Call for probe into fate of captive wild horses

Wild horses in Wyoming. © BLM

Wild horse advocates say the Bureau of Land Management continues to “zero out” American herds each year without proper justification.

They are calling for the return of wild horses and burros to the 24 million acres of designated lands cleared since 1971, and want an inquiry into the fate of some captive wild horses which they fear have gone to slaughter.

Only 180 of the originally identified 339 herds remain in the wild, they say.

Horse Welfare organizations estimate that fewer than 20,000 wild horses and burros remain wild and free.

The Cloud Foundation, Respect4Horses and Wild Horse Freedom Federation will hold a public press conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, to call for an immediate investigation into what they describe as credible allegations that stockpiled wild horses and burros are being sold to known kill buyers for eventual slaughter for human consumption abroad.

Cinematographer Ginger Kathrens will join author R.T. Fitch and noted equine advocate Simone Netherlands at the October 29 conference, timed to coincide with the opening day of the bureau’s advisory board meeting on wild horses and burros.

The groups, supported by advocates from coast to coast, want the bureau to call off all scheduled roundups immediately while an accurate and unbiased count is conducted, as well as an investigation into the allegations of slaughter sales and what they describe as the continued mismanagement of wild horses and burros both in the wild and in captivity by the bureau and their hired contractors.

The groups say the bureau is destroying the last of America’s wild herds at enormous and escalating taxpayer expense.

They say it is managing the wild horses to extinction. The bureau, they say, has stockpiled more than 48,000 wild horses and burros in government holding, leaving millions of acres of legally designated wild horse and burro ranges empty.

The media and the interested public are encouraged to attend this public press conference at the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown (215 West South Temple) from 12pm to 1pm on Monday. The public press event will take place on the opening day of the BLM’s controversial Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting occurring, also at the Radisson Hotel.

more horse info at www.windwildhorse.com