Blue Wing Complex Roundup: August 2-4, 2013

August 5, 2013

AWHC Contributor

In early August 2013, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a roundup of 200 wild horses from the Kamma Mountains/Blue Wing Complex in Nevada. This event tragically resulted in the deaths of three mares.

Tragic Losses

A 9-year-old sorrel mare died from a fractured neck after running into the panels of the holding corral post-capture.
A 7-year-old sorrel mare was euthanized due to a fractured hind leg, sustained from being kicked by another frightened horse in the small corral.
A 15-year-old mare was euthanized due to blindness in one eye, deemed “too dangerous” to load.

Public Observation Concerns

Public observation was positioned extremely far from the trap site. BLM officials cited FAA regulations and public safety as reasons for the distance. However, contractor family members, including small children, were seen climbing on rocks directly above the trap site, and young children rode horseback to rope foals.

For more photos, click here.