Madeleine Pickens Wild Horse Sanctuary

Independent Humane Observer Elyse Gardner was granted increased access to observe horses being processed today after coming to an agreement with the BLM to sign a modified version of their Volunteer form that is now essentially a safety

release waiver . However, Elyse was not given the same level of access as she had the first two days of this roundup. She could not count the horses’ respirations, even through the binoculars that BLM suggested she use for her observations.

The BLM did remove all personnel not essential for processing horses from the chute area today, and that is appreciated.

Read Elyse’s preliminary report here

Call your own Senators and Congress people, but especially Senators. They need to fax, email and call. Calls to the Dept. of Interior and BLM are proving fruitless.

Create Political pressure nationwide. Ask you Senators/Congresspeople to call on Secretary Salazar and President Obama to release all of Cloud herd and pass S 1579 The Restore our American Mustangs Act

Here is an easy web site. Just click on the Map. They should call, fax, and email  Contact all your representatives daily.

Baja’s band runs in at 3:04pm

watch youtube video hereHis bay foal is less than one month old and just ran 10+ miles

Sticking close to the mares

The other colt is older

Two tired foals

The bay foal is extremely sore and barely able to walk- watch video of foal here

All photos: Living Images by Carol Walker

Senate Committee of Natural Resources – 202/225-4971

House Committee of Natural Resources- 202/225-6065

Requests for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses

1. Release the older horses– horses over ten need to be returned to the range, it is cruel and inhumane to remove these horses and they are not appropriate adoption animals and should not be added to the already full BLM holding facilities. They deserve to live out their lives in freedom.

2. Reduce the number of horses to be removed – taking 70 horses out of this small herd will bring what is truly a historical treasure down to genetic non-viability.

We’ve just heard that Cloud’s daughter, Cloud Dancer (6) and Bolder’s mare, Cascade (7), who were both are to be released back onto the range. Thank you to BLM for making the decision not to remove these two mares.

Cloud’s daughter, Dancer (on right) to be released

Cascade grazing with her band 8-30-09

Starman and his band were brought in first– they were lower on the mountain and luckily did not have to run as far.

Cloud’s daughter, Rain, colicked last night after the public was made to leave at 5pm but in a morning walk through by Ginger and others she looked to be ok. It is in the 70’s today here which is a relief. More soon.

We are advocating for the immediate release of the older horses who are being removed both from the designated range as well as the Forest Service. However, we have not yet made substantial progress and until the courts rule we need to keep Conquistador, Shane, Bo and Trigger’s bands intact. These horses represent an entire sub-population of the Pryor herd, unique genetic lines that will be lost forever when they are removed. We want them to stay together and we have several options lined up but will need financial backing. It is our intention to keep these horses close to their mountain.

Please help us to make this possible. We need to fundraise for these bands and for our continued legal action to preserve this herd as well. We want to see their range expanded so that the Custer National Forest lands, where Pryor Horses have lived for at least 200 years, will be legally theirs forever.

Please help us preserve this herd through action and donations

Grullo bachelors by Forest Service Waterhole 6-09