I Want To Be Free
This piece of art is a tribute to all the wild horses that are in danger of being killed by the very erroneous and corrupt BLM
(Bureau Of Land Management). Due to their ongoing and aggressive wild horse round ups, the BLM now has more than 30,000 wild horses in federal holding facilities (more horses than remain in the wild). In an effort to deal with the financial and logistical problem that was created by ill-advised round ups, BLM is considering building a quick-fix directly into its "adopt-a-horse" program: a fee waiver along with immediate titling of adopted horses. In other words, BLM is considering giving away America's wild horses AND removing the mechanism that was put in place to protect them from slaughter. This, in BLM's own words, would "open up theCanadian market." The other option that BLM is considering is euthanizing thousands of perfectly healthy horses. ( This is the option they seem to be leaning toward the most. Killing horses in order to balance their budget is so outrageous to me I wish I could slap every one of them running the BLM in the face.)
First off horses are NOT over populated by any sense of the numbers. It turns out that the claims of the BLM have been extremely inflated. They claim there are still 33,000 wild horses on the range but infact there are only about 13,000 left. Far far below genetic viability among herds. BLM does not keep good number counts on purpose. Horses have actually disappeared in some areas of the range due to round ups and birth control darting they have been doing to the mares. (Which should not be done either because it causes abscesses and out of season foaling.)
BLM are trying their very best to eradicate wild horses from the public lands so that cattle ranchers and hunters and now even oil companies can exploit every last bit of the public lands all at tax payer expense. This pisses me off!!!!!!!!! I love horses and for America to lose and Icon like the wild horse would be very tragic.
If any one has ever seen the PBS special Cloud the Stallion of the Rockies. The BLM plan on removing ALL but 90 horses, castrating the males and darting the mares with birth control. Thus signing the death/extinction warrant for this very unique breed of wild horse. Cloud, the star stallion of the series would be one the horses removed because he is older 10 and his family of mares.
From the http://www.CloudFoundation.org web site.
The deadline for comments on the BLM’s drastic Pryor Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) is this Friday, July 11th. Let me summarize the key talking points to include in your message to Jared Bybee, wild horse specialist. (I know the 11th is a deadline but I will be submitting comments far past this date. To addresses listed below and comment form at the BLM web site)
Work to expand the legal wild horse range boundaries to include the historic use areas in the Custer National Forest. This will allow for a truly viable herd of 200-300 mustangs.
Keep the population at a viable number of at least 150 adults until range expansion is achieved. This will allow for the preservation of the rare Spanish genetics of the herd. Bringing in horses from other herds is ill advised, unnecessary and costly.
Work to protect the mountain lions that have kept the herd at zero population growth in years past. This is natural management which should be the goal.
Avoid manipulating the population to favor males 60-40% over females. This ratio would increase stallion competition for mares, putting more stress on all the horses.
Stop field darting mares with infertility drugs that have resulted in abscesses and out-of-season births on the Pryors.
BLM’s plan would bring the herd to just 90 animals, continue infertility drugs and ignore the possibility of range expansion into the Custer National Forest. This is unacceptable.
The main reason BLM cites for gutting the herd is the lack of adequate forage in the legal range. This is a bogus argument because:
1. The Pryor wild horses don’t use just the designated range, but an area far larger in the Custer National Forest.
2. The range appears to be in great condition and with the continuing abundant moisture, local residents are saying that the range has never looked better.
Removing horses this year exposes them to a greater than normal risk due to the lack of buyers. People are unable to sell trained, young horses. Wild horses could end up going to Canada and Mexico to slaughter. The safest place for our mustangs is on the range.
To protect Cloud’s herd, please make your voice heard by writing, faxing, or e-mailing: Jared Bybee by this Friday, July 11th:
Jared Bybee, State Wild Horse and Burro Specialist
BLM -Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101
phone (406) 896-5223, fax (406) 896-5281.
Or email him at (MT_WildHorse@blm.gov)
The subject line must contain “Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range/Territory Preliminary Environmental Assessment and Draft HMAP”
Because wild horse numbers are so low in the wild, every horse that has been corralled in holding pens, which is one of the main reasons for budget issues for the BLM, then every one of the wild horses needs to be returned to the wild. There is no over population of wild horse and burros. This issue has been completely fabricated by the BLM.
Please contact the BLM about the future of ALL wild horses not just Pryor Mountain horses.
Thank you for reading my blog about this issue. I feel very strongly about protecting the wild horses. I will be writing more blogs in the future about other subjects soon. Thank you,
Regards
Jodi Bauter
