tinderheart
_____________________________________________________ that which kindles the fires within ___________
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
the BLM, wild mustangs and burrows, captivity - one lucky mustang's rescue
Here marks the beginning of a new chapter in this little mustang's life.
With each new day, he will begin to settle in, to gain trust
in his new humans, his new home, his new horse companions.
(You can't see them in these images.
They were moved to a far pasture for a bit.)
Perhaps you noticed the gentleman in the round pen?
Training began for this little one the minute he stepped off the trailer.
It was a thrill to watch.
Today's goal?
Wait until this little one stopped running...
to help him see that there would be no harm here,
and to see him begin to graze.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
the BLM, wild mustangs and burrows, captivity - a public adoption
The Bureau of Land Management or BLM is a government agency that seeks "to sustain the
health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and
enjoyment of present and future generations. It administers more public
land – over 245 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency in the
United States. Most of this land is located in the 12 Western states,
including Alaska."
Among its many responsibilities, the BLM "protects, manages, and controls wild horses and burros under the
authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 to ensure that
healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands."
Source: The U.S. Department of Interior
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/About_BLM.html
I am an avid supporter of various wild mustang rescue organizations, many of whom paint a much darker picture about the BLM's wild mustang and burrow management practices. But regardless of how I or you or anyone else might feel about the BLM's practices, their public adoption events can be a positive compromise between two possible extremes (unmanaged, free roaming and slaughter houses).
This past weekend, my community's saddle club hosted a BLM adoption event, and let's just say that "wild horses couldn't keep me away." (Sorry, I couldn't resist being a bit corny.) There in divided pens stood small groups of mares, geldings, and burrows. Some seemed to be vying for attention, willing to interact just a bit with the humans. Some distanced themselves from the herd and us. The rest passed their time munching on hay while establishing themselves in temporary pecking orders...nips here, kicks there, sudden waves of motion within 20x20 pens. They were beautiful and sad and frightened...mere shadows of the majestic creatures who once ran free. My heart broke for these beauties, and I wished I could take every one of them home, to answer the questions that seemed to hang in the minds.
"What's next?
For some, "what's next" means another long ride in a packed trailer, back to a holding facility.
For the lucky ones, "what's next" means a new life, a home, learning to trust, and love.
Either way, these are the lucky ones. These have hope. These
aren't among those injured during helicoptor roundups, culled due to poor
health, and sent to auctions where slaughter houses frequently bid.
(Though we do not consume horse meat here in the US, we do export it to
other countries.")
Hope takes time, however, and many of
these horses have already been in captivity for several years. Perhaps
those are the ones who seemed withdrawn...or...perhaps those are the ones who
have learned to "play the game" and interact just a bit with humans.
But taking one home isn't as easy at sounds.
These are wild, fearful creatures who have been stolen from their homes,
separated from family herds, and hold little trust for humanity. They
need special owners who understand their wild natures, this fear, and exactly
what it takes to establish a bridge of trust. They need someone skilled
in horsemanship, who knows how to teach a horse to accept grooming and medical
care, to accept the training necessary to transition from wild to
"green" broke to fully trained. They need someone to help them
understand that though they can never again be what they once were, there is
still much goodness in this world, and there is still much happiness to be
found.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)