The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the fifth edition of our weekly newsletter!
This Week in Wild Beauty
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of June 18th, 2022
The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the fifth edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of June 18th, 2022
While not all advocates for wild horses support birth control measures, this is something the BLM plans to continue to implement. Despite your views on this subject, it is important to know the information behind these medications.
In a recent press release by the BLM in the Little Fish Lake HMA in Nye County, Nevada; plans were introduced to not only conduct a roundup in this area but implement multiple forms of birth control after it is completed. These birth control measures can be dangerous when used in a herd as small as the AML planned for this area, as the population will reach what the experts WBF has consulted with consider genetically unsustainable levels.
The two primary forms of birth control the BLM plans to use are GonaCon-Equine and Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP). While birth control has been proven effective in herd management, that is only if used responsibly by the BLM.
The plan constructed for the Little Fish Lake HMA threatens herd eradication and irreversible sterilization of wild horses.
The Wild Beauty Foundation does not support GonaCon.
Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP)
GonaCon-Equine
The most effective form of herd management is natural predation, meaning that natural predators keep the herd size at a sustainable level. However, the systematic eradication of wolves, mountain lions, coyotes and other species, along with the inability for horses to move freely across the land, has impacted the natural population regulation of wild horses in certain areas.
FOR YOU TO KNOW:
It is factually inaccurate that wild horses have no natural predators.
WBF believes that the use of GonaCon-Equine in the BLM’s plan for the Little Fish Lake HMA is unsafe and will lead to the sterilization of the herd. This will lead to irreversible damage to the future of wild horses in this area as well as future herds that are subject to its use.
Educate yourself and read more:
Birth Control Information Presented by The Cloud Foundation
Despite Governor Polis’ requests to halt the roundup of Colorado’s East Douglas horses, the BLM released a statement Monday announcing that they would be moving forward with roundup efforts. Not only are they continuing their unjust plans to eliminate most of the wild horse population in this area, they are doing so against an outcry from both the public and government officials. The initial planned roundup dates were August 28 through September 28th, 2022. However, due to what the BLM claims is “the poor condition of the horses and range conditions coming out of the winter” they will be beginning preparations for the roundup as soon as this week.
The BLM seems to have completely ignored the fact that photographers and advocates have posted current photos of horses on the range this week, who are clearly in healthy body condition.
The introduction of bait traps in the HMA began Wednesday, June 15th. This is the first step in the BLM’s plan to eradicate this Colorado herd. On or about July 15th, they will conduct a drive using inhumane methods such as low-flying helicopters and dangerous funnel traps. These methods can lead to horrible injuries and preventable deaths due to horses being driven for miles at high speeds before entering a tight, overcrowded pen.
The East Douglas HMA consists of 1,385 horses residing on approximately 190,130 acres of land. Reducing the herd size to the BLM’s adjusted AML of 135-235 horses would leave over 800 acres per horse at the very least. WBF maintains that the elimination of over 80% of this herd’s population will lead to genetic unsustainability and the eventual collapse of the East Douglas herd as a whole.
Horses collected from this roundup were initially supposed to be sent to Cañon City, the location of a recent deadly equine influenza outbreak taking at least 145 lives; and the site of violations including a whopping thirteen instances of non-compliance by the Bureau of Land Management, including euthanasia. Read more about this on the Colorado Sun.
However, after public response and outcry, the BLM then released that these horses will be sent to a holding facility in Utah instead. After the outbreak in Cañon City, Colorado’s governor called for the BLM to halt all future roundups until the facility could be investigated. Though after releasing a report on the illness within the facility, the BLM decided to continue with their destructive plan.
The Wild Beauty Foundation maintains the Cañon City holding facility should be shut down until a comprehensive investigation is done, the horses should be moved to another facility, and disapproves of the BLM’s choice to go against governor Polis’s requests.
We hope that advocates will spread the word about what is happening.
Please share this newsletter on social media.
After this week’s rescheduling of the East Douglas Roundup by the BLM, Colorado Governor Polis’s spokesman, Conor Cahill, stated “It is apparent not only that they will not seriously consider better alternatives, allowing only a few weeks for bait-and-trap methods, but that the agency truly doesn’t care to first listen to stakeholders before moving forward.”
To help advocate for these wild horses you can send a letter to the BLM expressing your concern and disapproval of yet another unnecessary roundup.
Please ask the BLM to halt the roundup and tell them:
“I stand with wild horses.”
Send your public comment to the office of Chris Maestas
Call 970-826-5101
Email cjmaestas@blm.gov
“The Phantom Stallion” series by our dear friend Terri Farley, who also helped judge our inaugural WBF Short Story Competition for kids & teens in 2021; has been adored by horse lovers since the first book was published in 2002. Ten years later, the first book in the series, “The Wild One”, is about to be re-released for a new generation of young adults to enjoy! This re-release features stunning new cover art by Lousie Meijer-Astrom.
The Phantom Stallion series follows Sam Foster, an equestrian who shares a special bond with a wild horse in the American West. This wildly popular series includes 24 books total, with an additional 11 in the spinoff “The Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island” series.
The new, re-release version of “The Wild One” is available for preorder on Amazon with a release date set for March 21, 2023.
WBF is excited to host an upcoming virtual event to connect with our community and bring some fun and positivity into the wild horse advocacy world. Too often we find ourselves sinking into sadness with the accelerated roundups or other tragic news, and it is healthy to find joy and celebrate our wild horses too. And so, The Wild Beauty Foundation is partnering with our friends at LaLa Horse to bring you a fun wild horse-themed trivia night.
WBF Wild Horse Trivia Night
June 28th, 2022
7:00pm EST / 4pm PST
Special guests include:
Filmmakers Ashley Avis & Edward Winters of The Wild Beauty Foundation
Erik Molvar of Western Watersheds Project
Lobbyist Marty Irby and attorney Scott Beckstead
Renowned wild horse photographer Kimerlee Curyl
The event will be one hour live via Zoom, with the game played on your phones. There are five rounds of ten wild-horse-related questions, and also special surprises!
The trivia itself will be about forty-five minutes, and the last fifteen (and perhaps a bit more) will be a Q&A session with these speakers, all featured in our upcoming documentary WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West.
This event is open to all ages, and anyone is welcome to come learn about our nation’s wild horses or show off their knowledge of these special equines! Invite your friends to this night of wild horse education and fun, and forward along our newsletter.
The sign up form can be found on LaLa Horse’s website and Zoom login instructions will be emailed after registration.
Whisper of the Wild, a young mare WBF rescued from a Louisiana kill pen a few weeks ago, has been doing great only 30 days into her rehabilitation.
Based on her brand, Whisper was rounded up from the wild in 2019 from Idaho, and adopted out through the BLM. Unfortunately, she was later abandoned by her owner at a kill pen, in a terribly emaciated and clearly abused state. Thanks to one of our adopters altering us to her presence, WBF stepped in to rescue her during the night from an uncertain future.
Whisper’s transformation in just a few short weeks is extraordinary. She has been putting on weight, is up to date on vaccinations, and is on the road to recovery.
This once wild mare has seen a lot of tragedy in her short lifetime, but she will be meeting her new adopter soon – and we cannot wait to share those updates with you, our community.
Thank you everyone who contributed to her rehabilitation, participated in Whisper’s online naming event, or have shared her journey. Everyone should know the value of rescue horses, and that every life matters.
We cannot do our work efficiently without your help; such as raising awareness, creating video campaigns, rescuing horses in need, and crafting other unique innovations to protect our wild world.
If you are interested in donating toward our Rescue Fund to help other horses like Whisper, please click this link. Any amounts are greatly appreciated and will be put directly toward helping rescued wild horses and burros. If you would like to donate toward our overall efforts, you can click the button above or right here.
As we celebrate Father’s day, we look to the powerful Onaqui stallions who fiercely stood by their families during the roundup of their herd.
Old Man, a thirty-year-old member of the special herd WBF documented for over three years, survived countless roundups. Though not often among the herd, Old Man kept a watchful eye from the mountains. This beautiful soul became a wise father figure to all of the Onaqui, and so while have been no reported sightings of Old Man recently, indicating his soul may have now have lived and passed on in the wild where he belonged; we celebrate him this Father’s Day.
EAGLES IN A STORM
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us – and all of us will experience them – we can rise above them, we can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses #wildbeautyspirit
Have an idea for a story or a tip for us?
Email hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org
Are you a wild horse photographer who would like your work featured in our newsletter or social media pages?
Email a ZIP or link to your photos, along with a short written approval to hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org!
Other Ways to Help WBF
Vote for us once a week on MyGivingCircle so we can hopefully partake in a share of grant money! Vote with just two clicks here, we are currently #69 and must get into the top #10 with just a few weeks to go.
Join Us On Our Journey. We’d love to stand beside you.
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The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the third edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of June 11th, 2022
Last month, the Bureau of Land Management released a notice to the Federal Register stating plans to wipe out wild horse populations in the Salt Wells Creek, Great Divide Basin, and Adobe Town HMAs. The BLM plans to set a maximum population of zero horses across almost 2 million acres of land in Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin as well as reduce the HMA acreage and wild horse population by half in the Adobe Town HMA.
These plans will lead to eradication of Wyoming’s wild horses.
The BLM’s notice calls for 2.1 million acres of land to be removed from Wyoming Herd Management Areas. This will allow the BLM to create much lower AML’s, causing the wild horse population to become genetically unsustainable.
In response to this notice, the Animal Welfare Institute and American Wild Horse Campaign filed a formal protest against the BLM’s plans in Wyoming. Well-known wild horse photographers Kimerlee Curyl and Carol Walker also opposed the plans in the protest.
WBF is glad to see organizations standing up for the unnecessary removal of wild horses in this state and hopes that this action leads to BLM’s reconsideration.
In a recent press release by the BLM, a virtual meeting with the Colorado State Office concerning wild horse management was announced. Colorado BLM will discuss information about the upcoming roundup, the Canon City holding facility, and the future of wild horse management. This will be followed by a Q&A period for anyone attending the meeting. The Zoom meeting will be held Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 from 4:00-5:00 PT / 5:00-6:00 MDT / 7:00-8:00 EST and anyone interested in joining must preregister on BLM’s website.
This comes after Colorado’s Canon City holding facility has come under fire for allowing an outbreak of equine influenza in unvaccinated wild horses eight months after they were captured. This news gained public attention after over 140 deaths in the facility since April. Since then, reviews have been conducted and point to several violations of policy within the holding facility. It is likely that this will be discussed in the meeting and we hope to see change made in the way the way the BLM manages wild horses after this tragic event.
Colorado BLM has another roundup planned at the East Douglas HMA later this year, near where the infected horses at the holding facility were gathered from. Governor Jared Polis recently called for a delay in this roundup due to the deaths in Canon City. More information is to be released at this meeting, while leading wild horse advocates work on forming their next steps in protecting these horses from another deadly roundup.
WBF is excited to host an upcoming virtual event to connect with our community, and bring some fun and positivity into the wild horse advocacy world. Too often we find ourselves sinking into sadness with the accelerated roundups, or other tragic news, and it is healthy to find joy and celebrate our wild horses too. And so, The Wild Beauty Foundation is partnering with our friends at LaLa Horse to bring you a fun wild horse themed trivia night.
WBF Wild Horse Trivia Night
June 28th, 2022
7:00pm EST / 4pm PST
Special guests include:
Filmmakers Ashley Avis & Edward Winters of The Wild Beauty Foundation
Erik Molvar of Western Watersheds Project
Lobbyist Marty Irby and attorney Scott Beckstead
Renowned wild horse photographer Kimerlee Curyl
The event will be one hour live via Zoom, with the game played on your phones. There are five rounds of ten wild-horse related questions, and also special surprises!
The trivia itself will be about forty-five minutes, and the last fifteen (and perhaps a bit more) will be a Q&A session with these speakers, all featured in our upcoming documentary WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West.
This event is open to all ages, and anyone is welcome to come learn about our nation’s wild horses or show off your knowledge on these special equines! Invite your friends to this night of wild horse education and fun, and forward along our newsletter.
The sign up form can be found on LaLa Horse’s website and Zoom login instructions will be emailed after registration.
A very special wild horse celebrated his ninth birthday this week. Stargazer, a well known stallion of the Onaqui herd spent this special occasion with his adopter and favorite mare, Nora, in his new home.
Stargazer became one of the incredible horses we decided to follow and highlight while constructing our upcoming documentary, WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West. Our hearts soared watching Stargazer for years in the wild, battling with other stallions or watching over his family. He captivated our imaginations with his bravery, his beauty, and also his exquisite gentleness.
Our hearts broke as we watched Stargazer and his family get rounded up in July 2021 during the unnecessary and unjust roundup of the Onaqui by the Bureau of Land Management.
Then we filmed with quiet fury at the holding facility in Delta, documenting the unutterable and inhumane conditions the horses were forced to live in. Water pooling everywhere. Deep mud up to their forelocks. Cramped enclosures. Injuries. Worse. The eyes of our beloved Onaqui clouded, their freedom lost, their spirits shattered.
It was a joy and a relief to finally see Stargazer and Nora be adopted together by someone we adore and trust. While he is no longer wild, if you look into his eyes like we have many times: you can see that his spirit has been freed. And now, we join in celebrating Stargazer’s 9th birthday! Below you can see how much he is loved by both his wonderful adopter and the mare he spent so many years with in the wild.
A still of Stargazer from our upcoming documentary WILD BEAUTY
A new review by the Bureau of Land Management exposed several policy violations at the Wheatland Holding Facility in Wyoming this month. A Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program report was done, with the facility receiving an 83%. Although this is within the “compliant” range according to BLM standards, the report sited staff shortages, lacking sufficient numbers of sorting pens, no shelter for horses and burros, and lack of quality hay.
The report sited that the wild horses in holding has no access to shade, shelter from elements, or wind breaks within their pens. In addition to this, the hay given to animals was not maintaining an acceptable body condition and was leaving horses underweight.
The BLM states that underweight horses were gathered in this condition and staff shortages are not to blame for their condition. This is a false narrative often given to the public, that the BLM uses to justify a roundup.
This report comes after the facility was closed to the public for over two months after an outbreak of strangles where 13 horse died. It was later revealed more than half of the holding facility’s wild horses showed signs of the highly contagious disease.
We must do more to stop the cruel roundups in our country and the awful results that follow.
We cannot do our work efficiently without your help; such as raising awareness, creating video campaigns, rescuing horses in need, and crafting other unique innovations to protect our wild world.
If you are interested in donating toward our Rescue Fund, please click this link. Any amounts are greatly appreciated and will be put directly toward helping rescued wild horses and burros. If you would like to donate toward our overall efforts, you can click the button above or right here.
Kick up your hooves and take in the beauty of summer! This lovely photo of an Onaqui wild horse was taken by Kimerlee Curyl in 2020. You can get a chance to meet her and here some stories about her trips to photograph these beautiful herds during WBF Trivia Night on June 28th.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the hardest parts of any journey is the time spent waiting for something to change. Be patient with yourself and your surroundings. Beauty comes at a slow pace.
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses #wildbeautyspirit
Have an idea for a story or a tip for us?
Email hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org
Are you a wild horse photographer who would like your work featured in our newsletter or social media pages?
Email a ZIP or link to your photos, along with a short written approval to hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org!
Other Ways to Help WBF
Vote for us once a week on MyGivingCircle so we can hopefully partake in a share of grant money! Vote with just two clicks here, we are currently #69 and must get into the top #10 with just a few weeks to go.
Join Us On Our Journey. We’d love to stand beside you.
WBF Facebook
www.facebook.com/wildbeautyfoundation
WBF Instagram
www.instagram.com/wildbeautyspirit
WBF Twitter
www.twitter.com/wildbeautyorg
The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the third edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of June 4th, 2022
During the public comment period, which ended this past Friday, June 3rd – we created the above ad which ran in the local papers of Craig and Steamboat Colorado, encouraging the beautiful state to promote tourism for wild horses, not bolster wild places like Sand Wash Basin by building infrastructure for off-highway vehicles (OHVs).
These loud vehicles are loud, disruptive, and damaging not only to wild horses, but a variety of species that live in the Basin such as sage grouse. There are also fossils in Sand Wash that could potentially be harmed with off road vehicle misuse, and the risk of wildfires also increase with their presence. For example, if a motorcycle is laid down improperly in the dry brush, it can incite a potentially devastating fire in the Basin which would be catastrophic.
We hope that these ads allowed our voices to be heard by the local community and the Colorado BLM officials.
We also urge Tracy Stone-Manning to do an internal investigation of the agency especially having released this statement (read it here). The safety of wild horses and burros is clearly not being prioritized by bolstering South Sand Wash with campgrounds encouraging potentially harassing off-road-vehicle use in their habitat.
“The BLM is committed to the safety of the wild horses and burros entrusted to our care,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “Our gather efforts, handling standards, and fertility control work are guided by our compassion for these animals and our desire to protect their well-being, as well as the health of our public lands.”
Unfortunate news has come out of Nevada’s Little Fish Lake herd. In a new report by the Bureau of Land Management, 251 wild horses are slated to be removed from the already microscopic herd, leaving just under 100 horses on more than 117,000 acres of public land.
WBF maintains these numbers are not genetically sustainable.
We feel this is a path toward eradication for these horses.
The BLM plans to implement irreversible sterilization, IUDs, and other contraceptives to eradicate the remaining horses left on the land. This is the same land that is continuing to be used for livestock grazing; a leading cause in greenhouse gas emissions.
You can oppose this plan by sending a letter to the Nevada BLM expressing your disapproval of the roundup, as well as call to reduce commercial livestock numbers in the HMA.
Please contact Eugene Gilseth with the Nevada BLM immediately:
egilseth@blm.gov or (775) 635-4020
We have been hoping to find new ways to connect with our community, and bring some fun and positivity into the wild horse advocacy world. Too often we find ourselves sinking into sadness with the accelerated roundups, or other tragic news, and it is healthy to find joy and celebrate our wild horses too. And so, The Wild Beauty Foundation is partnering with our friends at LaLa Horse to bring you a fun wild horse themed trivia night on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022!
WBF founders Ashley Avis and Edward Winters will be joining wild horse champions Marty Irby, Scott Beckstead, Kimerlee Curyl, and Erik Movlar for a night of wild horse education and fun! The event will be one hour live via Zoom, with the game played on your phones. There are five rounds of ten wild-horse related questions, and fun giveaways for the top three who reign supreme!
The trivia itself will be about forty-five minutes, and the last fifteen (and perhaps a bit more) will be a Q&A session with these speakers, all featured in our upcoming documentary WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West.
This event is open to all ages, and anyone is welcome to come learn about our nation’s wild horses or show off your knowledge on these special equines! Invite your friends, and forward along our newsletter. The sign up form to participate will be released next week so watch for it!
WBF Wild Horse Trivia Night
June 28th, 2022
7:00pm EST
Signup link will be live next week!
In an article released by The Bangor Daily News, three wild horses found neglected at a farm in southern Maine will be returning to the Western United States to gain back some of their freedom. These horses lack the human socialization that is needed to provide basic health care, so vets advised that they be transferred to Skydog Ranch, an Oregon sanctuary for wild horses and burros. This organization does phenomenal work.
These horses are victims of a flawed federal system where many wild horses fall into the slaughter pipeline after being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management. Due to being older, adult, horses, the BLM put them up for adoption for less than $200 each. While they were saved from entering the slaughter pipeline directly by the Maine farm, their unpredictable and untamed nature led them to severe neglect due to the uneducated buyers. Unfortunately, this shows that even wild horses adopted directly from the BLM with good intentions, are still subject to neglect.
Thankfully, these horses were rescued once again and will return to freedom in Oregon at the end of this month. To read the full article published by The Bangor Daily News, follow the link below!
https://bangordailynews.com/2022/06/02/news/portland/rescued-mustangs-return-to-the-wild/
WBF will be attending Monty Roberts’ yearly event “The Movement: Happiness, Health, and Horses” on June 17th and 18th! We will be joined in Santa Ynez Valley, California by a very special eleven-year-old WBF Youth Ambassador, Jocelyn M. who spoke out to save the Onaqui in 2021, rallied her entire Girl Scout Troop to stand with wild horses, and is featured in our upcoming documentary! This special event at Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, CA showcases demonstrations in natural horsemanship, wild horse gentling, and holistic healthcare for horses.
Demonstrations by Monty Roberts’ show the positive effects of non-violent, gentle, training practices for both wild and domestic horses. Through his natural communication with these majestic creatures, he is able to create lifelong partnerships between humans and horses. His non-violent methods are commonly used in gentling adopted wild horses, and we look forward to learning techniques we can introduce to our own rescued mustangs. We are proud to have Monty as a WBF Ambassador.
WBF will be live streaming the portions of this event we may be able share, and we will be posting plenty of photos as we take in all the informative demonstrations of the weekend. Be sure to keep an eye out on our social media platforms for content!
We are building our team right now, and we are grateful that you are on this journey with us.
As you know, we are doing all we can to help wild and domestic horses. We want to maximize our effects in rescue, education with children, creating videos for the community, and more.
Our goal is to bring on a WBF Program Director by the end of this year to bolster what our small, passionate team of volunteers is already doing. If you can help, or wish to aid in this goal in a significant way, please email edward@wildbeautyfoundation.org.
You can also learn more about our hopes for WBF by joining us for a Zoom discussion about our journey during a live Q&A when we debut our WILD BEAUTY documentary trailer in just a few weeks! More news on that exciting event soon.
We cannot perform rescues for horses without your help. If you are interested in donating toward our Rescue Fund, please click the link above. Any amounts are greatly appreciated and will be put directly toward helping rescued wild horses and burros.
(Photo Credit: Chad Hanson)
Our friend Chad Hanson of The Wyoming Mustang Institute shared this beautiful photo taken of a wild stallion in Wyoming to promote his new novel, “In A Land of Awe: Finding Reverence in the Search for Wild Horses”
“Near the middle of my life story I discovered, if you wander the prairie long enough, the prairie starts to wander you.”
An exceptional excerpt from Chad Hanson’s forthcoming book “In A Land of Awe: Finding Reverence in the Search for Wild Horses”
This new novel is now available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Broadleaf Books, and Indiebound.
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses #wildbeautyspirit
Have an idea for a story or a tip for us?
Email hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org
Are you a wild horse photographer who would like your work featured in our newsletter or social media pages?
Email a ZIP or link to your photos, along with a short written approval to hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org!
Other Ways to Help WBF
Vote for us once a week on MyGivingCircle so we can hopefully partake in a share of grant money! Vote with just two clicks here, we are currently #69 and must get into the top #10 with just a few weeks to go.
Join Us On Our Journey. We’d love to stand beside you.
WBF Facebook
www.facebook.com/wildbeautyfoundation
WBF Instagram
www.instagram.com/wildbeautyspirit
WBF Twitter
www.twitter.com/wildbeautyorg
The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the second edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of May 28th, 2022.
We are so proud to release a powerful PSA this holiday weekend, from our recent trip to Washington D.C.
Click the link above to watch an astounding two minute speech presented by fourteen-year-old WBF Youth Ambassador, Josselyn Wolf. Josselyn recently sat down with Congressman Steve Cohen, asking him to protect wild horses and burros for the generations to come. We are so grateful to the Congressman for allowing us to film her speech, and for standing with wild horses.
~ Josselyn Wolf
How can you help? We want Josselyn’s speech for wild horses to go viral.
Please share the video from our social media pages everywhere you can think of (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) – and tag your representatives and news outlets in the post! Know a reporter? Someone famous? Someone influential? Send them this video!
Click here to ReTweet Josselyn’s video
Click here to Share The YouTube Video Link
Also, make sure to forward our WBF newsletter to anyone you know who cares about wild horses!
On Thursday May 26th, 2022, The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce discussed the safety and protection of wild horses.
The Committee reviewed The SAFE Act, an amendment to the Horse Protection Act of 1970 which would prohibit the shipping, selling, or receiving of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. This act was discussed alongside the “Prevent All Soring Tactics” (PAST) Act that would enforce stricter regulation of soring, an inhumane practice used to create a higher gait in horse breeds such as the Tennessee walking horse. Both bills were strongly supported during the hearing, bringing good news to the wild horse community, as well as the equine community as a whole. The next step in the passage of this bill is for the bill to receive a markup before the full Committee.
After what is hopefully passage, the “Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2021” would shut down the pipeline that sends any horse to slaughter. This is an important milestone in protecting our wild horses, as once they are rounded up, many find themselves caught in this broken system, and are sent to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada. With this act in place, the purchase and transportation of any horses for slaughter within the United States would become illegal, stopping the operation long before horses are sent across the border.
Katie Kraska of the ASPCA introduced the bills and requested increased welfare for all equines within our country; wild horses and burros included. Additionally, she educated the Committee on loopholes found within The Horse Protection Act that allow devastating practices like slaughter and soring to continue. These loopholes need to be closed in order to protect the country’s equines, and the only way this is possible is through the passage of these new acts.
You can show your support for wild horses by calling your Members of Congress and urging them to support these bills once they reach the Congress floor.
Last week, WBF introduced “Wishes”, a rescued wild horse from Louisiana. After reading nearly 200 name suggestions across several WBF social media platforms, her new name has been chosen!
The Wild Beauty Foundation would like to thank everyone who participated in suggesting a new name to wash away her bad experiences (“Wishes” was assigned to her by the kill pen, and we wanted to change that with your help). Below is a list of the top ten names we loved most. It was so hard to pick from so many beautiful and meaningful titles, and we appreciate every single person who weighed in!
After careful consideration, there was one name that stood out.
“Whisper of the Wild”
The name “Whisper” was suggested numerous times and clearly resonated with several of you, including Kami in California – and “Whisper of the Wild” was suggested by Mackenzie F.
WBF believes this name truly embodies this special horse’s wild and whimsical spirit. And in less than two weeks since her rescue, Whisper already has a spark back in her eye, and is on the road to recovery. Thank you again Kami and Mackenzie for coming up with such a beautiful name! These are the top ten names we loved the most.
Top 10 Names
1) Sekhmet : Meaning “She who is powerful” (Submitted by Justin M.)
2) Citana : Native American origin meaning “Star in the sky” (Submitted by LF)
3) Tikvah : Meaning “Hope” (Submitted by @from.th3heart)
4) Marion : Meaning “Star in the sea or sky” or “Beloved” (Submitted by Eleanor M.)
5) Shama : Sanskrit for “Peace of mind” (Submitted by Joan B.)
6) Liberata : Meaning “Freedom” in Italian (Submitted by Micky D.)
7) Tiponi : Meaning “Important” or “Child of importance” in Hopi (Submitted by Cindy C.)
8) Shai : Meaning “gift” in Hebrew (Submitted by Inna D.)
9) WBF’S Silver Lining : “Because you found her silver lining and second chance for life. And she looks like a blossoming silver queen!” (Submitted by Kimerlee C.)
10) Shyla : Meaning “White Dove” (Submitted by Rebecca L.)
WBF will continue to follow Whisper’s journey and will be looking for a very special adopter. To go along with Whisper’s rescue story, we will be debuting a new blog called “Mustang Diary” on our website in the coming weeks.
This blog will showcase stories sent in by those who have rescued their own mustangs. If you have a great tale about an adopted or rescued wild horse, please email hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org with “Mustang Diary” in the subject line, and include a paragraph or two about your journey. Please include any photos or videos that you would like to share as well!
Thank you again for participating in Whisper’s naming contest, and being a collaborative community of people who want to see the best for wild horses. We stand with you, and we stand with wild horses.
We cannot perform rescues for horses like Whisper without your help. If you are interested in donating toward the costs of her rehabilitation, please click the link below. Any amounts are greatly appreciated and will be put directly toward her care. If we exceed what we need for Whisper, the funds will go toward helping other wild horses and burros.
Wild horses at the East Cañon Correctional Complex on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, in Frisco. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)
New information has come out of the Cañon City holding facility after a recent investigation. In an outbreak report released by the BLM on May 26th, it was revealed that failure to vaccinate captured wild horses was the leading cause of the tragic equine flu outbreak. While the BLM states that lack of vaccination was due to the “unusually high-strung” nature of the horses in addition to a staffing shortage, a review by an animal welfare team showed that vaccination was not the only issue.
The review found numerous BLM policy violations at this facility, a total of thirteen instances of noncompliance, many of which involve basic horse maintenance. Along with a six-month delay in vaccinations, the review found horses behind on hoof trimming, freeze-branding, and deworming; all of which must be completed within 30 days of arriving at the facility, according to BLM policy. Other violations included unsafe pasture upkeep and nonobservance of BLM euthanasia policy.
The horses involved in this outbreak were gathered from the West Douglas HMA in Northwest Colorado. These horses, rounded up by the BLM in August of 2021, have been in holding at the facility for almost eight months. Along with the West Douglas horses, many members of the Sand Wash Basin HMA are in holding at this same facility.
The BLM says that no horses from this famous herd were involved in the outbreak. This is likely due to prioritization of vaccination in this herd over the West Douglas horses. Due to the popularity of the Sand Wash Basin herd, the BLM knew these horses were being watched closely by the public. Unfortunately, this led to over 140 preventable deaths from horses taken from the West Douglas HMA; a group of horses just as beautiful, yet not having as much public recognition.
Fortunately, this review marks a step forward in protection for America’s wild horses. If the BLM is held accountable for their inhumane actions, future outbreaks and unsafe roundups can be prevented.
Read the article published by The Colorado Sun here, and thank you Jennifer Brown for covering this issue.
The Wild Horses of Onaqui during a round up in 2021. Still frame from our upcoming documentary, WILD BEAUTY.
Last week the BLM released a statement, seeking comment on a proposed wild horse gather in the Blawn Wash HMA and Bible Springs Complex Area. Located in Southwestern Utah, the current population of horses in both areas combined is estimated just over 800 horses. BLM claims that the Appropriate Management Level (AML) is set at 80-170 horses which we at WBF maintain is a size that is not genetically sustainable. According to BLM reports, this leaves 62,787 acres in the Blawn Wash HMA and 223,000 acres in the Bible Springs Complex to be shared between less than 200 wild horses. To put this into perspective, that would be approximately 1,680 acres per horse. BLM’s Cedar City Field Manager reported that this roundup is planned due to “extremely dry conditions and drought, along with an excess of wild horses”. As you can see, overpopulation is not as urgent as BLM claims, considering the current population of horses allows for around 350 acres a piece.
To help advocate for these wild horses you can send a letter to the BLM expressing your concern and disapproval toward yet another unnecessary roundup. All letters must be sent to the link below by June 17th. WBF thanks you for standing with our wild horses.
Please ask the BLM to halt roundup.
Send your public comment in by June 17th to https://eplanning.blm.gov/
You can also contact the office of Gina Ginouves to express your concerns over this plan, and ask that Utah to stand with wild horses.
Call (435) 865-3011
Email gginouve@blm.gov
Encouraging news finally comes to the wild horse community. After recent public polling that revealed over 80% opposition of helicopter usage in wild horse and burro roundups, the BLM announced a reduction in the number of animals it plans to remove from federal lands. According to a recent report by the BLM, the federal government is pledging cut their 2022 goal in half. The agency had originally planned to remove 20,000 horses and burros off public lands a year. With the new number being reduced to 10,000, we can only hope that this number continues to decrease.
The BLM also announced the expansion of fertility control measures to manage wild herd populations. Though there is still change that needs to be made, it is refreshing to see steps being taken to conserve wild herds.
The comments are closing for the OHV (off-highway vehicle) Proposal in South Sand Wash Basin. Please send in your public comment! Demand that funds be used to promote wild horse tourism to bring commerce into the community and great state of Colorado, not invite the presence of more off road vehicles into Sand Wash Basin.
These vehicles can be disturbing and dangerous not only to wild horses, but to the other wildlife in the area including sagegrouse who nest in the Basin. There are also fossils in this area that could be destroyed with OHV misuse.
Please send your public comment by June 3rd, 2022 to BLM_CO_LSFO_Web@blm.gov and call Bruce Sillitoe out of the Little Snake Field Office in Craig, Colorado at 970-826-5000.
You can also contact the office of Governor Jared Polis to express your concerns over this plan, and ask for Colorado to embrace tourism for wild horses!
Call (303) 866-2885
Email gov_constituentservices@state.co.us
We are building our team right now, and we are grateful that you are on this journey with us.
As you know, we are doing all we can to help wild and domestic horses. We want to maximize our effects in rescue, education with children, creating videos for the community, and more.
Our goal is to bring on a WBF Program Director by the end of this year to bolster what our small, passionate team of volunteers is already doing. If you can help, or wish to aid in this goal in a significant way, please email edward@wildbeautyfoundation.org.
You can also learn more about our hopes for WBF by joining us for a Zoom discussion about our journey during a live Q&A when we debut our WILD BEAUTY documentary trailer in just a few weeks! More news on that exciting event soon.
(Photo Credit: Living Images by Carol Walker)
In times of darkness, we must remember to hold our loved ones tight and cherish the moments we have together. Wild horses are known to bond closely with members of their herd, similar to people. This touching photo of two McCullough Peaks bachelor stallions embracing each other was taken by Carol Walker.
“For to be free is to live in a way that enhances the freedom of others”
– Nelson Mandela
As we celebrate those who fought for our freedom this Memorial Day, we can reflect on what that freedom means to us and how we choose to enhance it in others.
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses
Have an idea for a story or a tip for us?
Email hello@wildbeautyfoundation.org
Vote for us once a week on MyGivingCircle so we can hopefully partake in a share of grant money! Vote with just two clicks here, we are currently #65 and must get into the top #10!
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The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the first edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of May 21st, 2022.
The Wild Beauty Foundation Founders, filmmakers Ashley Avis and Edward Winters, joined a number of outstanding experts, journalists, scientists, media members, and wild horse advocacy groups at our nation’s capital for the “Save Our Wild Horses” conference. They brought along WBF’s fourteen-year-old Youth Ambassador, Josselyn Wolf, who presented a powerhouse speech to Congressman Steve Cohen on behalf of wild horses and burros.
Along with Josselyn’s speech, WBF presented several Public Service Announcements featuring footage from the upcoming documentary, as well as videos submitted by children who are taking a stand for our wild horses. These videos were played on a digital billboard circling the capital on the weekend of the conference. The first of several PSAs featuring children will be coming out later this week, so keep an eye out on WBF social media so you can share the powerful words of these young wild horse advocates. In the meantime, check out photos from the conference below.
WBF and other collaborative experts had the pleasure of meeting in-person with Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee, as well as virtually with Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada, to discuss the necessary steps we must take to preserve the rangeland and keep our wild horses free. This includes grounding the inhumane helicopters used for roundups, further educating the public on the inherent value and natural beauty of these animals, and proposing humane plans to manage the land that our wild horses call home. Congresswoman Titus expressed her support of the conference and voiced her disappointment in the Bureau of Land Management’s cruel treatment of wild horses stating, “You know I’m a friend, you know I am always going back to The Wild Horse Commission in the state of Nevada”. Conversations with both Congress Members can be found on WBF’s official Instagram account.
During the conference WBF presented attendees with a special short preview of their documentary, “Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West”. To go along with this, they debuted limited edition art pieces from the documentary at the D.C. Art Show. These pieces tell beautiful stories of the wild horses that WBF filmmakers were privileged to follow throughout the film’s creation, and include “The Eye of Old Man”, “The Onaqui Trio”, “Windswept”, “The Sentry”, and “Molten”.
WBF plans to release these art pieces in first limited editions of 10-25 in the coming months. If you are interested in collecting one before they are officially announced, please contact edward@wildbeautyfoundation.org
On the final day of the conference, WBF attended the “Save Our Wild Horses” rally on the National Mall. Here, Ashley, Edward, and Josselyn spoke with top animal lobbyist, Marty Irby, about the new bills being introduced to lawmakers by both political parties. This is an important milestone in wild horse advocacy and WBF looks forward to seeing these bills voted on soon. This discussion, as well as an excerpt of Josselyn’s speech live from the rally, can be found on WBF social media platforms linked below.
Colorado’s Governor, Jared Polis, and first gentleman, Marlon Reis sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management this week (read on Twitter). The letter urged the BLM to halt the round-up of the Piceance Basin horses until further investigation of the Cañon City holding facility can be completed.
“In light of the ongoing Equine Influenza outbreak that has claimed the lives of 142 Wild Horses at the Cañon City Wild Horse Corrals, Governor Jared Polis is calling on the Bureau of Land Management to halt plans for the Piceance Basin round-up later this summer and work with Colorado as a partner to ensure more cost-effective and humane management of our State’s iconic mustangs.”
The outbreak at the Colorado facility, holding approximately 700 horses from the famous Sand Wash Basin herd, gained public attention last month after a highly contagious “mystery illness” spread through the holding pens. This illness, later revealed to be Equine Influenza, has taken the lives of 142 wild horses and counting.
The Wild Beauty Foundation along with many other wild horse advocates are glad to see state leaders standing up for wild horses. With their help, we can be voices for the four-legged animals that cannot speak up for themselves.
Colorado land which is home to one of America’s most famous wild horse herds is subject to new recreational plans by the BLM. In a press release issued last month, BLM announced plans to bolster the existing South Sand Wash Open Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area. This comes after the roundup of nearly 700 wild horses from the Sand Wash Basin HMA in early September of last year, which nearly wiped out the iconic herd.
Not only is the wild horse population being threatened by devastating roundups, but the remaining few wild horses left on the range are now forced to share their habitat with what would likely lead to a significant increase of loud motorcycles and ATVs in the area. These vehicles can cause harm to the environment, and also can affect other species, such as the delicate nesting grounds of sage grouse, along with disturbing or destroying fossils in the area.
We must use our voices to question the BLM’s plan and stand up for the remaining wild horses that are now facing habitat destruction. We propose that the great state of Colorado should embrace the wild beauty that exists there, and promote global tourism to visit Colorado to see these national treasures instead of adding infrastructure to promote OHV use to an otherwise wild area. It is time to think bigger and innovate!
Demand that funds be used to promote wild horse tourism to bring commerce into the community, not invite the presence of more off road vehicles into Sand Wash Basin.
Please send your public comment in by June 3rd to BLM_CO_LSFO_Web@blm.gov and call Bruce Sillitoe out of the Little Snake Field Office in Craig, Colorado at 970-826-5000.
You can also contact the office of Governor Jared Polis to express your concerns over this plan, and ask for Colorado to embrace tourism for wild horses!
Call (303) 866-2885
Email gov_constituentservices@state.co.us
On the night of May 19th, The Wild Beauty Foundation pulled a dapple-grey mustang mare from a Louisiana Kill Pen. This sweet soul is the victim of a broken federal system, where wild horses are subjected to slaughter rather than federal protection. She was transported to Texas overnight where she will stay with our partners through her quarantine period. Once she is rehabilitated, she will be up for adoption to a very special person.
Until then, WBF is holding a naming event for this mare once known as “Wishes”. They hope to select a name that embodies her spirit and gives her a fresh start outside of the kill pens. Anyone who wishes to suggest a name for her is welcome to visit the Wild Beauty Foundation Facebook page or the Wild Beauty Foundation Instagram page and comment on the pinned post with her photo. As always, the best idea (with the most inherent meaning) wins!
Her name will be announced next Saturday, May 28, 2022. WBF looks forward to keeping up with her journey of healing and are searching to find her a perfect forever home.
We cannot perform rescues for horses like Wishes without your help. If you are interested in donating toward the costs of her rehabilitation, WBF has set up a donation page. Any amounts are greatly appreciated and will be put directly into her care.
May is National Photography Month and WBF is celebrating their wonderful photography ambassadors by sharing some of their favorite wild horse photos. WBF is so thankful that these photographers share the beauty of wild horses with us.
Photo by: Kimerlee Curyl Photography
Photo by: Sandy Sharkey Photography
“You can’t mend a world, but you can mend the hole in the polka-dot pocket of your favorite coat. They are not the same thing, but they are part of the same thing, which is all there is — life living itself through us, moment by moment, one broken beautiful thing at a time.”
Take a step back from what could be, and reflect on what you can do in this very moment. No matter how small or mundane the task is, you are working toward a beautiful future. Read more about how you can demonstrate this outlook in Maria Popova’s “The Marginalian”.
https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/05/12/sophie-blackall-things-to-look-forward-to/
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses
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The team at The Wild Beauty Foundation has been working hard for the past few months to not only rescue horses in need, but to launch our upcoming 2021 slate of programs and events, and debut our beautiful new website!
For our very first blog post, we want to dedicate it to the passionate volunteer team that has come together. Mike, Lisa, Tina, Nick, Karis, and Amber— thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the incredible work you have done to help us further WBF’s mission.
Thank you Indelible, New Leaf, and Tina Derby at LaLa Horse.
Our mission continues because of you.
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