13 Orphans (NOT including the 1st 13) & I am standing by for more.
Thank you for all the milk and supplies. Sadly I am blowing through them like crazy.
_Not sure if everyone will survive. Some have bad injuries, many of them internal _
Lots of Prayers n much help needed. Doc is here almost every day. Our vet bills are high with all the sick and injured.
The season is barely starting and I am BEYOND inundated.I need lots more help to care for these and be ready for the next ones if I am going to be able to keep saving them. THANK YOU!!
Harrah Veterinary 509 848-2943 if you’d like to help with vetting.
THANK YOU for everything we have received. I Used the last 2 Foal Responses on my 2 new tinies last night. We are going through milk like crazy!
We are also having to get blood drawn to check IGG levels on the littles. $$$
These babies will be posted for adoption when they are ready.
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new lives.)
As of right now, Firefly, aka Stella – is still with us and fighting for her life. I can’t even believe she survived the wreck in the first place. Please say a prayer for our precious little girl.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
This week there are four important Action Alert deadlines for comments on mass roundup plans targeting wild horses and burros in Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado and California!
So, please take a moment to weigh in for meaningful change for wild horses and burros by taking the actions below:
Burros are incredible animals and evolving science is documenting the important role they play in the desert ecosystem. But a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan for wild burros in the Lake Mead Complex outside Las Vegas would zero out wild burros from two of three habitat areas, and leave behind a minuscule number of burros in the third. For good measure, the BLM also wants to capture and remove every wild horse living in the area. Take action to oppose this by Friday.
The BLM is targeting the famed Sand Wash Basin wild horses in Colorado for mass roundup and removals. The HMA covers roughly 157,700 acres of public land and is currently home to an estimated 935 wild horses. The BLM’s proposed plan calls for the removal of 772 wild horses, leaving a mere 163 horses in this HMA!
The Sand Wash Advocate Team (SWAT) has worked tirelessly to implement a PZP program in this HMA, yet these horses are still targeted for mass removal. The BLM’s current plan calls for continued use of PZP, but would also allow for the use of unstudied IUDs as an alternative form of population control. Submit your comments by Saturday and oppose the BLM’s plan!
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) wants taxpayers to spend as much as $18 million to fund 6-8 years of wild horse helicopter roundups in the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory in the northeast corner of California. The USFS wants to reduce the wild horse population to a fraction of its current size in order to maximize commercial livestock grazing on public lands where the horses live.
Worse, even though they’re asking you to pay for it, the Forest Service doesn’t want your comments on the plan! However, as one of a handful of designated “stakeholders,” AWHC is committed to making your voice heard in this process. Sign our petition by Friday.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is again targeting the wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard for a massive helicopter roundup that will remove a shocking 3,500 wild horses — or 40% of the state’s wild horse population — from 3.5 million acres of habitat in the southern part of the state.
The plan calls for drastically reducing the population to just 1,550 wild horses roaming free. Under this proposal, the BLM plans to treat and release 290 mares with PZP and use unproven IUDs. The BLM is also considering an alternative plan that calls for the surgical sterilization of 100 mares, the castratation of 100 stallions, and would skew the sex ratio of the population to 60% stallions and 40% mares. Submit your comments by Friday to oppose the BLM’s plan!
The calls just keep coming. As of last night I now have THREE more babies and am on standby for more this evening.
Every baby that as come in is severely dehydrated, has injuries and the vet is here almost on a daily basis.
Please help so I can say yes when the call comes this evening.
We lost our beautiful Tessa. She was so banged up when she came in. Sadly we thought she was our healthiest, but her internal injuries proved to be too much. Doc explained that a tiny tear or injury can turn into a deadly one once the foals start moving around. Sadly, in spite of being under vet care, she lost her fight. She was such a Mama’s girl, and was so loved by all.
Firefly is in critical shape. Her internal injuries from being trampled and catapulted into a building (right in front of my horrified eyes) appear to be causing immense issues. The more she started moving and playing, the more stress she put on her injured body. She is losing her will to fight, so she needs your prayers. Sometimes God just gives us these babies to love and comfort before they pass, but the pain is overwhelming and it makes me want to quit.
Donations have been hit hard by Covid, but I do have to keep fighting for these precious lives. I so appreciate each and every penny y’all donate to help these little ones. They do not deserve the life they have been handed. I can’t change the world, but together we can change the world for one life at a time.
Thank you for always being part of this heartbreaking journey. Hopefully the lives that flourish will keep our hearts fed so we can continue the fight. Prayers are so appreciated.
Thank you for ALL the donations of supplies, milk, milk money etc. I was going through 80 pounds of milk powder every 3 days with so many babies.
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new lives.)
As of right now, Firefly, aka Stella – is still with us and fighting for her life. I can’t even believe she survived the wreck in the first place. Please say a prayer for our precious little girl.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
Every year, April 26 is a day dedicated to encouraging horse lovers to come together and advocate on behalf of America’s beloved horses. And this year especially, we need your help to protect wild horses in danger of slaughter.
As part of an investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program, AWHC staff members have been monitoring kill pens across the country and documenting so many BLM mustangs being sold at these slaughter auctions.
In our search, one AWHC staff member came across a one-year-old mare at a kill pen in Texas. She was all alone and due to ship to slaughter in less than a week.
The sad reality is, that with so many wild horses and burros in kill pens across the country, many rescue organizations are spread thin in their efforts to save these animals.
We knew we had to step in and save the little roan filly, so we partnered with Montgomery Creek Ranch, a beautiful wild horse sanctuary in northern California, to pull her out of the kill pen.
There are so many beautiful and beloved wild horses and burros that are trapped in kill pens all across the country, thanks to the BLM’s terrible Adoption Incentive Program, which creates a financial incentive to adopt and then dump these innocent animals.
So far, we’ve been able to help rescue more than a dozen wild horses from kill pens, thanks to wonderful sanctuaries and rescue groups, and with the help of generous supporters like you. Your support will help us help save more horses from slaughter, like the filly we were able to rescue from Texas.
We have another exciting AWHC win this week!SJR3, the resolution calling for the roundup of more than 40,000 Nevada wild horses and burros, is dead!
The resolution did not advance out of the Nevada Senate Committee on Natural Resources for a Senate floor vote by yesterday’s deadline. This is good news! While the resolution did include AWHC’s amendment to prioritize funding for humane fertility control over mass removals, it still contained problematic language blaming wild horses for damage to public lands caused by livestock grazing and other commercial activities.
If SJR3 as originally written had passed, the Nevada Legislature would have asked Congress to fund an 85% reduction in Nevada’s wild horse herds. And, as the state where over half of America’s wild horses reside, Nevada’s voice on this issue is very influential in Congress. That’s why the defeat of SJR3 is very important.
We wanted to say thank you on behalf of AWHC and Nevada’s wild horses and burros.
Thanks to everyone who weighed in against this resolution and made wild horses a top issue in the Nevada legislature, currently second only to guns!
But Erica, even though SJR3 has been killed, our work is not over. AWHC is continuing our fight to protect wild horses and burros all over the West — with several other legislative and legal battles happening across the country right now.
If you’d like to make a donation to help us gather the resources necessary to continue this fight, thank you — you can use the button below to do so. If you’re unable to make a donation at this time, no worries — we’re grateful for your help in protecting the wild horses and burros of Nevada. Please stay tuned for more updates!
This beautiful girl was roped to the point of having raw, infected wounds on her neck. She was trampled and smashed into something hard enough to cause permanent???? damage to her jaw. She cannot chew correctly, has a huge swollen area on the side of her face, her lip hangs almost as if she has permanent nerve damage and obviously she came in terrified.
The phone keeps ringing.In the middle of one emergency, we get another call!
I realize we have had a lot of “emergencies”, but sadly that means we have had a lot or orphaned, injured and dehydrated babies. Not one single baby has come in healthy. The vet bills are climbing every day.
The average cost to care for a baby is approximately $21 per day!
This does NOT include vet bills, medications, etc. etc.
Y’all saved – Vance aka Vanessa, Captain, Trey, Tessa, Lucky, Chrome, Brian, Joey, Scooter, Firefly, Radar, Trooper, Tucker, Lil Red & Nicholas, and Lucy the Lamb.
Adopted (New Mama’s – see below) Chrome, Scooter, Brian & Joey Trooper (RIP) Nicholas – adopted (follow on our adopter’s page) Tucker & Lil Red (“Dustin’ Time Rescue” in Pocatello)
7 With me at Camp, Tessa, Firefly, Lucky, Radar, Vance (aka Vanessa), Trey, Captain.
Thank you for helping save these 15 precious souls. Sadly however, most all of them have required extra vet care and medications. We are going through well OVER $140 a day in supplies with milk powder, shaving etc. This does NOT include vetting, Coggins, health certs, brand inspections etc.
Thankfully I have wonderful folks taking care of everything in NV, but that is also a big expense. (A huge % of what they do is on a volunteer basis, but it still is a large expense out of the budget.)
I So appreciate all of our Chilly Pepper Family! YOU are the reason ALL of these babies are safe or no longer suffering so much. THANK YOU!!
Please remember, If I don’t ask for help, I cannot help the babies and they will not survive. It’s all about the horses!
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new lives.)
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
This past December, in collaboration with Utah citizen, Robert Hammer, we filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior to stop the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from performing risky and inhumane surgical sterilization surgeries on federally-protected wild mares recently rounded up in Utah.
And, we’re happy to report that this morning, government attorneys informed our lawyers that the BLM is dropping their plans to conduct inhumane sterilization surgeries on wild mares in Utah.
Not only is this a huge victory on behalf of the wild horses of Utah, but this is also the THIRD time that AWHC’s legal action has blocked the BLM from proceeding with the controversial surgeries in wild mares!
The new leadership of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — someone who AWHC supporters like you pushed your members of Congress to confirm — no doubt played a key role in the BLM’s decision to drop plans to conduct these invasive and risky surgeries.
When in Congress, Sec. Haaland was a champion for wild horse protection, signing onto a letter spearheaded by AWHC and the Animal Welfare Institute, calling on the BLM to abandon plans to conduct sterilization surgeries. She also co-sponsored a House amendment to promote fertility control as a humane management option.
And this morning, we saw the effects of having wild-horse friendly leadership in Washington!
While today was a big win, your support is still critical to our efforts to ensure that wild horses and burros maintain their freedom and remain protected from special interests. We are already gearing up for necessary legal action to defend wild horses in Wyoming, California, and other states against proposed federal actions to decimate wild herds.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service are currently preparing for the upcoming roundup season, and as such, have released several disastrous plans for mustangs and burros that need your immediate attention.
We’ve told you recently about a lot of roundups planned and we know sometimes this news can be overwhelming. But don’t forget — the power to stop this is in our hands, and we are gaining more support every day … with the public, in the scientific community, in state legislatures, and on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers know that wild horses and burros have a loud and powerful constituency and we must keep raising our voices for change so that they are truly protected on our public lands.
Please take a few moments to read about the latest roundup plans below, and then ACT!
The BLM recently released a plan that would permanently remove 3,500 wild horses — or nearly 40 percent of the state’s wild horse population — from 2.5 million acres of habitat in the “Wyoming Checkerboard” in the southern part of the state. The plan calls for drastically reducing the population to the low Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs) in five federally designated Herd Management Areas (HMAs): Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek, Great Divide Basin, White Mountain, and Little Colorado.
This mass roundup plan will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. It will cost these historic wild horses their families, their freedom, and, for many, their lives. The cruel policy is driven by commercial interests, in particular, the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA), whose members graze their cattle and sheep on public lands and view the horses as competition for cheap grazing. Since 2011, AWHC has been involved in litigation against the RSGA to defend the wild horses in this area and has amassed numerous court victories, including at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. We intend to continue the legal fight to defend Wyoming’s wild horses and to rally public opposition to this plan.
Please weigh in now in opposition of this disastrous plan!
The U.S. Forest Service plans to step up its assault on the Devil’s Garden wild horse herd in California’s Modoc National Forest. Its years-long battle against these historic wild horses began in 2012, when the agency attempted to reduce the size of their habitat by 22,000-acres. We went to court and we stopped them. Pursuant to an appellate court ruling, the Forest Service must consider those 22,000 acres as an active part of the horses’ habitat.
Now, the Forest Service has released an “AML Implementation Plan” that is only being sent to “stakeholders”. The plan reduces the Devil’s Garden wild horse population to just 206-402 mustangs (down from 1,900 today) to achieve an “Appropriate” Management Level that was set based on the illegal elimination of 22,000 acres of the horses’ habitat. The plan does not evaluate the appropriate population size for the larger habitat and is based on the policy of allocating most of the forage in the area to commercial livestock. Indeed, the agency permits an incredible 3,700 privately-owned cows and 2,900 privately-owned sheep to graze in the mustangs’ habitat! And if all of that wasn’t enough, the Forest Service has rejected our offer to implement a humane fertility control program to actually manage the horses effectively in the wild, instead of relentlessly rounding them up with helicopters, penning them, and selling them for $1 a piece.
AWHC is considered a stakeholder with the ability to comment on this plan, but we represent all of you — the American people — and believe that you should also have a say. So please join us in signing onto our letter opposing this inhumane and expensive management plan.
The BLM is seeking public comments on a roundup and removal of wild horses from the Sulphur HMA in Utah.
In 2017, the Beaver County Commissioners in Utah filed a lawsuit seeking to force the BLM to remove all “excess” wild horses from the Sulphur HMA. The request sought to eliminate hundreds of federally-protected wild horses from their habitat in order to reduce the competition with domestic livestock. AWHC and our coalition immediately filed a Motion to Intervene in order to protect wild horses on the range. Earlier this year, the case was settled out of court.
Now, the wild horses are back on the chopping block. The HMA is made up of 265,711 acres of public and private land and is currently home to an estimated 414 wild horses. However, the BLM set the “Appropriate” Management Level for this HMA at just 165-250 wild horses. The plan calls for achieving the low AML, leaving just one horse per every 1,600 acres! At the same time, like most of the areas where wild horses live, the BLM allows thousands of sheep and cattle to graze within the HMA. Please take action today.
The U.S. Forest Service recently released a Territory Management Plan for the Heber wild horses, a unique band of horses that reside within the Apache Sitgreaves Forest in northern Arizona. This plan will decimate this historic population, leaving as few as 50 horses on nearly 20,000 acres of public land! Meanwhile, the agency permits thousands of cattle to graze within the horses’ habitat.
These horses have been the target of brutal shootings in the Forest that have left 28 dead since 2018. Enough is enough. We must speak up loudly for the Heber wild horses and demand better treatment, a fairer plan, and ultimately, justice!
The phone keeps ringing.In the middle of one emergency, we get another.
Sadly, my beautiful boy “Trooper”, who came with a dry mare, arrived too late to help. (It was the wrong mare). He lost his life due to starvation and a lack of Colostrum. By the time I got him, there was no hope, although I didn’t know it right away. I knew he was fragile, but have to say it was still shocking how quickly he crashed. The internal damage was already done, and he never stood a chance.We got him late afternoon, gave him his colostrum, got him stabilized, he drank his milk and he seemed to be resting quietly. No fever, and by 3 a.m. we were at WSU Emergency Vet Hospital, (3.5 hours away). His short life on this earth was full of pain and sickness. Thankfully once we got him he at least had some pain relief and a full belly. Never ever give anything prior to Colostrum, and it has to be soon, without delay, after being born.
I had not even arrived back at camp when the phone rang. Another new orphan, this time 2 or 3 days old? Brian was dehydrated and horribly constipated. We made it through the night and he is doing better than when he came in. He will see the vet today.
Hours later – (today) – ANOTHER call. 2 more day old babies needed our help.
Vet was just here. Two of the boys are hanging in there; however the 3rd little colt is very fragile, and needs so many prayers. He is on antibiotics and will be monitored 24.7 Like Doc said, they can be fine one minute and crashed the next. So many folks don’t realize that they can look “good”, but inside it’s a different story. These babies are ULTRA fragile, especially when they are only days old.
These critical cases are not only hard, but very expensive. We are still not caught up from the last few rescues and all the vet bills those babies incurred.
These precious boys are going through our supplies quickly. We really appreciate any help. I am currently on stand by for more babies, and right now the focus is to keep these boys alive and get them stable.
Lucky is coming home. Sadly he did not bond with his new Mommy. She adored him, but he simply wasn’t interested. We have done hundreds and hundreds of foals, and seen this quite often. When a baby is pushed out by the band, it is usually a terrifying experience, and they often take a long time to see adult horses as safe. He plays horsey games with Tyler, (our mini), and he and the baby Brian will be keeping each other company.
One of these precious babies will get the Mama that would have been Lucky’s. She was ultra patient and loving. It will just be a matter of time until Lucky can be comfortable with the big guys.
I couldn’t say no to these precious boys. Please help if you will.
Want to say thank you to the folks who helped with Trooper. Such heartbreak, but so grateful his last hours were as they should be. Peace full, a full belly and knowing so much love.
It looks like “the season is HERE!” I can’t do it without you. Please help me keep on doing this work God puts in front of me.
So appreciate all of our Chilly Pepper Family!
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new lives.)
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
Training sessions that are too repetitious and last too long will only fatigue and frustrate your equine, resulting in unwanted resistance. Keep lessons short and easy for the best training results.
We have an opportunity to ban the transportation of horses across state lines in “double-decker” trailers.
Transporting horses in double-decker trailers is both dangerous and cruel, and can result in significant injuries and even death for horses. These trailers are designed for much shorter species, and fail to provide enough headroom for horses — forcing them to stand in painfully cramped conditions during long-distance transport.
There is some good news: Many states have already banned the use of these inhumane trailers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has prohibited the use of these trailers as a means of transporting horses to slaughter.
But there is no permanent federal law to prevent horses from being transported in these dangerous trailers for any other reason.
U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act in Congress to ban the transportation of horses across state lines in “double-decker” trucks or trailers.
Meredith, please take the following steps right now to help us ensure the safe transportation of horses:
Call your U.S. Representative and urge them cosponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, H.R. 921. When you call your representative, use the following script:
“Hello, I am a constituent, and I’m calling to ask you to please cosponsor the Horse Transportation Safety Act, H.R. 921, to protect horses from being transported in dangerous double-decker trucks and trailers. Thank you.”
Will you join us in supporting this critical bill to protect the safety of all horses? Using these double-decker trucks and trailers is a cruel and inhumane practice that often results in needless deaths of horses in transport.
As my heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces, I unloaded Lucky from our trailer into Bev’s trailer. After 25 days of literally 24/7 – constant care, our beautiful LUCKY is still with us. He survived so many crashes by the Grace of God!
He has a vet coming today or tomorrow to his new place, and he will be hooked up with a real “horsey Mama” at our friend Bev’s. Loading him into another trailer and watching him drive away nearly dropped me to my knees.
My tears had not even stopped when the phone rang. Another 911. This time for a 10 hour old? little foal who has not had a drop of Colostrum and sadly a tiny bit of milk. He/she is on his way with his skinny Mama to see if we can possibly save him. No one knew the mare was pregnant. She is wormy and skinny and losing hair so it is pretty clear he did not get everything he needed in the early stages of his development. Baby is already starting to fail, so he/she will also need lots of prayers.
I have not had a chance to assess Mama or baby yet, but I do know we are looking at some serious 24/7, round the clock care, and some hefty vet bills. He/she will get colostrum as soon as he gets here, and the vet is already on notice that they are arriving. He/she will need his IGG levels checked and very likely a Plasma Transfusion.
We need to stock up on hay, more milk powder, Colostrum etc. _Funds are scarily depleted and I am praying y’all want to step up and help us get the baby and his Mama whatever care they need._ The season is just starting, and as I said, I hadn’t even returned from delivering Lucky when the call came in.
IT’S GO TIME, and there is nothing to indicate this year will be any easier than last year. PLEASE DONATE if you can and share. Chilly Pepper has quite a few special needs that have to stay on permanently, and they love their feed, vet care etc.
The babies have gone through nearly ALL the milk. ANY help is much appreciated. Anyone who wants to donate directly to vet bills can simply call Harrah Veterinary at 509-848-2943 and donate ANY amount towards our ongoing bills. Just tell them it’s for Palomino – Chilly Pepper. You can also donate to Zimmerman Vet in Winnemucca. 775-623-0981. We have incurred so many bills from this last group of babies, health certs, geldings, tubings, iv’s etc.
As always, YOU are the ones who keep this going. We are just hitting the busy time and I am praying I get to go home for a couple of weeks. These last babies have already gone through hundreds of dollars of milk, enemas, meds and supplies.
This is the link to our Chilly Pepper’s Wild Horse & Orphan Foal Adoption Page,where you can see the progress and new lives of the horses YOU HAVE HELPED SAVED! (I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago, but it is so fun to see the horses, babies and critters that are enjoying and thriving in their new lives.)
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
Senate “Sign-On” Letter to USDA Supporting Horse Protection
As you might recall, in early 2017, the outgoing Obama Administration issued a final USDA rule on the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to end the practice of “soring” of a horse’s limb. This rule mirrors the industry-endorsed “Prevent All Soring Tactics” (PAST) Act by taking common sense measures to protect certain Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses from the practice. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration suspended the HPA rule four years ago and never reinstated it.
The horse industry and its allies in Congress are currently lobbying the new Administration to bring the HPA rule back, by circulating a petition to USDA. Contact your senators today and urge them to sign the petition below and reinstate the Horse Protection Rule of 2017!
Today marks 2 years since we relaunched our PZP fertility control program in the Virginia Range in Nevada. We can’t believe it’s been 2 years already!
Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) is a scientifically-proven fertility control vaccine given to female horses on the range through an injection via remote darting with an air rifle. It’s administered in a two shot process — the first is a primer, which is then followed by a booster approximately two weeks later. The vaccine prevents fertilization and pregnancy via an immune response that does not affect the horse’s hormonal system.
The result is a humane and cost efficient way to control wild horse populations, rather than subjecting wild horses to brutal helicopter roundups!
We signed our Virginia Range Fertility Control Cooperative Agreement with the Nevada Department of Agriculture 2 years ago, today, with support from Nevada Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, Blockchains CEO Jeff Berns and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. And Erica, we’re happy to report that we’ve celebrated some pretty big successes since then!
Take a look below at some of our PZP program’s successes to date:
Right now, we are early into foaling season, Erica, but so far we are trending with 62% fewer foals born on the Range compared to this time last year. Even better, the current numbers reflect a zero population growth, which is fantastic given our goal of humane population reduction in this herd whose habitat has been dramatically reduced by development! These numbers will continue to fluctuate and change as we get further into foaling season, but it is a very promising start.
We’ve got some exciting news! Patrick Sullivan of Modern Day Horsemanship will be visiting AAE April 8-12.
Patrick and his beloved horse, Gamilah (or Gami), are kicking off an epic adventure across America in pursuit of LIBERTY! It starts TODAY! Patrick and Gami have an incredibly special bond, and he wants to share it with you in his journey of a lifetime, Gamilah Unbridled. Their journey will take them 2500 miles across Highway 50, from California to Kentucky, as they promote the art of liberty, connecting with horses without the use of ropes or control devices. The most remarkable part their journey is Patrick will be riding Gami bareback AND bridleless the entire way.
As much as we’d like to invite everyone to participate, due to COVID-19 and other circumstances, this is a private training activity at AAE. However, Patrick’s journey will be shared via livestream and video on his Facebook Page, Gamilah Unbridled.
Because Patrick’s love of horses was molded by his experience working as a trainer at WindyHill Equine Rescue and Rehoming, Patrick wants to feature the work rescues do. Patrick selected one rescue in each state to stop and spend five days working with five horses to share what he and Gami have learned about the liberty training. All education and work along the way will be FREE of charge to the organizations, and donations during these events will go to each individual non-profit!
The deep connection between horses and humans is what inspires our every day work at AAE, and we are honored to be part of Patrick and Gami’s journey. The five lucky AAE horses selected to participate with Patrick are Diesel, Jack, Clare, Chesney, and Teea. Patrick’s team will document each day, and by the end of the five days, we’ll see incredible results with each of the horses. Patrick and Gami’s adventure is dedicated to those who Dare to Dream. If you have a passion and love for horses, and you want to develop a deeper connection and stronger bond with your horse(s), be sure to follow their journey through social media. Feel free to send him a message, a word of encouragement, or a donation to help cover their expenses. You can even bring your horse out for a ride to join them for part of their trip, but be sure to contact Patrick directly.
Boots and Bling 2021, It’s BACK!!
We are so excited to announce that our 8th Annual Boots and Bling event will be Saturday August 21st! We are currently planning for this event to be in-person at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. This event will feature a BBQ dinner, live and silent auctions, and stories from our barn including horses, volunteers and forever homes. We hope you will be able to join us!
We are looking for volunteers to help with event planning. Do you have experience with event planning, sponsorship and auction solicitation, event decor, ticket sales, and/or volunteer coordinating? If you are interested in helping please email BandB@allaboutequine.org
If you are interested in donating to our live and/or silent auctions, please email Dani@allaboutequine.org
Adoption Story: Ralphie
Ralphie arrived at AAE last October after his family could no longer manage his health issues. Thanks to your support, he was able to have life-saving surgery to remove his eye due to a cancerous mass on his lower right eyelid. He also had a mass removed from on his hind pastern. He seemed to be doing well post-op; unfortunately, complications arose only a few days after surgery. His eye orbit developed a hematoma and subsequently excessive drainage. He returned to the hospital for nine days. Once back at AAE, thanks to the outpouring of support he received from all of you, he adapted very well to his new life with “univision”. His leg healed very nicely, too.
As best we knew, Ralphie didn’t have much training, so we sent him to work with one of our trainers, Ashley, who was one of our youth adopters from about 10 years ago. She started her training career with her adopted horse, Takela – her heart horse – and she did an amazing job! Sadly, she recently lost Takela to a very bad colic. Ralphie made great progress from the get-go. Much to their surprise, she and her family were so smitten with this big fella, they wanted make him part of their family, and so it was! The universe has such an incredible way of bringing us just what we need, exactly when we need it!
NEED A LITTLE MORE IN YOUR LIFE?
These beauties are all lookin’ for their lifelong LOVE!
Learn more about each horse by clicking on its name.
When people think of Behavior Modification, most people think of the most basic idea of rewarding good behaviors with treats, which is called positive reinforcement. A common misconception is that if the positive behaviors are rewarded, then negative behaviors should not occur, but in reality, they do. Negative behaviors need to be negatively reinforced, but negative reinforcement should not be abusive. Learning how to employ Behavior Modification can be easy and fun.
Scientifically speaking, Behavior Modification is a direct and literal translation of stimulus and response. Given a certain stimulus, a living being will respond in a predictable manner. This is the essence of communication. Communication is comprised of a lot of elements that all play an important part in the receiver’s ability to understand. When trying to communicate, one needs to realize the many different perceptions that can arise from the receiver’s ability to comprehend. They may perceive from a purely technical level, a scientific level, an emotional level, a physical level, or any combination of a multitude of perceptions depending on their life experience. It is the same for all living creatures. Finding the right stimulus for each individual and implementing it properly is the key to good communication and a satisfying response.
When using Behavior Modification, one needs to take into account all the things that can make that individual a comfortable and happy individual. In the case of equines, we need to take into account the feeding and nutritional programs we use. Certain feeds can actually cause problems like nervousness, anxiety and hypertension that result in an inability to be calm and receptive to incoming information. From this evolves negative behaviors that further block the learning process.
In addition to feeds and nutrition, we need to take into account the anatomical ramifications of the way we are physically conditioning the animal. The healthiest way to condition an animal is slowly, and in an order that builds muscles layer by layer, beginning with core muscles. If you take the time and effort to approach training in that way, it promotes healthy organ function and a happy mental attitude. When doing this, one should allow the animal to perform freely, without constraint. When they feel good physically, they are more than halfway to a good mental attitude. A program of physical exercise that is taxing and stressful may produce the appearance of the right results, but there are deeper problems that can surface at a later date.
This is easy for natural athletes, but as I said, we are dealing with individuals. Not all individuals are physically able to carry their bodies in good equine posture and perform athletic movements correctly without guidance. When they do not carry themselves in the correct posture, certain muscle groups are not conditioned symmetrically throughout the body, causing compensation from other muscle groups that will eventually become over stressed and will give way to soreness, lameness or worse. The uncomfortable individual will begin to exhibit negative behaviors.
Herein lays the value of using certain kinds of restraints, such as the “Elbow Pull” that we use in DVD #2 of my resistance-free training series. This restraint is used to keep the equine in good posture while exercising, so that all muscle groups are worked symmetrically throughout the body. Of course, it is the trainer’s responsibility to make sure that they are also worked evenly on both sides of the body, forward and backward, since the restraint is only addressing the posture and not the directional movement of the muscles. The “Elbow Pull” is not in the hands of the trainer, but rather a self-correcting device so that the animal himself makes the corrections toward good posture during basic foundation work. An animal that does not have naturally good posture will soon give to the device because he will feel more comfortable than he has ever been in the incorrect posture. Restraints play an important role in the hands of competent trainers, but they should only be used to “suggest” certain behaviors, and then should be “faded or phased out” over time.
There are certain individuals who are not all that coordinated and have difficulty attaining balance in good equine posture. For this reason, it is important to start slow and gradually ask for more speed and more difficult movements only as they are able to perform. First, the equine’s balance needs to be attained at the slower gaits and with simple movements in order for the coordination to become repetitive, habitual and comfortable. This not only pertains to the animal in training, but to the trainer as well.
Verbal communication is not exclusively for the animal to learn commands. It has a two-fold purpose. For the animal, it is a way for the animal to understand what the trainer is asking when the body language is unclear. For the trainer, it is a reminder to synchronize his own body language with what he is asking from the animal so his signals are clear. This is especially important for novice trainers and animals.
In Behavior Modification, we use the animal’s natural instincts and movement to assimilate the things we wish them to do so that they can be rewarded. The reward needs to be something for which the animal is willing to work for long periods of time, something of which he will never tire and something that will not cause adverse, negative behaviors. In the case of equines, this is crimped oats. Equines that are “overindulged” or bribed will not respond the same way.
Horses have a very strong flight reflex, donkeys have a strong freeze reflex, and mules are a combination of both. All three have a strong sense of self-preservation that drives their behaviors. If you want to have an equine that enjoys his work, it is important to bolster his confidence and trust in you. This requires setting up the training environment in a safe and non-threatening manner. For instance, if you begin training a foal, or have a new equine, it would be practical to approach the animal at a time when the flight reflex is at its lowest…feeding time!
Of course, this is only practical when it comes to imprinting, haltering and simple tasks like brushing and picking up the feet. This also sets up the foundation for reward system training. When he has finished his oats mix, he will be happy to know there is an easy way to get a little bit more and will appreciate, perform and bond to the person who gives it. Chasing the equine is not an option at any time. We want him to want to come to us of his own free will. When this is done correctly, you should never have to chase your animal to catch him. He will always look forward to being with you.
During this time, your equine’s ground manners will begin to develop. If you are consistent with what you ask and the rewards are promptly and appropriately given, you should experience minimal adverse behaviors.
As he gains confidence, it is the equine’s natural instinct to become playful. In this controlled environment, you are able to set limits to these negative behaviors in the form of non-abusive punishment. The most common expression of playfulness is to turn, buck, and kick at the trainer. If a foal does this, you would simply give him a smart slap to the rump, step back and say, “No!” He might be startled, but he will turn and look at you, displaying curiosity, and when he does, you would say, “Good boy (or girl),” and then offer a reward (for paying attention) and give it to him when he approaches again. We want to encourage this curiosity.
If an adult equine turns his haunches to you and threatens to kick, you would say “No,” and use a whip (as an extension of your arm), and strike him smartly on the fetlocks only once for each kick, pausing afterwards to give him a chance to turn his head to you so you can then offer the reward the same way as you would with the foal. The strike of the whip on the fetlocks will not hurt him. It will only startle him, as will your voice when you say, “No,” and will cause a behavior in him (the turning of his head to you) that can be rewarded. Biting is handled the same way with a slap of the hand smartly to the side of the mouth, a loud “NO!” and then put your hand up like a stop sign in front of his face. He will then raise and turn his head to flee at which time you simply step forward and offer the oats reward for giving you your space. The next time he becomes aggressive (and he will), you will only have to put up you hand as the stop sign and he should step back to receive his reward. The first-time slap applied smartly was simply to clearly set boundaries. So, if you do not want to slap him again, it must make an impression the first time. It is well worth the few minutes of training that it takes in the beginning to assure that your animal will not become dangerous later. This may literally make the difference between life and death.
The result of this early limiting of the negative behaviors of biting and kicking will pave the way for you to set boundaries to any other bad behaviors that may arise in the future with a raising of the hand and a firm, “No.” It teaches the equine to think before he acts, and in the case of mules, it might mean the difference between a real bite and a soft nudge, or a kick and a soft shove with the hind foot if he experiences discomfort. Early negotiation of obstacles on the lead line will also help to engage his curiosity, help to solidify his responses for reward, passively build and condition muscles closest to the bone, and will encourage trust in the trainer. Now we can safely proceed to a more open area to play and learn with our equine.
In the round pen, we will begin to use the flight reflex as a platform for reward. The equine is already comfortable with you and knows you mean him no real harm. In the round pen, he may be averse to circling and may want to just stand. If he does, raise the whip and strike the ground behind him, or even his rump. If he still won’t move, back up, lower your body and shuffle your feet on the ground as you approach again, and he should take off. If he is the type to take off alone, just stand in the middle and wait until he slows and stops. When he does, say “Whoa,” and offer the reward.
The same goes for the equine that had problems getting started. Send him back to the rail again and build the number of rotations slowly and over time, being consistent with your rewards for the “Whoa.” Learning a consistent “Whoa” will give you a safe zone from which to work and play. This will translate to trust and confidence, and will temper the flight reflex to a controllable level. It can make the difference between freeze and flight reflex if they are spooked under saddle.
The equine that is brought along with this kind of training will pause and give his attention to the rider for guidance before reacting to a “spook.” Any bucking and kicking while circling in the round pen should be ignored and the reward should be postponed until he has regained his composure and has done what was expected. Bucking and kicking should be allowed because many times it is merely a moment of confusion, or the need for a physical adjustment on the part of the equine at this stage of training. It is rarely an exhibition of meanness. Once they sort this all out, they will want to be with you and will use their good manners because it is the best place to be!
Whether they realize it or not, most trainers use some form of Behavior Modification in their training programs. There is so much to learn about communication to achieve balance and harmony that one person could not possibly know it all. For this reason, it is important to know and appreciate the work of others who are giving of their knowledge and assess the techniques they offer that might fit in your training program. As they say, “You can learn something from everyone.” It is our job to sort through what only works for the short term and what really works best for long term success. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s just another way to learn. The more we know, the more we learn that there is so much more to learn.
Behavior Modification is an ongoing, careful balance of communication between living creatures. It works because both parties opt to listen and learn from each other. At each stage, there are tasks to perform that need to be balanced and refined by both the trainer and the trainee. Behavior Modification is not controlling. Rather, it is a guidance system by which positive behaviors are rewarded and thus, more likely to be repeated and become habitual. The parties involved are both rewarded each time they are together because each time they are together, they learn a little more about each other in an enjoyable and appreciative manner.
Over time, with practice and this kind of understanding comes harmony and mutually satisfying performance. In the beginning, it may seem overly simple, but as you practice and learn more, your proficiency will increase gradually over time, and the results you will witness are amazing! This is why Behavior Modification is so successful not only with people and equines, but is also the method of choice in the training and treatment of zoo animals and aquatic mammals.
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The Heber wild horses of the Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona have been through enough. Since 2018, the bodies of 28 horses from this small herd have been found shot to death in the Forest and not a single person has been brought to justice.
Now, the Forest Service has just released a Territory Management Plan that continues this assault — in a different way. The agency wants to reduce the population of these mustangs to as few as 50 animals on nearly 20,000-acres of public land.
Why? You might ask — well, taking a look at who else resides in the Forest might be a good place to find answers. At the same time that the Forest Service wants to drastically reduce the population of the herds, it permits nearly 500 cow/calf pairs to graze within the horses’ habitat.
We cannot let this stand. Please take one moment to speak up for Arizona’s Heber wild horses.
The wild horses in the Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) of Dugway, Utah are arguably the most visited and cherished mustang population in the country. The herd’s accessibility provides a unique experience for visitors and photographers who, in turn, share their photographs and stories of these iconic animals with an international audience. Not only that, but there is a successful PZP program, spearheaded by volunteers, to stabilize the population numbers.
But none of that seems to matter to the BLM, which recently announced that it will be targeting hundreds of the Onaqui wild horses for removal as early as July 2021. When we heard the news, we sprung into action and are currently developing a plan to fight back. We will give you more details on that soon, but for now, please read our most recent oped in the Salt Lake Tribune about this situation.
The BLM released an Environmental Assessment this week outlining a plan to continue its nearly decade-long assault on the iconic wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard. Under the proposal, the BLM would use helicopters to permanently remove 3,500 wild horses — or nearly 40% of the wild horse population in the state.
The BLM continues to cater to the interests of the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA), whose members view wild horses as competition for cheap, taxpayer-subsidized livestock grazing on public lands. Since 2011, AWHC has been involved in litigation against the RSGA and the BLM to defend the wild horses in this area and has amassed numerous court victories, including at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. We intend to continue legal action to defend Wyoming wild horses and to rally public opposition to this plan — but more on that soon.
Check out our latest news release on the situation and stay tuned for more ways to take action in the coming weeks.
Here at the American Wild Horse Campaign, we run a Foal Rescue Fund to provide vet and critical care, safe transportation for baby foals in need of medical attention, and the creation of field kits to provide immediate treatment to foals while volunteers are on the range.
We have also provided funds to help build a critical foal care nursery, and to retrofit a retired ambulance to ensure that foals can be safely transported to get the care they need.
On the Virginia Range, saving foals is a real community effort and we are proud to play a key role in it. On March 22, two AWHC fertility control volunteers came across a wild horse band with a tiny baby foal named Hazel.
They quickly realized the foal wasn’t with her mother and instead was with a guardian mare who wasn’t able to feed her. The team tried but was unable to locate her family. That’s when the community coalition sprung into action. The range management team at Wild Horse Connection (WHC) was contacted. WHC secured permission to help the foal, then dispatched the Technical Large Animal Rescue Team (TLAR) to execute the rescue mission.
The filly went to LBL Equine Rescue to receive care while the local groups tried to locate her family. Hazel perked up with the loving care she received all night! Using their field knowledge and AWHC’s extensive wild horse identification database, the TLAR team tried to find Hazel’s mother the next morning — but a reunion was ultimately unsuccessful.
Foals are so delicate, and any seemingly healthy one can crash quickly. That was the case with Hazel.
She had to be rushed to the vet clinic, where they put her on an IV and antibiotics after discovering she had intestinal inflammation and four different bacterial infections. Hazel also needed a plasma infusion to fight the infections, but she was quite the little fighter and the vets made sure she received the best care possible!
We’re happy to say, Hazel was released back to the rescue on March 30th!
Our Foal Rescue Fund is helping to cover Hazel’s mounting vet bills. This is why our Rescue Fund is so important — we’ve helped fund the local nursery where Hazel is being cared for, we’re purchasing kits that help provide immediate medical care in the field for quickly crashing foals, and we’ve provided resources to help retrofit a retired ambulance that is used by the TLAR rescue team to transport critical care foals to safety.
The more funds we raise for our Foal Rescue Fund, the more we can help tiny, vulnerable foals like Hazel and support the wonderful local volunteers and groups who work night and day to protect the Virginia Range horses in Nevada.