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We will hang blood-red balls from lariats and circulate petitions asking President Obama to rein in the BLM, an outdated agency and friend of welfare cows.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

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

Sacramento Peaceful Protest on Behalf of Our Wild Horses & Burros 1/21/10

, Wild Horse & Burro Advocates -

Please put Thurs, 1/21, on your calendars per the attached notice & bring
your friends, family & whoever you can get ahold of if you can make it out.

Also, please forward this notice to everyone you know in the Sacramento
area, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Roseville, Elk Grove,
Placerville, Auburn, etc. If you have a website to post this notice, that
would be great. We want to have an incredible turnout. We expect good press
coverage & want them to know there's plenty of us standing up for America's
wild horses and burros.

There have been & continue to be protests across the country & even
internationally. We must get the American public educated that our wild
horses & burros are being managed to extinction by the BLM & to take action.
If we don't do this now, it will be too late.

Many thanks for your support of our wild herds.

For the wild ones, Carla B ;--}


Sacramento Protest Against Wild Horse & Burro Roundups
Join us to stand up for America’s disappearing wild herds

Date: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 Rain or Shine
Time: 11 AM – 1 PM, Press Conference at Noon
Place: State Capitol, 10th Street between L and N

This peaceful protest on behalf of America’s wild horses and burros is part of a grassroots nationwide campaign that includes The Cloud Foundation and In Defense Of Animals who are sponsoring this event. It is one of several protests that are taking place across the country and internationally to protest the U.S. government’s destructive wild horse and burro policy.

This is an urgent call to President Obama, Dept. of Int. (DOI) Sec. Salazar & Congress to order the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to stop the inhumane & treacherous winter roundup of over 2,500 wild horses in the Calico Mtn. Complex in NW Nevada. Also, this is a call to stop all additional roundups planned by the BLM in FY2010 until a sustainable in-the-wild & fiscally responsible management plan is put in place to re-protect our magnificent wild herds on their native Western public lands. We want accountability and transparency from our government and the BLM, the agency that is supposed to be protecting our legendary herds, but instead is using millions of taxpayer dollars in their ongoing mismanagement and elimination of our herds.

The Mission of this protest and beyond is:

• To educate the press & the American public that our wild herds are being managed to
extinction by the DOI/BLM, mainly because of fast-tracked, carte blanche energy
development on our public lands and the cattle and big game industries.
• To call for an immediate moratorium on all roundups.
• To call for a Congressional investigation into the Wild Horse & Burro Program under the
direction of the BLM.
• To call for an independent census of the numbers & health of all herds still wild in the West &
in all short & long-term holding facilities.
• To call on the Congress to reject the Salazar Plan to relocate the majority of our wild herds to
zoo-like preserves in the Midwest and East, non-wild, non-free, and non-reproducing at
millions of dollars of taxpayer expense.
• To call on the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources to bring the ROAM (Restore
Our American Mustangs) Act to the table, to work with the American public on improvements
and pass The Act as soon as possible to re-protect our wild horses & burros on their legal
Western lands.
• To call on Senator Boxer for her support on the above issues.

Despite repeated outcries from humanitarian groups, wild horse advocate organizations,
celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, and Michael Blake, and experts on wildlife and range management, the BLM has pressed forward with its brutal and inhumane round up of one of the last large mustang herds on the Nevada range. BLM started the Calico Roundup on 12/28/09 even though U.S. District Court Judge Friedman recommended they hold off pending further findings & decisions in the Calico Lawsuit regarding the legality of housing our herds in short and long-term facilities off of their legal Western public lands.

The roundups inhumanely stampede the frightened wild horses by low-flying helicopters across rocky and steep terrain for several miles to a temporary trap site, including pregnant mares and foals that struggle to keep up & sometimes die en route or are brutally trampled in the temporary corrals by the other terrorized horses. Often, roundups are done in severe cold (as is presently the case with the Calico roundup) or hot conditions (as in the Pryor’s roundup) adding undue stress to the animals where needless injuries occur. The worst injury of all is that our wild herds are no longer wild and free roaming on their legal Western lands. Eventually, a lucky few will be adopted out, most will go to long-term holding at huge taxpayer expense and some will go to auction and could end up with the worst fate of all, cruel and inhumane slaughter in Mexico or Canada for human consumption abroad. Is this what the American people want for our living legends of the American West?

Under orders from the DOI, the BLM plans to gather another 12K wild horses and burros in FY2010 to add to the already 33K in short and long-term holding facilities for over $50M/year of taxpayer expense. BLM states 30-36K remain in the wild currently. Independent sources say only 15-18K remain. BLM has already zeroed out over 100 herds and the vast majority of the remaining herds are left with genetically nonviable numbers that threaten their long-term survival.

When will the BLM stop? What is fueling this relentless effort to remove 80-90% of the Calico Complex herd? Is it the proposed, fast-tracked Ruby Pipeline Project? Are all the wild herds going to be zeroed out with BLM’s false excuses that the herds are overpopulated, or destroying our rangelands or are starving to death just to fast track massive energy development on our public lands with taxpayer-funded stimulus monies? Even though we need energy independence & job creation, is everything of value going to be destroyed to achieve those ends?

We, the American people, cannot let this happen. We must stand up and fight for what we know is right and save our wild horses and burros before it’s too late. They are the living legends of the West--symbols of freedom, family, independence, strength, spirit and our Western heritage. If we lose them, we lose part of ourselves.

Get educated. Get active. Save our iconic wild horses and burros.

Call Pres. Obama to issue a moratorium on all roundups at 202-456-1111, Fax 202-456-2461
Call/fax your Senators to improve and pass the ROAM Act now

For further information and for sign ideas/slogans, please see:
http://www.thecloudfoundation.org, http://www.thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com,
http://idausa.org

Local Contacts:
Carla Bowers, Wild Horse Advocate and The Cloud Foundation volunteer, carla84bowers@yahoo.com
Cathy Adams, Wild Horse Advocate, crowbot32@yahoo.com

Media Contacts:
The Cloud Foundation: Makendra Silverman, 719-351-8187, makendra@thecloudfoundation.org

In Defense of Animals: Elliot M. Katz, DVM, 415-448-0048 x225, emk@idausa.org
Hope Bohanec, 707-540-1760, hope@idausa.org

Wild Horses & Burros Available for Adoption in Winchester, CA

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
News Release


For Immediate Release: Nov. 24, 2009 CA-CDD-10-18
Contact: David Briery, (951) 697-5220 or Steve Razo, (951) 697-5217


Wild Horses and Burros Available for Adoption in Winchester
Strength, endurance, and spirit are qualities embodied in wild horses and burros that roam America’s rangelands. These living legends are available for adoption at Winchester Wild West Arena in Winchester, Calif. on Dec. 5, 2009, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Adopt-A-Horse or Burro Program. The mustangs and burros were gathered from public lands in California and Nevada, have been wormed and vaccinated, and are in excellent health. Spectators are welcome.
Animals arrive at noon on Friday December 4, and potential adopters may view the mustangs and burros from 1 to 5 p.m. An excellent media opportunity exists at noon when the animals arrive and unload. Approved adopters will receive a lottery number, which is required to participate in the lottery adoption Saturday morning starting at 9 a.m. The lottery adoption provides all adopters an equal opportunity to adopt the animal of their choice. BLM staff will approve adoption applications from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The adoption fee is $125.00 per animal. Animals not selected during the lottery adoption will be available for adoption on a first come, first served basis for the remainder of Saturday. Adoption fees may be paid by cash, check, or credit card.
Qualified adopters must be 18 years old, have adequate facilities, the financial means to care for the animal(s), and would have some experience training or raising a horse or burro. Adopters also must be a resident of the United States and have no convictions for inhumane treatment of animals. Qualified individuals with the proper facilities may adopt up to four animals.
The process is called an “adoption” because BLM retains title to the animal for one year after the adoption. During the year, a BLM compliance officer or designated representative will visit each adopter to ensure the animal is being cared for and has a good home. During this time adopters cannot sell their adopted animal. Adopters must notify BLM if the animal is moved.
After the first year, adopters may apply for title. BLM will pass title of the animal if all the stipulations of the adoption agreement have been met. The animal becomes the private property of the adopter only after BLM transfers title, which completes the adoption process.
Directions to Winchester Arena: from Interstate 215 exit S.H. 74 East; turn south on S.H. 79 S./ Winchester Road; turn west on 9th Street to 32150 S. Grand Ave. For more information about the Winchester adoption or the Bureau's Adopt-A-Horse or Burro Program, contact BLM toll free at 866-4MUSTANGS or visit www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov.



-BLM-
visit our website
California Desert District Office – 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Call for Moratorium on Wild Horse & Burro Round-ups Heats Up

Mariana Tosca, Viggo Mortensen and Kevin Nealon join the unified call for an immediate moratorium on wild horse and burro round-ups.
“Without a single dissenting vote, the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress guaranteeing these animals protection from “capture, branding, harassment and death.” – Mariana Tosca
CHICAGO, (EWA) – Acclaimed Actors Mariana Tosca, Christmas in the Clouds, Viggo Mortensen, Lord of the Rings, Appaloosa and Hidalgo and Kevin Nealon, Weeds have added their voice to a growing 150 organizations and dignitaries from America, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa asking President Obama and Secretary Salazar to halt the round-ups of America’s wild horses and burros.

The assault on America’s wild horses and burros must be halted until range studies can be performed and a solid plan is established for the management of these magnificent animals that represent our American heritage.

Actor and Social Activist, Mariana Tosca, joined the unified call with the following statement issued to John Holland, President of the Equine Welfare Alliance.

“With virtually no oversight, the BLM’s maneuvers are methodically cleansing the land of these animals who have become an inconvenience and impediment to the goals of the ranching, gas and oil industries.

It is the action of arrogance and the lowest instincts of man to place greed above the rights of others and to shape policy to fit private agendas. Millions of head of cattle are grazing on public ranges - public ranges that were designated for these wild horses and burros on land that belongs to American taxpayers, not to private entities.

These horses are connected to this land; their ancestors roamed unfettered on it over a million years ago. They represent the basic principal that our nation was founded on: FREEDOM. These animals are the physical embodiment of all that we as people and as a nation aspire to… liberty and self-determination. And at some level that resonates with each and every one of us. With every BLM round up that is allowed to happen, our heritage is under siege.”

Viggo Mortensen adds, “Thanks to all who have contacted their government representatives on behalf of mustangs, those unique animals that are living symbols of the nation's heritage and character. Your efforts have paid off, prompting Congress to strengthen the protections afforded to wild horses and burros in the United States of America [with the passage of HR 1018].

Mariana Tosca continues, “We have to stop eroding the law that ensures their protection, simply to cater to and placate private entities. America faces a very real risk that the wild horse will go the way of the buffalo, wiped out by a zealous hunt to make room for commercial interests.

Since the BLM is a government agency, with perceived mismanagement and conflict of interest issues, the public has a right to call for an independent audit of the horses in BLM managed short and long term holding facilities, as well as an independent count of the horses remaining on the ranges. The management of our remaining wild horses should be moved to another agency.”

A lawsuit was filed by IDA (In Defense of Animals) on November 23 aimed at halting the removal of over 2,700 horses in the Nevada Calico Complex which is scheduled to start on December 1.

Additional information on the unified call for a moratorium is available on the Equine Welfare Alliance and The Cloud Foundation websites.




Equine Welfare Alliance







Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

Calling All Horse Welfare Groups!

Hi, all. Could you also pass this on to any organizations that may be interested? I can’t locate the list I had from a few months ago when we were working on the Sheldon suit and many of them aren’t in my disty list. I sent to quite a few yesterday but don’t want to miss anyone. We want to list as many supporters as possible.

The Cloud Foundation is sending a letter to Congress and a few others government departments calling for an immediate moratorium. Included with the letter will be a list of organizations that are in support of an immediate moratorium. If you would like to be included in the organization list, please let me know ASAP.

Please provide the organization name, one name for the organization (optional), link or linked logo (please also include link in case the link doesn’t come through).

We are planning on finalizing the list by early evening tomorrow (Sunday).

Thanks so much.

v

Vicki | A Voice for Our Horses

We Can All Kiss our Asses Good-bye!

This is so sad......

"Dear Supervisor Mitzenfelt

You may remember me from the small group that brought the RS 2477 resolution before Supervisor Postmas when you were on his staff and my subsequent testimony before the US House Resources committee.

Please read the plea below and this suggestion to declare San Bernardino's Heritage Herd of wild burros that date back to mining by the Spanish before statehood.

San Bernardino County could declare the Mojave Burros a local and National Heritage Herd and set aside their herd areas as Heritage Herd Areas for their maintenance. This is consistent with existing law. The skewed management plans resulting from The Desert Protection Act and management agreements between the Desert Managers Group are responsible for the destruction of our National Heritage.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kathleen Hayden

Coyote Canyon Caballos d' Anza Inc.

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: end of the California wild burros
From: "Chrys Anderson" <chrysteen@tds.net>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chrys is an officer in the California Donkey and Mule Association.

I have been making calls to the BLM and literally sat and cried this
afternoon. There is no plan to save any of the California desert herds of
donkeys. Between the BLM, National Park Service, California Desert
Protection Act, etc., business lobbyists got everything they wanted. The
last 40 burros at Clark Mountain will be removed to make way for a solar
farm. The National Park Service is adamant that all burros will be
removed or shot. The BLM doesn't control enough desert land in California
to save a burro gene pool even if they wanted to, which they don't.

They will leave 108 burros on the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and 121
burros at the Chocolate Mule Mountains near the Colorado River. They will
leave some burros at Big Bear, but that is not a desert environment. The
unique genetic qualities that were the result of natural selection will be
gone forever. They say elections matter, and I believe eliminating burros
on public land was a Republican agenda. I don't know if it is possible to
force the NPS or BLM to set aside an area to preserve a least one group of
California desert donkeys, but it is worth a try. I have been writing
letters on behalf of the wild burros for years and have always been
disappointed. My only other possible suggestion is for CADMAN to form a
registry for California Wild Burros. Rescue groups don't breed and 350
Mojave burros will soon be shipped back east to genetic oblivion. Four
hundred Death Valley burros were shot and most of the rest were removed
and dispersed 10 years ago. If the unique qualities of the desert donkeys
are going to be preserved for future generations of donkey people,
something will have to be done soon. It is unfortunate that people who
care about burros tend not to be wealthy or politically savy. Wild horses
have more fans and get more publicity and even they are headed for genetic
extinction on public lands.

I don't have a clue what we can do.
Chrys "

Any fans of the wild burros out there?!?!? Time to make your voices heard!!

BLM and National Cattlemen's Beef Association Partner to dispose of Wild Horses!!!

"In what could be its most absurd and cynical move yet, the Bureau of Land
Management is partnering with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association,
the American Sheep Industry and the Association of National Grasslands
(represented by the Public Lands Council), in a campaign that promotes the
purchase of wild horses and burros by public lands ranchers. View their
joint press release at Beef USA


The very people who lobby tirelessly to remove wild horses from our public
lands at taxpayers’ expense are now urged to purchase these same horses at
bargain basement prices. Ranchers did not want to share their public land
allotments with these horses in the first place; do we really think they
are now going to let them graze these same allotments out of the goodness
of their hearts? Who better than the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
to funnel wild horses to slaughter? In fact, it is disturbing that this
announcement should come on the heels of the USDA's decision to allow horse
slaughter to continue despite Congress overwhelmingly passing an amendment
banning such practice for one fiscal year; the horse slaughter ban was
vehemently opposed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Without independent oversight and incentives to ensure the ranchers will
provide long-term care for these horses, we can’t help but see something
sinister at play and need your help to fight another attempt by the BLM to
dispose of our wild horses by any means available. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW
to protest this latest maneuver by the BLM and the cattle lobby: voice your
concern and outrage to Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior, Department
of the Interior,1849 C Street, N.W., Washington DC 20240 - fax:
202.208.5048.

We are in the process of investigating all the implications of BLM’s new
campaign. Be sure to check the News Briefs section of the AWHPC site for
further information as we uncover it.

On behalf of the horses, thank you for your support.

The AWHPC Team.
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign "

All I can say is....WTH?!?!

Investigative Report - "Stampede To Oblivion"

The Las Vegas I-Team and veteran reporter George Knapp's Special Investigative Report, "Stampede To Oblivion", is now available on line with a link to the show in its entirety.

http://www.americanherds.blogspot.com/

PLEASE URGE EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO WATCH THIS TIMELY AND IN DEPTH REPORT ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WILD HORSE & BURRO PROGRAM!

ALSO

*BLM's Sally Spencer responds to questions about National Wild Horse Adoption Day.

Her response, as well as an Anonymous Rebuttal, has been posted at the bottom of the 10/03/09 post, "National Wild Horse Adoption Day".

Hey!! I got a Letter from Senator Boxer!!

Dear Ms. Lawrence:

Thank you for writing to me regarding the management of the wild horse population on our public lands. I appreciate hearing from you and share your concerns.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), there are more than 36,000 wild horses and burros on the range and more than 31,000 in holding facilities, where many are offered for adoption. Citing increasing costs and low adoption rates, BLM officials say that budgetary constraints make it difficult to properly care for horses in excess of its target "appropriate management level" of 26,600.

The BLM has considered various options in its effort to minimize costs and control the increasing wild horse and burro population. Among these controversial options are the use of euthanasia on healthy animals and the unconditional sale of older horses that have been unsuccessfully offered for adoption. Unfortunately, the sale of horses without limitations could lead to horse slaughter.

As a long-time supporter of wildlife conservation, I believe that destroying these magnificent animals is never a viable management option. The BLM should more seriously consider alternative, more humane solutions such as improving the adoption program, exploring the use of contraceptives or sterilization to reduce herd sizes, or securing additional funds for a more effective program.

I am pleased to report that the Senate Interior Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010 would provide $67.5 million for the Wild Horse and Burro Management Program, a $26.9 million increase from FY2009. I strongly support providing this funding for the program to ensure the proper care of these animals.

I also support legislation to expand the range where wild horses could roam freely, enhance the adoption program, encourage the use of non-lethal methods to reduce herd size, reduce the time a horse spends in a holding pen, and prohibit the euthanization or sale for slaughter of wild horses. On July 17, 2009, the House passed the Restore Our Wild Mustangs (ROAM) Act (H.R.1018), which would accomplish all of these goals. This bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

In addition, I believe strongly in a permanent ban on horse slaughter. That is why I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (S.727) to prohibit the transport, export, or sale of any horse to be slaughtered for human consumption.

I have consistently supported legislation to protect horses, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the ROAM Act and the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act and to see both of these important bills signed into law.

Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. Rest assured that I will continue to support efforts to maintain the integrity of wild horse and burro populations on our public lands.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator


Please do not respond to this message. If you would like to comment on legislation, please visit my website and use the correspondence form at https://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm

I'm sure five million trillion other people got the same letter, but hey, it's good to know where she stands on these issues!

Shame on the BLM!! (But you knew that....)

"Dear Director Abbey,

Following is the U Tube connection link to the recent Pryor Mt gather.

Explain exactly WHO is responsible for this gather? What tail is wagging this dog??

16 USC 1332 c defines range as the amount of land necessary to sustain an existing herd or herds of wild free roaming horses and burros, which doesn't not exceed their known territorial limits and which is devoted principally to their welfare but not necessarily exclusively, in keeping with the multiple use management concept for the public lands.

Isn't this the same principle as an ACEC?

Clearly the agency does not do this to other free roaming wild life.

Are we to be our lying eyes or BLM spokesman Tom Gorey who stated “The Cloud Foundation is not a credible source for information.”

Please reply.

Yours truly,

Kathleen Hayden

PO Box 236

Santa Ysabel, Ca. 92070"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eH6g4x4CKs

The Big Story Click Here for More Breaking News Video Shows Cloud Limping, Foals Possibly Vulnerable to Lion Attack Film Maker Release New Footage of Injured Mustangs By Steven Long HOUSTON, (HORSEBACK) - Despite repeated denials by the federal Bureau of Land Management, horses including the iconic mustang Cloud, were injured in a hasty Labor Day weekend round-up. Video evidence shot by Emmy award winning PBS filmmaker Ginger Kathrens show graphic images of horses limping, including Cloud, immediately after their release back into the wild. “All of the babies are clearly footsore,” Kathrens told Horseback Magazine late Saturday. “Some of the adults seem to me as if they are really tired and are a bit foot sore.” Kathrens returned to her ranch from Montana Friday after observing the horses on the mountain Thursday night. The foal most footsore was Cloud’s offspring filly Jasmine, she said. The horse is a baby. “She was really hobbling,” Kathrens said. Some members of the Cloud herd were not allowed to leave BLM pens to return to Pryor Mountain and will be sold on September 26. The herd’s normal grazing area is 5,000 feet above the pens which they were stampeded to by a low flying helicopter. Repeated queries by Horseback Magazine have all received the same answer from the agency which manages the nation’s wild horses on public lands. “There were no injuries or deaths resulting from the gather, to the best of my knowledge,” said BLM Washington spokesman Tom Gorey late Friday when he disputed Kathrens veracity saying, “The Cloud Foundation is not a credible source for information.” Observers from the foundations and press were not allowed at the upper elevations during the chase to the base of the mountain at Britton Springs. Jim Sparks, the BLM field manager of the Billings, Montana office also told Horseback that no horses were injured as they were chased into a trap and then herded into pens. Sparks conceptualized and spearheaded the Pryor Mountains "gather." He acknowledged it was his decision alone to capture and thin the herd because he believes there aren't enough natural resources on the mountain to sustain the horses through winter. Currently the horses all appear to be fat and healthy. Pryor Mountains mustangs have lived through hundreds of Montana winters. Kathrens has spent much of the last decade chronicling the wild horses of Montana’s mountains, a line of animals that is believed to be genetically pure dating back to the 15th century. The next installment of the “Nature” series featuring Cloud and the horses of Montana’s Pryor range will be shown on PBS, October 25, 2009. The special is titled “Cloud Challenges the Stallion.” Two horses featured in the new film are now held in the BLM adoption pen. Makendra Silverman, assistant to Kathrens said some of the horses are now vulnerable to predators because of their inability to move rapidly to escape attack. “When you have foals run for 10 to 15 miles they are much more prone to mountain lion attack.” Kathrens said that during the run down the mountain the Pryor Mustangs may have burned up much needed fat that would help them make it through the fierce Montana winter. In the video all of the animals appear well fed and healthy. Silverman said it is doubtful older horses such as Cloud, bachelor stallions, and mares would fall victim to cougar attacks but very young horses are at risk. Kathrens says she has left messages for BLM director Bob Abbey but has yet to hear from him. Abbey also declined an interview with Horseback.