Preservation of America's Wildlife

Tag: animals

  • BLM AGAIN Releases Fraudulent Population Statistics for Wild Horses and Burros

    Kathleen Gregg, Environmental Researcher and
    Michele Anderson, Environmental Researcher

    “BLM states biologically impossible annual
    wild horse population rates…”

    Photo by Jesica Johnston

    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently posted their annual Wild Horse and Burro Herd Statistics. As in previous years, BLM’s report is full of obviously false, biologically impossible population growth data.

    WHY is it important to expose this fraud? Because BLM uses the phony figures to convince everyone (but especially, the Congress) that an overpopulation crisis exists.  Given the “crisis,” BLM requests millions of dollars in funding to capture and remove thousands of wild horses and burros from the range or, alternatively, to sterilize them.  The fraudulent figures reflect BLM’s corruption.  Yet, the Agency is granted deference, as if it were providing true data.

    BLM’s falsified population figures affect not only specific herds (by triggering unwarranted, excessive roundups) but also misrepresent the total wild horse and burro population.  The astronomically high numbers for certain herds significantly inflate the summary data, making it seem as if all herds grow at a high rate.

    Here are just a few of the many false figures that BLM is alleging for the reporting-year beginning March 1st, 2022, and ending February 29th, 2023:

    WARM SPRINGS Herd Management Area (HMA) a 497% increase in ONE year (per BLM, a herd of 30 horses produced 149 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than four surviving foals in one year. Biologically impossible

    TOBIN RANGE Herd Management Area (HMA) a 377% increase in ONE year (pe BLM a herd of 30 horses produced 113 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than three surviving foals in one year. Biologically impossible

    HARDTRIGGER Herd Management Area (HMA) a 371% increase in ONE year (per BLM a herd of 14 horses produced 52 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than three surviving foals in one year. Biologically impossible

    SNOWSTORM Mts. Herd Management Area (HMA) a 252% increase in ONE year (per BLM a herd of 90 horses produced 227 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than two surviving foals in one year. Biologically impossible

    DIAMOND HILLS SOUTH Herd Management Area (HMA) a 187% increase in ONE year (per BLM a herd of 216 horses produced 404 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than one surviving foal in one year. Biologically impossible

    DIAMOND HILLS NORTH Herd Management Area (HMA) a 129% increase in ONE year (per BLM a herd of 271 horses produced 349 successful foals in one year which would require that every single horse – including the stallions! – have more than one surviving foal in one year. Biologically impossible

    Not only are these false statements misleading to Congress and to the public but the perpetrators (BLM) of these fraudulent population increases are in violation of Title 18 (18 U.S.C. § 1001).Making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001) is the common name for the United States federal CRIME laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which prohibits making false or fraudulent statements, in “any matter within the jurisdiction” of the federal government of the United States, 18 U.S. Code § 1519. Whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, violates this federal crime shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years.

    Horses and burros have an approximate 11-month gestation period but as shown above and in their statistics, BLM continually gives biologically impossible annual herd increases. A recent study of 5,859 wild horses showed that although the average annual birth rate was about 20%, the survival to the age of yearling was only half of those – therefore a maximum herd increase of only 10%. In addition, adult mortality must be factored which therefore reduces the average herd increase to less than 10% annually.

    The National Academy of Science report cited two chief criticisms of the Wild Horse and Burro Program: unsubstantiated population estimates in herd management areas (HMA), and management decisions that are not based in science (NAS, 2013).  The BLM’s biologically impossible and scientifically indefensible population-growth rates constitute dishonest and distorted data, which the BLM uses to mislead Congress and the American people

    WHY is this so important? Because these are the statistics that BLM gives to Congress when requesting funding for wild horse and burro capture and management plans, including the recent BLM $1-Billion Wild Horse Disaster Plan that pushes for massive roundups and the destruction of wild horse social behaviors through surgical and chemical sterilization for both mares and stallions. . These false population statements are a federal crime punishable by prison and a fraudulent action against the American public in addition to being a travesty against our wild horses and burros.

  • Let’s Discuss Horse Slaughter, The Truth, Not The Narratives

    The ‘control of nature’ is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man. — Rachael Carson, Silent Spring

    Horse slaughter is driven heavily by persistent misconceptions regarding horse health, resource management, and animal welfare.  These facts are simplistic, as one challenge of non-profits to make money under the false narrative of competition; the ranchers having a venue for increased subsidies and also free-reign to gather and send Wild Horses to Slaughter; Horse ranchers have a venue to raise and sell champion horses and a venue to get rid of those they cannot sell or have to sell at a much lower price than their superior stock; and oh yes, the BLM and other agencies increase their budgets, under the False Narratives of “Managing Wild Horses”, and get away with it under the False Narratives they are Experts in the field of Wild Horses (to which, evidence shows they are not).

    While commercial Horse Slaughterhouses have been defunded and effectively closed inside the United States since 2007, a lucrative “kill buyer” pipeline continues to ship over 20,000+ American domestic and wild horses annually to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico, with live meat sales in Japan, and more sales in other Asian countries and the EU. . . We have seen the menial market of horse meat rise, over a short amount of time, i.e. the past 40 years. 

    With so many supposed Horse and Wild Horse Experts, and social media being an odd and distinct situation in regard to, is it a truth or a lie (social media is not science driven, keep that in mind) we see a lot of lies, innuendo, and promises “not keep.”  The fact remains – in regard to American Taxpayers and government, as well as non-profits – They all Promise to Save Wild Horses; and yet, never happened over the 25 years I have been involved.  Friends of mine also have 20 to 30 years into the Wild Horses, and watched, at first with enthusiasm, and hope.  Nothing Happened.  A lot of false information developed, “False Narratives” grew, and more astounding as time went on, and all of it “conflicts directly” with “Credible Science and Nature.

    Fact vs. Fiction of Horse Slaughter

    The ongoing practice relies on several major myths that contradict veterinary data and industry realities:

    • Myth: It serves as a disposal method for old, sick, or injured horses.
      • Fact: The USDA documented that 92.3% of horses arriving at slaughter plants were in “good” physical condition. Kill buyers actively avoid old, thin, or sick horses because they are unprofitable. Meat processors pay by the pound, meaning they heavily target healthy, muscular animals like young Quarter Horses, Drafts, Thoroughbreds, and wild Mustangs.

    • Myth: Slaughter is a form of “humane euthanasia.”
      • Fact: Veterinary authorities state that slaughter is inherently brutal and not comparable to peaceful medical euthanasia. Because horses are high-strung flight animals, they panic in kill chutes. This makes accurate stunning with captive-bolt pistols incredibly difficult, often resulting in horses remaining fully conscious during dismemberment – that is, when they do not gut the Horse when still alive – and most at the Slaughter Plants know, but do not care, when trying to achieve a product-kill-ratios for profits at the end of the day.

    • Myth: Ending slaughter will cause a crisis of massive abandonment.
      • Fact: Animal welfare data shows that fluctuations in the slaughter market do not correlate to increased rates of abandonment or neglect. The slaughter industry does not solve an “unwanted horse” problem; instead, it provides a low-friction financial exit loop for irresponsible breeders and owners.

    • Myth: Horse meat is a safe, sustainable food product.
      • Fact: Unlike livestock raised for food, American horses are heavily medicated throughout their lives with drugs strictly banned from the human food supply. The most common equine painkiller, Phenylbutazone (“Bute”), is a known carcinogen to humans. Because there is no universal medical tracking system for horses, consuming their meat presents significant food safety risks.

    The Wild Mustang Loophole

    The debate has intensified due to several high-profile writers and journalists alike, exposing how federally protected Wild Horses are entering the slaughter pipeline.  Here we demote the quality of writing, in a credible-scientific-perspective, as well as truth, the constant and over-looked history of Wild Horses’, and develop their objectives toward false-heritage or mythic history – In order not to lose advertisers demographically.  Making it appear, bad, yes, but give people the False-Narratives that no reliable options exist, other than commercialized profit based manufacturing to assist commercialized endeavors of managing Wild Horses — Now we start to see where the conflicts are, and have been all along. Nature versus Commercialism = Intolerable and Destructive Outcomes!

    We find the high-profile journalists in major cities, too often reflect a non-credible-history of Wild Horses, minds blocked by commercialism-values of monetary gain & demographics — or accept the BLM’s False-Narratives and non-credible science as facts (just looking at the Wild Horse population math developed by the BLM, and the 6th grade errors in the math, and we have more questions in regard to Population Counts, yet ignored by many), grabs the headlines of the truth being sterilized by the demographic response $$$ (i.e. more False-Narratives), “If it Bleeds, It Leads”, theory of today’s Journalism.

    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rounds up thousands of Wild Horses annually to manage rangeland populations (using questionable math, and also conflicts with Nature, as they assume Wild Horses have more than 1 Foal per year – some, according to BLM math, can have 3 or 4 Foals – evidence? We can tell when no one studies the math in the BLM population counts, because the errors quite obvious).

    Under the BLM’s “Sale Authority” program, wild horses that fail to get adopted after three attempts can be sold outright for as little as $25. Although buyers must sign agreements promising not to sell them for slaughter, intermediaries and livestock traders exploit legal loopholes, selling the mustangs in bulk to out-of-country slaughterhouses for high profit margins.

    Humane and Viable Alternatives

    One day we were all sitting in a, what is rare these days, a Country Co-Op Hall.  Many who are Horse Advocates or work at the BLM do not, or, are not familiar with these Halls, that use to be in every small township across the United States (every Saturday Night they had dances, when the weekend was important).  These were large areas, often a free breakfast served, or the local VFW and American Legion Halls, would supplement the meetings.  Many Horse People, Ranchers, and Farmers would gather and discuss things.  A few weeks ago, we rented the CO-OP and invited friends, and people we knew to be honest, to discuses the situations of today, in particular about the Wild Horses.  There were no Public Lands Subsidized Ranchers in the room, many made sure of it.  I am speaking about Honest Folks, that would not take a dime from government.

    There are two things we all left this meeting, of nearly 250 people, no fights, no arguing, but solid debate, on the next step for Wild Horses.  A few Retired Scientists were there as well.

    This summation is easily accomplished, as well as the short synopsis above.  Centuries of experienced ranchers, et al., in the room, with deep bloodlines . . . e.g. Many were from Frontier Families.  We all come to two obvious decisions.  As all the other factors that we see ongoing on our Public Lands, unneeded – unnecessary. 

    We all perceived them as circumstances generated for Profit-Only.  The fact is, government agencies wanting larger budgets for payrolls and job security, and non-profits wanting more money from Fertility-Controls – i.e. both non-credible-science-based, surrounded by False Narratives from the Corporate Sector.

    Experienced People stood tall, and stated clearly, unanimously, I might add, that False Narratives do not float the boat when around knowledgeable people that have spent their lives in the country, or on ranches, or dealing with Horses, both Wild and Domestic. Fertility Control by Toxic Chemicals on Our Public Lands, by Unanimous Decision and Vote, must go. . .

    The First Suggestion, is to put a Stop to government Management of Wild Horses.  The government is both — not knowledgeable enough to manage them, and the government agencies that do so, are too far gone, in their corruption.

    The second suggestion was very interesting (also unanimous), and can be supported by Truthful science – Not so surprising, here, the Experienced people supported the Science, and those who could over-see the situation, to allow the Wild Horses to Rome Our Public Lands, without an All-Controlled-Management-Paradigm.  Yes, a “Leave the Wild Horses Alone” — and, have them do their job on our Public Lands.  Our soil, our water, our air we breathe, our Country Side, and allow Nature, in its wisdom, to take-over.  We as humans attempted the control of Nature, and have failed – also a Unanimous Conclusion from all in the meeting.

    Surprisingly, it was the Ranchers in the meeting that brought up the fact of leaving our Key-Stone-Wildlife, and Terrestrial Ecology, to be left alone.  That we needed Nature to become Nature once again.  Too many lies, and to much non-realistic Conservation-Science has taken over – and we all were very concerned about all of it.  Yes, the trust we gave to government is gone . . . For obvious reasons of our Lands being mis-managed, entirely.

    We do have a ways to go, yet; but, we are getting there.”  — John Cox, M.A. C/M