BLM Violates Its Own Wild Horse Welfare Standards

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – (Feb. 28, 2017)On February 12, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a helicopter roundup of wild horses at Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah. The Cloud Foundation (TCF) and advocates across the country contend thatBLM’s actions at the roundup violate standards in their own ComprehensiveAnimal WelfareProgram (CAWP).

Eyewitness Mosie Trewhitt, a professional horse trainer, photographed the incident of a lone pinto mare being driven by a helicopter. The mare could not keep up with her band, but the helicopter kept pushing her. Then a wrangler joined the pursuit, and both helicopter and wrangler chased the mare on a dead run along a barbed wire fence line. The wrangler tried to rope her numerous times and was finally successful. The mare lurched and flipped over or tried to jump the fence. She became entangled in the barbed wire and ended up on the other side of the fence.

The mare escaped, dragging the rope behind her and has not been seen since the incident according toBLM, who also contend she was uninjured. Trewhitt’s blog, Voices of the Herd, documents the incident with vivid photographs. Fears persist that this mare, who appears to be pregnant, may be strangled by the rope or suffer from infection due to an obvious gash on her right rear leg.

In 2011,BLMbegan the process of creating humane roundup standards. The final product, published in 2015, tried to reduce incidents like this. “Years were spent on this document at considerable expense, but the document does no good if theBLMdoes not follow or enforce the standards,” adds Paula King, TCF Communications Director.

After extensive review, TCF cites the following violations of the CAWP:

• II. Capture Techniques. B Helicopter Drive Trapping, Para. 1:“Regarding helicopter driving, the standards state ‘the helicopter must be operated using pressure and release methods to herd the animals… and should not repeatedly evoke erratic behavior in the WH&Bs causing injury or exhaustion.’”
• II. Capture Techniques. B Helicopter Drive Trapping, Para. 4:“When WH&Bs are herded through a fence line en route to the trap, the Lead COR must be notified by the contractor. The Lead COR must determine the appropriate width of the opening that the fence is let down to allow for safe passage through the opening.”
• II. Capture Techniques. C. Roping, Para.1:“The roping of any WH&B must be approved prior to the procedure by the Lead COR.”
• II. Capture Techniques. C. Roping, Para.3:“Ropers should dally the rope to their saddle such that the animals can be brought to a stop as slowly as possible and must not tie the rope hard and fast to the saddle so as to intentionally jerk animals off their feet.”
• Instruction Memorandum No. 2015-151 Policy/Action:“At all times, the care and treatment provided by the BLM and our contractors should be characterized by compassion and concern for the animal’s well-being and welfare needs.”
• Instruction Memorandum 2013-60:“The Incident Command will ensure that everyone involved in gather operations receives a copy of these expectations prior to the start of the gather and the Lead COR and all BLM employees present shall ensure that gather operations are conducted in compliance with these expectations.”
• Instruction Memo 20133-59:“…animal condition and fatigue will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the number of attempts that can be made to capture the animal. Animals will not be pursued to a point of exhaustion or distress.”

BLMissued a statement about the account but has made no mention of any disciplinary actions they plan to take against the COR, the helicopter contractor, the wrangler, or theBLMstaff at the trap.

Originally posted by The Cloud Foundation