The magical cream colored horses that make up a small percentage of all wild horses currently living on western rangelands are being targeted and killed by the BLM during recent roundups. Known by many for their unique blue eyes and sparkling color, the cremello horses are a favorite of many wild horse advocates and photographers alike. So why is the Bureau of Land Management selectively euthanizing horses of this specific color?

According to BLM roundup reports, cremello horses as young as a few months old were euthanized during the South Steens roundup in southern Oregon last September. All horses were cited by the BLM as having “eye abnormalities/blindness”. We at WBF can only believe that the BLM killed these animals due to the false pretense that all blue eyed horses are susceptible to eye conditions.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners claims that “Assessing what a horse can and can’t see is extremely challenging for horse owners, veterinarians, and veterinary ophthalmologists. Furthermore, many visually impaired horses are well adapted to their abnormal vision and can navigate familiar environments well.” Considering this information, it is proven that blindness can not be as easily assessed as the BLM makes it out to be. With the horses showing no physical signs of eye injuries, there is no scientifically proven way to assess these horses for blindness within the short time frame that they are in temporary holding.

Not only this but having a blue iris as those with the cremello coat color do, “does not make the horse any more likely to have intraocular problems” according to AAEP. Many veterinarians believe that it is not the eyes, but the pink skin around the eyes that causes an increase in eye conditions. It is also proven that horses without pink skin have just as likely of a chance to develop blindness, such as the chocolate colored Rocky Mountain Horse. Blindness has no limitations to which horses are affected, and there is no indicator that a horse will develop or suffer from blindness in the future.

This year alone we saw a group of young cremellos eradicated in the South Steens HMA of southern Oregon. During the roundup, 753 horses were stripped from freedom and 22 horses lost their lives; 11 of which being cremellos. Additionally, advocates for the South Steens wild horses have noted that a number of cremellos are missing after the roundups and were not accounted for. There is no question that the BLM has an unwritten policy of exterminating this color from the wild. However, if it truly is for the improvement of genetics in the wild, there is no reason that these animals could not be adopted out like the rest of the herd. These beautiful, young horses did not deserve to have their life taken away from them by the BLM without explanation. We at WBF want to hold the BLM accountable for the mass extermination of wild cremellos; each horse deserves to live out the rest of their life wild and free on protected lands.

Resources:

“Common Equine Eye Myths” by The American Association of Equine Practitioners

South Steens 2022 BLM Roundup Numbers