Wild Horse Roundup: Two Deaths and a 'Zeroed Out' Herd?

Last month's removal of 167 wild horses from a rugged, remote area in Rio Blanco County was deemed a success by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as it aimed to ease the strain on damaged rangelands and reduce a herd that had become unsustainable. However, wild-horse advocates view the roundup in stark terms, highlighting the fatalities and the use of panic-inducing helicopters.

Two horses died during the roundup, which BLM officials refer to as a "gather." The capture of so many horses from the West Douglas Herd Area, now part of the state prison system's mustang-training program for inmates, has effectively eradicated one of the few remaining Colorado wild-horse herds.

"We like to think of Colorado as being more in tune with humane treatment of animals," says Ginger Kathrens, executive director of The Cloud Foundation, a Colorado Springs-based advocacy group. "This roundup showcased the inhumanity of helicopter roundups."

The roundup, conducted south of Rangely over a week, followed federal court rejections of legal challenges by The Cloud Foundation and other groups. The BLM contractor, Utah-based Sun J Livestock, faced complaints over the use of electric prods and buzzing helicopters too close to exhausted horses, prompting animal rights groups to observe the procedure closely.

One horse died after being trampled and breaking its neck during transport. Observers were particularly outraged by the death of a foal, reportedly chased for an hour before being roped. A BLM report claims a Sun J employee "successfully and gently roped the colt," but the animal bolted and fractured its leg. Video evidence suggests the colt was injured before being roped, and it was subsequently euthanized.

The BLM has prepared numerous plans over the years to "zero out" the West Douglas herd, citing ecological balance as mandated by the 1971 law. Critics dispute BLM's claims of overpopulation and environmental damage, while lawmakers question the removal costs. With more horses in government holding than in the wild, the removal of 167 horses matches the number the Department of Corrections could accept.

Activists argue that ranchers and energy interests drive the push to remove horses. "The reason these horses were removed is because the livestock permittees didn't want any competition," Kathrens says. "Permittees pay almost nothing to use the land, trash it, and blame the horses for degradation."

The BLM estimates up to 200 horses remain in the West Douglas Herd Area, which they believe can support only about thirty horses. Kathrens disputes these figures, claiming they are based on inflated reproduction estimates. "There may be a few remaining, but I think they cleared almost everything out," she says. "It already has been zeroed out."

If the West Douglas herd is nearly gone, four smaller managed herds remain in western Colorado. BLM claims 377 horses in the East Douglas bunch, but Kathrens is skeptical of this figure and the future of the iconic mustang in the state.

"I just don't know how they can justify what they did," she says. "People are really upset. This was unnecessary and regrettable."

Originally Posted By Westword