There’s another mad scramble on Capitol Hill as Congress works to pass a spending measure to keep the government running beyond today’s deadline. As has been the case since last year, the fate of America’s wild horses and burros remains on the line. Although the expected short-term spending measure is not likely to impact mustangs, the longer-term budget deal that will be negotiated over the next month will. Read the latest update from AWHC’s lobbyists below.
It’s been a busy week for AWHC’s legal team. In addition to filing a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its massive roundup plan in Nevada’s Antelope and Triple B Complexes, we also filed a motion in federal court in California to intervene in a lawsuit filed by ranchers who graze cattle in the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory. Last year, we won a federal lawsuit that stopped the U.S. Forest Service from reducing the size of the habitat for the Devil’s Garden horses. Now we’re defending them from this attempt to compel the Forest Service to remove more than 2,000 of these federally-protected mustangs from their homes on the range in the Modoc National Forest. Read more below.
Last week, AWHC staff was onsite at the Bible Springs Complex roundup in Utah where 350 wild horses are being targeted for removal. We will head to Nevada next week to document the final weeks of the on-going roundup of wild horses from the Triple B Complex where there have already been 8 deaths. Read more about the operations and watch our daily videos at the link below.
Big news. We just filed in the U.S. District Court in Nevada challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) cruel ten-year plan to round up and remove over 9,000 federally-protected wild horses in southeastern Nevada. That’s right: We’re suing the BLM — again!
If we win, it will set another important precedent for wild horses — but we need more resources to make that happen. Can you make an emergency donation for our efforts today?
The plan the BLM has rolled out for the wild horses in the Antelope and Triple B Complexes in eastern Nevada is terrible. It’s the same broken approach that the National Academy of Sciences called “expensive and unproductive for the BLM and the public it serves.” The agency wants to reduce the breeding population of wild horses in these areas by 90 percent to the low appropriate management level of 899 horses on 2.8 million acres – or one horse per 3,115 acres!
The helicopter roundups will chase thousands of frightened, helpless horses into cramped, confined pens. At past roundups, we’ve witnessed traumatized horses struggling desperately to escape — even breaking limbs trying to get free.
Phase 1 of the roundup is underway right now with 900 horses targeted for removal. We can’t stop that, but we can impact the roundups that will take 8,000 more horses from their homes on the range… and stop the BLM from implementing harmful practices — including castrating wild stallions on the range — that will take the wild out of these wild horses by destroying their natural behaviors.
We can’t let the BLM implement this massive, wide-ranging roundup and sterilization plan. We’re going to force the BLM back to the drawing board to come up with a better plan for the beautiful wild horses of this area. But we need your help to get the job done in federal court.
This is a must-watch segment for anyone interested in learning more about our movement and protecting these majestic animals. Thank you to the Nightline team for its excellent reporting on the abuse of roundups and the work our organization and our allies are doing to implement humane solutions for wild horse management.
Please share far and wide and ask your friends to do the same! Let’s continue to spread awareness of the plight of our mustangs on our Western public lands.
Please take action to oppose the BLM’s “zeroing-out” (eliminating) all wild horses from the Seaman and White River Herd Management Areas in Nevada. Over the past 46 years, the BLM has slowly but steadily eliminated approximately 25,000 square miles of wild horse and burro habitat… That’s more land than the entire states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New Jersey combined! By taking action today, you are telling our federal government that you oppose removing all wild horses from nearly 600 square miles of our public lands in Nevada. Take action and share with your friends and family to stand up against this assault on our wild horses.
As the BLM awaits a decision by Congress on whether or not to grant its request to kill tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in holding facilities and on the range, the agency is moving ahead with roundups in three Western states. This includes the massive removal of 1,000 horses from Nevada’s Antelope and Triple B Complexes. Read more about the upcoming roundups by clicking below.
We recently sat down with Dr. Beth Shapiro, a world-renowned evolutionary biologist who heads the Paleogenomics Laboratory at University of California Santa Cruz to discuss The Original Horse Project and to ask the controversial question: Is the horse a native species to North America? Watch her answer the piece below!
2017 was a very special year, and we are glad we got to share it with you.
We hope you enjoyed the stories and thank you for your continuing support during
the Deck the Stalls campaign. Although we haven’t reached our goal, we are in a much better position to get ready for another year of horse rescue.
In 2017, AAE started the year with 35 horses in our care. We took in 36 horses, and we adopted 33. That’s an intake to adoption ratio of about 92 percent!! Intakes were due to a variety of reasons including two orphan foals (Rascal and Cowboy), Blue – the mustang with the large mass on its leg, an abandoned horse with a rope around it’s neck, a neglected and emaciated horse, several senior horses in need, and many wild horses and burros in need. Sadly but compassionately, we helped four of our horses cross the Rainbow Bridge due to severe colic and pain/quality of life issues.
With 2017 in the books we are now focusing on the great stories we will be creating in 2018. Our goal is for each of these adoptable horses to find permanent homes this year!
(Please note in “special instructions” that you are purchasing a calendar and if you need us to mail yours, kindly add $3 for shipping.)
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
The clock is ticking for wild horses. When Congress comes back into session next week, they’ll immediately begin
deliberations onwhether or not to legalize the mass killing of wild horses and burros. But we promise – we’ll be there every step of the way, fighting for the freedom of these Americans icons.
Whether it’s on Capitol Hill, in the courts, or on the range, we’re always there for wild horses. Can they count on you to be there for them, too?
Right now, a generous donor has agreed to match every gift we receive up to $25,000 before midnight tonight.Pitch in today to help us take advantage of this huge opportunity.
No horse should ever be chased by a helicopter until he or she collapses of exhaustion – and no horse should ever be slaughtered. Wild horses and burros have a right to live free with their families on our public lands. Please help us protect them.
As President of the American Wild Horse Campaign, I am honored to have supported AWHC for more than six years. After working hard on this issue for nearly a decade, I can tell you that we are having real impact – in the halls of Congress, on the range, and in the courtroom.
My strategy from the start has been: let’s lawyer up to protect our wild horses. We work with the nation’s top environmental/public interest law firm, and together, we’ve been racking up the wins. Just this week, we won a huge case against the BLM in Idaho to stop the inhumane sterilization of an entire mustang herd.
Our opponents may be powerful. But we keep winning because we have science on our side, we have the facts on our side, and we have people like you on our side. Because of you, our wild horses and burros have the best legal team available to defend them.
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
3 Days Left, Blue!
Blue is a young mustang gelding out of Nevada who came to AAE at the beginning of the year after being asked for assistance by Virginia Range Wild Horse Sanctuary and Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. He had been carrying around a large mass of proud flesh (granulation tissue) over his rear fetlock/pastern area for some time. He was not halterable when he arrived at AAE, and we knew we had a big job ahead in helping Blue.
Before we could evaluate the mass, he had to be gentled, haltered, and his legs/hooves handleable. With a straightforward mustang, not a big deal, but Blue had some substantial fear/trust issues. Initial efforts with befriending and haltering him were lukewarm. Thanks to Dr. Stolba and Team LBEMC (throughout Blue’s journey), we were successful enough to sedate him, radiograph the bony area beneath the mass and collect tissue samples for biopsy. We wanted to make sure there was not an underlying reason for the mass other than old injury before getting too deep into corrective measures if they would be for naught. It was not an easy feat. Even with sedation, he kicked quickly and with purpose.
Radiographs and biopsy showed no obvious issues, so the work continued. Weeks in, Blue seemed to have had a reaction to something and developed a mysterious condition that turned out to be a form of vasculitis. He developed sores/ulcers throughout his mouth. They were horribly painful. Though his history and symptoms didn’t suggest, we had to quarantine him for testing for vesicular stomatitis. Thankfully, it was negative. We scaled back our efforts to reduce his stress and allow him to heal. But, the mass was growing.
After several weeks, he improved, and we resumed course. He would take few steps forward, then a few steps back. Finally, after many weeks with nominal results, we had a marathon day. We worked until we broke through. The next day, our learning curve was much shorter, and the next and the next, until finally, we could halter, touch all over, and pick up his left hind and handle it all over. We tested with bandaging materials and wrapped it up, and he was a gem!
We scheduled surgery, and in August, he lost nearly seven pounds in a matter of minutes. The mass looked like a big brain, and it weighed in at nearly seven pounds. Imagine what that must have felt like with every move. Needless to say, it was done!
However, the mouth lesions returned, and more and worse this time. They were on his body, around his anus, and on his sheath. Poor guy, these things were awful, and they appeared to be an autoimmune issue. At one point, we questioned his prognosis and quality of life. Before jumping to conclusions, we biopsied the tissue and a couple rounds later, ended with the vasculitis diagnosis. The best thing was we changed up his meds, and the sores began to heal.
In the meantime, the next test came when it was time to change his first bandage. With a bit of sedation, it went fairly smooth, but cleaning the lesion was a little challenging. But, wow, it looked amazing! Such a tremendous improvement. It was like a victory in and of itself, even though not healed.
After several bandage changes, Blue was getting resentful of the needle for sedation, so we tried without. It went well with cleaning a few times, but oddly, after a few times, he didn’t like it when placing the medicated bandage over the lesion. He stomped it off, over and over. It was a little intimidating, but really, he was only trying to get the “big white bug” off his leg. He didn’t kick out or kick at. His stomp was purposeful in knocking the bandage off his leg. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the bandage on so we had to go back to sedation for a bit. Eventually, we could remove the bandage, clean the lesion, and replace the bandage without issue, without sedation, thankfully.
Today, the lesion has almost healed, but there’s a small area where the granulation tissue is persisting. Next week, Dr. Stolba will be back, and we’ll be trimming it off. All in all, Blue has made tremendous progress. The lesion should be healed soon, and Blue can finally be a horse. He deserves it. He’s faced so many challenges. He’s a fighter, and he continues to battle on! Love this boy!
Blue still has concerns when approached for haltering. He really prefers to be in the stall when haltered, so now he practically heads to the stall on his own, then waits. Once haltered, he stands quietly for the routine, and it seems he’s truly beginning to enjoy the interaction. In time, when there’s no more strings, he’ll cross over entirely. “Til then, we’ll keep on keepin’ on until he’s healed.
We don’t get over trust issues just because someone tells us we should. Trust is earned
For Blue, it’s the same. We take baby steps, and we must earn it. In time, we will.
One more thing, Blue LOVES carrots….carrots and apples. They became the secret ingredient in his medicine. Early on, he wouldn’t eat anything, only alfalfa, no pellets, no grain, nothing. When we discovered how much he liked carrots, it was a new day. When there was a carrot, nothing else mattered.
To say he is food motivated is an understatement. He loves feeding time. He really enjoys greeting volunteers as they walk down the drive or come to his stall. His favorite is meeting volunteers at the gate at feeding time.
Before coming to AAE, Blue’s future looked grim to none. None of the other rescues or sanctuaries that were contacted were willing to help him. He sat, and he waited. The “E” word was discussed several times.
AAE set out to give this gorgeous boy the best future possible. He’s not healed yet, but his future is looking better and better thanks to everyone that has supported his journey to healing.
Blue’s story is not an uncommon story in terms of the hurdles we cross with any intake with special needs. We have unexpected bumps in the road that required more than anticipated. For Blue, it was the bouts of vasculitis. For some, it’s colic; for others, abscesses, lacerations from tree branches or scuffles with others. We can’t plan for these things, but need the resources to handle them when confronted. We are grateful to have your support now and throughout the year to assure we can manage most any unexpected issue along the way.
If you are enjoying our stories and
would like to help more horses get the help they need,
3 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
The slaughter lobby has launched an all-out assault on wild horses and burros. They are desperate to destroy our progress and strip away the rights of wild horses and burros once and for all. Worse, they’re willing to sink to almost any level to do it.
For all the talk about legislative strategy, campaign tactics, and fundraising goals, here’s the sad truth:
Thousands of wild horses like this young mustang in Nevada languish in government holding pens. Their freedom stolen. Their families separated. Their sadness evident in their eyes.
The stakes of our campaign have never been higher. If we don’t succeed:
1) Thousands of wild horses like this will be killed in cold blood. It’s what our opponents want… they’re not even hiding it.
2) More and more wild horses like this will be rounded up, robbed of their freedom. They’ll end up confined in feedlot pens like this – or worse.
Every dollar you give us is used carefully and thoughtfully to prevent the slaughter of wild horses – and work to reform BLM’s failing system of roundups and stockpiling of horses in holding facilities.
Here’s what your donations will fund:
We are working day-and-night to ensure that Congress rejects the BLM’s request to start slaughtering America’s wild horses. Our efforts helped to preserve protections in the U.S. Senate’s Interior spending bill, but now our fight continues into the New Year as the Senate bill gets reconciled with the House pro-killing measures.
We are working to expand humane birth control programs using the PZP vaccine. We’re leading the way and showing how to manage wild horses without cruel roundups that destroy family bands and lead to horses losing their freedom in overcrowded holding pens.
We are monitoring roundups to stop cruelty and expose the BLM’s wasteful and inhumane practices. We’re shining a light on this hidden tragedy, and educating the American public about what can be done to stop it.
We are fighting in federal court to build a future of freedom for wild horses and burros.
All of this work takes resources. We’re as thrifty as we can be with your money, but it is vitally important that we’re able to continue this important work in 2018. It may be our most critical year yet.
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
13 Days Left, Onyx, Whisper and Annie!
Last January, AAE learned of a call for help with 20 some horses that had been removed from the range in Nevada. These were Virginia Range wild horses that were removed by the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA). The NDOA manages the horses that are on state lands.
In short, the NDOA has authority to remove horses that present a clear and continuing danger to motorists after failed relocation attempts. Sadly, this group of horses had crossed the highway too many times and presented a threat to motorists. The Virginia Range Sanctuary (VRS) works tirelessly to protect and advocated for the wild horses, and when they are removed, this amazing group works diligently to place the horses in forever homes. When forever homes can’t be found, they look to other organizations to continue their work.
In January, one of our volunteers, Pam, reached out to VRS with interest in one of the horses that had been removed. At the time, we were still hoping to help the Hallelujah Horses, but winter weather and the transport situation was not cooperating. Since we hadn’t made progress in that situation, we refocused to a more local need. Before you know it, we committed to four Virginia Range Horses: Legend, Onyx, Whisper, and Jackson. Today, we focus on Onyx and Whisper.
Onyx and Whisper were originally landed at Pam’s, and started their domestic life learning integrating with Pam’s herd, until we realized Onyx was pregnant. Overnight, Onyx showed signs of delivering, soon. Pam was headed out of town on vacation and was not prepared for a baby. We made a quick decision to move the duo to AAE. AAE’s facility is more appropriate for foaling, and we had volunteers to monitor and care for them in the event she did foal. We set Onyx up in the foaling stall and paddock, and partnered Whisper up with a buddy next door to her. Onyx had her own space to prepare for baby. Sadly, this isn’t quite how it would have happened in the wild, had they not been removed from their family, but we did the best we could to keep them “together”. Considering the threat of casualty “hit by car” and the potential danger to drivers and their passengers, it’s the sad reality of horses and humans cohabitating in the same environment. Anyhow, Onyx gifted our volunteers with delivering her foal one Saturday morning in March, and several volunteers were blessed with the opportunity to see Annie enter the world. Onyx delivered a healthy little filly….a sassy one at that!
These two were a super cute little pair. Onyx was slowly accepting the human world, and Annie had a heck of a time figuring out the purpose of two-legged creatures. She definitely had her own opinions and had no issues expressing them. Mom just observed, fondly and admiringly.
Whisper was an independent one. She buddied up with a couple of the boys and had no problem exploring what the rest of AAE had to offer. Her curiosity and confidence found her playing happily with moving her way on down toward the pasture and the herd. Before she got there, she met her match. It was love at first sight for one of our volunteers. As much as the original plan was to keep Onyx and Whisper together, it was going to be difficult to find a home for three, and there was no denying these two were meant for each other. Luckily, Whisper was whisked off to the love of her mom’s eyes.
In only a matter of a couple months, a couple visited to meet the Hallelujah Horses. They were looking for a mare/foal pair to live on their acreage up north. They were offering a sanctuary-like setting and Onyx and Annie could be together, forever. It was the perfect opportunity for these two to have a together forever future.
Unfortunately, recent state action has threatened the existence of the Virginia Range wild horses. For more information about the Virginia Range horses, check out the Virginia Range Sanctuary.
If you are enjoying our happy stories and
would like to help more horse get the help they need,
13 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
There’s one thing standing between our opponents getting their way and ushering in a new policy to slaughter America’s wild horses: you.
This was our organization’s most challenging year ever. But, thanks to you, we overwhelmingly succeeded.
From legal and Senate wins, to education and advocacy milestones, to holding BLM accountable for its inhumane roundups, we’ve been fighting back against all the dangers wild horses and burros face. Our opponents may have the power and money. But we’ve always had the people on our side.
Here are just a few of our 2017 successes:
Convinced Senate to stand against slaughter. We fought the Interior Department’s request to slaughter nearly 100,00 of America’s wild horses with everything we had. Together, we led a massive grassroots, advocacy, and paid media campaign. It paid off in November when the Senate maintained prohibitions on killing and slaughter. The fight’s not over, but the Senate’s position is a major victory for our side.
Litigated to stop destruction of wild herds and removal of habitat. We scored major victories in federal court that stopped the BLM from destroying an entire wild horse population in Idaho by sterilizing every member of the herd, and from turning over wild horse habitat in California to private livestock interests.
Vaccinated more mares with birth control than the BLM did. Our volunteer team on Nevada’s Virginia Range darted more horses with humane birth control this year than the entire BLM did in 2016!
Mobilized 300,000 citizens. We delivered over 300,000 signatures to key Congressional offices in Reno, Phoenix and Las Vegas and to a National BLM Advisory Board meeting in Colorado, urging support for humane management methods for wild horses and burros.
Educated the public about federal cruelty to wild horses & burros. We showed the world what our government is doing to our mustangs in the remote areas of the West where wild horses live. Our high quality video footage of BLM helicopter roundups was seen by millions on social media, raising significant public awareness about our government’s inhumane treatment of wild horses and burros.
That’s only a small glimpse of the work we’ve done. I am so proud of our excellent team and the hard work they put in this year. But most of all, I am so very grateful for you: your dedication, your support, and your actions. You are the backbone of what we do.
From all of us here, and on behalf of the magnificent wild horses and burros we are fighting so hard to save, thank you.
As Congress debates the future of wild horses and burros in behind-the-scenes negotiations, the key to saving these cherished animals remains expanding public awareness. One great way to spread the word about the threats facing mustangs and burros is by informing your friends and neighbors through letters to the editor. Members of Congress also monitor local newspapers to keep abreast of their constituents’ views and opinions. We have an awesome feature that makes sending your letters to the editor EASY and FAST! Try it out by clicking below!
Wild Horses: What’s Happening This Month in Congress
You may have heard that things in Washington are not working very well these days, and we’re here to report that—sadly, that’s exactly correct. Read more about this month on Capitol Hill and what’s in store for wild horses and burro by clicking below.
Conger Roundup Concludes; Research Moves Forward
The Conger roundup concluded on December 3, 2017 with a total of 111 wild horses captured. The roundup is part of an ongoing “population control research” study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and Colorado State University to assess the impacts of gelding (castrating) stallions on individual behavior and herd dynamics. Read below for more about the research project and a report from the roundup.
Yesterday went better than we ever could have hoped.
Across the country, supporters like you stepped up on Giving Tuesday in a huge way. We blew through our initial $25,000 goal, and got almost 1,000 individual donations. And because of our matching gift, all of those gifts will go twice as far.
We can’t thank you enough for your support — and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time. Your donations will fuel these critical programs to save wild horses and burros:
Litigation: Right now, our legal team is defending wild horses in two federal appellate court cases. We’re fighting to uphold our lower court victories against a rancher lawsuit seeking roundup and slaughter of Utah wild horses and the BLM’s attempts to destroy the Saylor Creek wild horse population in Idaho bysurgically sterilizing every stallion and mare living there.
On the ground: As you read this, the AWHC team is in the field to document a BLM helicopter roundup underway today in Utah. We’re showing the world what’s happening to our wild horses and burros in these remote regions of the West, and we’re generating the public support necessary to stop our government’s cruel treatment of these national icons.
Advocacy: Our wild horses deserve the best possible representation in the halls of Washington, and that’s just what our bipartisan legislation team is doing — making sure that policies affecting wild horses are evidence-based, humane, and strictly enforced.
We can’t do this work without you. Thank you again for your support this Giving Tuesday and every day.
— Thanks to a huge outpouring of support, we’ve hit our $25,000 Giving Tuesdaygoal. Now, a major donor has agreed to provide an EMERGENCY match of $10,000 more — if we can reach that goal before midnight.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and right now our team is on the ground in Utah to document an abusive government roundup. Starting tomorrow, helicopters will hunt down and trap wild horses, robbing them of the two things they value most: family and freedom. Worse, the lives of every one of these proud mustangs is in danger, thanks to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to kill and sell for slaughter tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in holding facilities and on the range.
At AWHC, we’re working nonstop to keep wild horses and burros free and safe and to defeat attempts by the BLM to slaughter them.
Last week, we achieved a major victory in that battle when the Senate rejected BLM’s lethal plans. But earlier this year, the House passed a spending bill that would allow BLM to kill tens of thousands of healthy wild horses and burros. That means the fight goes on as Congress negotiates to reconcile the two versions of the bill.
In honor of Trey, the tiny pinto foal who was roped, hogtied, captured and separated from his mother at last year’s BLM roundup in the Cedar Mountains … and in honor of all the foals being captured right now in Utah, never again to feel the security of family or the freedom of the open range… please make your Giving Tuesday gift today.
Together, we can build a better future for our magnificent wild horses and burros. Thank you.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and right now our team is on the ground in Utah to document an abusive government roundup. Starting tomorrow, helicopters will hunt down and trap wild horses, robbing them of the two things they value most: family and freedom. Worse, the lives of every one of these proud mustangs is in danger, thanks to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to kill and sell for slaughter tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in holding facilities and on the range.
At AWHC, we’re working nonstop to keep wild horses and burros free and safe and to defeat attempts by the BLM to slaughter them.
Last week, we achieved a major victory in that battle when the Senate rejected BLM’s lethal plans. But earlier this year, the House passed a spending bill that would allow BLM to kill tens of thousands of healthy wild horses and burros. That means the fight goes on as Congress negotiates to reconcile the two versions of the bill.
In honor of Trey, the tiny pinto foal who was roped, hogtied, captured and separated from his mother at last year’s BLM roundup in the Cedar Mountains … and in honor of all the foals being captured right now in Utah, never again to feel the security of family or the freedom of the open range… please make your Giving Tuesday gift today.
Together, we can build a better future for our magnificent wild horses and burros. Thank you.
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.
Monday’s news that the Senate Appropriations Committee has maintained protections for wild horses against killing and slaughter was a major positive development in the fight to protect wild horses and burros from Interior Secretary Zinke’s plan to destroy tens of thousands of these iconic animals in holding and on the range. But the fight’s not over yet. Here’s what’s next and what you can do.
BLM Continues to Round Up Wild Horses as their Fate Hangs in Balance
As the BLM waits to hear whether Congress will grant its request to kill tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in holding facilities, the agency is moving ahead with a handful of roundups. In a new twist, captured horses are being taken directly to private holding facilities, where the public is unable to see them to identify captured horses or ascertain their condition. Read more about the roundup pending in Utah next week and the one just completed in Nevada by clicking below.
As the holidays approach, you can show your love to friends and family and protect wild horses by purchasing gifts that will benefit our work. Click here to find great holiday giving ideas, including our spectacular 2018 calendar, magnificent art by renowned photographer Kimerlee Curyl, and or very special (and delicious!) Wild Grounds Coffee by Thanksgiving Coffee Company. A great way to launch the holiday season!
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.
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
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