BLM Warehousing Wild Horses in Rock Springs Without Adequate Shelter
ROCK SPRINGS, WY. (Dec. 10, 2013) - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has completed the helicopter roundup of Wyoming’s Salt Wells wild horses, but concerns about the inhumane treatment of over 668 captive mustangs persist. Eyewitnesses report harsh conditions at the holding facilities.
After being driven into traps by helicopters, most stallions were transported 300 miles to the Gunnison Prison Wild Horse Program in Utah, while mares and foals were sent to the BLM’s Rock Springs corrals. Neither facility provides adequate windbreaks or shelter, leaving the horses exposed to bitter cold and strong winds.
Wild horse photographer Carol Walker described the conditions: “Mares and foals seemed frozen in place, resigned, unmoving. There is no shelter for these horses in Short Term Holding Facilities, and although they have heavy winter coats, they have nowhere to escape the biting wind. In their natural setting, they would seek shelter in low areas or next to cliffs.”
The Cloud Foundation (TCF) questioned the BLM about the presence of windbreaks. The BLM claimed via email that windbreaks exist, but Walker's photos suggest otherwise. “The temperature was below zero with snow blasting through the pens where the horses huddled for warmth,” she noted.
TCF requested an accounting of the wild horses held at Rock Springs. The BLM advised Ginger Kathrens, TCF's Executive Director, to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which often results in delays or denials. Kathrens questioned the secrecy, expressing concern over foal survival rates, as the BLM does not count horses under six months old.
The BLM has faced criticism for its lack of transparency, as highlighted in a National Academies of Science (NAS) review. The NAS concluded that massive roundups are counterproductive, stimulating increased breeding among remaining bands.
The Cloud Foundation urges Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to intervene. “First the horses are rounded up in the cold, and now they are trapped in corrals without protection,” stated Rachel Reeves, who photographed the roundup. “It is heartbreaking to see these wild horses held in such inhumane conditions.”
Advocates like Lisa Friday, a Virginia wild horse adopter, express disappointment with the lack of action from Jewell. “As adopters, we must provide adequate shelter for our BLM mustangs. Why is the government not held to the same standard?”
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