on a trip; confirming what I already knew. I could not have been more blind.....I thought I was ready, but what I saw literally blew me away. I have worked on thousands of horses, all over the world.....Understand that after two minutes with the wild ones, I knew I had never seen a true horse. I literaly had no idea of their potential". A fascinating article on every account - highly recommended, both for Pete's insights and expanding education into proper care for hooves!!! http://www.hoofrehab.com/wild_horses.htm
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.

The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:

1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.

3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.

4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.

November 18, 2007

• Conservation Magazine presents an indepth article titled Wildlife Contraception by Douglas Fox on the use of contraceptives for wildlife. Focuses on the origination and history of PZP and how it is being used on wild horses, elephants and deer. http://www.conbio.org/CIP/article40712.cfm
• Celebration abounds as the only "true wild horse" and teetering on extinction, the Przewalski horses at the Monarto Zoo finally has a foal that survived since 2001. http://www.news.com.au:80/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22776351-2682,00.html
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.

The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:

1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.
2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.
3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.
4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.