Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Notes from Twin Peaks round-up, pt. 2

Monday, I could not see inside the Cattoor family's wild horse trap. With binoculars, I could see what went on just outside.
Men waved flexible whips attached to plastic bags, spooking mustangs into trailers. They also flipped the whips to prod the thick ends into mustangs' flanks, or slam them repeatedly over horses' backs. This wasn't encouragement. This was beating.
****
Law suits focused judicial eyes on our First Amendment rights, so members of the public are allowed to watch our wild horses on our public lands, but we were warned that BLM rangers would "take things to the next level" if we didn't obey orders.
****
Two days earlier, near the Litchfield BLM facility, my car was pulled over by two white trucks with flashing lights. A ranger asked for my i.d. while his partner looked in my backseat.
The ranger was polite, even smiled when I showed him the red tags from my wild mares' necks (yes, they are still in my purse), but he explained they were expecting trouble at the Twin Peaks round-up.
I'm pretty dialed-in to wild horse issues, I told him, and I'd heard of nothing brewing. He kept the details to himself.
****
After Monday's round-up, as wild horses were trucked to temporary holding pens, I overheard rangers describing how they'd been "primed for a riot."
****
I have friends and family in law-enforcement and fire departments. You're kidding yourself if you don't believe part of the excitement and fun of such jobs is based in conflict.
I get that. I've dedicated books to a bunch of emergency professionals because their work fascinates me.
I know they run toward trouble as most of us run away. And I admit I'm not in BLM's inner circle, but I'm confused. I don't know what to hope for.
Truth? That means threats have put BLM on red alert against horse advocates.
Lies? That means BLM rangers have been sicced on non-existent trouble.
Go see for yourself, please.

YOU can view the Twin Peaks round-ups 7 days a week. You can drive to round-ups from anyplace in the U.S. and see wild horses galloping -- for their lives, it's true, but this may be your last chance because BLM plans to round-up 6,000 wild horses by summer's end.

Labels: beating, BLM, Cattoors, Twin Peaks

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:33 AM

---

Comments: Terri - they were on high alert when I was there on the 12th.

Maybe harsh language sets 'em off...

Like you say, it's a Public duty to observe, to keep as much Public scrutiny on these roundups as possible 'cause if you can run a Horse 'til he bleeds when there are people watching, just how bad could it get if we weren't?
  HI Lisa,
I must've missed something because I didn't hear any harsh language from members of the public. Feel free to email me at farleyterri@aol.com if there was an incident you think I should know about!
Terri
  Hi Terri,
Thanks for the beautiful pictures of our lovely Calif. wild ones. Guess letters and calls and faxes to Senators and the Governor don't work any more!
Just read that blm allowed a New York Times reporter into the "private land" to watch and video the round-up at Twin Peaks. While he was there the Cattors did not gallop the horses in a frenzy and I am sure will not beat them to avoid bad PR. Guess the new expensive PR group(paid for with our taxes) have decided to "manage the media" like blm does the horses. By the way, my preteen grandaughter calls them,"the Boyz of Limited Minds".
Be well my friend and thank you for all that you are doing for our wild ones.
Honor
PS: A quote from Oscar Wilde, "Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much!"
  Post a Comment