2018 Silver King Roundup: Daily Updates and Impact

November 28, 2018

AWHC Contributor

The 2018 Silver King Roundup has been a significant event, marking the removal of wild horses from their natural habitat in eastern Nevada. This roundup, conducted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has seen numerous horses captured and some tragically euthanized. Follow the daily updates to understand the impact on these majestic creatures and the ongoing efforts by the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) to monitor and report on the situation.

Daily Updates

Day 17, December 13, 2018: 61 wild horses lost their freedom today and were separated from their families. The current total removed is 890, with 14 dead.

Day 16, December 12, 2018: 42 wild horses were rounded up and removed from the Silver King HMA today. There was one death - a foal was euthanized because of a broken leg.

Day 15, December 11, 2018: 57 wild horses lost their freedom today. There were no injuries or deaths reported.

Day 14, December 10, 2018: 21 wild horses were rounded up and removed from the HMA today. There were no injuries or deaths reported.

Day 13, December 9, 2018: 80 wild horses were captured and removed from Silver King today. There were no injuries or deaths reported.

Day 12, December 8, 2018: 11 horses were captured today from the Silver King HMA in Nevada, before the contractors Sun J Livestock decided to move to another trap location. Several of the band stallions avoided the trap and made an escape.

Day 11, December 7, 2018: Today, the BLM rounded up and removed 35 wild horses from the Silver King HMA. The BLM euthanized a 14-year-old mare who, according to BLM, was in poor physical condition. One stallion managed to escape by jumping over the trap jute and ran by our observer as he made his escape, then stopped to look back at his mare and foal in the trap. At temporary holding, the stallions, mares, and foals had already been sorted and separated. This brings the current total to 660 wild horses captured, 12 dead.

Day 10, December 6, 2018: Today the BLM rounded up and removed 97 wild horses from the Silver King HMA and euthanized two horses:

A 3-year-old sorrel stud with a sway back
A 20-year-old mare with severe tooth loss

Our observer was the only member of the public onsite today to witness our wild horses make their final run before being pushed into the trap, captured, and removed from their home. Life will never be the same for these horses; next, they will be sorted and separated from their families, then be shipped to the holding facility in Fallon where they will be further processed.

Day 9, December 5, 2018: 115 wild horses were captured from the Silver King HMA today and the BLM euthanized three horses:

An 11-year-old bay mare with a fractured skull
A 3-year-old sorrel stud with a bad knee
A 16-year-old bay mare whose hocks were swollen

Day 8, December 4, 2018: 14 wild horses were removed from the Silver King HMA today in frigid temperatures and snow, though the roundup did conclude early because of the conditions. Early reports from the ground stated that a horse was euthanized because of a leg injury from the day prior, though at the time of this writing it has not been confirmed by BLM reports.

Day 7, December 3, 2018: The BLM rounded up and removed 53 wild horses today and euthanized 3:

15-year-old bay stud missing an eye
11-year-old bay mare that was reportedly emaciated and weak
20-year-old bay mare with severe tooth loss

Day 6, December 2, 2018: Sun J Livestock used their helicopters to roundup and removed 72 wild horses from the Silver King HMA. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported. AWHC had no observer onsite today.

Day 5, December 1, 2018: The BLM rounded up and removed 20 wild horses from the range today. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported. AWHC had no observer onsite today.

Day 4, November 30, 2018: The BLM rounded up and removed 68 wild horses from their home on our public lands today. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported. Our observer and a reporter were the only members of the public onsite.

Day 3, November 29, 2018: The BLM rounded up and removed approximately 20 wild horses from lands within the Silver King HMA outside of Pioche, Nevada yesterday. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported. AWHC's field observer was the only member of the public onsite. The temperature of the day ranged from 37 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit. We moved to a different location than the days prior and the view of the trapsite was completely obstructed because of contractor trucks and trailers - a seemingly deliberate attempt to hide the trap from view. We watched as a bay horse diverted from a band of six that was being brought in from the trapsite. The horse was relentlessly chased at seemingly close range, both alongside and above, by the helicopter pilot of Sun J Livestock for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Four wranglers on horseback were eventually sent out to rope the mustang, at which time the pursuit was mostly out of the view of our observer. A trailer was brought out to the horse and he was then loaded into the trailer, though our observer was unable to witness the loading. We also observed on all days that horses are coming in coated with sweat - an indication that horses are being driven long distances. Another indicator is that on this day, only 20 wild horses were captured and the time in between the helicopter runs in sight was significant. The day concluded early because of rain and heavy winds.

Day 2, November 28, 2018: The BLM contractors Sun J Livestock rounded up and removed 60 wild horses from public lands within the Silver King HMA yesterday. No deaths were reported. At around 12:30 PM, the roundup was called for the day as snow continued to fall and limited visibility. Horses looked to be in good body condition. AWHC's field observer was the only member of the public onsite.

Day 1, November 27, 2018: The BLM rounded up and removed 105 wild horses from the Silver King HMA in eastern Nevada and there were 2 deaths. A 7-year-old mare who was missing an eye and a yearling who was blind in both eyes were euthanized. AWHC’s field representative was the only observer onsite, and our vantage point was about a 1/4 of a mile away from the trapsite. After the roundup concluded for the day, we went to temporary holding where we were only able to observe from approximately 50 to 75 yards back.

Background

Starting on November 27, 2018, the BLM Caliente Field Office began a roundup to remove approximately 980 wild horses from the Silver King Herd Management Area in eastern Nevada. The agency is using helicopters to round up the mustangs. Once removed, the BLM states that the horses will be transported to the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Fallon, Nevada, where they will be readied for adoption. The Silver King HMA consists of 574,962 acres of BLM land and 498 acres of a mix of private and other public lands for a total of 575,460 acres. The BLM estimates that the population for the Silver King HMA is approximately 1,224 wild horses, which includes the 2018 foal crop. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) for Silver King is a mere 60-128 wild horses. The BLM is willfully misleading the public when it claims that nearly 900 square miles can only support between 60-128 wild horses. The agency does not apply the same scrutiny to the thousands of livestock and sheep that it is permitting to graze on allotments within the horses’ habitat.

If you are interested in attending the roundup, contact Chris Hanefield, Public Affairs Specialist at (775) 289-1800 prior to the viewing dates to be added to the attendee list and to receive specific instructions on meeting locations and times.