Claims of Mistreatment of Wild Horses Invoke Calls to Halt Roundup
August 7, 2018
The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) has released photos showing concerning practices during the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse roundup in Utah. The images depict helicopters flying dangerously close to the horses, causing them to run through barbed wire fences, stumble, and fall.
The roundup occurred in the Bible Springs Complex and the Sulphur Herd Management Area in Southern Utah. The Conservation group has called for the BLM to ground the helicopters and investigate the handling of the wild horses, citing violations of the BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Policy for helicopter drives.
“We call on the BLM to suspend the roundup underway currently in Utah by grounding the helicopters while an investigation is undertaken of the animal welfare violations documented by our observer,” stated Campaign Executive Director Suzanne Roy. “There is a way to manage wild horses, and this is not it.”
She continued, "Nearly hitting wild horses with helicopters, repeatedly causing them to crash into barbed wire, and stampeding horses in a manner that leaves foals behind is unconscionable."
The incidents cited by the Conservation group as violations include:
- Flying dangerously close to terrified wild horses.
- Driving wild horses along barbed wire fence lines, causing many to crash through the barbed wire fencing.
- Driving horses at a distance and speed that is causing young foals to fall behind and be separated from their mothers.
- Stampeding horses with previous injuries such as blindness and leg deformities for miles at strenuous speeds.
- Roping a 2-year-old stallion to capture him and get him into the trap.
2News contacted the BLM of Utah's office for a comment on the Conservation's claims. An official statement was promised.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) hosted a Wild Horse Unity Roundtable on August 1, attended by experts and stakeholders to discuss the management of wild horses.
The wild horse and burro population in Utah is estimated at 5,000, with claims that many horses are sickly and starving. The state's management plan is set for a population of 2,500. However, the Conservation group stated that wild horses rounded up in southern Utah are coming in at a Body Condition Score of 5, the highest and healthiest for a wild horse, countering claims of overpopulation and starvation.
Stewart released the following statement: "I, too, believe these roundups should be conducted in the most humane way possible. However, to suggest there isn’t an overpopulation issue simply flies in the face of the facts. The current number of horses on the range is over 80,000. The Appropriate Management Level (AML), set by the BLM, is just 26,690. The desert range simply cannot handle an additional 50,000 horses. Which is why I am continuing my bipartisan efforts to address the issue."