Advocates Allege Wild Horse Mistreatment at Cañon City Prison, BLM Responds
CAÑON CITY, Colo. (CBS4) – The decades-long controversy over wild horses in Colorado has intensified recently, with Governor Polis urging the federal government to pause horse roundups due to public concern. CBS4 Investigates delves into the fate of mustangs once they are rounded up and moved from the wild.
The East Cañon City Prison Complex, a collection of state prison buildings and ranches, is one of the destinations for these horses. CBS4 was granted a rare tour of the ranch and horse pens where mustangs are prepared for adoption.
It was the first time in years that news cameras were invited to see the horses at the prison. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a federal agency within the Department of the Interior, coordinated the tour, as it oversees and funds the horses’ care at the state prison complex.
“Adoption prep includes giving them… an equine infectious anemia test, ensuring they don’t have that disease, which is required by the state, along with vaccinations and a freeze mark, which is a unique identifying number,” explained Colorado’s BLM wild horse facilities manager Steve Leonard.
A Necessary Expense?
Leonard states that rounding up and relocating the horses to the prison is necessary due to the overpopulation in the Sand Wash Basin, which exceeds available resources.
“We had a high number of horses, with a high number of excess horses in the herd management area, so they needed to be removed to ensure their survival and to protect the resource,” Leonard explained.
In September, Leonard told CBS4 Reporter Jamie Leary he didn’t think many of the horses would survive the winter.
The BLM estimates it spends more than $3 million in federal taxpayer money annually caring for the horses in Cañon City.
Some horse advocates argue that this cost is unnecessary, suggesting that more birth control measures should be implemented to allow horses to live freely on the range.
“I would like to see the horses managed on our public lands where they belong,” said Carol Walker, a wild horse photographer and advocate, who has adopted three wild mustangs herself. “You can set up traps to bait the horses in with hay and goodies, and then it’s really easy to give them the birth control… there’s no reason they can’t do that.”
However, Leonard asserts that Colorado leads in wild horse birth control, darting more horses than any other state, but these efforts have not been sufficient, making roundups and holding facilities like the Cañon City complex essential.
Allegations of Mistreatment & Vet Report That Says Otherwise
Advocates like Walker express concerns about potential mistreatment of horses at Cañon City. Walker attended a Cañon City adoption event in August.
“I was horrified,” Walker said. “There was mud, muck, and urine, like ankle deep, there was not much hay, and when I went to the yearling pen… half of them were skin and bones, including my little guy that I adopted.”
Her concerns are compounded by previous deaths at the facility. Federal documents obtained by the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) show that during four months in 2020, 24 horses died at Cañon City and another BLM holding facility due to starvation, injuries, and colic.
Another horse, PJ – or Picasso Junior, the son of the revered wild horse named Picasso, was euthanized this autumn after being hauled to Cañon City from the Sand Wash Basin in September. The BLM stated PJ had eye cancer that had spread to the bone. Advocates were upset by the death, claiming PJ could have been adopted out and properly treated.
“To see these horses that I love and know and that I’ve been following for five years, in this condition was just, it was horrendous,” Walker said.
CBS4 asked Leonard about the allegations of mistreatment.
“I have two vet reports within the last 30 days that say the horses are treated quite well here, we have the expected body condition on the horses, feet conditions are right,” Leonard said. “I’ll let that report speak for itself.”
The report – provided to CBS4 Investigates during the Cañon City tour – states “the vast majority of the animals… were in good condition.”
The report, prepared by Dr. Albert Kane of the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services in Fort Collins on Oct. 7, noted that 50 of the 1,993 horses examined at the facility were classified as “thin” and 12 as “very thin,” with the very thin horses given separate pens with extra feed.
The vet recommended the facility “continue to sort horses by condition,” placing healthier horses together and thinner horses in separate pens. Walker claims this was not being done during her visit to the facility’s adoption event in August. The report also recommended more feeding for the thin animals.
“The quality of the alfalfa hay being fed was very good and the manner in which the horses were fed was appropriate for the conditions present,” the vet report said. “Overall conditions at the facility were good with clean pens, feet in acceptable condition, and animals with existing physical or medical problems identified and sorted into sick pens for veterinary examination and treatment as appropriate.”
Advocates are particularly concerned about the Red Desert horses, which were rounded up last year and have lived at the facility longer. During the media tour, journalists were not shown the Red Desert horses. The vet report states horses from the Red Desert, Sand Wash Basin, and West Douglas were inspected.
The veterinarian reported “some mares in the Red Desert group had short tails, most likely from them being chewed by colts or other adult horses,” and the Red Desert horses would soon need hoof trimming.
Walker says the tail of the horse she adopted in August was chewed as well. Experts say tail chewing can be a sign of malnutrition, but some horses also chew tails out of boredom.
Limited Adoption Events Also a Concern to Advocates
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of adoption events has decreased from more than a dozen a year to only three events this year. Walker believes this is problematic.
“There needs to be more transparency… they are not allowing people into the facility,” she said. “Allowing the public to see makes a big difference, because then they have to feed the horses. If they know that no one’s there, you know, no one’s overseeing what they’re doing, then they can just not care.”
CBS4 reached out to Governor Polis’s office for a comment about the restrictions hindering adoption events. His office provided the following written statement:
“The DOC would be best to speak to what multitude of factors directly influences any adoption practices or schedules, but the Governor is committed to finding good homes for the horses. It’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our daily lives in many ways so it’s certainly possible there have been fewer adoptions related to the pandemic. We look forward to working with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure these majestic horses find a home or pasture to graze and roam in the future.”
There are no other adoption events scheduled this year in Colorado.
Aside from the three events that have already taken place at Cañon City this year, about 95 horses that had been rounded up last year from the Red Desert in Wyoming were also recently sent to adoption events in Tennessee and Oklahoma.
The horses that aren’t adopted are sent to sanctuary ranches where they spend the remainder of their lives. This year, the BLM says it sent 70 horses to long-term pastures.
The BLM plans to increase the frequency of adoption events next year by hosting events outside of the facility, stating the ideal number of adoptions per year would be 12.
Walker hopes this becomes a reality.
“They are majestic creatures that deserve to live their lives,” Walker said.
The first external adoption event next year in Cañon City will take place in February. For more information on upcoming adoption events, the BLM advises visiting their website.