Yesterday, Americans across the country closed out the summer by spending time with their families and friends in celebration of Labor Day. But, did you know that yesterday was also National Wildlife Day?
With the freedom of wild horses and burros under near constant threat, it’s our mission to be the voice speaking up for these majestic animals. Our dedicated team is showing up every single day in the field, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill, continuing our fight to uphold the promise to protect America’s wild horses and burros for generations to come.
Two years ago, our groundbreaking investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and the slaughter pipeline it created inspired an explosive exposé on the front page of the New York Times.
The report revealed that this federal cash incentive program was sending “truckloads” of federally protected wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. The piece sparked massive public outrage and encouraged dozens of members of Congress to speak out calling for the suspension of the disastrous program.
In response, the BLM “reformed” the AIP, but the changes it implemented failed to address the key problem: paying people $1,000 to adopt a wild, unhandled horse or burro.As a result, untamed horses and burros have continued to flood slaughter auctions across the country, overwhelming the rescue groups trying to save them.
Our updated findings reveal that nearly 1,600 wild horses and burros have been found in kill pens since the start of the program – 63% of which AWHC has been able to identify by BLM brand number. Of these identified animals, we’ve confirmed that more than 50% were adopted through the AIP.(That percentage will continue to climb as we receive additional BLM records under the Freedom of Information Act).
Most troubling: groups of related individuals have been conspiring to defraud taxpayers of thousands of dollars by adopting multiple rounds of AIP animals and then sending them to kill pens once the cash incentives clear their bank accounts. In some cases, these nefarious adopters go back just days after being awarded a title to adopt their next round of animals.
Using our investigative findings, we are working through litigation and lobbying to bring an end to this program that has placed so many innocent wild horses and burros at risk of brutal slaughter for human consumption overseas.
More wild/unhandled horses heading to slaughter.There is a brand, new baby, (in pretty rough shape), with Mama who is set to ship. Mama is NOT being listed or offered to anyone else, and we are Her Only Chance!! (Baby won’t ship with Mama), but they NEED to stay together.
Mama is emaciated. If you look closely you can see her ribs. Her topline is horrible and her hips are sunken. I will post better photos later. You can see baby looks bad as well.(Look at how skinny and sunken his/her neck is). That is from Mama being starved while he/she was in utero.
Mom 2, who is said to be getting ready to give birth is also slated to ship if we don’t save her. She is also emaciated. She is the pretty girl with the blaze. She will NOT be offered to anyone else. We are Her only hope as well. We need to save both her AND her unborn baby.
I have until Friday to come up with the money. I need to raise $4000 to help purchase, transport for vetting and then get them home.
When I drove to NV to set up a chute to get the last wild mares, and the pregnant donks vetted, the bill for the Coggins and Health Certs was $636, just to get blood drawn so we could legally transport them.
IF we don’t save the mares, they will ship on Saturday. I HAVE to say yes by Friday evening to save them.
I would love to celebrate my birthday tomorrow knowing we will save them!!
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
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 is the reality for over 60,000 formerly free-roaming wild horses and burros:
Tens of thousands of innocent animals crammed into corrals with no shade or room to run, vulnerable to deadly disease outbreaks and in danger of being funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) – all at a hefty cost of over $80 million to American taxpayers every year.
We know it doesn’t have to be like this. Through our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range, we’ve been proving for over four years that there IS a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros, one that keeps them out of these overcrowded facilities and in the wild where they’re meant to be.
This week, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB23-275, also known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project, and sent it to Governor Polis’ desk for his signature.
This bill, supported by AWHC and other wild horse protection and environmental groups, invests in a humane and cost-effective alternative to the cruel roundups that have reduced Colorado’s wild horse herds over the past several years.
SB23-275 is a significant step forward in the long term conservation of Colorado’s wild horses, dedicating $1.5 million in state resources to support the work of existing – but traditionally underfunded – local wild horse volunteer groups focused on sustaining wild horse populations through robust fertility control and habitat stewardship programs.
The bill creates a broad stakeholder working group to make recommendations for responsible placement options for wild horses who have been removed from the range, and is a model for positive and collaborative state involvement to improve the humane management of these federally-protected animals across the West.
The Wild Horse Project is an outgrowth of public opposition to the last two years of government helicopter roundups in Colorado, which removed 1,800 wild horses from their habitats and led to the preventable deaths of 149 of these state icons in overcrowded holding pens.
Colorado’s political leaders – representing broad constituencies that include wild horse advocates, environmentalists, and ranching interests – came together in response. We are thankful to Governor Polis, First Gentleman Marlon Reis, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Senator Joann Ginal, and Senator Perry Will, for working on a bipartisan basis toward a better way to care for and protect Colorado’s majestic wild horse herds.
We believe that Majority Leader Monica Duran said it best when she testified for the bill:
“… In Colorado, we love our horses. They are central to our state’s history and culture…after the two helicopter roundups that occurred in our state, there was an outcry. And this bill is an answer to that outcry.”
Please help us spread the word about this important step forward for our cause! Here are two ways you can help us get the news out:
Thank you to all the citizens and organizations who took action to support this game changing legislation – this win would not have been possible without your support. Our collective herd of advocates is strong, and when we all band together, we succeed!
Thank you for standing with our wild herds in the fight for their future.
The wild horses who call Montana’s Pryor Mountain homedesperately need our help.
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is home to a herd of about 200 mustangs, and they’re the only herd of federally protected wild horses left in all of Montana.Now, the BLM is asking the public for input on a proposal that would reduce the size of this herd by more than half, destroy beloved family bands, and would threaten the genetic health of the entire herd.
The BLM is proposing a series of roundups that would reduce this strong herd of 200 down to just 90 horses, well below the genetic viability standard of 150 animals needed to maintain diversity. The consequences would be dire. In addition to breaking up the herd’s important familial structure, the horses’ unique Spanish colonial genetics would be lost forever.
If this proposed action gets implemented, it would be a disaster for the Pryor Mountain wild horses. Not only is this herd already managed by a fertility control program, but it’s located on one of only four designated wild horse and burro ranges in the country — land that is managed principally for wild horses and burros.
I’ll keep this quick: In just a few short hours, our biggest fundraising opportunity of the year — unlocking a $150,000 matching gift — expires. We’re still $24,312 from reaching our goal, and I’m worried that for the first time ever, we may not get there.
Together, we can ensure that our work in 2023 gets off to the strongest start possible; with funding for our ambitious legal, legislative, and field program goals.
I can’t wait to see what we achieve together for our wild horses and burros in the year ahead. If it’s anything like the momentum we’ve experienced this year, we have a lot to be hopeful about. Thank you for all that you’ve done to power our movement in 2022.
Together, we’ve accomplished so much, so I want to share with you a video our team put together highlighting some of our 2022 victories. We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to do and are so grateful for your belief in our work, Meredith.
On behalf of our whole team, thank you for your compassion and dedication to protecting wild horses and burros. We wish you and your family a peaceful and healthy New Year.
For the wild ones,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
Earlier today, you heard from one of our dedicated roundup documenters about why it’s so critical that generous supporters like you power our Observation Fund. By having our field representatives on the ground observing the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel helicopter roundups, we can ensure that this inhumane treatment does not go undocumented.
Every single dollar that we raise for our Observation Fund directly helps to hold the BLM accountable:
$50 covers the costs of the camera lens rentals used to document the roundups
$75 covers the cost of our emergency roadside kits in case our observers have car trouble — as they often travel to areas without cell phone service
$100 covers daily fuel costs to transport our observers to the extremely remote public lands where the BLM conducts these roundups
$200 covers two nights of a hotel room for our observers during multi-day roundups
$1,000 covers the costs of renting a 4-wheel-drive vehicle for one week
It’s essential that we have the resources to cover these expenses. Often, AWHC representatives are the ONLY members of the public on-site to document the capture operations. This work helps us hold the BLM accountable by filing official complaints and briefing members of Congress. Without the photographs and videos from our observers, the public would be in the dark about what is happening to our wild horses and burros in these remote corners of the West.
Apologies for all the emails from our team this week — we know it can be a lot, but it’s only because there is so much on the line for wild horses and burros in 2023.
This year was a hard one for our cherished wild herds. Families were torn apart and freedom and lives were lost. Over 20,000 wild horses and burros were ripped from their homes on our public lands, and over 60,000 mustangs and burros languish in government holding facilities.
But as bad as this year was, it has only strengthened our resolve to fight harder.
The silver lining to this tragic story is that our advocacy has helped to publicize the severity of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) inhumane program, leading to growing public outrage.
We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of Americans come together and demand an end to the BLM’s costly and cruel roundup program. Congress has joined in as well, demanding these necessary reforms. Our champions even introduced the historic Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 with strong bipartisan support.
So, now is our moment. We must capitalize on this momentum and continue our fight to keep wild horses and burros roaming free.
The fillies perk up. After the whinnying and a few snorts, the boss mare asks,
“So! Who’s your Daddy?”
Colt one loudly boasts.
“He’s a Thoroughbred worth big bucks and runs around a track!”
Colt two very loudly boasts.
“Mine’s a Warmblood dressage dancer and can do the equine jitterbug and ballet!”
Colt three doesn’t see a need to boast. He simply states,
“Mine is a wild man, a hero and he’s free.”
The boss mare is intrigued. She wants to hear about all the Daddies but first she wants to hear about the wild man.
His name is Merlin. He’s a stallion of the Colorado Sand Wash Basin Herd. And he is indeed a hero in every sense of the word. No one knows just how many he has sired. However, his role as the Godfather to a forgotten foal is a compelling story of compassion and courage.
Last September, The Bureau of Land Management conducted a roundup of the Colorado Sand Wash Basin wild horses in their effort to thin the herd roaming on Northwest Colorado Public Lands. The roundup was done with helicopters and wranglers stampeding the horses to holding pens.
Observers from wild horse rescue groups and nature photographers noticed a tiny foal that looked to be no more than a few days old, terrified and isolated. Her mother, a mare identified as Serendipity, herself sired by the legendary Picasso was last seen running to escape the low flying helicopter.
Scott Wilson, the winner of the 2022 Sony Open Competition Natural World & Wildlife Photographer of the Year experienced a once in a life time example of the bonds of wild horses protecting their herd at all costs.
What Wilson saw and memorialized on film is the stuff of campfire stories and cowboy movies. It’s doubtful that any screen writer could come up with anything better than the true story of a mustang stallion confronting an uncaring wrangler and protecting a defenseless newborn foal at his own risk of certain capture. Wilson experienced a brief moment of hope and heroism in the midst of a brutal round up.
“Even a tragedy needs a hero. Just after sunrise, on a ridge to the left of an area designated as a viewing area…viewing area i s a term I use loosely since i t was nearly a mile from the holding pen and the helicopters approach was obscured…appeared a tiny newborn foal with what observers assumed was a mare, until it became apparent this was a mustang stallion known locally as Merlin.
The newborn, as yet unnamed, had been without its mother or her milk since she was rounded up the previous day. The stallion, in a huge sacrifice was seeking to bring the young foal to help. Instantly, we knew were witnessing an extraordinary example of compassionate wild animal behavior at its finest.
At this point, you want the foal to enter the trap without any drama or be humanely captured so it has the best chance of being reunited with its mare or milk at least. But you also want the stallion to escape. Between the soaring helicopter and an approaching cowboy, Merlin clearly sensed danger and bolted with the foal in tow until Merlin turned and placed himself between the foal and the cowboy.
Observers were ordered back to their cars at this point, so we have no idea what happened next or how, except the foal eventually made it to the pen and on to a foster facility in Craig, Colorado.
Stallion Merlin paid the price with his freedom and was held in a holding pen with 120 wild horses rounded up in just one morning. But not for long.
In an extraordinary act of defiance the following morning, Merlin vaulted the seven foot high fence around the BLM holding pen, with no room for a run up, and galloped his way to freedom. The dramatic escape instantly elevated Merlin to Sand Wash Basin legend status. Artists have been inspired to write poetry and paint versions of the tale.
Perhaps even more magical is that Merlin was just one of four wild stallions during the 10 day round up who sacrificed their right to roam in order to return a foal to its mother.
Unbelievable family values!
The foal, a beautiful black filly was given a chance at a good life. She is growing up and thriving in Kiowa, Colorado at a horse sanctuary. Her name i s Stella Luna and she i s one of the lucky ones.”
The boss mare liked the story. The other two colts were dumbfounded as they had never known about wild horses.
The barn manager came in to do his chores and turned the radio on.
The horses swayed back and forth in their stalls and the barn manager sang along with Janis.
“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose. Nothin, don’t mean nothin’ honey, if it ain’t free.”
The U.S. District Court in Wyoming just ruled in our favor and stopped the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from not counting foals in roundup removal totals, putting a stop to the tactic that the BLM employed to round up more horses than legally allowed from our public lands. This is a precedent setting win! Read more:
Residents of the rural community of Palomino Valley near Reno are devastated this week after a surprise roundup conducted by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe last weekend. Horses were driven off private land onto reservation land and captured for slaughter. The roundup left the Valley devoid of its locally cherished wild horses and ensnared several privately-owned horses in the process. Read more and support our efforts to help the residents fight back below.
Two months ago, the U.S. Forest Service completed its roundup and removal of 932 horses from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory (DGWHT) in the Modoc National Forest near Alturas, CA. AWHC has filed suit to stop the sale for slaughter of these federally-protected horses for slaughter and is sponsoring state legislation to strengthen slaughter protections for all California horses. Read the latest about the horses and our efforts to help them below.
As the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, the playing field for wild horses and burros is shifting. Meanwhile, the shutdown drags on, affecting the agencies that manage these federally-protected animals. Read on to find out the latest developments and what they mean for our wild horses and burros.
In August of this year, a photo of an unnamed foal went viral after our documentation of the Bureau of Land Management’s Red Desert roundup in Wyoming. We showed the world the cruelty of BLM helicopter roundups up-close.
The tiny foal was chased for miles with his mother and the rest of his band. As they neared the trap, his mother tried to save him, bravely putting herself between her baby and the helicopter. But ultimately, she was no match for the terrifying machine in the sky. She and her foal were captured. Her baby, pictured below collapsed in a holding pen, died overnight due to “capture shock,” ie. being run to death.Help us fight back.
Sadly, the foal was just one of ten horses who died during the roundup. At least four young foals were run to death; a fifth was euthanized after breaking his leg. A sixth foal was euthanized due to a previously broken fetlock, meaning he was chased for miles on an injured leg.
We document these cruelties to shine a light on the horrible, cruel practices of the BLM. And we fight each and every day through court battles, public awareness and legislation – to change the BLM policy so that our wild horses and burros can remain safe, wild, and free.
We fought many battles in 2018 – and saved many lives. But wild horses and burros still need our help.
We’re just 4,864 signatures away from our goal to encourage the BLM to stop the roundups! It’s crucial that we reach our goal for signatures this week, as we plan to take our petition to the national wild horse and burro advisory board meeting coming up in October. If we can show this strength in support of stopping the roundups, we could push the BLM to change their tactics of abuse. Help us raise awareness, and put an end to the brutality of BLM roundups. Sign the petition today.
The BLM Burns District Office in Oregon announced last week that it will begin controversial experiments to remove the ovaries of wild mares next month. Now, AWHC along with the Animal Welfare Institute and the Cloud Foundation are evaluating all possible means to stop the experiments, including litigation. We have also been working to expose the BLM’s collusion with the pro-slaughter group, Protect the Harvest and its perverse program to showcase spayed fillies who have undergone this barbaric surgery. Read more below.
Great news! Our friends over at FLOAT have extended our limited-edition Keep Wild Horses Wild apparel for another week! This means you still have time to show your support for wild horses and our work to protect them!
Separated from his mother. Hog-tied. Penned. This just a glimpse of what happened to to Trey, a 2-month-old foal, during a horrific Bureau of Land Management roundup of wild horses in Utah. Fortunately, Trey made it out — but not all horses are so lucky.
These kinds of roundups occur routinely on our public lands. Wild horses are being harassed, abused, and even killed. But we’re making a difference: by documenting BLM activity, by saving individual horses, by advocating for humane policies like fertility control, and by fighting to stop the BLM’s plan to slaughter these innocent and iconic animals.
We must keep our vital work going strong. In honor of Giving Tuesday, a generous donor has agreed to MATCH every gift we receive between now and midnight on Tuesday. Are you able to take advantage of this opportunity?
AWHC staff were on site when Trey and his mother were captured in a major BLM roundup of 534 wild horses in Utah. The day of the roundup was cold, but many horses were soaked in sweat — a result of stress and exhaustion from a several miles-long helicopter stampede. Once trapped, they began to panic, piling on top of each other while attempting to escape the pen.
Trey and his mother were relentlessly pursued by a helicopter, terrorizing and confusing them. Eventually, the mare was captured, and Trey was left all alone. He was then roped by wranglers on horseback, hogtied and flipped on his side. Despite being far too young to be separated from his mother — two months old at most — Trey was put in a pen with other terrified foals just ripped away from their mothers’ sides.
AWHC tracked Trey to the BLM holding facility and a member of our team adopted him and another orphaned filly from the roundup. They’re now living full lives in their new home. But far too many horses just like Trey — once proud and free — now sit languishing in holding pens, at risk every day of being killed or sold for slaughter. Please help us do more for wild horses like Trey.
AWHC staffers work every day to document events like the Utah roundup and create policy that keeps wild horses and burros alive, free and thriving on our public lands. Thank you for standing with us in this fight.
In Freedom,
Suzanne Roy, Executive Director
The American Wild Horse Campaign is dedicated to preserving American wild horses and burros in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.
The American Wild Horse Campaign is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work.
What started out as a 30 something rescue, turned into a total of 51 mustangs, due to the 18 stallions and the 7 orphans – (Not 5 lol) . By the time we arrived to pick up the last minute orphans, there were 7 instead of the 5 we were called for. But that seems to be the norm.
We have several babies with some injuries to their legs, which will need some pretty intensive care. All of them should be fine hopefully.
Upon arriving back in NV, we also picked up another orphan from our “foal partner – Anna Orchard”, who is in pretty rough shape. Thankfully she was able to get her (of course with proper authority) and care for her while we were out of town. She is shown below with her buddy Tia (aka Trailer).
Upon getting back from WA we noticed that “Tia” was not thriving and needed to be pulled immediately. Tia was with Double J whom everyone assumed was her mama. (Our Double J & Trailer duo) However, once DJ started getting her groceries it was very obvious that she was extremely pregnant and way too far along to have a baby this young. Sadly, DJ seemed not to care whatsoever when we pulled the baby, and both of them are doing much better with receiving the appropriate groceries. I was actually really upset with the condition Tia was in. Poor DJ simply could not supply the milk that Tia needed and have a chance to grow a healthy baby.
So now “Princess Felina” has a new best friend and everyone is getting the much needed groceries so they can thrive and be happy.
Matt is out delivering 5 of the mares to their new homes, and bringing back another of the 8 young stallions for our gelding party.
I have to say I cannot believe how amazing y’all were in coming up with the money to save the extra stallions and then the 7 orphans on top of that. So we were able to get everyone vetted and bring them home.Now comes the fun part, ie. gelding, feeding and vetting them all so they can get to their new homes. We need to get this done asap as we are expecting another phone call in the next week or so. Hopefully it doesn’t come sooner.
In addition, now we need to cover the costs of feeding a total of 12 orphaned babies. Thankfully the bigger ones only need the pellets and the special feed. As you can see in the picture, Tia and Princess Felina are seriously in need of some extra groceries.
So once again, TOGETHER and by the Grace of God, we have achieved another true miracle.
We will try to get more pictures of these kids on the website, but I have simply not had time to get the info to my amazing Emily so she can get it up there.
If you can help make up the budget for the care of the extra horses or want to help with gelding, feeding the kids or taking care of the babies, it is very much appreciated. I have to say I dread hearing my phone ring lol. Because that next call will come in soon. I so do not want to have to say “no, send the big kids to slaughter and we will take the babies”. But it again will all depend on the space available and the funds we have to work with. I was actually ill on the way to WA last time fearing I would fail our hope to “LEAVE NO HORSE BEHIND”. But y’all saved every last one!!
THANK YOU for being part of this amazing journey and for saving so many horses lives. We so appreciate you and THANK YOU for being part of the Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang Family.
GOD BLESS!
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives..
In the next two months, Congress will decide whether to allow horse slaughter factories to reopen in the United States and whether to give the Bureau of Land Management license to kill up to 92,000 wild horses in holding facilities and on the range. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed an Interior Department spending bill that removed the prohibition on killing healthy wild horses and burros. While this is a setback, we have a much better chance of stopping this lethal legislation in the Senate… but only if your Senators hear from you. Please don’t wait to give America’s horses a voice – call Congress today!
We are on scene in Yakama WA. ALL of this group can be saved, but we need a bit more help.
There are 18 stallions, (instead of the 6 we were told about). So we need to raise more funds so we will be able to pull them and have funds for feeding and gelding them so we can find them homes.
The vet will be here at 10:45 a.m. this morning, so we need to know who needs their Coggins (blood work) done. I have to let the vet know who we are saving. Even if we don’t get enough to cover all of the gelding, if we can raise $3,000 more thousand dollars, – we will have a total of 44 horses and WE CAN SAVE EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Unfortunately we were not planning for and do not have the budget for this many stallions. But with a bit more help we CAN DO THIS.
LET’S MAKE ANOTHER MIRACLE!
(This is it for Chilly Pepper until we have these big kids placed.) We will be able to get babies, but we need to get these homed before bringing in more large groups. So let’s make this trip count!)
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives..
NO HORSE LEFT BEHIND! – 49 Mustangs Saved from Slaughter!
Yes 49…. WE DID IT!!! Thanks to everyone who stepped up we were able to save the lives of ALL 49 mustangs we were called to help.After these mustangs are rounded up, we get a courtesy phone call and we are the only chance they have to avoid being shipped directly to slaughter.
Initially we were not supposed to bring any horses back to Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang. But how do you look deep into the eyes of the stallions and simply walk away. CPMM is one of the few places who can take on wild stallions, and no one else was going to step up. As they stood there patiently staring at me, the decision was made.
How can you walk away from horses you CAN save, and look in the mirror? Yes, it makes things extremely difficult at times, and is much more expensive as we incur the gelding costs before we can place them, not to mention stallions can be a lot of work. However, the only alternative was to look at them and say “nope – you are too much trouble – die a horrible death”, and it was not an option as we did have the capability of saving them.
So not one horse was left behind – this time…. Unfortunately I have already been warned the phone will be ringing again in a week or two.
But right now we need to concentrate on our orphans, and getting our boys gelded. We cannot place them without them being gelded which means none of the next group of stallions have any chance to be saved.
We now have 3 babies who are on Foal Lac Powder ($149 per bag if we drive 3 hours to pick it up.) They are also on Foal Lac Pellets, ($99 per bag) and we are supplementing with Baby Goat’s milk as it is less expensive and easy to digest and has lots of fat. Add to that their hay, grain and medical care and it eats up the budget quickly.
I am really praying hard that some of the monies that were “promised” for this last rescue come through. We had some folks pledge enough money to make this possible without total devastation to our entire budget.
Unfortunately those funds have not yet arrived, which means our budget is nearly depleted. So until these funds are replaced, we won’t be able to save the next group. The cost of this rescue averaged about $250 (per horse) x 49, which is pretty good when you consider that covers saving them, vetting them, delivering them safely to their new homes and all fuel costs.
Unfortunately, this does not include feeding and caring for the stallions or getting them vetted. We need to buy hay asap. The horses came in pretty thin and beat up and they need extra groceries.
What makes things even harder is that Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, (and all of YOU who helped save the 900+), spent thousands to save the horses at ISPMB. All the funds were supposed to be reimbursed when we went the second time, but we all know how expensive rescue is. It simply did not happen. So our funds were already depleted immeasurably.
However, that was a successful life saving rescue for over 700 horses. There are still horses left, and we offered to place more through Chilly Pepper. However, due to things beyond our control, that did not happen. So although together we helped save over 700, as many as 100+ may face a “merciful end to their lives”. This sounds horrible, and breaks my heart, but at least none of them will face slaughter like the ones we are rescuing at this time.
There is no choice of where to concentrate at this point. A quick painless end to life or a devastating trip through slaughter, where they are often butchered while still alive – the answer is clear – save as many of the Yakama ponies as we can.
Kim Clark took 25 of the mares and foals at “A Little Piece of Heaven” in Idaho. She is a huge part of our success as she is part of the team that finds homes for these horses.
Wendy & Mike Hanson at Mountain Ranch Equine Rehab took 8 to gentle and match up with “their person”. They work with troubled youth and are using some of the wild ones for therapy for some of our amazing heroes (our beloved veterans).
Kayleen and Clint, out of Oregon, took on 5 fillies and young mares to train and re-home, and we have 10 stallions and a mare at Chilly Pepper.
(We like folks to know that they are actually safe!)
Below, meet the newest orphan “My Heart in the Sky” aka SKY for short, with Rocky and no-name in the background (My niece is picking “no-name” out a very special name. lol) Sky is named after our beloved friend Les Stedronsky, may she rest in all God’s glory. We love you and we miss you so, Les!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN! We so appreciate the love and support and I am working on Thank You’s as quickly as I can. We still need your help. So please let’s keep saving lives. Together we are making a difference!
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives..
We need to get on the air. In the last 48 hours, thousands of you shared our web video helping to get our message out. We’re starting to be heard — we must prevent the slaughter of nearly 100,000 wild horses and burros.
The Bureau of Land Management does not have the power to overturn the ban on horse slaughter. Only Congress can do that. So we’re making it crystal clear: with their votes, Congress will be deciding to:
support science and protect these iconic animals
OR
side with the special interests and slaughter nearly 100,000 wild horses and burros
It’s the truth. And the choice Congress has to make. The initial text of the Interior Appropriations bill maintains the ban on slaughter, but we are told an amendment will be voted on next week to add BLM’s proposed language allowing slaughter. With your help, we’re going to make sure they understand exactly what’s at stake.
Another Call, Another 911! 4 LIVES TO SAVE!
Three colts walk into a barn.
