Horse Parts and Other Oddities on the Virginia Range

Photos taken October 15. Click on image to open in new tab.

Water system was turned off for the season. One fitting was cracked and water was probably spraying out but someone was kind enough to snap the yard hydrant shut.

Stone Cabin Roundup Moving at Glacial Speed

The incident, billed as an emergency, has been going on for six weeks.

The contractor uses bait to catch the horses, no activity has been reported since October 3, and the project is 67% complete, based on the removal goal of 450.

RELATED: Stone Cabin Roundup Day 33.

Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 29

The incident began on September 16. Reports covering activity through October 14 have been posted to the Modoc news page:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 468, up from 428 on Day 27
Average daily take: 16.1
Capture goal: 600
Removal goal: 600
Returned: 1, no change from Day 27
Deaths: Unknown
Shipped: Unknown

Foals represented 13.5% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 49.9% were males and 50.1% were female.

Body condition scores were not provided.

The death rate and number of unaccounted-for animals cannot be determined.

The low percentage of foals suggests the herd is not growing at a rate of 20% per year, a benchmark often used by land managers to predict herd sizes.

Other statistics:

AML: 402
Forage assigned to horses: 4,824 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,926
Forage liberated to date: 5,604 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 4,670 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 15,711 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from WHT by livestock: 1,309 (2.6% of off-range holding)
True AML: 1,711

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 27.

Owyhee Roundup Day 5

The incident began on October 11. Gather stats through October 15:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 190
Average daily take: 38.0
Capture goal: 947
Removal goal: 615
Returned: None
Deaths: 4
Shipped: 79

Two horses were put down on Day 4 and two more on Day 5 due to pre-existing conditions, including a foal that was malnourished.

All four deaths were justified by IM 2021-007, Euthanasia of Wild Horses and Burros Related to Acts of Mercy, Health or Safety. The death rate through Day 5 is 2.1%.

Foals represented 16.8% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 52.5% were male and 47.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not reported.

The location of gather ops was not given. Five HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Owyhee Complex Map 10-04-21

Day 5 ended with 107 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 999 (across five HMAs)
Forage assigned to horses: 11,988 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,188
Forage liberated to date: 2,280 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 1,900 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: Unknown
True AML: Unknown

RELATED: Owyhee Roundup Delayed.

USDA Seeks Greater Diversity in Beef Supply

With consumer prices rising, the government is taking steps to boost competition in the supply chain, according to a report posted this morning by AP News.

If startups can’t control their costs, they will need to find customers who will pay more for their beef or manage with a lower profit margin than the big companies.

But what if they didn’t have to pay market rates to feed the animals?

The value of an average 1,370-pound steer is about $1,630, but that amount must be split between the slaughterhouse, feed lot and the rancher, who typically bears the largest expense of raising the animal for more than a year.

Put wild horses in the feed lots and turn out more livestock. Take a closer look at the ‘Path Forward.’ Approve the Rock Springs RMP amendments. Initiate more such projects, perhaps on an emergency basis.

Supply goes up and costs come down, giving political cover to the one-horse pony, his ruinous policies and his illicit administration.

Wild Horse Motorcade and News Conference Tomorrow

Details in this report by Carson Now.

Rock Springs Roundup Day 8

The incident began on October 7. Gather stats through October 14:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 169, up from 143 on Day 6
Average daily take: 21.1
Capture goal: 4,400
Removal goal: 3,500
Returned: None
Deaths: None
Shipped: 127, up from 111 on Day 6

Helicopters were grounded on Day 7 due to weather.

Foals represented 24.9% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 70.1% were male and 29.9% were female.

Body condition scores were not reported.

Gather ops continued at Divide Basin. Five HMAs are involved in the roundup.

The Western Watersheds map shows the grazing allotments into which the HMAs have been divided. Click on image to open in new tab.

Not shown are the HAs that fill the spaces between the HMAs, now managed almost exclusively for livestock. They appear on pages eight and ten of the BLM map.

Day 8 ended with 42 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 2,165 (across five HMAs)
Forage assigned to horses: 25,980 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 5,105
Forage liberated to date: 2,028 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 1,690 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 191,791 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from HMAs by livestock: 15,982 (32% of off-range holding)
True AML: 18,147

RELATED: Rock Springs Roundup Day 6.

Sand Wash Update

A story published this morning by The Colorado Sun describes life in Cañon City.

Surprise Complex Roundup Ends

The incident concluded on October 14, according to statement at the gather page, with 1,216 horses captured, 1,039 shipped, 156 returned and 21 dead.

Of the horses returned, 68 were treated with fertility control.

The removal goal of 1,050 was achieved.

Six HMAs were affected.

Wild horse roundups don’t restore thriving ecological balances.

They enforce the resource allocations of land-use plans, which usually put the interests of livestock operators far above those of the horses.

UPDATE: BLM news release issued October 15.

New Wild Horse Documentary Opens Tomorrow

The film features an array of stories about individuals and groups that are working with wild horses, according to the news release.

Sounds great. If you want to help wild horses, don’t focus on the horses. The advocates focus on the horses.

Surprise Complex Roundup Day 16

The incident began on September 28. Gather stats through October 13:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 1,216, up from 897 on Day 11
Average daily take: 76.0
Capture goal: 1,220
Removal goal: 1,050
Returned: 95, up from 82 on Day 11
Deaths: 20, up from 14 on Day 11
Shipped: 960, up from 592 on Day 11

The gather page could not be accessed for three days due to a BLM IT failure.

The removal goal has been exceeded. A remark in the Day 16 report suggests the roundup is over.

Five horses were put down on Day 13, followed by another on Day 14, due to pre-existing conditions. The death rate is 1.6%.

On Day 12, 13 stallions were returned to the High Rock HMA, which may have been an attempt to skew the sex ratio in a way that slows population growth.

Body condition scores have not been reported.

Gather ops from Day 12 to 16 were in the Fox Hog HMA. Six HMAs are involved in the roundup.

The numbers of stallions, mares and foals were not given for Days 1 to 8.

Foals represented 9.5% of the horses captured from Days 9 to 16. Of the adults, 53.8% were male and 46.2% were female.

The low percentage of foals suggests the herd has not been growing at a rate of 20% per year, a benchmark often cited by land managers.

Day 16 ended with 141 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 496
Forage assigned to horses: 5,952 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,300
Forage liberated to date: 13,452 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 11,210 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: Unknown
Horses displaced from Complex by livestock: Unknown
True AML: Unknown

Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 27

The incident began on September 16. Reports covering activity through October 12 have been posted to the Modoc news page:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 428, up from 401 on Day 25
Average daily take: 15.9
Capture goal: 600
Removal goal: 600
Returned: 1, no change from Day 25
Deaths: Unknown
Shipped: Unknown

Foals represented 14.0% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 50.5% were males and 49.5% were female.

Body condition scores were not provided.

The death rate and number of unaccounted-for animals cannot be determined.

The low percentage of foals may indicate the herd is not growing at a rate of 20% per year, a benchmark often used by land managers. Whether it is naturally occurring or induced by the advocates is not known.

Other statistics:

AML: 402
Forage assigned to horses: 4,824 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 1,926
Forage liberated to date: 5,124 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 4,270 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 15,711 AUMs per year (estimated)
Horses displaced from WHT by livestock: 1,309 (2.6% of off-range holding)
True AML: 1,711

RELATED: Devil’s Garden Roundup Day 25.

Owyhee Roundup Delayed

Reports for October 11 and 12 were posted to the gather page, but helicopters were grounded due to weather.

RELATED: Owyhee Roundup Announced.

Barren Valley Roundup on Hold

No activity has been reported at the gather page since October 4 and a reason for the delay was not given.

Operations will resume on October 15.

RELATED: Barren Valley Roundup Day 27.

Centennial Roundup in Progress

The incident started on October 9, with 44 horses captured, followed by 58 on Day 2 and 16 on Day 3, according to the gather page. No deaths were reported and all animals were shipped.

Roy, Like Most Advocates, Stuck on Stupid

The executive director of the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a ranching advocacy group, told Wyoming News Now that her group is working with elected officials to force the BLM to use “the fertility shot.”

Folks, that’s all they bring to the table. They have nothing else.

Their plan, which will ensure, over the long run, that privately owned cattle and sheep consume most of the resources in areas set aside for wild horses and burros, disrupts natural behaviors and drives birth rates to zero, while letting the herds die off.

Why are you still giving them money?

Pigeon Fever Closes Litchfield Off-Range Corrals

The infection was carried to the facility by horses removed from the Surprise Complex, according to a BLM news release. The condition was noted in the Day 7 report.

Rock Springs Roundup Day 6

The incident began on October 7. Gather stats through October 12:

Type: Planned
Method: Helicopter
Horses captured: 143
Average daily take: 23.8
Capture goal: 4,400
Removal goal: 3,500
Returned: None
Deaths: None
Shipped: 111

The daily reports were not posted until yesterday.

Helicopters were grounded on Days 3 and 6 due to weather.

Foals represented 25.2% of the horses captured. Of the adults, 69.2% were male and 30.8% were female.

Body condition scores were not reported.

Gather ops began at Divide Basin. Five HMAs are involved in the roundup.

Rock Springs HMAs 10-13-21

Day 6 ended with 32 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

AML: 2,165 (across five HMAs)
Forage assigned to horses: 25,980 AUMs per year
Pre-gather population: 5,105
Forage liberated to date: 1,716 AUMs per year
Water liberated to date: 1,430 gallons per day
Forage assigned to livestock: 191,791 (estimated)
Horses displaced from HMAs by livestock: 15,982 (32% of off-range holding)
True AML: 18,147

RSGA Understands Management Process, Unlike Advocates

Their operations manager, speaking about the BLM and the Rock Springs roundup, told the WyoFile reporter in an article published today that “They have management plans with defined numbers. They should do their job and get it back to the numbers [for which] they plan to manage horses.”

The advocates, rather than challenge the plans and their lopsided resource allocations, tell you the government should be getting rid of the horses with PZP, not helicopters, and they need more of your money to carry out their important work.