WATCH: the horses we’d lose
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
With all the political hurdles and jargon, let’s not lose sight of what we’re protecting.
Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the Onaqui range in Utah. Beautiful, majestic and healthy bands roaming the American countryside. Animals that roam on a tiny fraction of public lands. Animals that should be protected, not destroyed.
Song, ‘All The Wild Horses’ by Adam Thibert. Purchase song here.
These are the images that have driven me to make this my life’s work. And I know we cannot rest or let up.
I visited the Onaqui range a day after the Utah pro-slaughter summit “delegation” visited. It was a carefully orchestrated sham, using their “field visit” to justify the mass slaughter of America’s wild horses. Our opponents claim wild horses are starving and suffering.
The reality: healthy horses. Look at the pictures yourself. There is no crisis on our public lands. There are healthy, wild horses thriving on the countryside. Horses that could be safely, economically, and humanely managed with fertility control.
Our government should be protecting these animals, not plotting how to eliminate them.
As September begins, there will be lots of talk about continuing resolutions, committee votes, and legislative markup. But let’s not forget what it all boils down to: the protection of America’s symbol of freedom.
Thank you for being with us,
Suzanne Roy
P.S. Your donation will fund active programs now that pressure lawmakers, educate influencers, and expand our grassroots movement. Please donate — we NEED your support.
Two calls
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
It’s the last week of the summer congressional recess. And it’s looking increasingly likely that the fate of America’s wild horses and burros will come down to the actions of the United States Senate.
That’s why NOW is the time to call both of your U.S. Senators.
Don’t know the phone number for your Senator? Call the switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected.
Tell them:
“I’m [name] and a constituent of Sen. xx. I urge him/her to vote to ensure that any 2018 Interior Department spending legislation maintains the prohibitions against killing healthy wild horses and burros or selling them for slaughter. 80% of Americans oppose killing these national icons, please stand with us by protecting these national icons from mass killing and slaughter.”
When you’re done, you can click here to follow-up with an email to both of your Senators.
All our hard work is paying off. Last week, we exposed the sham pro-slaughter summit in Utah, we hand delivered over 300,000 petition signatures to a key swing vote in Congress, and new, bipartisan legislation was introduced to maintain the ban on killing healthy horses.
When this summer began, things looked bleak. It appeared the White House and Congress were about to do the unthinkable — open the door to the killing of nearly 100,000 healthy horses and burros. We now have a real chance to stop this, and to protect America’s majestic icons of freedom.
We cannot let up. Call, call, call. Email, email, email. Keep up the great work. You’re making a real difference.
Thank you,
Grace Kuhn
P.S. If you are able, also please consider a donation. We’re pulling out all the stops right now and every dollar helps.
Blue Needs Your Help!
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Help Blue Step Into His New Future!
Blue is a young mustang gelding out of Nevada who came to AAE after Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund and Virginia Range Wild Horse Sanctuary asked for assistance with this handsome guy. He had a large mass over his rear fetlock/pastern area, and was unhalterable when he arrived at AAE.
He made great progress getting ready for his initial veterinary evaluation (exam, radiographs, and biopsy) resulted in a positive outlook. The bone in his fetlock area looked good and a biopsy confirmed the growth to be granulation tissue (proud flesh). However, due to the size of the mass, healing was expected to take considerable time.
We started working on gentling and desensitizing Blue to get him comfortable with his legs being handled for post-surgical care (treatment and bandaging). However, he experienced a set back with what we initially thought was a reaction to something (e.g. fly spray, a weed, a bite, or some other toxin) and required additional diagnostics, treatment and healing before we could move forward with surgery.
Blue made great strides with accepting humans and allowing his leg to be handled. Understandably, he was very sensitive with anything near the “blob”. His surgery was successfully completed on Wednesday, August 23. Due to the size, nature, and location of the surgery, he will need long term bandaging and care for best healing results. We are anticipating needing lots of bandaging materials, post-op care, and likely the use of sedation in early visits to ensure safe handling.
Your hard work is paying off
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Earlier this week, we delivered 300,000 petition signatures against the killing of wild horses and burros to Rep. Amodei’s office in Nevada. And the news media joined us. Watch what that many signatures looks like walking into a Congressional office!
Last week, we traveled to Utah to document the first roundup of wild horses this season. Contrary to the claim perpetuated by the BLM, politicians and ranchers that mustangs are starving on the range, our video shows healthy wild horses being captured and it has reached over 1 million people.
That’s just the beginning. Thanks to you, we blanketed Salt Lake City with ads,activated grassroots supporters in Utah, and held a press conference. The headlines exposed the sham wild horse summit:
Critics maintain Utah mustang meeting a secretive ‘slaughter summit’
Utah State University hosts wild horse summit, but excludes key advocates and the public
State & Federal managers discuss fate of wild horses, with media and advocates locked out
And yesterday, a bipartisan amendment was introduced in the House Representatives by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Peter King (R-NY) and Jared Polis (D-CO) to reverse the deadly Stewart Amendment and restore the prohibition on killing healthy, federally-protected wild horses and burros.
Our goal this summer has been to keep the pressure on, expose our opponents’ real agenda, and set the table for September, which we expect will be the deciding month for our movement and for the future of wild horses and burros in this country.
We’re off to a strong start. But we need you to keep up the pressure. So keep emailing, calling, donating, and sharing. We will win this fight!
Thank you,
Grace Kuhn
Before the summer ends
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Thank you for being a part of our #NoRecessForHorses Summer of Action. Our goal has been to keep the pressure every day on legislators while they’re back home to make it clear: the American people will not stand for the mass slaughter of America’s wild horses. Our own polling shows 80% of Americans are with us.
Have you spoken to your Representative yet? If not, its not too late to be heard. Here’s what you can do:
1) Find out if your member is holding a town hall: https://townhallproject.com/
If they are, please attend and ask them if they are committed to stoping any attempts towards the slaughter, euthanasia, or destruction of healthy wild horses. If they answer, make sure to let us know: contact@
2) No town hall? Call your member’s district (not Washington D.C.) office and ask them if you can schedule a meeting with your congressperson or legislative aide. You can find the number for your congressperson here. And you can look up talking points here.
3) In addition to meeting in-person, make sure to keep calling and emailing.You can use our tool here to get in touch now.
If you don’t know where your member stands on this issue, now’s the time to find out. And if they’re supporting slaughter, now is the time to change their mind! Votes are expected in September that may decide the fate of American wild horses. So keep up the pressure! #NoHorseSlaughter #NoRecessForHorses!
Thank you!
-Grace Kuhn
Call for Topics for AHC’s Webinar!
The following is from the American Horse Council:
What Topics Would You Like to Hear?
The AHC wants your opinion!
What should our next webinar topic be? Is there anyone in particular you would like to hear speak?
Please let us know by taking the short survey below! We would like all responses no later than September 15th.
If you have any questions, please contact the AHC at info@horsecouncil.org.
Welcome to the slaughter summit
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
They have arrived. Today, the “wild horse summit” kicks off in Salt Lake City, bringing together pro-slaughter “wildlife managers” and livestock special interests to lay the roadmap for the killing of America’s healthy wild horses. They’re banking on the pro-slaughter federal legislation passing.
As you can imagine, we were not invited. But we’re heading to Salt Lake City anyways. Thanks to your help, our billboard is up, our digital ads are running, and we’re planning a press conference and grassroots mobilization.
You can join our efforts now by sharing this graphic on Facebook:
This week’s summit is a pro-slaughter sham. People with actual experience implementing humane management solutions are being deliberately excluded. Peer-reviewed science documenting the success of humane fertility control as an alternative to roundup and slaughter is being censored.
But thanks to your help, we’re not going to let federal officials and politicians hear only their one-sided, pro-slaughter message.
Thank you for everything. Let’s keep it up!
— Grace Kuhn, American Wild Horse Campaign
P.S. We still need donations to help support our efforts this week in Salt Lake City and around the country.
CHILLY PEPPER UPDATE – Starved Stallions & Orphan Adoptions
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
Meet Walker, a Yakama stallion saved from slaughter. As you can see, he is in desperate need of groceries. He is in the worst shape of the 7 we picked up, but they are all in extremely poor condition. However, when you think of his alternate destination, slaughter would have been his destiny.
We have some great news on the baby front. We have 5 scheduled adoptions for babies heading to their new homes in California. This will help our “milk load” tremendously, and leave only 10 orphans vs. the 15 we have now.
We also have potential homes for 7 of the younger stallions, AFTER they are gelded. Right now we really need to raise funds to accomplish that. Then they will be off the Chilly Pepper books for good. :)
Until we geld and place more horses, I have to say “no”, to anything but babies, and that is a horrific thought. We also had a lady who was trying to sponsor the gelding of these 14 stallions, but her funding fell through.
So we have been taking some serious hits in the financial area, but I know that God will provide as this is His rescue.
Our little man Sky seems to be heading towards darkness, as he is losing much of his vision. We are not sure how much he has lost so far, but he is obviously having severe problems. We suspected as much weeks ago, but he has unfortunately proven it to be a certainty. We just don’t know if he will keep any of his sight. But he is a sweetheart.
You did it (and what’s next!)
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
You did it. In less than a week, you blew past our goal of $10,000 to put a billboard up in Salt Lake City during the pro-slaughter “Wild Horse Summit.” Thanks to your help, the billboard goes up tomorrow morning as legislators and pro-slaughter “wildlife managers” arrive in Utah. (We’ll post pictures of the live billboard on our Facebook page early this week.)
We’ve now raised nearly $20,000 and if we can raise another $10,000, we can add billboards in Phoenix, Reno, and Las Vegas — targeting some of the key votes that could decide the fate of wild horses in our country.
The summit this week in Salt Lake City is a sham. The gathering will bring together pro-slaughter “wildlife managers” and other special interests to lay the roadmap for the killing of America’s healthy wild horses. They’re banking on the pro-slaughter legislation passing.
We were not invited. People with actual experience implementing humane management solutions are being deliberately excluded. Peer-reviewed science documenting the success of humane fertility control as an alternative to roundup and slaughter is being censored.
But we’re not going to let federal officials and politicians hear only their one-sided, pro-slaughter message. Our billboard goes up on Monday, we’re saturating the event and hotel with mobile and digital ads, and on Wednesday we’re working with our coalition partner, The Cloud Foundation, and convening a press conference to raise attention to our (correct) side of the story.
We will not let undecided legislators and the media get taken for a ride.
This has to be our strategy nationwide. Our opponents are running aggressive campaigns to get their way. They’re convening summits, holding dinners, and lobbying. They’re banking on the hope that we won’t be as aggressive or as savvy. They’re wrong.
Thank you,
Suzanne Roy
Our slaughter opponents are pulling a fast one
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our opponents are trying to pull a fast one on us. They’re taking Utah public money to convene a “Wild Horse Summit” in Salt Lake City next week. The gathering will attract pro-slaughter “wildlife managers” and other pro-ranching special interests to lay the roadmap to begin the killing of America’s healthy wild horses. The Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, is expected to attend.
We were not invited. People with actual experience implementing humane management solutions are being deliberately excluded. Peer-reviewed science documenting the success of humane fertility control as an alternative to roundup and slaughter is being censored.
But we’re not going to let federal officials and politicians hear only their one-sided, pro-slaughter message. Will you help us fund this billboard and other advertisements within Salt Lake City?
We have just 48 hours to raise $10,000 to fund this billboard, social media ads and media campaign to fight back.
Our opponents are trying to cook up every slanted argument they can: they claim the healthy horses are dying on the range and should be euthanized (not true). They claim they’re overrunning our public lands (even though horses are on only 17% of BLM rangeland). And they claim killing is the only way to manage the population (despite the sound science of proven birth control methods).
We need to get the facts out there. Our team will be working with the media to correct the facts, and we’ll be running digital and outdoor ads in Salt Lake City to make it clear how the American public feels about slaughter.
We need your help to do this. With Congress currently considering pro-slaughter legislation, we cannot let this Salt Lake City pro-slaughter dog-and-pony show take place without us fighting back.
Thank you,
Suzanne Roy
Deadline Extended to Take Survey for Economic Impact Study
The following is from the American Horse Council:
The American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF) has announced that it will be extending the deadline to take the survey to update the National Economic Impact Study to September 4th.
AHCF and Study sponsors felt the deadline should be extended due to a last-minute surge in responses to give everyone ample opportunity to complete the survey, allow for the ‘back to school’ audience, and responses in progress. The AHC continues to encourage people to share the survey link on available platforms such as email, social media, blogs, websites, etc. For those interested in sharing the survey, please use the following link: https://innovationgroup.
This study documents the economic effects of racing, showing, recreation, rodeo and other segments of the horse industry on the state and national economy. It provides invaluable data on the number of horses, jobs, and related industries that are impacted by horse ownership, and it shows the diverseness of the industry we all love. The economic data that we collect from this study will help us chart a course for the future, and give the general public and members of Congress the most accurate portrait of the economic impact the diverse equine industry has.
As a reminder, all data is completely confidential, and will not be shared. As such, the AHC encourages survey respondents to share as much economic data as they can in order to ensure the most accurate economic impact portrait of the diverse equine industry. The AHC particularly encourages everyone to provide information on your horse-related expenses since they will form the primary basis of the economic impact.
If you have any questions, please contact the AHC. We appreciate your participation in the update of this incrediby important study!
Stop Flu Where it Starts
The following is from the Merck Animal Health:
Trust Flu Avert ® I.N. for superior protection against relevant flu strains threatening the U.S. horse population.1
- Just ONE dose required
- An ideal first flu vaccine for young horses
- Provides protection at the site of infection and long-lasting immunity
- Proven safe and effective
- Intranasal application leaves no risk for injection site reactions to interfere with training or competing
- Rapid onset of protection
- Onset of flu protection within five to seven days following one dose – no matter when your horse was last vaccinated for flu.2
Now that’s exceptional.
Visit us online to learn more about Merck Animal Health and the equine products and programs that help you keep horses healthy.
1 UC Davis (Nicola Pusterla) & Merck Animal Health. Infectious Upper Respiratory Surveillance Program. Ongoing Research 2008-present.
2 Townsend HGG. Onset of protection against live-virus equine influenza challenge following vaccination naive horses with a modified-live vaccine. Unpublished data.
2 Giralda Farms • Madison, NJ 07940 • merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767
Copyright © 2017 Intervet Inc., d/b/a/ Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.
All rights reserved. 3654 EQ-FA EMAIL
CHILLY PEPPER UPDATE – MORE CRITICAL BABIES & WE’RE BACK ON THE ROAD!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
ABOVE – one of our newest critical kids, “Little Riata”, who is in extremely rough shape.
She is another starvation case with a severe injury to her back leg. She and Tesla’s Full Moon (another orphan from NV) were delivered to CPMM two days ago. Little Riata will also need veterinary care as well as special feed to give her a chance at survival.
Travis (my son) and I are back on the road and picking up the stock trailer, 7 stallions and 4 orphans. We are driving the “back up”, a 2003 Ford who has also been living at the shop. The good news is that she has another year under her “used truck” warranty, so hopefully she will be a reliable “band aid”. We will also be needing 6 new tires for her today, prior to hooking up the trailer and loading our precious cargo. (Approx estimate $1500).
Matt is busy working on other projects so everyone is busy as usual.
This summer we stop slaughter
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Friend –
With Congress going home for its August recess and the legislative future on horse slaughter still unclear, we asked you what our movement should do this month: sit tight OR keep up the pressure. Your response was clear: give them hell. Make it clear the American people will not stand for the destruction or slaughter of America’s wild horses.
So today we’re launching our #NoRecessForHorses Summer of Action. In the next three weeks, we’ll be visiting congressional offices, holding local events, activating supporters, putting up billboards, and, in short, making ourselves very, very loud.
To kick things off:
We need every signature we can get. We’ll be hand-delivering the petition to key congressional offices, inviting the press and our local supporters to join.
Our opponents would love nothing more than if this issue stays quiet. They’ve seen the polling — they know 80% of Americans oppose horse slaughter. They want to confuse the issue, rename the word “slaughter” to something else, and hope we sit on the sidelines as they try to pass this terrible, cruel policy.
We won’t let them. Make sure you sign the petition now, then forward it to five friends! Thank you for standing for standing with us.
For the horses,
Suzanne Roy
P.S. After signing, forward this email to five friends and click here to share on Facebook.
Townhall Time
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Friend –
Where does your member of Congress stand on protecting wild horses? If you don’t know, now’s the time to find out. And if they’re supporting slaughter, now is the time to change their mind. Votes are expected in September that may decide the fate of American wild horses.
Take action right now while your member of Congress is home for August recess:
1) Find out if your member is holding a town hall: https://townhallproject.
If they are, please attend and ask them if they will stop any attempts towards the slaughter, euthanasia, or destruction of healthy wild horses. If they answer, make sure to let us know their answer: contact@
2) No town hall? Call your member’s district (not Washington D.C.) officeand ask them if you can schedule a meeting with your congressperson or legislative aide. You can find the number for your congressperson here. And you can look up talking points here. Be sure to email us if you schedule a meeting!
3) In addition to meeting in-person, make sure to keep calling and emailing. You can use our tool here to get in touch now.
Keep up the pressure! #NoHorseSlaughter #NoRecessForHorses!
– Grace Kuhn
Tell Lawmakers to Reduce Red Tape for Guest Workers, Small Business
The following is from the American Horse Council:
As members of Congress return to their home states to visit constituents through Labor Day, the American Horse Council urges members to advocate for legislative solutions to the federal government’s beleaguered temporary worker visa program. To fix the regulatory chaos that plagues the H-2B application process, tell your elected officials – whether during a town hall meeting or visit to the local farmers’ market – to support the important measures below. In the event you don’t see your elected officials this summer, you can contact their D.C. offices at 202-225-3121, where staff members will note your concerns and brief your representatives when they return in the fall.
Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
For immediate relief, tell lawmakers to support H-2B cap and regulatory flexibility through the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process. Congress is considering language in the current spending bill that will force agencies to manage the visa program in an efficient manner for at least one year. With the current fiscal year ending September 30, Congress must address funding immediately after Labor Day. For long-term fixes to the broken system, see the measures below:
Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2017 (S. 792)
- This bipartisan bill would establish clear guidelines for employers hiring H-2B workers, assuring that U.S. citizens are not displaced in the job market;
- Provide cap relief by establishing a common sense exemption for well-vetted workers who have already held a visa during the previous three years;
- And require increased coordination between the Departments of Labor (DHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) to reduce red tape and delays.
Strengthen Employment and Seasonal Opportunities Now Act of 2017 (SEASON) (H.R. 2004)
- Similar to the Senate bill, this legislation would expand exemptions for workers who have previously been vetted by immigration officials, thereby increasing cap relief.
- Establish expedited processing of applications to meet labor demands during peak seasons.
- And exempt temporary visa holders from tax credits otherwise available to full-time U.S. residents, thereby reducing costs to taxpayers.
In mid-January, the government hit the 33,000 visa cap for the first half of the year. In March, the agency met its 33,000 visa allocation for the second half of 2017, leaving many small businesses who rely on seasonal labor without workers for the summer months. Although DHS issued an additional 15,000 visas on July 17, the agency issued those visas on an ad hoc, discretionary basis, undermining common sense business planning. The July decision will also create limited benefits for small businesses relying on summertime help.
For more information on immigration and related legislation and federal actions, please contact Bryan Brendle, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, at 202-296-4031 or bbrendle@horsecouncil.org.
Get Your Limited Edition #ImWithTheBand Apparel!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This week only…Get your limited edition #ImWithTheBand T-shirt…and support our work!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our limited-edition #ImWithTheBand T-shirts inspired by a beautiful image of Wyoming wild horses by renowned photographer, Kimerlee Curyl! For the next six days, our friends at FLOAT will donate $8 for every shirt sold to the American Wild Horse Campaign.
Please visit www.float.org and SHOP today – there are lots of fun colors and styles to choose from! This is a great way to support our work to protect America’s wild horsesand look fabulous! Don’t miss this opportunity!
Congress Continues to Promote Land Access
The following is from the American Horse Council:
On July 26, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced the “Recreation Not Red-Tape Act (RNR)” (S. 1633, H.R. 3400), legislation that expands the scope of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (PL 114-245), signed into law in late 2016. While the RNR focuses on streamlined permitting to access public lands, the bill includes provisions that would authorize the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to enter into cooperative agreements with private parties to promote the role of volunteers in trail maintenance. The bill also authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and BLM to develop an interagency trail management plan that will assure uniform maintenance standards for trails crossing jurisdictional lines between the two agencies.
The Trails Act outlines a detailed program including goals and timetables by which the USDA will leverage private partners to clear trails long overdue for maintenance. Unlike the RNR Act, which applies to both the BLM and USDA’s National Forest System (NFS), the Trails Act focuses only on trails under the jurisdiction of the NFS.
Chairman Bishop and Sen. Wyden worked closely on the bill to emphasize key issues – especially outdoor recreation permit streamlining – that will likely attract bipartisan support. GOP staff with the House Natural Resources Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction for federal land issues, are encouraging AHC and allies to help drive cosponsors for the legislation, which currently has none. Committee staff also state that the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will conduct a markup in late September or October, giving members the opportunity to offer technical corrections and amendments to the text.
To review a summary of the legislation, please see the following link: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/
Passage of Equine Therapy Amendment Includes Increased Support for America’s Veterans
The following is from the American Horse Council:
Prior to adjourning for the August recess, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the “Make America Secure Appropriations Act” (H.R. 3219) offered by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), a bill that will increase equine therapy funding for veterans by $5 million during FY2018. In a statement released Friday, July 28, Congressman Barr expressed his pleasure over passage of the defense spending legislation. He stated that he is “particularly pleased that the final bill … expands the availability of evidence-based equine treatment for veterans who have suffered trauma while serving our country.”
Before the equine therapy provision becomes law, House and Senate lawmakers must convene a “conference” to negotiate final legislation for a vote in both chambers, and present the bill to the President for his signature. Because the House will not return to Washington until September 5, Congress will not be able to negotiate a final bill until the fall. Although the Senate currently plans to remain in session through August 11, their agenda remains uncertain. Following failure of healthcare legislation last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has identified Federal Drug Administration (FDA) funding, Department of Defense (DOD) authorization legislation, and federal appointments as priorities for the next two weeks. Congress must pass final spending bills, or a continuing resolution, prior to the end of the current fiscal year on September 30.
To view a copy of Rep. Barr’s statement related to the equine therapy amendment, please see the following link: https://barr.house.gov/
URGENT & IMMEDIATE SITUATION ……. HELP NEEDED IF YOU CAN
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
Wow – no time to enjoy our successes.
Matt called me an hour ago.
Hi ya’ll, We have a little emergency at Chilly Pepper.
Matt is up delivering the 5 mares in Northern Idaho, and the transmission in the Chevy just froze. He nearly wrecked, but thanks to our Angels was able to keep enough control not to. There have been absolutely no issues with the transmission, so I guess this was an all or nothing, and now we have nothing.
However, we are looking at a minimum of $7,000+ for a new transmission. You always have to wonder – do I put more money into an old truck?
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