Wild Horse Education (Fall 2014) (Fall 2014) | Page 3

Wild Horse Education A Humane Standard for roundups is coming! We will need to work hard to make sure it is enforced and tightened up! Dedicated to gaining protection for wild horses and burros from abuse, slaughter and extinction. A registered 501(c)3 public charity 1. The Fight Against Inhumane Treatment of wild horses and burros Very soon we will see the first policy for humane handling of our treasured icons in the history of the Act of Congress in 1971 to protect them. Read about some of the fight to gain this historic policy! 2. Showdown Nevada What YOU need to know A range war is literally underway on public land. The “who, how and why” for wild horse and burro advocates. 3. Body Scoring and the wild horse What is is, why it is used and how the scales apply to wild horses in the wild. 4. What is “AML, RMP, AUM?” A guide to the “EIEIO” of public land We often get questions relating to terminology used in our articles or in statements made by those managing wild horses and burros. Fast reference guides! We need YOUR help! In order to keep our work going that includes field work, research, creating alternatives, engaging process, rescuing mustangs in need and litigation we need funding. To help us stay in the fight please click the button below. Letter From Laura Leigh, President of Wild Horse Education It is truly a wild experience fighting to gain protections for our wild horses and burros from abuse, slaughter and extinction! But each day we make real progress to obtain those goals. Over the last four years the work has seen us on a non-stop marathon from range, meetings, roundups and courtrooms. Our work was once met with closed doors and literally armed roadblocks in the desert. But tenacity and a real thirst to learn not only the maze of public land management and applications of law and policy, but the “on the ground” needs of wild horse and burro management areas, has begun to open those doors and remove the road blocks. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on creating alternate management options that include the use of birth control instead of large scale removals, land use plans that will give flexibility to deal with changes in science and technology and improving adoptions of our precious wild ones. In the past there were doors solidly shut. In those areas we have no choice but to stand up in the courts. Our work in the courts was key in gaining the first humane handling policy in the history of the Act that will be announced soon. We fought hard to create a dialogue to access roundups on a daily basis, to gain an ability to assess their condition and to open “closed door facilities” to the public. We have stopped removals, gained another decision against a lack of justification and even stopped USFWS from continuing to use a contractor that continually placed horses in jeopardy of slaughter. Today the western range is a tense place. The potential listing of the sage grouse on the endangered species list has triggered a literal “war” over public lands management. Informed and quick actions are likely in the near future. Like us on Facebook to stay informed! We will do all we can to keep you “on the front line” with us as we fight to protect our amazing wild horses and burros. Laura Leigh