Piceance Roundup Begins: 159 Wild Horses, Including Foals, Captured by Helicopter

Press Releases

July 16, 2022

Author

AWHC Contributor

For Immediate Release

Contact: Grace Kuhn, [email protected], 804-218-4252

July 16, 2022

Roundup Overview

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Piceance Basin wild horse roundup began today with the capture of 159 federally-protected wild horses (63 stallions, 71 mares, and 25 foals) from public lands in Northwestern Colorado. Report & photos here.

The helicopter roundup commenced despite requests by Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Congressman Joe Neguse to delay the action, citing concerns about the plan to send up to 750 captured wild horses into the BLM’s holding system, where over 160 wild horses recently died in Colorado and Wyoming. Internal agency assessments show systemic animal welfare and biosecurity deficiencies. 146 of the deaths occurred at the Canyon City Corrals in Colorado due to BLM’s failure to fully vaccinate the horses against the infectious disease that killed them.

Concerns and Observations

Among the wild horses captured are tiny foals who have been stampeded in up to 98-degree heat.
In response to Gov. Polis, the BLM claimed the helicopter contractor Cattoor Livestock Roundups has a “high compliance rating,” yet the BLM’s own assessment of this contractor’s conduct in two roundups found:
- “The contractor was observed to be disagreeable and argumentative at every opportunity for discussion with the COR, the contractor offered more excuses than demonstrated interest in complying with the CAWP standards. Specific standards where this was very apparent included when foals were separated from the mares greater than 4 hours, crowding in the mare and foal pen, the amount of hay being given to the wild horses, keeping foals in the single-file alleys longer than 30 minutes.” Antelope roundup CAWP assessment
- “During the process of loading the semi-trailer, one individual on the contractor’s crew appeared to be frustrated and angry. The individual used a shaker paddle in an abusive manner, including aggressively hitting and jabbing the paddle into the sides and sensitive areas of burros, and eventually using the handle end to aggressively poke and prod the burros.” and that “During the second day of loading the burros on the semi-trailer, an individual used the shaker paddle to beat against the panels and solid side portions of the panels, creating excessive noise along with constant yelling.” Black Mountain burro roundup CAWP assessment.
The BLM is not providing adequate public observation of the roundup, despite calls for increased transparency.
- Public observers are being held at a location that prevents a view of the helicopter chase into the trap.
- The BLM has located the temporary holding pens on private land, which precludes public access to view the just-captured horses.
- Rather than expanding public access to observe the roundup, the BLM is providing fewer observation opportunities than it provided last year at the Sand Wash Basin roundup.

Statement from AWHC

“Chasing newly born foals and pregnant mares with helicopters in hot summer temperatures is wrong. We are extremely disappointed that the BLM ignored the requests by Governor Polis and Congressman Neguse to delay this roundup in order to explore alternatives to piling 750 more wild horses into an overburdened holding system that is plagued with animal welfare violations. The horses we are seeing captured here are clearly healthy in the wild, but they are dying in captivity in BLM’s custody. This inhumane system needs to change. Congress must hold the BLM accountable for this waste of tax dollars and brutal treatment of these iconic animals that the vast majority of Americans want to protect.”

-- Scott Wilson, American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) spokesperson and Colorado resident who is onsite at the Piceance roundup.