Equine Welfare News Archive

The following post is an update from the Youths’ Equine Alliance.

It is with a happy heart that I am pleased to announce that YEA! – Youth’s Equine Alliance has officially closed its doors. With the help of adults and youth nationwide we were able to accomplish some amazing things. We collected over 250,000 signatures to save horses and burros and inspired many youth to get involved in efforts to save horses and burros, wild and domestic.

Now, our youth delegate Amber Neuhauser is taking the lead to be a spokesperson for kids everywhere on how to start creating change locally and on a national platform to benefit equines. Amber will be working with Matt & Palomino Armstrong of Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More, an LRTC Rescue & Rehab Project (CPMM) to continue to bring you updates and get more youth involved in the movement.

CPMM has a wonderful impact on kids locally and nationwide through their work with critical care foals. Children are naturally enamored with foals and learning the story of each foal rescued helps teach about the various issue wild and domestic horses face. Palomino and Matt Armstrong, the mangers of CPMM, also frequently participate in demonstrations at schools and libraries to enrich local youth.

All three of YEA’s featured horses – Ikey, Mikey, and Rocky – are only alive because of the critical care they received through CPMM at the loving hands of Matt & Palomino Armstrong. For that reason, we thought it was an appropriate organization to transition our readers and supporters too.

Ikey and Mikey are now living at an 80 acre ranch. Robin and Rocky have stepped out of the public arena in order to focus on training and their future together while allowing CPMM, a federally recognized non-profit organization with similar goals to take the lead. We hope you will continue to support kids and horses through Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang Equine Rescue and More, an LRTC Rescue & Rehab Project and we hope you are as happy as we are that your donations will now be tax deductible.

Sincerely,
Denise DeLucia
(Former) Director of YEA!

For questions about donations received in April, please contact me directly by replying to this email. All donations have been refunded with the exception of once received via mail – those are coming back directly this week.

This post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

May is Burro Awareness Month, and with fewer than 9,000 wild burros roaming free on America’s public lands burros, there is no question that burros are in crisis in the U.S.

Yesterday, we just learned that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a huge roundup of burros from what is probably the largest burro herd left in the country — in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Arizona.  Comments must be submitted by end of day tomorrow, Saturday May 2, 2015!

That means we have less than 36 hours left to speak up for burros….Won’t you please take action today?

The Black Mountain burro population is one of the last healthy herds of wild burros in the country. Countless Americans and international tourists are aware of these burros, who are regularly encountered along Highway Route 66, and especially in the town of Oatman, Arizona. Cherished worldwide, these burros are now under the threat of a BLM roundup!

The BLM estimates the Black Mountain burro population to be over 1,500 and the agency only allows 478 burros on 574,000 acres of public lands where livestock grazing continues. It’s time to call for the BLM to designate the Black Mountain HMA as a protected “range” where the burros would receive increased protections.

This rare and historic, genetically healthy herd must be protected, not rounded up and removed by the hundreds! Please take action below to stand up for Black Mountain Burros today – the first day of Burro Awareness Month!

The following is a post from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public comments on its plan to roundup and remove 167 wild horses from the West Douglas Herd Area (HA) near Grand Junction, CO. If unable to capture all 167 horses from the West Douglas HA, the BLM will also round up horses in the neighboring Piceance/East Douglas Herd Management Area (HMA) in order to meet its removal quota. The BLM has been trying to “zero out” (eliminate all wild horses from) the West Douglas HA for years. Despite receiving over 8,000 public scoping comments demanding alternatives to this proposed roundup, the BLM has failed to seriously consider options for reducing livestock grazing and humanely managing wild horses with PZP birth control in this area. Your comments are needed today!

The following is an update from Save Your Ass Longears Rescue.

I’m sure everyone was as excited as I was to finally see trees budding and spring flowers starting to poke their heads above ground. Then Mother Nature played a cruel trick on us by following that another snow storm. Hopefully, this will be the last of it. We still have snow and ice in parts of the woods and under the manure pile. The mud is in all of its glory, and the mules wear it happily.

I want to thank everyone who took part in making our Cabin Fever Auction a success this year. Our wonderful donors provided a lot of really cool items, and you, our friends, in turn got some great stuff.

BIG thanks to Veridian folks Nigel Blake, his son Terence, and the group of folks who volunteered a Sunday to come and get a run in shed started. Many hands truly do make light work. It was a fun day and a lot got done.

I recently took in a very sad mule whom I have named Sweet William.. A wonderful friend of SYALER bailed him out from a sale barn. He was emaciated when pulled, but he has a huge, and thankfully strong and healthy heart, and is a real sweet heart. I am totally in love with this thirty year old guy. He is eating a lot as I try to put weight on him. His teeth have worn down to nubbins so he can’t properly chew hay so he gets four meals of soaked hay stretcher, MVP, and Equine Senior a day. We are going through feed like crazy, but it will be so gratifying to see him put some weight on his bony frame.

We have had a few adoptions recently, which is always nice.  I love when I can help enable a “love match”. I sent a mule off to a new home with two very dear friends of mine today, which is a double treat. These friends have taught me a lot about mules and their care from a time before I was involved in rescuing these magnificent animals. I wish Johnny and Kris all the best with their new mule.

Huge thanks and heaps of gratitude to all of you who continue to support us. I love the letters and emails and phone calls from those of you who share your long ear experiences.

chEARS,

Ann

President & Shelter Manager

The following is a post from the American Horse Council.

On April 28, 2015, Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and  Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Senate version of the National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act of 2015 (S.1110).  The bill would direct the Forest Service to take several actions to help address the current trail maintenance backlog that is adversely impacting all trail users on many national forests, including equestrians. Earlier this year, Congresswomen Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tim Walz (D-MN) introduced the House version of the bill (H.R.845).

The bill was first introduced during the last Congress.  The American Horse Council, Backcountry Horsemen of America, and the Wilderness Society were significantly involved in the creation of this bill.

A June 2013, study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Forest Service has deferred trail maintenance needs that exceed half-billion dollars, and only one-quarter of the agency’s 158,000 miles of trails meets agency standards for maintenance. This maintenance backlog is causing access and safety issues for equestrians and all trail users on national forests.

The National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act would direct the Forest Service to develop a strategy to more effectively utilize volunteers and partners to assist in maintaining national forest trails.  It will also provide outfitters and guides the ability to perform trail maintenance activities in lieu of permit fees.   Additionally, the bill would address a liability issue that has discouraged some national forests from utilizing volunteers and partner organizations to help perform trail maintenance and would direct the Forest Service to identify and prioritize specific areas with the greatest need for trail maintenance in the national forest system.

In the current fiscal environment it is unlikely Congress will appropriate additional funds to directly address the trail maintenance backlog. This bill will help improve trail maintenance without the need for additional funding.

The bill is supported by the AHC and many other recreation organizations.

Great news! This week, the federal court in Wyoming agreed with our legal arguments and dismissed the State of Wyoming’s anti-mustang lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Backed by powerful ranching interests, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead waged this legal battle in an attempt to force the BLM to conduct constant roundups and removals of wild horses from public lands in the state.

This is our second major legal victory for mustangs in just over 30 days! Last month, the federal court in Nevada granted AWHPC’s motion to dismiss a similar rancher-backed lawsuit.

We could not have achieved these legal victories without your support. But now we need your continued help to fight these battles to the end. 

You see, the ranchers in the Nevada case are appealing the lower court decision and we expect the State of Wyoming to do the same.

Will you help us ensure that the appellate courts do not overturn these good lower court rulings?

Thank you so much to all the AWHPC supporters who have generously contributed to our Litigation Fund. We are deeply grateful to you for giving us the resources necessary to intervene in these cases and defend America’s wild horses from these dangerous and scurrilous legal attacks.

Please, if you can, help us keep the victories coming by contributing to AWHPC’s Litigation Fund today.

Thank you, as always, for cherishing America’s amazing wild horses and burros.

– The AWHPC Team

Tomorrow, April 23, 2015
Come Join AAE in the 24-hour Non-Profit Local Giving Challenge

All donations to All About Equine in April will honor the ASPCA’s National Help A Horse Day!

Bring cash/check to the following drop-off locations:

El Dorado Community Foundation: 312 Main Street Suite 201 in Placerville

Sierra Nevada Tire & Wheel: 659 Main Street in Placerville

Madroña Vineyards: 2560 High Hill Road in Camino

El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce/CA Welcome Center: 2085 Vine Street #105 in El Dorado Hills

Foster Awareness Network Office/Shingle Springs-Cameron Park Chamber of Commerce: 4095 Cameron Park Drive in Cameron Park

Marshall Community Health Library: 3581 Palmer Drive Bldg 101in Cameron Park

Lake Tahoe Visitor’s Authority: 3066 Lake Tahoe Boulevard in Lake Tahoe

Tahoe Chamber of Commerce: 169 US Highway 50 in Stateline, Nevada

This is a great opportunity for our local El Dorado County supporters to GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE!

Any questions about this challenge can be directed to Dani Benoit at Dani@AllAboutEquine.org

As always THANK YOU for your continuous support!

This post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting public comments on the Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP)/Environmental Impact Statement for the Carson City District Office. This document will set management policy for the next 10-20 years for a 4.8 million-acre public land area that includes 17 wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas (HMAs). If passed in its current form, the draft RMP would perpetuate the BLM’s unsustainable and inhumane reliance on removals of wild horses and burros from the range as its primary management approach, and will  “zero out” (eliminate all horses) six HMAs. This is the stage of the BLM’s planning process where the voice of the public must be heard, so please take a moment to speak up for these wild horses and burros by clicking below!

The following is a post from Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) President, Steuart Pittman, discusses bridging the gap between the racing world and the riding world to benefit the Thoroughbred breed. Here he describes Thoroughbred aftercare as a three-legged stool. The first leg involves the nonprofit organizations that take in unwanted horses who are not marketable because of soundness problems, temperament problems, or low demand for riding horses in a given area. The second leg is the work of preventing horses from becoming unwanted. This includes the work of the RRP and The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program. The third leg of the aftercare stool is helping racing owners connect with the riding market when they have a sound horse that is ready to retire. For this the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) provides a listing service for racing trainers and owners who are looking to rehome their horses. The RRP also offers an extensive “Horse Listing” page on its website featuring more than 200 horses for sale or adoption.

“So what is generally termed the ‘aftercare industry’ is really more than the literal meaning of the word ‘aftercare.’ In fact, when people hear words like ‘rescue’ and ‘aftercare,’ they assume that racing left horses in poor condition. That sentiment is not good for racing and it’s not good for efforts to market these athletes in other sports,” says Pittman.

The following is a post from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

We have just days left to get 10,000 emails to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to demonstrate strong public support for policies that Keep Wild Horses Wild and strong opposition to dangerous roundups and surgical sterilization on the range!

We noticed that you have not yet sent your email – Will you please take just one moment to make your voice heard now? 

This Board is headed in the wrong direction, as evidenced by the troubling recent appointment of a veterinarian who has for several years been pushing for the BLM to perform dangerous surgical ovariectomies on wild mares.

If the pro-slaughter, pro-cattlemen members that dominate this board have their way, mares like this beautiful mustang will be in danger, as will all wild horses and burros that remain on the range and in holding!

The Board meets next week, April 22-23, 2014 – so please send your email today!

Thank you!!

– The AWHPC Team

The following is an update from the American Horse Council.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided to remove Saudi Arabia from the list of countries affected with African Horse Sickness (AHS).  In a March 30 announcement, the Department stated that based on its evaluation of the health status of the country, Saudi Arabia is free of AHS.  USDA has determined that the importation of horses, mules, zebras, and other equids from Saudi Arabia presents a low risk of introducing AHS into the U.S.  The change, which applies to both temporary and permanent entry of horses, means that horses can enter the U.S. from Saudi Arabia without undergoing a 60-day quarantine period.

AHS is a highly contagious and deadly disease that affects horses, donkeys, and mules and has a high mortality rate in naive horse populations like that in the U.S.

Under the prior rules, horses from Saudi Arabia, like horses from other countries affected with AHS, had to be quarantined for sixty days before entering the U.S.  Horses from non-AHS countries may be admitted with a shorter quarantine period.  The extended period is required to ensure that horses from AHS countries are not infected with AHS, which has a long incubation period.

In response to a 2009 request by Saudi Arabia to be recognized as free of AHS, USDA studied the status of the disease in that country.  The USDA evaluation used information provided by Saudi Arabia and other sources.  Based on its evaluation, USDA concluded that AHS was not known to be present in Saudi Arabia and that the likelihood of introducing AHS into the U.S. through imports of horses from that country was low.  Last June, USDA proposed to change the federal import rules to remove Saudi Arabia from the list of countries affected by AHS and allow horses to be imported with a much shorter quarantine period.

The AHC, and several other equine associations, opposed this proposed change maintaining that the potential benefits were not sufficient to offset the potential adverse consequences.

USDA disagreed, noting that it has been 25 years since a case of AHS was found in Saudi Arabia.  USDA concluded that changing the import rules for horses from Saudi Arabia presented a low risk of introducing AHS into the U.S.  To review the USDA decision and rationale, see:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-30/pdf/2015-07212.pdf

The following post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

Photo | The Cloud Foundation

The world has come to know and love the wild stallion Cloud and his small herd in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range through filmmaker Ginger Kathrens’ acclaimed PBS Nature documentaries. In the years since Ginger began making these films, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has improved its management of the popular Pryor Mountain wild horses by using the humane PZP birth control vaccine and ending helicopter roundups. Unfortunately, the BLM is now proposing to remove 30 horses from the Pryor range to bring the population closer to its established management level. Please take action below to ask the BLM to forgo removals and allow the birth control program the necessary time required to reduce the population through natural attrition, not removals.

The following is a post from All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.

What’s new?  It was Garth Brooks week here in the Sacramento Valley when we got the last call….

Garth, Brooks, and Trisha!  They were only 2-3 weeks old when discovered alongside their deceased moms.  Thanks to an amazing fundraising effort by the Horse and Man group, AAE was able to act quickly and bring these little ones home to safety.  They adapted quickly to milk replacer, and they are thriving now.

All Available Hands, We Need YOU!

Garth, Brooks, and Trisha are only few of the many, many horses in need.  Over the next few weeks, we will be working hard to assure we can continue doing what we do at AAE!   There are many ways to help.

First up, Help A Horse Day!

Help us compete to win $10,000!!

AAE is celebrating ASPCA’s Help A Horse Day with a Community Outreach Day

Saturday, April 25th

10a-2p

ASPCA’s Help A Horse Day is a national day of recognition for equine organizations.  It was designed to help equine rescues and other animal welfare organizations increase their visibility in their community, engage community members, raise funds locally – and be eligible for some of the $50,000 in prize money from the ASPCA. In 2015, there will be seven winners. Three grand prize winners will win $10,000 and four runners-up will receive $5,000.

Can you help us spread the word about the lifesaving work we do on behalf of at-risk horses like Garth, Brooks, and Trisha and show our community how to join in the effort?

then join us

Sunday, April 26th

11a to 3p

for a

Celebration of the Ages and Open Barn at AAE

Sunday, April 26th

11a to 3p

Come One, Come All to A Celebration of the Ages Open Barn!! Come learn more about AAE, what we do to help horses, and learn how you can help a horse.

We’ll be celebrating horses of all ages with our closest friends! Finn and Dylan turn one, while Rusty is 29, and Sapphire is 31.  Come enjoy the fun while visiting with the Girls and Boy Scout Troops of America, our local 4-H educators and participants, Folsom Mounted Police and Folsom Lake Trail Patrol, as well as Susan Wirgler Horse and Human Partnership, and of course our community supporters, new and old alike!

The celebration will be held at the All About Equine Barn in El Dorado Hills, CA! We’ll be promoting the event the entire month of April with a variety of activities including El Dorado County’s Give Where You Live campaign on April 23rd!  We’ll also be at the local Pet-A-Palooza on April 25th!

Stop by to help us celebrate with fun, games, music & food! You’ll be sure to enjoy the barn and all our amazing adoptable horses!! We can’t wait to see you there!! Please RSVP to info@allaboutequine.org for more information and directions to our barn.

The following post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

When the call came in over Easter week about a foal in need on the Virginia Range, local heroes in Nevada were ready. The tiny filly had been spotted on the range with her mother and family. She had a serious facial injury and was having difficulty breathing. In short measure, the good folks from Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC) in Stagecoach arrived on the scene to rescue her. Read the full story of the Easter foal’s rescue and learn how you can help continue this lifesaving work by clicking below.

The following post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

The wild horses in the Kiger and Riddle Mountain Herd Management Areas (HMAs) may well be one of the best remaining examples of the Spanish Mustang, and their preservation is vitally important. Despite this, the BLM has set extremely low Allowable Management Levels for these herds — a maximum of 82 horses in Kiger and just 56 in Riddle Mountain! Worse, the agency rounds up these horses every four years, terrorizing and traumatizing them with helicopters, shattering their families and forever robbing many of them of their freedom. The next roundup is scheduled for August 2015. The BLM is targeting 214 of these amazing mustangs for capture; approximately 153 will be permanently removed from the range and put up for adoption. The BLM already stockpiles 50,000 wild horses in holding facilities and has a huge backlog of adoptable horses — bringing more horses into an overburdened adoption system is unacceptable!

The following post is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

We wouldn’t bring this to you on a Friday evening if it weren’t important.

A bill introduced this week in the Nevada legislature would, if passed, prevent the humane management of the Virginia Range horses that we have worked to secure over the past two years. Instead of humane management, Assembly Bill 431 (AB431) would lead to the wholesale removal and disposal of these historic horses, who fall under the state’s management.

PLEASE take a moment to send a message to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, which will hear this bill next Thursday, April 3, 2015. 

Currently, AWHPC is working with State of Nevada and local wild horse advocacy groups to humanely manage the Virginia Range mustangs. We have worked on this win-win, public-private partnership for two long years. AB461 would replace that humane management partnership with removals, sales to slaughter auction, and the potential gelding and spaying of horses on the range.

Your voice as a past or potential tourist is important. Nevada relies on the tourism industry — the state should not pass a bill that will tarnish their image. Please take action tonight.

.

Thank you for caring about wild horses and burros,

We are pleased to announce that we have found a new home for the “brothers” Mikey and Ikey. If you missed our last newsletter explaining why they are moving, please read the letter announcing their availability here.

Generous reader Susan Kerins of Colorado has offered to provide the boys with a safe and loving home. Susan has their future arrival well-checks, lifelong care, and the pre-transport expenses of veterinary testing and certification covered, and assures a permanent home.

We are all sad to see Mikey and Ikey go but we firmly believe this is the best decision for our small organization. The girls who adopted Mikey and Ikey have both experienced varying but equally devastating circumstances causing them to no longer be able to care for the horses and since our supporters have helped so much already we feel that we cannot responsibly continue to afford for the care and upkeep of the brothers Mikey and I key without it affecting our ability to advocate for horses on a larger scale.

We have approached many organizations for assistance with the transport to no avail. In order to get Mikey and Ikey to their new home with Susan Kerins in Colorado, we must assist in raising funds for transport. This is the largest need we have ever had. The new home is approximately 800 miles away – 1600 roundtrip.

We have a generous driver who has offered his time. He has personal experience with the horses and will transport them with extreme caution and care. If you can help us buy the gas we would be eternally grateful.

The following is an update from Save Your Ass Longears Rescue.

It’s hopeful out today! The sun is shining, the mules are shedding like crazy, and I have unplugged the water heaters! There is still a lot of ice on top of snow, but the birds are singing and there is a slight smell of earth in the air. I think we may have survived this wicked winter!

One of our very loyal and generous donors bailed an aged Belgian mule from Camelot for us a little over a month ago. I named him Sweet William, and he had been quarantined in NJ for a month. While he was there, he was seen by a vet and started on a special feeding regime, as he was a 1 on the Henneke scale. (The Henneke scale is a body condition scoring system which runs from 1, which is emaciated, to 9, which is obese.)

This big boy was delivered to SYALER last week and he is a LOVE! He is a very sweet, friendly, “in-your-pocket” type of mule. His age is estimated to be 29 years young – he has no arthritis or any other obvious joint issues, but his teeth have been worn smooth and he has no grinding surfaces, which means he can’t eat hay very well.. He is now up to a 2 on the Henneke scale, and we would like to see him become a 5. Sooooo he will be needing lots of groceries – He will need to be on hay stretcher pellets, beet pulp, CocoSoya oil, and a few other supplements to gain weight. We will start him on 10lbs of hay stretcher a day – which means a 50lb bag of hay stretcher pellets won’t even last a week!

It seems like every time we get a bit ahead, a case like Sweet William comes in, sending us back into the ole money pit. So, once again I am reaching out to our amazing supporters and asking you to please do what you can to help us help Sweet William.

Mister Mann, another Belgian mule who came in a bit on the thin side, has put on weight and looks gorgeous! He is going to make someone a wonderful pal. I have become a huge fan of the draft mules. You love them and they give it right back!

Adoptions are starting to pick up a bit. Margarita and her adorable foal ChaCha left for their new home earlier this week. I will miss the antics of little ChaCha. Foals are so much fun.

It seems like every time we get a bit ahead, a case like Sweet William comes in, sending us back into the ole money pit. So, once again I am reaching out to our amazing supporters and asking you to please do what you can to help us help Sweet William.

Thank you all very much for your ongoing kindness which comes in all forms, from lovely letters to very dear email posts to donations, every kindness is very gratefully appreciated. I take nothing for granted and my thanks comes from the heart.

Let’s hope that the weather continues to warm up so the ice can melt and Mud Season can begin!!
chEARS,

Ann

President & Shelter Manager

The following article is from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

The historic agreement with the State of Nevada for the humane management of the Virginia Range horses has been signed!

This agreement has been two long years in the making. We could not have gotten here without your support!

Will you continue to stand with us and the historic mustangs of the Virginia Range in northern Nevada?

This first-of-its-kind public/private partnership will set the bar for the humane management of wild horses in the wild. It will allow wild horse advocates to take measures to humanely control population numbers and keep horses out of harm’s way so they can stay free on the range with their families! The Virginia Range horses are not federally protected and instead fall under the State of Nevada’s jurisdiction.

Will you help us keep these beloved horses with their families in the wild? 

Your contribution today will be put to work immediately… to fund the training of local community members to dart horses safely and effectively with the humane PZP birth control vaccine and also to fund public education and on-the-range improvements to prevent horses from becoming targets for capture and removal by keeping them out of harm’s way, and away from roadways and developments.

Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference.

Thank you for your compassion and dedication to America’s wild horses and burros!

The following post is from the Youths’ Equine Alliance.

What would we do without friends? True friends that support us through thick and thin! We want to thank everyone who supported our most recent efforts at the Broken Arrow tour. We were able to document the Fish Creek mares that were there and also the stallions that were at another Nevada facility.

Here is some first-hand information we received on the tour:
– Many mares are due to foal immediately
– Two mares have already aborted due to stresses of the roundup and the extreme adjustments of life in captivity (including food and environment change which causes undue stress on the horses.)
– The stallions remain intact.
– Both mares and stallions had drastically different attitudes than the rest of the horses in holding. For instance the majority of horses in holding are “hungry” for affection and they will look at you and at times approach you directly for a sniff or a muzzle rub. However the Fish Creek mares and stallions remained at a cautious distance with a stiff, alert, and confounded demeanor.

For a report on the tour, we couldn’t say it better than our friends at Wild Horse Education. Please take a minute to read Laura’s account of the tour.