You’ve seen and heard a lot about this year’s brutal wild horse and burro roundups from us — but have you ever wondered what it would be like to observe one for yourself?
I used to, and that’s why I headed out to Utah to the Sulphur HMA. I wanted to observe for myself, but more importantly, I wanted to share the experience with you to give the full picture of exactly what we’re fighting to end — and why.
Watching this video isn’t easy. But it’s important to understand what’s at stake — and why we’re calling for a moratorium on roundups and an investigation into the BLM’s rampant animal welfare violations and failure to implement fertility control as a humane alternative to brutal roundups. I’m personally asking that, after you watch the video, you consider chipping in $15 to our Roundup Fund so we can put an end to these brutal practices as quickly as possible.
Please note: this video contains upsetting images of violence against wild horses.
AWHC’s roundup program — observing, documenting, reporting and holding BLM accountable — is a top priority for us. Often, we’re the ONLY ones in the field speaking up for those who cannot.
The freedoms, lives, health and well-being of the iconic wild horse and burro herds we love so dearly depend on our continued vigilance and effort, and we won’t let them down. Are you with me? Watch our video first to see what a day at a roundup entails, and then please chip in to help us keep up this important work.
16 MORE BABIES AND A RARE CHANCE TO SAVE 3 PREGNANT MARES! (We are still in the middle of rescuing the 27, and I NEED MORE HELP TO SAVE ALL OF THESE LIVES!
Thankfully we have had some wonderful adoptions and I am down to 6 babies with me now, as well as the 9 babies in Golconda with the rest of the kids. Both Strawberry and the abused TB are safe and sound in their new homes. PTL!
We have had some significant injuries in the last group, and the vet bills take a huge chunk of the donations. One of the HIDDEN COSTS of rescue are Brand Inspections. I spent over $660 in the last few weeks for a simple piece of paper that is required for every horse. But most people have no idea that we spend so much money on these. Legally it is required, and it hurts badly as it eats into the budget.
__ As you can see in the photo, this mare was desperate to escape. They are terrified and cannot understand why they are suddenly trapped. (Not to mention what they have been through during the roundups.)
It is supposed to be the end of the catching season. Today, I was sent pictures of these mares. PLEASE DO NOT LET THEIR FACES HAUNT ME FOREVER!
I truly need a break, but these lives were put in front of me for a reason. Obviously it is God’s plan for us to try and save them. I cannot do it without you. Please make this happen! The clock is ticking…..
I NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!The mares are very thin and very pregnant. I cannot stand the thought of them on the slaughter truck. I know it is easy to run on “faith” when things are a bit difficult, but it is even more important to trust in the really hard times, or it doesn’t mean anything.
So I am trusting we can raise the funds we need to purchase all 19 OF THE NEW GROUP OF horses AND to get them vetted, hauled home to safety and fed and cared for until they have found their forever homes.I HAVE TO RAISE ENOUGH FUNDS TO RESPONSIBLY RESCUE THESE lives. They all need to be fed and cared for after they are saved.
This mare is extremely thin, and very pregnant. Let’s get her to safety so she can get her groceries and have her baby in peace, not have it ripped out and thrown onto the slaughter floor. She needs your help now!
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.
STILL MORE BABIES NEED YOUR HELP!! This rescue is at 27 so far, and still growing. Catchers are running like crazy before the bad weather hits. Do I tell them, YES or No? It’s up to you!
THE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW ARE AT 27 – 23 BABIES, 1 Pregnant wild mare, the other abused wild TB mare, and still working on the pony. 5 of those are still at the Shipper’s, which pretty much guarantees by the time they are “ready to go”, there will be more. So far, there has NEVER been a pickup that didn’t have more babies.
I appreciate every penny that has been donated. Sadly, if I am going to be able to save ALL these precious lives, the horses simply need more help. It is kind of terrifying to think about so many mouths to feed etc. However, our wonderful adoption coordinator has found homes for 6 of the babies and I have both mares adopted out as well. I still have 9 babies in Golconda, and winter is coming.
I am willing do the work, but I need your help for the funding.
I want to send out a big thank you to Matt. He came up from Texas to fix my water lines and decided to come and help me on this rescue before heading to CA. He has been a big blessing and it was nice to not be here on my own this time.
For the folks who feel like reading, I wanted to share a day in the life of a rescue with y’all. It is pretty much the reality of what it is like to do this work.
This morning I woke up, ran to town for supplies, spent a couple hours with an amazing adopter, picked up more orphaned foals, fed, watered and vetted the ones with injuries and finally sat down. As I write this, the reality sets in.
I have a beautiful camp site where I have my “temporary corrals” set up.
My veggies are simmering in butter over the fire, and it is so beautiful out. The air is soft and clear, and as the music plays, my heart swells thinking of how beautiful everything is. I try to enjoy as much as I can each, and every day and appreciate what is in front of me.
Reality is the knife that comes deep in my heart. The beauty tonight is pierced by the horrors that brought me here. Although I have made this the absolute best “home away from home” I possibly can, the night is pierced by the screams of babies torn away from their Mamas and their families. Their anguished, wailing cries, hanging heads and beat up bodies show the horrors of what just happened. The absolutely, bewildered look in the eyes of these broken babies rips out your heart. At this very moment, their moms, brothers, sisters, and dads are crushed in a slaughter truck, able to make no sense of what happened. Days ago, they were running free, and tonight they are kicked and bitten as too many of them are crammed together in the truck of death.
I am so grateful to have a place to set up and take care of these broken souls, and as most of you know I spend weeks living in “camp” in my horse trailer so I can save these babies, pregnant mares, old stallions and anyone else God throws into the mix. But listening to these babies scream for their mama’s all night long, is ripping my heart out. As the tears stream down my face, the pain is so physical it nearly makes me ill.
This was NOT my dream, to be buried in the sewer that is the slaughter world. But God puts it in front of me, so this IS my world. It isn’t bad enough that only yesterday as I drove here, I was up to 16 weanlings, not including the pregnant mare, the other crazed, injured and abused wild mare, and the bratty pony. TODAY, I picked up 6 instead of 4, and there are ANOTHER 5 at the Shipper’s. So today’s number is 23, NOT 16, and that is just the babies. Every day it seems to grow……
When I think about trying to explain the need for help, it is simply overwhelming. I so say “no” all the time, but when I am the only thing standing between death and these babies, I have to give it my all. Honestly, I am beyond tired. I want to cry I am so tired. Emotionally, physically I am exhausted. But I cannot have that negative energy with these babies. They need to feel safe and like they are loved. So I sit here wondering how much more I can take. I know God won’t give us more than we can handle, but sometimes I wonder how tough He thinks I really am.
_This is my evening. Trying to make the best of the situation put in front of me.
Wondering how soon everyone would quit reading the sad news that I spout as I try to save these precious lives. So many 911’s and emergencies. THIS IS MY LIFE ON THE FRONT LINE!_
Listening to the heartbreaking screams of the babies. Knowing their families are rattling around in a slaughter bound trailer, terrified, and missing their babies. Yet I have to struggle on, because if I quit, all of these lives will be lost, and not in a humane fashion.
Once again saving ALL of these souls depends on you, my Chilly Pepper Family. YOU are the Angels that make it happen. The chance of it only being 27 is nearly impossible, but one can hope.
Thank you for saving so many lives!
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.
As of this point there are at least 2 more babies and possibly more.
Thank you to everyone who is helping. We were getting close, but still need more help, especially with 16 + babies in addition to the others we are saving.
I so appreciate every penny that is donated. I am hoping and praying we can pull this off and LEAVE NO HORSE BEHIND!
I will update as more come in.
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.
STRAWBERRY, the pregnant roan mare has been saved, along with 8 of the babies. THANK YOU to each and every one of you who helped save them!
THERE ARE STILL 4 MORE BABIESPLUS THE 2 that I JUST GOT CALLED ON (while I was typing this). I need to commit to the babies, and we now have this sad little pony and the injured mare on the “URGENT – CLOCK HAS RUN OUT” list.
WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE REST OF THEM?
I am hoping and praying this is NOT the time I have to leave horses behind.
I know I cannot save the world, and I say “no” constantly, but this rescue is drawing out and I need to know if we can come up with enough funds to save ALL OF THEM!
This poor mare has been given a bum rap. She was mishandled, horribly abused and now is simply terrified if too much pressure is put on her.
Her baby was just stripped away and now she is being thrown away. She was also injured. She does not deserve to die!
So many times people only want the baby, and somehow there is an excuse to throw away Mama.
Let’s show her that HER LIFE MATTERS!
These are some of the kids you have saved already during this ongoing rescue! Thank you so much for each and every one of their lives.
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.
IT’S GO TIME AGAIN – Just got the call for a pregnant wild mare who is slated to ship tomorrow. I have to commit asap so we can keep her off the slaughter truck.
Catcher called, and so did the shipper. I have AT LEAST 12 MORE BABIES AT THIS MOMENT – and more expected by the time I get there.
However, I CANNOT say yes to saving these kids without raising enough money to pay back the emergency funds that were depleted with this last rescue. With the balances left for the unexpected repairs on the trucks and trailers, the last batch of hay and the previous vetting, even the emergency funds are depleted. Chilly Pepper cannot responsibly commit to saving more horses without having enough money to care for the horses we already have saved.
I am sure if there are 12 babies now, by the time I get up there we will be looking at a much larger number. The catchers are out in full force trying to get as many rounded up as they can before winter.
I realize the world as we once knew it is upside down. I am having to make decisions based on the reality of our current situation. I can only save horses I know I can provide and care for. I am hoping that y’all want them saved enough to skip a latte, or a night out, or that much loved pedicure. Times are tough, but these horses do not deserve to be slaughtered.
More and more people are dumping horses and it seems like we are doing quite a bit of “hospice type care”. Saving these animals and providing the love and care they so deserve for the short bit of time I often have with them is important.
YOU decide how many I (we – together) can keep saving.
CAN WE RAISE ENOUGH FUNDS TO SAVE THIS PREGNANT MARE AND ALL OF THE BABIES? I am praying so.
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.
A Heart-Wrenching Scene at the Diamond Complex HMA
Earlier this week, our team set out to observe yet another devastating roundup, this one at the Diamond Complex in Nevada, where the BLM plans to roundup 1,225 innocent wild horses, permanently removing 1,165 of them from their home on the range. In just one day, we watched as 126 horses lost their freedom, and three lost their lives.
The scenes were both heart-wrenching, and unacceptable. At AWHC, we pride ourselves for our ability to document these roundups in order to keep the BLM accountable, but as lovers of wild horses, watching scenes like the one captured in the video below never gets easier. Nonetheless, we know how important BEING THERE, and bear witness to this heart-wrenching mistreatment of our wild horses and burros. We will never stop showing up, and doing everything in our power to keep them wild and free.
If you have a minute, please take the time to watch this video, chip in any amount you are able to afford today to our Roundup Fund, and share this with your friends. We can’t keep letting the BLM get away with this violence and need to make ourselves seen and heard.
Please note: this link contains upsetting images of violence against wild horses.
Tell the Forest Service to STOP Roundups Amid Red Flag Fire Warnings
What they’re doing right now is completely unconscionable.
Last week, we contacted you about the ongoing reckless management practices being carried out against the Devil’s Garden wild horse population in California’s Modoc National Forest. As if selling and shipping horses to whoever will buy them for just $1 — — with no oversight, or safeguards in place –isn’t bad enough, it gets worse…
Right now, in the middle of record-breaking heat and wildfires, in unhealthy air quality conditions and while under a red flag fire warning,Modoc National Forest officials are STILL using helicopters to run down and round up desperate wild horses, as they are forced to run for miles struggle to breathe in the smoky conditions.
This latest — and most egregious practice — joins a LONG and growing list of completely reckless management practices carried out by Modoc National Forest leadership that more than 10,000 of us have spoken up against sending letters, making calls and sharing on social media — including:
Selling horses for $1 apiece, with no agency-wide system to vet potential buyers and lax policies such as allowing one individual to purchase up to 24 horses a day;
Providing free – or heavily subsidized – transportation to private individuals who purchase large numbers of horses using in part, federal funding;
Allowing Modoc staff to make their own determinations on to whom to sell horses and which buyers are eligible for free transportation based on a “case by case basis.”
We can’t sit back and let this gross disregard for the welfare of our wild horses go uncontested, or continue under the radar.
Will you speak out NOW by signing this petition to demand that the Forest Service cancel the roundup due to these unsafe wildfire conditions and work instead to manage the Devil’s Garden wild horses humanely in the wild?
In case you missed our announcement last week, we wanted to take this opportunity to express our excitement for our annual Stay Wild Event on Oct. 1! We decided to bring the wildness right to your screen with a creative twist to a virtual event that you won’t want to miss.
This year, we’ll bring talented performers, influencers, and top wild horse advocates in America into your homes for an exceptional evening of charity and entertainment. We really hope that you’ll be able to join us.
WHEN: Oct 1, 2020, Pre-Show: 4:45 PM, PDT, Main Event: 5:00 – 6:00 PM PDT
WHERE: Virtual
WHY: To raise funds for AWHC and our ongoing work to Keep Wild Horses Wild
We hope you stay safe and well this weekend and as always, thank you for your support in helping our wild horses stay free and wild!
When we began to realize that COVID-19 wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, aside from the sadness for those who are suffering first hand from the pandemic, I began to worry for the horses who rely so heavily on all of us responsible for speaking up for them.
Every year, AWHC hosts our Stay Wild event, which not only gives us a rare occasion to celebrate all things wild horses, but also allows us to financially prepare for the next year’s fight for freedom. It’s also an event that our entire team looks forward to.
The idea of not being able to host this year’s event in person was so disappointing. And so we asked ourselves, how can we make this work? We decided to bring the wildness right to your screen with a creative twist to a virtual event that you won’t want to miss.
This year, we’ll bring talented performers, influencers and top wild horse advocates in America into your homes for an exceptional evening of charity and entertainment. I really hope that you’ll be able to join us.
WHEN: Oct 1, 2020, Pre-Show: 4:45 PM, PDT, Main Event: 5:00 – 6:00 PM PDT
WHERE: Virtual
WHY: To raise funds for AWHC and our work to Keep Wild Horses Wild
You will be taken on a journey through the West, given an inside look at our programs and introduced to our very special guests!
This is our largest — and only — big ticket event of the entire year. We rely on the proceeds of this event to fund the critical programs, equipment, veterinary and fertility control supplies and technology that we use all year round in the field to protect, treat, and manage the wild horse and burro populations we love so dearly. We really hope you (and your friends!) can make it, but if you cannot please consider donating any amount you’re able to afford, to our roundup fund here, or check out our silent auction when it opens on September 21!
100% of the proceeds from each item purchased goes directly to the American Wild Horse Campaign.
I hope you can join us for this one-of-a-kind event. I know I’m looking forward to it especially right now when we are so much in need of a good celebration!
Thank you for your wonderful donation and all of the love and support.
I wanted to take a couple minutes to stop and say “thank you” for your life-saving donation.I cannot begin to express my appreciation for your help saving these precious lives.
This group is a hot mess. We have two babies who had huge chunks of their faces ripped away by “an adult horse?” (That is the info I was given.) The injuries are pretty horrific and we have 2 others with infected legs and another who was stepped on and can barely walk. So sadly, lots of injuries that need a lot of special care and medication.
Grandma Sue is in with one of the babies and loving it.She is missing most all of her teeth, so is another “special needs” lady. It is so nice to watch her with the baby. They bring so much comfort to each other.
Sadly Great Grandma Lilly most likely has very little time. She was down this morning and I was not sure if she would be able to get back up. Thankfully our prayer chain was answered and she is up again. SHE IS A VERY HAPPY GIRL THOUGH.
We had her hoofers done, had her vetted yesterday and have given her every thing the vet could think of to help her get stronger. Her teeth are horrific, but Doc said “her legs are even worse”, and that is not good. She is simply enjoying the loves and having food that she can actually eat. She is drinking and eating well, but there has been a tremendous amount of damage done to her poor body. I am afraid she will only be here for a short time, but at least she is not going to die scared and alone, but rather surrounded by love and having a full belly and no pain.
She loves to cuddle, and can do so much longer than I can stand on my leg. She is obviously feeling very safe and is surrounded by other horses, but none can steal her feed. It is a gift to be able to spend her last days loving and caring for her.
I hope God has His vengeance with the man who did this to her. :(
Below, one of my favorite little “would have been a lead mare lol”
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.
A HEARTBREAKING CALL FOR AN ABUSED, EMACIATED “GREAT GRANDMA”.Lilly is a 35? year old mare who was on her way to a horrific end.Her feet are horrible, she can barely walk, she is starved beyond measure and her teeth are a nightmare.Yet even after being abused and neglected, she is still the sweetest thing on this earth. WILL YOU HELP ME HELP HER?
You can clearly see by how uneven her teeth are that she has had no care, and has been slowly starving to death.
I honestly don’t know if we can offer her more than good food, comfort, and no pain, but I will do every possible thing I can to make the rest of her short life the best of her life. But I need your help to do that.
ANOTHER HEARTBREAK – Grandma Sue is a wild, very old, very thin mare who does NOT deserve to be crammed into a crowded trailer and trampled on the way to the slaughter house. I honestly do not know if she will much time left either, but it should certainly be one where she is loved and cared for.
I have AT LEAST 9 MORE BABIES coming, NOT INCLUDING the 4 we just got. So we need to vet 15 more kids on Monday, so I can hopefully head back to NV. The stock trailer is finally fixed, to the tune of $2500+, but we have to be safe when we haul this precious cargo.
I realize the emergencies keep on coming, (believe me, I am emotionally and physically exhausted, especially because I am here alone), but these babies and these “old ladies” feel like their life is just as important as the other ones we saved. So PLEASE help me save them if you can. The Shipper is loading tomorrow, so I need to commit to “Grandma Sue” immediately, and let him know if you want to save her, and if I can take the babies. I have to raise enough funds to safely do so.
If you want me to save these before I head back to NV, I need your help now!
The babies have no where else to go. Every life matters, and I guess these kids are also part of the reason God kept me here, because if I had gone home, Grandma and Great Grandma would be facing a horrific ending, and we all know what that means. However, since I am still here, with your help, we can save them both.
AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU to everyone who donated, shares the posts and lifts the much needed prayers. Together, we ARE making a difference!
Dakota is hanging in there. Doc said his eye will most likely need to be removed when I get back home, but at least some of the pressure has been relieved and the horrible wound on his side is draining nicely. THANK YOU for helping him!
Below, the photo that was sent of “Grandma Sue”
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.
We have only 24 hours to speak up on behalf of wild horses before the BLM closes comments to its National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting.
Later this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a virtual gathering of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. There they will discuss the ongoing management of wild horses and burros on public lands, as well as “measures for increasing the placement of wild horses and burros into good homes through adoptions and sales.”
While adoption of captured wild horses is the best outcome for captured horses and burros, it should be the very last option when discussing population management.
There’s a better, more humane, scientific AND cost effective way to manage wild horse and burro populations and AWHC is demonstrating how that’s done with our innovative gold standard PZP fertility program.
Without pressure from people like you, the BLM will have no reason to cease the roundups that harm or kill innocent animals every year. Ranchers who graze private livestock on public lands and their well funded lobbyists will make sure their voices are heard. We need to be prepared to do the same.
Meet “DAKOTA” – Chilly Pepper’s newest critical care child.
I had an emergency intake today. A 911 call from the Trapper to see if I wanted to help an injured colt. The decision had already been made to “destroy the colt”, when the trapper heard “I was still in WA”.
Is Dakota the real reason I was stuck here for so long?I knew God had a reason, and if I had left for NV as planned, this beautiful yearling would be dead right now.I am so grateful for the call and the chance to save him.
Dakota will most likely need his eye removed due to the amount of trauma. It is horribly injured and he is on pain meds and antibiotics. He will be vetted at the earliest opportunity, and sadly, his care will be spendy to say the least.
God obviously kept me here for a reason, and it was clear to me that I was supposed to be here for Dakota, so of course I agreed.
( I was actually expecting a call for something like this, critically injured or ill. )
However, I am praying hard for a different outcome than we had with my beautiful “Miracle Girl”.
Dakota was wild, but is gentling up quickly as he seems to understand we are helping. Mama Mel and Cam rushed right over so we could get him vetted and some pain meds on board. Teamwork makes the dreams work! *So grateful for the amazing folks around me!*
He also has a huge hard lump behind his right leg, which actually concerns me nearly as much as his eye. I am praying it is nothing too serious. At this point he is much more comfortable than when he arrived and is munching his hay and enjoying his pain meds.
Please help this little guy if you can and say a prayer that the infection has not spread too far.Chilly Pepper was obviously not in a wonderful financial position to take on a baby with his needs, but he is here and he is staying with me.
Again, this was a “faith decision”. How could I not when it was so obvious that I was not going home on my schedule. I am so grateful to God for all the hiccups or this little man would not be here with me.
When I get these calls, I never know what the injuries will look like or how badly they are hurt. You just get to say “yes or no”, so I said “yes”!
Please help me provide the care that he needs. Your love and support are SO APPRECIATED! Thank you to everyone who is helping us get the vehicles back on the road and the horses home safe!
Below: The Pregnant mare y’all saved!!
She came with a baby, but sadly it was not her baby. The filly has been adopted by some wonderful folks who are constantly stepping up to help me when I am up here. So again – a 3 life save!
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.
URGENT – MORE HORSES NEED YOU TO HELP THEM STAY ALIVE, and as usual, their time has run out.
We have a Mare and Foal Pair, (and Mama is bred back), so that is 3 lives to save!, PLUS…
We have the mare above that I still need to pay for, (I simply couldn’t wait to fund raise and had to commit on faith.) PLUS – MORE BABIES are coming from the trapper and the shipper!
It’s been a super rough week, and as usual we don’t know for sure how many horses need us.
One of the catchers had at least 3, and that is just for today. Shipper has ?
The rescue has been hit all at once with the need for truck tires, (and it was imminent – one was ready to blow), transmission repair and brake work for the truck and wiring on the horse trailer braking system.
After getting the transmission fixed, thanks to some amazing people out there, the hauler was on the way when the brakes started to malfunction.
After checking both the truck and trailer, we are looking at another bill (not including tires or transmission) that will be anywhere from an expected bill of $1500 to $2000?? or more. (It was internal, brake pads are fine, but we still have to get the necessary repairs to actually have working brakes, and the stock trailer has some wiring that is old and sketchy ie. dangerous.
I still can’t get back to NV until we get the 2nd truck and trailer fixed. However, instead of being gone back to NV, I was here to treat one of the colts that came in with an injury. He is beautiful, but it took all of us to safely treat him without causing him unnecessary stress. He has certainly been through enough. I know there is a reason for the delays, and the babies and emergencies have not stopped.
ONCE AGAIN, THE HORSES NEED YOU!HOWEVER, the transmission AND the new tires were covered by some amazing angels who donated specifically for that! THANK YOU ANGELS! That means we need another $1500 plus ? just to finish the brakes, front end repairs and wiring on the trailer. THEN, we still need funds to save these new kids and vet them, get them home etc. etc.
IF YOU CAN HELP me save these babies and the mares, PLEASE DO SO! This has been a crazy 3 weeks and I am going to have to turn around and come back, but I know we can save these horses, IF you help make it happen!
BELOW – The injured “Slide” stares longingly at what used to be the path to his home.
It is so traumatic for these babies to be ripped away and stuffed into what must feel like prison. Help me save him, (and the rest of them), and give them the best life we can!
Thank you as always for the love and support, and THANK YOU to my Angels who covered the cost of fixing the transmission and getting the much needed tires!
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.
As the end of summer approaches, children return to school (virtually or in person), Congress nears the end of its recess and our wild horses and burros across the West continue to endure a punishing and brutal summer roundup season. August was a busy, productive and at times heartbreaking month for our staff, partners and volunteers as we utilized the generous contributions from AWHC supporters to fight for the future of these iconic animals. Thanks to your support, we were able to send more people than ever to the field to observe, document and speak up against abuse at the roundups, launch a series of Senate ads to increase support for wild horse and burro protection, and continue to deliver humane fertility control to wild mares living on Nevada’s Virginia Range, surpassing 2,400 treatments delivered!
DEADLINE: Submit Comment to National Wild Horse and Burro Citizen Advisory Board
Wild horses and burros need your voice, as a citizen protector:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just announced a virtual gathering of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board September 23-24.
This is the first time the Advisory Board will meet since the BLM delivered its deadly report to Congress detailing a plan to round up nearly every wild horse and burro living today at a cost to taxpayers of $1 billion in just five years. These board members are supposed to represent stakeholders in the wild horse and burro issue. The largest stakeholder is the American public, which overwhelmingly wants our wild horses protected and preserved for generations to come. However, the Advisory Board is stacked with representatives from special interests, and consistently overlooks the public interest to promote the cattle industry’s mass mustang roundup agenda.
The meeting will be held virtually this year, making participation easy. Now more than ever, our wild horses and burros need your voice to demand protection and humane management of these national icons on our public lands.
Without representation by people like you, Meredith, the BLM will have no reason to cease the roundups that harm or kill innocent animals every year. For profit ranchers and their lobbyists will show out in droves, and we need to be prepared to do the same.
Thank you for lending your voice to keeping our wild horses and burros safe and wild.
PS — You can join the September 24-25 meetings at BLM.gov/live.
Late Summer Roundup Update
Last week, as the roundup in the Sulphur Herd Management Area concluded, we held the 563 wild horses who were captured, and the 8 who died, in our hearts and minds. The Sulphur roundup took place in Utah, scene of the most brutal incidents of the year, resulting in the death and injuries of too many innocent horses.
Please note: this link contains upsetting images of violence against wild horses.
This summer’s roundups have been long and aggressive, and will continue through February of next year. One in particular, at the Shawave Mountain HMA, concluded on August 24, with the capture and permanent removal of 1,653 wild horses — with sometimes over 150 captured in a single day — and the total eradication of wild burros from the area, with 220 of these innocent animals removed. By the end of the month-long ordeal, the death count was up to 12. Thanks to the support of thousands of people reading emails just like this one, our observers were onsite at the Shawave roundup and at the other helicopter operations that have occurred this summer to document and share what’s happening with the public.
Our representatives also demand that the BLM comply with its own animal welfare standards at these helicopter capture operations, and gather evidence of abuse when the agency routinely violates them.
Rest assured that so long as the BLM has wild horses and burros in its crosshairs, we will continue to fight its cruel and inhumane approach to population management with every arrow in our quiver— legal, legislative, grassroots opposition, and continuing to demonstrate that safe and humane fertility control alternatives are viable.
You can give to our Roundup Fund by donating here.
The View From the Field
Last week, AWHC staff member Brieanah Schwartz had the opportunity to witness and work her first wild horse roundup. She documented her experience to shed light on exactly what a roundup entails — for our wild horses and burros, and for all those in attendance. Below is a sneak preview of Brieanah’s experience, which will be turned into a special short documentary that we will be airing at our annual Stay Wild benefit event, held virtually this year on October 1.
More babies and a rare chance to save a beautiful stallion. They need YOU to save their lives. I received a call from the shipper and one of the catchers today.
Sadly, our coffers are close to empty. I still need about $5000 to cover the latest group’s shipping, vetting and to pay the wonderful folks who are taking care of the critters and our special needs kids in NV, while I am up here rescuing. I realize the groups are running together, (believe me, I want to go home…) But as usual, in the middle of the last 20+ rescued, as I wait for paperwork I get another call for more.
MORE BABIES need us NOW! I have to give the catcher and trapper an answer by tomorrow to see if we can take on the new ones in front of us. We need to save the stallion too. LET’S SAVE THEM ALL!!
I realize the pandemic has wiped out so much income and caused so much hardship, and I so appreciate every penny that has been donated.
However, I can only rescue as many critters as I have funds for. I need to raise the funds to finish this last group (we still have 12 available for adoption) and then have enough to safely and responsibly save this next group.
I will keep going as long as I can, but right now I cannot responsibly say yes to more horses without your help and commitment!
WILL YOU HELP ME SAVE THEM? Just this morning they were with their families. Tonight, alone but together, they scream for their Mama’s and their band. Please help us give them the gift of life. I asked, and there is no where else for them to go, and we all know what that means.
Some sad/glad news, we had to say goodbye to Ranger today. Ranger was a supposed 20 year old that y’all saved years ago. In reality he was 30 ish at the time and he has spent the last years in absolute heaven on earth with a wonderful family and their 3 kids. He has been a special needs and on mash and this morning I had to say goodbye. He had the most beautiful ending to his life, but it still hurts and it broke my heart.
THIS is a big part of what y’all do. You not only save lives, but you give these animals the most precious gift possible, by allowing them to be loved and spoiled the last years of their lives.
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.
The BLM’s summer assault on our wild horses and burros is still mounting — already more than 3,200 wild horses and burros have been run down and rounded up, 19 have been tragically killed. At the same time, historic legislation is waiting to be championed in the Senate, which means we have no time to waste.
Advocating for the protection of wild horses and public lands on Capitol Hill can be a long and challenging process. That’s why when we make progress, it’s important to give credit where credit is due and keep up the momentum by asking more lawmakers to join the fight.
Here’s how you can help continue this critical momentum towards protecting wild horses and burros: We’ve created a new series of digital ads both thanking our wild horse champions in the House and Senate, and encouraging those Senators who still need to step up and do the right thing. We’re calling on key legislators to protect wild horses from cruel and inhumane helicopter assaults and dangerous surgical sterilization methods, before it’s too late.
We’ve already passed the wild horse amendment in the House of Representatives, now we need the Senate to pick up the ball and do its part to save thousands of wild horses and burros. It’s up to all of us to remind our Senators that we are here to speak up for our wild horses who have no voice, and we’re not going anywhere until they’re protected, wild and free. Will you join the chorus of calls for protection?
Thank you for stepping up today to protect our wild horses and burros.
Since my last update, including this little angel, y’all saved 12 babies lives!!!!!**
AS ALWAYS, the calls KEEP COMING! The new number is 12, YES – ANOTHER 12, and I am currently on standby for babies from 2 other catchers. So most likely by the time vetting would come, I will be even more buried.
DO I tell him yes?
Their Mom’s and Dad’s literally just loaded onto a slaughter truck, and I need to be able to say YES to all of them!!
This will put Vetting, coggins and paperwork in the multiple thousands.
DO WE, our CHILLY PEPPER FAMILY – SAVE THEM??? I cannot do this without raising funds to pay for them, feed them, etc. etc.
I honestly would rather crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone or see anyone. I lost my beautiful “Little Miracle Girl”. It hurts so much and it is like she literally climbed into my soul. She certainly crawled physically into me..
More heartbreak – I simply do not have words that will do this beautiful girl justice. She survived predators, ie bears, cougars, coyotes and a harsh environment with little feed and water. Her whole life must have been excruciating, except for the last 4 days she was with me. Thankfully she had pain meds and oh so much love.
All she wanted was to be in my lap. She literally would try to crawl into me and was ALWAYS nuzzling my knee. It was as if she knew that we shared the same excruciating type of pain, although hers had to be worse. She was a completely wild filly on Sunday and could kick like a pro. We bonded the second our eyes met. It sounds funny, but if you look at her in the pictures it is like we were together forever.
Sadly, when the vet took x-rays BOTH of her joints had huge broken pieces of bone floating around. It had to be beyond excruciating. Add that to her pneumonia and swollen joints (which ended up being septic), her life could hardly have been more painful. I was so not expecting this. Her pneumonia was a thousand times better, and she wanted life so badly.
It was an excruciating decision, but the ONLY RIGHT DECISION FOR HER.
All I can do is crawl out of my hole and save the next 12 in her honor. My beautiful girl took so much of my heart with her. THANK YOU EVERYONE who gave her a chance. She had the heart of a lion and if we didn’t have the bone chips we could have at least fought longer. At least if you look at her photo’s it is obvious how loved she felt and at peace, knowing she was being helped. I treasure every second I had with her, but now I have to fight for the new ones to honor her spirit.
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.
Join Us October 8th for our VIRTUAL Boots and Bling event! We will be featuring stories from the barn, volunteers and adopters! There will be a live auction, silent auction and a fund-a-need. We hope you will all join us on October 8th. Although this event will be different from the past, we are excited for this opportunity to come together virtually and help the horses! More information will be coming soon on how to register for the event!
If you are interested in sponsoring Boots, please contact Drew.
Auction items are needed.
If you are interested in donating to the auction, contact Dani.
New Intakes Need Some Love!
While we all continue experiencing uncertain times, there are still many, many horses in need. We continue to support as resources are available. We are currently working with a distressed sanctuary to help reduce their herd. This is definitely be a team effort, so Team AAE, let’s do this again! Together, we can make a difference for these horses.
Here’s the next group we’ve been working on:
These three muskateers are late teens/20-ish, and they came with a little baggage.
SHOOTER
Shooter is a 2001 buckskin Mustang gelding. Besides needing the basics (e.g. hoof and dental care, vaccines, microchip, and deworming), he has a slow-growing, sizable mass a the base of his jaw. If left unchecked, it could grow to interfere with breathing and swallowing. Surgery quote is estimated at $1500-2500 for removal. Additional costs will include biopsy, hospitalization, medications, post-surgical care and follow up. He’s a sweet ol’ guy that is in good shape, otherwise. He’s halterable and relatively easy to handle and may have been ridden in younger years. Basics have been done, he’s gained weight and is looking good, and he’s about ready for surgery!
ALLIE
Allie is a 2000 dark brown dun Mustang mare. She was also needing the basics (e.g. hoof and dental care, vaccines, microchip, and deworming). Her hooves were quite long and uncomfortable, so her first stop was the farrier. With light sedation, her front hooves were trimmed, and hinds were done after her dental (heavier sedation).
Allie also has a mass on the side of her left rib cage, apparently from removal of a recurring cyst (removed three times). The area was evaluated, and appears to be scar tissue. We’ll continue to monitor. This gal is a timid mare, but she’s full of try. Apparently, she spent some time at the Monty Roberts International Learning Center years ago, and she has retained some of her education, but she needs more confidence and trust!
CARLY
Carly is a 20-ish red dun Mustang mare. She is an extremely sweet ol’ gal that needed the basics, especially dental care and some good groceries. Her pointy ol’ hip was so sad. She was loved by flies, they covered her in patches of black, and she had sores in their favorite spots.
Carly is on the road to recovery now and looking great. She’s filling in and getting quite comfortable with all of the pampering she gets. She’s very social, loves grooming and attention, and she’s quickly becoming a volunteer favorite.
We’ve setup a GoFundMe for this group. Costs associated with this group will likely exceed $4000 by the time Shooter’s surgery is done, and they ready for adoption. There are more horses to help, and with the postponement of our Boots event, we’re not as well funded as we typically are this time of year, so we need your help to assure we have ample funding for the next group.
Please join us in getting this group on the path to a family of their own. If you can help, please click on the GoFundMe link below. There are a few more photos within the GFM piece, and we will initially be posting updates for this group in the GFM.
Another 911 call this morning. Would I give this little girl a chance?? When she was brought in off the range, the choices were a sharp knife or give
her a chance with me.
We have seen worse legs that healed, legs that looked better but did not heal, but never have I seen such a healthy little girl with such a fighting attitude. I had to say yes.
Yesterday I was looking at 8 babies, heading out to pick up 3 more and wondering how on earth I could say yes to all of them. Once again it was on faith.
Faith that someone will skip a coffee and send that money. I know Covid has changed our world and funds are tight, but we funds are nowhere near where we need to be.
Vetting the 13 that are in front of me is going to be hideously expensive.
We have several babies with injuries, most of them I can treat, but at least one of them will need surgery and of course this little one will need some veterinary intervention and I will treat her under my vet.
MY LITTLE MIRACLE GIRL needs a miracle, and I have every intention of fighting with her as long as she wants. LOOK at how beautiful she is. That big toned butt, her shiny coat. This little girl wants to thrive to survive.
As always, I am on the front lines and it is one emergency after another.
It is exhausting and my silly shoulder is not working so that adds an extra special element of fun to the whole rescue. I wonder sometimes if that is why God sends me the worst cases, because I can relate??? Anyway, as usual the success of the rescue is in your hands. THANK YOU for doing so much to save so many lives. Please say a prayer for “My Little Miracle Girl”. She needs so many.
Reba is struggling so we are changing up her feed and running more blood work.
I have also had another sort of rescue put in front of me. There is a starving Mama kitty and 4? out of 5 babies left? So I am also working on trapping them.
Apparently the local dogs have been killing the cats left and right and “taking care of the issue”. So prayers that I can trap them and we can get them fixed and homed.
THANK YOU EVERYONE who is part of this ongoing journey to save God’s creatures. There are simply no words to express my appreciation. Y’all Rock!
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.
Another 911, 2 urgent calls for orphans today. One from the shipper – and another call from one of the catchers. I know there are 4 at the catchers and not sure how many are at the shippers. It’s up to y’all if we can keep saving these precious lives. I simply cannot do it without your help. You save so many, and I am praying we can keep saving more. I will do the work if y’all keep helping with the finances.
(I am sure by the time I get there the numbers will have grown as usual. But I am guessing 8 or more?)
We are tapped out from all the vet bills, bail, medications, transport etc. etc., not to mention feeding our special needs kids.
These babies have nowhere to go, and as you can see, our beautiful REBA, (shown below) is going to need vet care, blood work, and can only have mash for the rest of her life. She needs help now.
She did ask me to tell you – THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE, NOW PLEASE HELP ME FEEL BETTER……..
Please help save more lives.There are so many times I think I just can’t stand the heartbreak anymore, but how do I limp away?Each and every single life matters. In all reality though, you decide who we save. Let’s keep saving every one we can.
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.
Another call – still MORE BABIES.
Shooter is a 2001 buckskin Mustang gelding. Besides needing the basics (e.g. hoof and dental care, vaccines, microchip, and deworming), he has a slow-growing, sizable mass a the base of his jaw. If left unchecked, it could grow to interfere with breathing and swallowing. Surgery quote is estimated at $1500-2500 for removal. Additional costs will include biopsy, hospitalization, medications, post-surgical care and follow up. He’s a sweet ol’ guy that is in good shape, otherwise. He’s halterable and relatively easy to handle and may have been ridden in younger years. Basics have been done, he’s gained weight and is looking good, and he’s about ready for surgery!
Carly is a 20-ish red dun Mustang mare. She is an extremely sweet ol’ gal that needed the basics, especially dental care and some good groceries. Her pointy ol’ hip was so sad. She was loved by flies, they covered her in patches of black, and she had sores in their favorite spots.
