Category Archives: Rescue/Protection Sources

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Save Wild Horses from Inhumane Roundups!

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Dear Animal Advocates,
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to mismanage the care of wild horses and burros. The agency’s current policies allow inhumane methods of gathering and confining equines, and could spell the end for these national icons. But there’s still an opportunity to help save our wild horses. U.S. Representative Dan Burton of Indiana has succeeded in passing an amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill to cut $2 million from the BLM’s annual budget in order to pressure the agency to end its ill-conceived efforts.

This amendment was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives and will soon be considered in the Senate. Please let your two U.S. senators know that they should support the Burton amendment to cut $2 million dollars from the BLM’s budget—this cut saves money and our country’s wild horses.

What You Can Do
Please ask your U.S. senators to support a $2 million reduction in the BLM’s budget and help protect wild horses! Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email your senators now.

Thank you for your support.

http://www.aspca.org/

Breeds, Rescue/Protection Sources

Utah Legislator Introduces Resolution Opposing Dead Bill

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February 7, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – On February 1st, Utah Senator David P. Hinkins introduced joint resolution S.J.R 11, titled “A Resolution Expressing Opposition to Federal Restoring Our Mustangs Act.”  The resolution expresses opposition to federal bills H.R. 1018 / S. 1579, known collectively as the ROAM Act. The only problem is that the ROAM Act was from the 111th Congress and no longer exists.

The ROAM act was passed by the House of Representatives on July 19, 2009 but was never taken up by the Senate and died with the end of the 111th Congress. Though initially popular among wild horse advocates, growing suspicion that ROAM could be used by the Obama Administration to implement its “Salazar Plan” caused it to lose support.

The “Salazar plan” would remove mustangs from their native habitats in the West, sterilize them, and leave them to die out on Midwestern feedlots. So intent is the Administration on this plan, that it rejected a private refuge plan offered by Madeleine Pickens, wife of oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens. That plan would have left the horses on a large tract of their native lands which the Pickenses had purchased.

Continue reading Utah Legislator Introduces Resolution Opposing Dead Bill →

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Neglected Arkansas Horses Make Major Progress with ASPCA, Community Support

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Since early December, we’ve been keeping you up to date on our work in Fulton County, Arkansas, rehabilitating more than 100 neglected horses rescued from a horse trader’s farm. The horses have spent a little more than a month under the ASPCA’s care at a temporary stable in Mountain Home, Arkansas, receiving veterinary attention, good eats and treats, and the chance to run and play in a pasture.

The tireless work of our Field Investigations and Response Team is paying off. All the rescued horses have been putting on weight and are “getting better by the day,” says Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response.

But it’s not just professionals who are making a difference for these amazing horses — community members continually visit the stable to lend a hand. A local reporter for the Baxter Bulletin shows up every morning to feed carrots to a few of his favorite horses, and sometimes four or five individuals show up in one day to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Area businesses and residents have had pizzas and other food delivered to the stable to help keep us going strong, and donations continue to pour in to the local supply store, Orscheln Farm & Home, to help defray the costs of feed, horse tack, insulated clothes and other necessary items.

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Background Info on Diamonds in the Rough Horse Rescue

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By Diane Walsh

I volunteer at a non-profit 501C horse rescue/rehab/retirement facility down here in St. Augustine, FL.  We are the only such organization in our region and are currently home to 13 horses at different levels of rehabilitation. We are also home to a very famous mare, Awaiting Justice, who is the great grand-daughter of the Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat!  Why is she so famous? As a filly, she was owned by Garrett Redmond of Kentucky, who legally sought the right to name her Sally Hemmings after Thomas Jefferson’s famous slave and reputed lover. Redmond made international headlines when he sued The Jockey Club for that right but lost the suit. Awaiting Justice went on to race at Churchill Downs, but was eventually sold by Mr. Redmond, sold again and then again until she ended up at a horse boarding facility in St. Augustine area. A boarder at the facility did not want to go to the trouble of shipping her (Awaiting Justice) back home, so the mare was sold to the students for about $1.00, left at the boarding facility.

Last year, Marie Matte, the founder of Diamonds in the Rough, received an urgent call from the mother of one of the students who had purchased the mare that she (the mare) was in an advanced state of starvation at the nearby boarding facility. Marie brought the mare back to the farm and provided her with the necessary medical attention, food, shelter and love she so richly deserved. Today, Serafina, as we’ve renamed her, is a happy, healthy and vibrant personality here at the farm. Another member of our farm is a descendant of War Admiral and Man o’ War! Celebrity lineage doesn’t get better than this in the world of horse rescue!

Diane Walsh

Advertising/Admin Assist

The Record

One News Place

St. Augustine, FL 32086

diane.walsh@staugustine.com

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Welfare Ranchers Form Bogus Wild Horse Committee to Control Mustang Policy

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January 18, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – When the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners appointed a group of “wild horse experts” who were all public lands cattle ranchers to the new Feral Horse Committee to oversee wild horse issues, questions arose as to which horses, which issues, and who were the members of this new committee?

It was soon learned that one member of the committee was actually a former mustanger, others were members of various hunting committees for bobcats, coyotes, and other wildlife, and the chairman Mike Stremler, was actually a mountain lion bounty hunter for Nevada’s wildlife commission receiving $1,800 for each lion killed. It was not clear how these men were qualified in any way to be called experts on wild horses.

Wild horse advocate’s fears were realized when an article written by Stremler stated ranchers should stand on their state-owned water rights because wild horses had no legal “beneficial use” or right to drink Nevada’s waters.

In a telephone conversation in November 2010, Stremler was asked if his plan was to let Nevada’s wild horses die of thirst, which he quickly denied, stating that was entirely untrue and to deny Nevada’s wild horses water was not the committee’s intent at all.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12979

Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Thoughts on the Summit of the Horse

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by Bonnie Kohleriter, EWA contributing writer

The goal of this conference stated “The sole purpose …convene the horse industry…bring together different perspectives…find pragmatic, sustainable, economically viable solutions for horses both domestic and wild.”

A look at the objectives and sponsors of the hosting organization, United Horsemen, of this conference infers this is a group of horse people united around a common goal. Yet if one were to look closely at the sponsors of this conference one would see all groups are not primarily involved with horses.

Of the so called “Gold Buckle Sponsors” only 3 out of 9 are primarily involved with horses. Of the “Silver Spur Sponsors” 11 out of 19 and of the “Bronze Concho Sponsors” 2 out of 6 are involved mainly with horses. Of the 34 total sponsor groups listed, less than half or 16 are involved primarily with horses as a livelihood. Most other groups are cattle ranchers and farmers.

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

ASPCA Rescues More than 100 Starving, Neglected Horses in Arkansas

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On December 9, 2010, members of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response (FIR) Team arrived at a farm in rural Fulton County, Arkansas, to rescue more than 100 neglected horses. Most of the horses were starving, and many had open wounds, untreated fractures, infections and other ailments.

The ASPCA, called to the scene after a seven-month investigation by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, immediately set to work to provide the horses with food, water and veterinary care, and has continued to work day and night to care for the horses. Many team members missed holidays with their families to stay and care for the horses, and the group even endured severe Arkansas weather to ring in the new year by the animals’ side. “There is no doubt in any of our minds that this is where we belong — we owe these animals a second chance,” says Kat Destreza, ASPCA Southeast Director of Field Investigations and Response.

The team’s round-the-clock work mucking and stripping stalls, maintaining a strict feeding and watering schedule, and administering medications (and lots of carrots) has paid off. Most of the horses are responding well to veterinary care, and they’re regaining strength every day. “The horses are still under quarantine and are not yet available for adoption,” says Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response, “but we’re hoping once they become available, the community will open their arms and offer these beautiful animals permanent homes.”

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Wyoming Horse Slaughter Plant Plan Grows More Nebulous

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January 3, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – In an interview on January 1st with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, horse slaughter promoter Sue Wallis announced yet another change in plans for her proposed Wyoming horse slaughter plant. The plant will not use facilities in Cheyenne. It also won’t sell horsemeat for human consumption, it won’t be designed by Temple Grandin, and won’t open this year as previously announced.

Wallis had initially announced that she planned to open a horse slaughter plant to provide horse meat to Wyoming state prisoners and school children. When that plan was criticized it began to change.

On April 28th of last year, Wallis had announced in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that she was negotiating to take over the Cheyenne Stockyards as an “intake facility” for a mobile slaughter operation. She claimed the plant would be designed by renowned slaughter plant designer Temple Grandin even though Grandin normally designs complex fixed facilities that specialize in reducing stress and fear in animals before they are slaughtered. The apparent discrepancy was not explained.

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Breeds, Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Horse Slaughter Proponents Attack Rose Parade Mustang Float

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December 31, 2010 – Chicago (EWA) – Sue Wallis, Executive Director of United Organizations of the Horse (UOH) and organizer of an upcoming meeting of horse slaughter proponents in Las Vegas, has launched an eleventh hour attack on not just horses, but floats showing horses.

Wallis, in a letter posted on her summit blog, announced a press release from an obscure member group called the National Tribal Horse Coalition. The organization, originally the Northwest Tribal Horse Coalition, was renamed when it joined UOH in May of 2009. The press release claims the float “is an abuse of the reputation of the North American Indian” because a Native American is included on the float looking over the mustangs.

The float, sponsored by Madeleine Pickens, mustang advocate and wife of oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens, depicts the beauty of these American icons. Wallis, who believes mustangs are feral pests, has long advocated their slaughter.

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Horse Summit Comes under Friendly Fire

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Brogan Horton (left) meeting with President Bush in 2006.

December 30, 2010 – We have all shot ourselves in the foot, but seldom does an entire organization take up automatic weapons and form itself into a firing squad for that purpose. Such is the case with the organizers and sponsors of the upcoming Summit of the Horse to be held the first week of January in Las Vegas.

In fact, one has to use the term “sponsors” carefully because quite a few of those listed as sponsors on the event’s web page were not even aware of their lofty status until struck by painful ricochets from the summit firing squad.

The list of “sponsors” has dwindled as these organizations have become aware of their listing and requested their names be removed. Even the renowned slaughter plant designer, Temple Grandin, has informed Equine Welfare Alliance that she has instructed Ms. Wallis to stop using her name.

In an interview with Horseback Magazine, Dr. Grandin said, “They kind of were misrepresenting my involvement.” When I read this, I thought, “Welcome to Wallis World.”

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