Madeleine Pickens Wild Horse Sanctuary

Friday,
Feb. 12

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 41

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 40

Facility deaths: 2, cumulative death total: 39

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 37

Facility death: 2, cumulative death total: 36

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 34

Indian Lakes Road Facility
The horses from the Granite HMA have all arrived and appear to be doing well. No miscarriages were noted today. One mare in the large pen with the general population was found with a spinal injury this morning and was euthanized.  The cause of the injury is unknown.

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 33

One stud horse was euthanized on Wednesday because of a severe pre-existing injury. The right hind limb tibia had been fractured in the past and healed poorly with a nonunion. The leg was unstable and the hoof was worn abnormally.

To date 922 excess wild horses have been gathered 914 shipped to Fallon.

Indian Lakes Road Facility
Overall, all studs and weaned colts are doing well and gaining weight.  Many of the Black Rock East and Black Rock West mares are doing well. Warm Springs and Calico mares are generally improving.

There were four deaths at the facility. One Warm Springs mare and one Black Rock East mare (15 years old and 18 years old) were euthanized as an act of mercy because of poor condition on arrival at the facility and further declining body condition.  The diagnosis for the two mares failing health is hyperlipemia and metabolic failure.   One Warm Springs mare suffered a neck fracture and was euthanized after she collided with a corral panel while being moved from one pen to another.  A different Warm Springs mare that arrived at the facility in sound condition became lame.  An examination found a hind leg bone fracture and the mare was euthanized.  The cause of the fracture is unknown.

Facility deaths: 4, cumulative death total: 32

Death at gather: 1, cumulative death total: 7

To date 892 excess wild horses have been gathered 861 shipped to Fallon.

Indian Lakes Road Facility
One 25-year-old mare from the Black Rock West HMA in poor condition was euthanized.

Facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 28

To date 878 excess wild horses have been gathered 744 shipped to Fallon.

Facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 27

Granite HMA gather site
The BLM hosted seven observers to view the Calico Mountains gather activities. The first stop was the temporary holding corrals. Only 3 studs were in the corrals as the contractor had shipped 73 animals earlier this morning (26 studs, 32 mares, 15 weanlings/foals).

The BLM then escorted the observers to the temporary gather site. Snow, rain, brisk winds and dense fog delayed gather operations for most of the morning. However, the skies cleared by early late morning and the contractor was able to fly. Between noon and 2:30 p.m. the contractor gathered 16 excess wild horses without incident, (6 studs, 8 mares, 2 weanlings/foals) which were then transported to the nearby temporary holding corrals where the animals were sorted by age and sex. The group escorted back to Gerlach shortly after the last group of horses were gathered.

One horse was euthanized at the gather corrals: a 4-year-old sorrel mare was kicked in the head while being transported from the gather corral to the gather holding corrals. The eye globe was ruptured with complete prolapse of the iris. This eye could not be saved and would remain a serious physical defect. She was euthanized as an act of mercy.

Gather totals to date: 1,534 508 moved to Fallon

Indian Lakes Road Facility
Two horses were euthanized at the facility: 1 six-year-old mare from Black Rock East in poor condition was not able to transition to change in diet; 1 colt (eight months) from Warm Springs with sole abscess/sloughed hoofs that had been receiving veterinary treatment for at least two weeks.
Veterinarian report on second colt euthanized because of hoof sloughs.

Fallon facility deaths: 2, cumulative death total: 25

Death at gather: 1, cumulative death total: 6

Contractor gathering at the Granite HMA brought in 121 wild horses (43 studs, 62 mares, 16 weanlings/foals) without incident.

Gather totals to date: 1,447 gathered 322 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility deaths: 4, cumulative death total: 23

Deaths at the gather site: 2, cumulative death total: 5

One filly and three mares were euthanized at the Fallon facility. Two were in poor condition and not adapting to change in diet, one spinal injury and one sole absess and pelvis injury.  One filly was found dead of unknown cause at the facility.

Gather totals to date: 1,326 gathered, 1,322 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility deaths: 4, cumulative death total: 19

The BLM is hosting an observation day at the Indian Lakes Road Holding Facility with guided tours offered from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  These hours are the most likely times that trucks will be delivering the wild horses from the gather site. The BLM continues to provided guided tours of the facility by appointment only.  Appointments are necessary to ensure BLM staff is available to conduct the tours and respond to questions, and for safety concerns for the animals, observers and employees at the facility. The Indian Lakes Road facility is privately-owned and operated.  The BLM coordinates closely with the owner when scheduling the guided tours to allow observers to view the animals, while not interferring with the day-to-day operations at the facility.

Windbreaks are installed in the hospital pens. Two 12-year-old mares in poor condition and not adapting to change in feed were euthanized.

Gather totals to date: 1,326 gathered, 1,322 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility deaths: 2, cumulative death total: 15

27 horses were shipped to the Fallon facility (16 studs, 18 mares, 3 weanlings/foals).

The BLM accommodated four observers to the temporary holding facility, at their request, although all the gathered horses had been moved to Fallon earlier in the day.  The observers were provided the opportunity to walk around, photograph and videotape the pens, and left shortly after that because the helicopter would not be flying.

One stallion was found dead in the corral, cause of death unknown.

Gather totals to date: 1,326 gathered, 1,322 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 13

Totals: 1,326 gathered, 1,295 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 13

Transported 34 horses to Fallon (10 studs, 13 mares, 11 weanlings/foals).  One mare at the facility ran into a gate and broke her neck. Two mares were euthanized due to poor body condition and not being able to transition to new diet. One mare found dead at corral.

Gather totals to date: 1,299 gathered, 1,225 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility deaths: 4, cumulative death total: 12

Saturday will be a public observation day.

Transported 119 horses to Fallon (49 studs, 48 mares, 22 weanlings/foals) on Thursday.

Next update will be on Monday, Jan. 25.

Gather totals to date: 1,233 gathered, 1,191 moved to Fallon

Fallon facility deaths: 0, cumulative death total: 12

Mares coming into the Fallon facility are in poorer condition than stallions and weanlings/foals. About 30 mares from the Warm Springs HMA range in body condition from a 2.5 to 3.0.  One mare that was down on the transport truck arrived at the facility alive, but subsequently died.

One colt with multiple hoof sloughs from the capture was euthanized at the facility.  The colt was from the Black Rock East HMA and has been at the facility more than two weeks. When the colt arrived at the facility it was put in with the general population. A day or two later, the colt started showing acute lameness and was moved to a sick pen. The facility veterinarian noted the colt’s two hind hoof soles were bruised, but there was no visible abscess or  infection. The colt was given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medicine, was kept segregated and continued to be checked by the veterinarian. The colt’s hind feet abscessed and the outer hoof wall did separate. The colt was euthanized by the facility veterinarian.

Veterinarian report on hoof slough

About 20 to 25 horses at the facility have received treatment for vaioius injuries or lameness and are recovering.  There are no indications of infectious respiratory disease.

The BLM has asked that wind breaks be installed at the Fallon facility, similar to ones that are at the Palomino Valley Center.  The contractor will begin constructing wind breaks in 12 of the smaller holding/sorting pens which are used for sick or lame animals.

Gather totals to date: 1,195 gathered, 1,072 moved to Fallon, 121 at gather corrals

Fallon facility deaths: 2, cumulative death total: 8

Fallon facility deaths: 2, cumulative death total: 8

Gather totals to date: 1,195 gathered, 954 moved to Fallon, 148 at gather corrals

Fallon facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 8

Contractor gathered 124 wild horses today.  No horses were moved to Fallon.

A foal born on Thursday was euthanized on Friday after it became apparent that it could not thrive.

Gather totals to date: 1,104 gathered, 954 moved to Fallon, 148 at gather corrals

Fallon facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 6

One hundred and twenty-two wild horses were transported to the Fallon facility.

Totals: 980 gathered, 954 moved to Fallon.

Fallon facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 5

Totals: 980 gathered, 832 moved to Fallon.

Fallon facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 5

The next update will be posted on Tuesday, Jan. 18.  (BLM offices are closed in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr.  holiday, however gather operations will continue.)

Gathering continued on the Warm Springs HMA with the contractor bringing in 48 horses (21 studs, 18 mares, 9 weanlings/foals).

Eighty-two wild horses were shipped to the Fallon facility.

Gather totals to date: 858 gathered, 759 transported to Fallon

Fallon facility death: 0, cumulative death total: 5

Eighty-three animals were transported to the Fallon facility.  Observers going to the gather notified the BLM that a mare in one of the transport trucks was down.  The dirt road the trucks are traveling is bumpy and the drivers are stopping when they reach the pavement to make sure all the animals are standing up.  Two mares and one stallion were found dead at the facility, cause of death is attributed to failure to adjust to a change in feed.

Gather totals to date: 810 gathered, 677 transported to Fallon, 129 at gather corrals

Fallon facility deaths: 3, cumulative death total: 5

Gather totals to date: 759 gathered,  594 transferred to Fallon, 161 at gather corrals

Fallon facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 2

Totals: 646 gathered, 519 transferred to Fallon, 123 at gather corrals, 2 euthanized at gather site, 1 death pre-existing condition, 1 back to HMA

Fallon facility death: 1: cumulative death total: 2

No horses were shipped today; 24 horses in holding corrals at the gather site.

Fallon facility death: 1, cumulative death total: 2

Gather totals to date: 547 gathered, 519 shipped to Fallon, 24 at gather corrals

Gather totals to date: 547 gathered, 438 shipped to Fallon

Gather totals to date: 477 gathered, 367 shipped to Fallon, 106 at gather corrals

Totals to date: 477 gathered, 278 transported to Fallon.

Eighty four excess wild horses were transported to the Fallon facility.

Gather totals to date: 424 gathered, 242 transported to Fallon.

The group watched the helicopter bring in 11 horses the gather corral.  The animals came in to the gather corral well with no problems, but once they horses were in the corrals, one stud horse caught his front leg over the top rail in the chute area, but worked himself free.  He was sorted into a separate pen and jumped over the holding pen panels and through a barbed-wire fence backto the rangeland.  Several members of the public observed and filmed the horse jumping over the pen rail and through the fence.

On the way back to Winnemucca we saw wild horses on the north end of the Jackson Mountains and stopped so everyone could take pictures.

The contractor revised the gather plan and plans to move the gather corrals on Sunday to the Black Rock West HMA.  He will set up near Soldier Meadows on Monday and plans to start gathering again on Tuesday.

1 non-gather related death (colt); cumulative total deaths at gather: 2

Today, 66 horses were transported to the Fallon facility (27 studs, 25 mares, 13 weanlings and one foal).  All of the horses are in normal condition for winter gathers, with a few noted in lesser condition.

No horses were shipped on Wednesday.  There are no plans to ship any animals on Friday.  Next update will be Monday, Jan. 4.

The BLM escorted media to the gather site today.

1 non-gather related death (mare)