Terri Farley

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rough Weather Ahead for Captive Mustangs

Thirty years ago, I visited BLM's Palomino Valley wild horse corrals for the first time and saw a palomino foal drown in the mud. Since then, I often visit after heavy rains, just to keep watch.

Over time, improvements have been made, but changes reflect human ideas of what's cost-efficient.
Over generations, freedom has taught horses how to survive the harshest weather. In captivity they can't do that.

Last month, BLM-authorized helicopters rounded up nearly 2,000 Owyhee mustangs. Most of those wild horses -- staff couldn't be more specific than 1400 -1600 horses -- are at Palomino Valley.
Earlier this week I visited Palomino Valley between northern Nevada storms. These horses are so wild, so sensitive to my approach that they bolted, rammed into each other, slipped and sometimes fell in the mud.

I saw few mares with foals. Those who were together did their best to stay away from standing water.

These are the corrals with shelters

This weekend high wind warnings -- up to 100 mph on the ridges -- snow storms, and below-freezing temperatures are predicted.

Unique crescent moon and star markings

These young horses might have been pulled from general population for adoption, but no one could tell me for sure.

Friendships form under all conditions. The buckskin groomed each corral mate -- whether or not they wanted attention.

ENJOY A HOLIDAY GIFT OF WILD HORSES
$15.16 from Amazon

Read more about long-standing troubles of unsheltered mustangs:
2013 Palomino Valley: winter
2013 Palomino Valley Summer

Labels: BLM, BLM roundups, humane, Owyhee, Palomino Valley, shelter in captivity, wild horses

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:33 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

WILD FOAL WATCH

all photos by Karen Hopple

Dear Readers,
Visitors to the Bureau of Land Management's Palomino Valley hoped to see spring foals. They did, and here's how one described the wild horse corrals, "...filthy, with standing water from the storm that smelled like cesspools. The horses were a mess, covered with mud and feces...The strangles is spreading... heard coughs in every area of the center."
Disheartened by the condition of the captive horses, the visitors drove out of town to see how mustangs on their own had weathered the high desert storms.
The free-roaming horses were doing just fine. Foals nursed, studied the two-legged newcomers and hopped like bunnies over sage brush.
Back at Palomino Valley, the captive foals huddled low in the mud, trying to stay alive.

WHY?
Free-roaming mustangs sought natural shelter and higher ground away from rain run-off. The only shelter at Palomino Valley covers hay bales and a work area where stallions are castrated. In the corrals, there is no shelter and BLM failed to use on-site trucks and bulldozers to cover even the muddiest areas, so that newborns could nap on dry dirt.

I've been accused of cruelty because I favor mustangs running free -- searching out their own food, shelter and safety.
Take a look at these photos and judge for yourself which horses are happier.
Next, take action. Use this simple form to tell BLM this is not the way you want millions of tax dollars spent. It's easy, just : click here to say LET 'EM RUN!

all photos by Karen Hopple

Labels: BLM, Palomino Valley, shelter in captivity, weather conditions, wild foals

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:42 PM 1 comments