By DENNIS WEBB, Aug 2, 2022
The Bureau of Land Management by the end of the weekend had rounded up more than 850 wild horses in an operation in Rio Blanco County amid continuing concerns about the safety of the animals.
That concern was accentuated when some animals ran into an unmarked fence late last week.
The agency was reporting as of Monday morning that 853 animals had been gathered so far in the operation involving the Piceance-East Douglas herd west/southwest of Meeker and southeast of Rangely with 723 of them being shipped to a holding facility in Axtell, Utah.
Of those totals, 164 foals have been gathered, and 155 shipped to Axtell.
Scott Wilson, a photographer and a spokesperson for the American Wild Horse Campaign, was observing the operation at the time. He said he watched horses running, and then saw one suddenly flip over barbed wire onto its back. Then a gray foal hit the fence or tripped on the first horse and also went down. A third horse then had to jump over the fence or [his] mother, he said.
Those roundup numbers do not include any horses rounded up and removed on Monday.
The BLM has been trying to round up as many as 1,150 of the horses, permanently removing 750 of them and treating some more with temporary fertility-control drugs.
It is eventually hoping to reduce the herd’s numbers to between 135 to 235, which it considers the appropriate level for a range that also is used by wildlife and livestock, and impacted in recent years by drought.
• Read more at the Grand Junction Colorado Sentinel »
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Tuesday’s Horse
Official Blog of The Fund for Horses
Tuesday's Horse 
The atrocities increase over time. The ranchers’ cattle trample the sparce springs and make them unusable as a water source for our horses.
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I wish they had more humane tactics for gathering horses. The injuries and deaths are just not worth it. If they can’t do it humanely, then keep the horses free
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It is VITAL to understand that ’roundups’ are done to appease cattle and sheep welfare ranchers and mining, oil, fracking profiteers. The LEAST we can do as individuals is stop eating animals. We may not have power to impact BLM, government or corporate interests but we can choose to NOT add to the horrors we inflict on animals. “Humane” roundups are as mythical as “humane” slaughter.
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Then keep them free…enough said
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Yes!
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They’re the happiest free, so why change it?
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BLM stands for Bureau of Lies and Mismanagement. These numbers are sickening. Our wild horses have no friends in DC no matter who is President or what party they are associated with. Shocking. Disgusting.
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Thank you Veda Stram, well said!!!
What we really need it to get all the privately owned grazing animals out of the wild horse and burro environments. Problem solved.
Bruce Doxey, Zephyr Cove, Nv.
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“Humane” roundups are as mythical as “humane” slaughter. In a nutshell. Thank you Veda.
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This is just so disheartening to read, especially the comments by the photographer and what he witnessed. These poor animals I cannot even imagine the suffering they are enduring. The BLM folks are sick in their atrocities committed on these animals. For what?! Greed. And at what cost to taxpayers. What a complete waste.
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So agree Bridgett. This has been ongoing for so many years — with absolutely no end in sight. It does not matter who the President is or what party is in control or who is running DC politics. Obviously “federally protected” means absolutely nothing to them. It is a black stain on the soul of America. Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
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