No Photos Allowed: Wyoming Checkerboard Horses at November 7 Adoption

UPDATE JUST IN – I have just heard from the BLM that I WILL be allowed to photograph the Wyoming Checkerboard horses and post the images. It will not happen on the 7th, but they are working to get a time and permission right now, so please don’t call and email them any more. I promise to keep everyone posted about this, and when I will get the photos up.

Thanks!!!

BLM Says No Photos Allowed at Canon City Adoption

As many of you know, I have spent the past 10 years photographing the wild horses in Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek, and Great Divide Basin. I also spent many days last month during the Wyoming Checkerboard Roundup, witnessing and photographing from a distance as 1,263 wild horses lost their freedom and families from these three herd areas.

The public was prevented from any close views of the traps or the horses during the roundups, usually being kept 2 to 3 miles from the trap. Even when allowed to go to the temporary holding at the end of the day, we were kept well back and could barely see the horses through the plastic mesh. On one day, some of the mesh was down, and I actually got a decent view of the mares. Upon posting these photos, I immediately had someone interested in adopting two of the mares in the photographs.

On returning home from the last day of the roundup, I immediately emailed the BLM at the Canon City, Colorado facility to request to attend the first adoption where the public would be allowed to see the horses removed during the Checkerboard Roundup. I was very happy to hear that at least half of the horses removed had been sent to Canon City, as I believe it is the best short-term holding facility that the BLM has. The employees are knowledgeable and care very much about the horses, and they take very good care of them. They are also very good to work with regarding adoptions, as I found out when I adopted my mustang Mica.

I also requested to be allowed to photograph the horses so that I might be able to post photographs of the horses that are there and to help get as many of them adopted as possible, as I have many people waiting on those photographs from me. I said that I was willing to give the BLM copies of all my photos to help them get these horses adopted. I even mentioned that I was prepared to pay the commercial fee to be allowed to photograph there, since Canon City has special rules regarding photographing since it is at a prison. I had been allowed to photograph in 2010 when I adopted my mustang Mica after the 2010 Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek roundups.

Since I am a professional photographer of horses, I am able to get high-quality images that will put the horses in their best light. I have a very large social media following, and the images would go out widely. Photos get people involved, get people interested, and motivate them to take action. If the BLM were really interested in getting these horses placed, I believe they would allow photographs of the horses to be taken.

“In regards to your camera request for November 7, 2014, I have had numerous requests to bring in cameras to photograph the horses. Per Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, no cameras are allowed on grounds for security reasons. We do make exceptions, but with so many requests for this adoption, it is not fair to the others to see some people with cameras when they were denied. I think it is in the best interest for the BLM and CCi that we do not allow any cameras on 11/07/2014.”

Notice that nothing is said about the best interests of the horses.

And doesn’t it make sense that if so many people want to photograph these horses, that no one be allowed to photograph them?

I truly believe that if the BLM could find a way, they would prevent me from photographing the horses in the wild as well.

Oh wait, if they remove all of them, then that is exactly what they will be doing.