Friday, April 23, 2010

Sulphur Springs Band on the Range




Sulphur Springs Band on the Range
Photos by Robert Hayden taken this month near the Utah/Nevada border about 100 miles west of Cedar City Utah. There are an estimated 200 left after 325 were removed last November 2009!!

Las Vegas Rally for Wild Horse Preservation April 25

From: artistfromafrica@hotmail.com
To: dgrizzle@pdglv.com
Sent: 4/23/2010 11:42:38 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: come to wild horse rally Sunday called DON'T TAKE MY BALLS

PLEASE COME OUT NOON SUNDAY TO RALLY FOR THE CALICO STALLIONS - MEET AT THE RED ROCK SCENIC OVERLOOK. We are spray painting tennis balls red and suspending them from lariats - and signs will be provided for you. If we have enough people, we'll put a second group in front to the RED ROCK entrance so do come out.

If you cannot come, please put the information below on your facebook and twitter pages. The achey, shakey geldings at the Fallon holding pens thank you!



DON'T TAKE MY BALLS!
Las Vegans will rally in sympathy with the young stallions under 4 years of age that were painfully castrated last week by the BLM at the Fallon Nevada holding pens. If the BLM wins the federal lawsuit by In Defense of Animals, they will castrate all the remaining mature stallions from the Calico roundup. The BLM has severely limited public access to the captive Calico horses despite public demands for transparency.
We will hang blood-red balls from lariats and circulate petitions asking President Obama to rein in the BLM, an outdated agency and friend of welfare cows. Below see poster by Melissa Ohlsson.

WHERE? RED ROCK CANYON SCENIC OVERLOOK ON HIGHWAY 159, from Las Vegas Strip, go west on Charleston, past the 215 Beltway and Red Rock Canyon entrance gates

WHEN? SUNDAY APRIL25, 2010 from NOON to 2pm

WHY? Castration is a way of wiping out the gene pool of the mustangs that have unique bloodlines adapted to their specific area. Pictures of the castrated horses taken by Craig C. Downer appear below.

BACKGROUND? In January 2010, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a deadly roundup of 1922 wild horses from the CALICO MOUNTAINS COMPLEX in northwestern Nevada, despite a federal lawsuit underway to stop the roundups and the recommendation of the federal judge that BLM should NOT conduct a roundup in the dead of winter. The Calico horses were not starving and had not damaged the public range, meanwhile the BLM sharply increased the number of private cattle allowed to graze at subsidized cost on the horses' range. Stress and trauma lie behind the majority of the 86 wild horse deaths (to date) and 40 spontaneous abortions, a report issued today by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) concludes. AWHPC notes the expense of the Calico roundup which will cost taxpayers at least $1.3 million through April, and $1 million a year to warehouse the non-adoptable horses over their 20+ year lifespans. This costly policy, which relies on expensive roundups every four years, is pursued while cost-effective, on-the-range management strategies are ignored.

CONTACT PERSON? ARLENE GAWNE (702) 277-1313 artistfromafrica@hotmail.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, see:
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
The Cloud Foundation press releases
News Story on Calico, rising death toll & skewed numbers from George Knapp (KLAS- Las Vegas)
BLM Daily Reports from Calico Roundup/Fallon Holding
American Herds
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses - A History

Roundup Schedule- updated February 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Don't Care About Wild Horses?...Maybe You Care About Your Pocketbook??




Grass Roots Horse.com
thecloudfoundation | April 19, 2010 at 7:45 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pDfE4-Ho

A great new site to foster grassroots activism to protect and preserve our wild horses and burros in the wild--- online here

From the site: "We are individuals who care about the issues and want to join together to take concrete, measureable steps to make a difference. Grassroots activism is a time honored tradition that has stood the test of time. Let’s put it to work for our Horses. Join with us. E-mail us at volunteer@grassrootshorse.com"

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Malibu Screening of "Disappointment Valley"

Dear Friends, this is a must attend event and opportunity to help the mustangs, meet new people, make new friends...in a beautiful Malibu estate home...rsvp necessary, space is limted, details below...see you there...Vivo Los Mustangs!
besos
Calamity

MALIBU SCREENING:
Sunday, April 25, 730P--Screening of Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western AT Olandar, home of Carla and Leigh McCloskey, 6032 Philip Avenue, Malibu, Ca 90265 $15.00

New guests may come at 7P to see Leigh's wonder study, the Hieroglyph of the Human Soul See images of the Hieroglyph and Leigh's other work on his web site:


RSVP for screening needed as space is limited: 310-457-5398 or email carlamccloskey@aol.com.

This film examines the plight of America's wild horses and the rapidly deteriorating condition of our wild and beautiful public lands in the majestic, haunting American west. The film is impressionable, haunting and will inspire people to take action towards positive change. The film presents solutions for America’s wild horses and burros and the preservation of our public lands.

We are honored to have James Anaquad Kleinert--Director/Cinematographer available for

Q & A after the screening.



________________________

ABOUT THE FILM: "Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western"

In his international award-winning documentary film Spirit Riders,director James Kleinert followed an American Indian peace movement begun by the Lakota Nation as they made their historical horse-back ride to Wounded Knee in South Dakota. Spirit Riders shows how American Indians have reclaimed their sacred way of life through re-connecting with the horse. (www.spiritridersmovie.com)

Kleinert continues his work in a feature-length documentary film, titled Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western. The filmmaker examines the politics behind the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) controversial policies on public lands and questions the fate of America's wild horses and burros, whose very existence is in jeopardy.

Through interviews with scientific experts, ranchers, historians, wild horse owners, animal rights activists, environmentalists, movie stars, uranium prospectors and many other colorful characters, the filmmaker examines the origins and effects of the recent "Burns Bill," which gutted the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 and cleared the way for the slaughter and removal of wild horses in America. Greed and corruption take center stage, exposing corruption within the Department Of The Interior. The film also explores the current impacts on western public lands by oil, gas, mining and corporate cattle grazing.

The film interviews such experts as, Jim Baca, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management under the Clinton Administration, Congressmen Raul M. Grijalva (Chairman on the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands),Randy Udall, energy consultant, Michael Blake, (Writer of Dances With Wolves and Wild Horse Advocate), the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management, environmental attorneys, Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah and more.

The filmdocuments the struggle of an animal that has long symbolized freedom, individualism and unbridled passion in America. Documenting wild horses in their authentic, beautiful pure essence (filmed in HD), Disappointment Valley, is a profound film that will awaken and touch all who view it.

The majestic band stallion known as Traveler, named after Robert E. Lee’s Stallion, and his family are, located in beautiful Disappointment Valley, Colorado. Traveler and his snow-white mare known as Alfa, live and thrive with their family until the Bureau of Land Management conducts a massive wild horse round up, taking two thirds of the wild horse herd away, destroying the wild band’s family dynamic and genetic viability in this brutal round up and removal. Traveler is sent to wild horse prison, a short-term holding facility, as is most of his family. Follow wild horse advocates as they work to get Traveler returned to his homeland, the threat of being shipped to BLM long term holding facilities is high. He may face euthanasia, or worse, being shipped to Mexico for brutal slaughter.

The untamed natural beauty of the last few remaining wild horses is a strong sign of hope for many people. Real-life heroes take peaceful action to save this noble symbol of American freedom and raw beauty. The wild horses’ plight is our own!

Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western, is a film that is impressionable, haunting and will inspire people to take action towards positive change. The film presents solutions for America’s wild horses and burros and the preservation of our public lands.

Copyright 2009 Spirit Riders Foundation Inc All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Extreme Graphic - Slaughter House - Please Help Put an End to This Horrific Crime

Caution: Extremely Graphic

CHCD has released footage of the Richelieu and Bouvry Slaughter houses and kill pens. There are about 7 videos and be warned, they are horrific. CHDC had notified us last week and warned us but I didn’t expect this. If you ever need motivation to keep fighting to end slaughter, this will do it. You will note the green USDA stickers so many of these are our horses – minis, ponies…. Some of the horses were loaded two in the kill box forcing one horse to watch as the other was killed, others are left suffering while hanging as several attempts are made to kill them and others were shot several times including both eyes. It is an outrage and beyond cruel.

CHDC will be issuing a press release tomorrow and John & I will most likely be doing a follow-up release. They will also be posting a footage index on their site.

You can view the investigations on the CHDC site http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/ or on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/TwylaFrancois.

A huge thank you to Shelley, Twyla and Sinikka for exposing this cruelty.


Call your legislators and the president. This must end.

v





Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

An Editorial - Simple as That.......

________________________________


The BLM, Ken Salazar & Wild Horses

An Editorial

________________________________

By Robert A. WINKLER
The Desert Independent


April 6, 2010

We have taken an interest in the Wild Horse issue. This symbol of the west where we live, work, raise our children and sometimes try to remember a time when fences, freeways and politics didn't rule the land.

Unfortunately money has always spoken louder than good sense. Some would say good horse sense. And in this case it is the horses who have been knocked senseless by Department of Interior head, Ken Salazar and his Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

If you have been reading our articles (See the accompanying article and check out our Archives.), you know the detail of the horrors the BLM has inflicted on this noble animal. You also know that this has been done at great expense to the American taxpayer. Why? Follow the money as they say. There is only so much land. The horses are competing with moneyed cattle ranchers. It doesn't take a degree from an Ivy League University to figure out who is going to win out on that range.

Oh yes, the BLM has come up with lots of reason the horses have to go. They all dry up in the desert wind, like made up stories by a child trying to get out of doing something wrong.

Simple as that.

Simple as that.

We at The Desert Independent therefore say to the BLM, shame on you.

You have not discharged your duty to your country.

You have not discharged your duty to its citizens.

You have not discharged your duty most importantly to the now helpless horses in your charge.

Ken Salazar, you and the BLM have hidden yourselves away from the light of the public eye. And, apparently for good reason. What you have done and not done. What you are doing would never withstand public scrutiny.

You must ask yourselves, who works in the dark?

The answer is clear.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

To Friends of the Wild Horses and Burros - Pray!!

To Friends Of The Wild Horses And Burros:

Please join a national prayer network to save the last of America’s wild horses and burros. There are only a few left, and there is no indication that other efforts to save them will be fast enough.

To join others in a national prayer network, make a commitment to the horses and burros to pray for them every day for two weeks. Pray from the heart and with your deepest love. Then ask from 2 to 6 friends who want to help to do the same. This should create a large network.

This has no formal organization, no leaders, and costs nothing. Please help, they need us desperately.


Mary Anne Fleetwood
maryannefleetwood@access4less.net