The Latest on the BLM Mustang Roundup

Dateline Wednesday 14 July 2010. Twelve Wild Horses have died in a Nevada roundup by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). At least six of them were colts or mares. Some of these Wild Horses dies from dehydration or water intoxication.

Six of them died this past weekend, after being herded by Helicopters on day one of the round up. Two more died Monday morning and two additional Wild Horses were put down due to complications related to “water starvation or intoxication”. Then on Wednesday four more died bringing the total dead Wild Horses from the first roundup at Twelve.

Too little water can cause a horse to colic and die a very painful death. Too much water at one time can cause the horse’s brain to swell – this is called “water intoxication”. When you drive already hungry and dehydrated horses miles and miles in the hot summer months, using a helicopter, you are going to have deaths. Don’t understand why the BLM fancies using these machines to do a cowboy’s work. If the BLM’s intent is to kill these animals anyway, the humane thing to do is to kill them quickly rather than put them through the panic and a tortured death. Basically, running these horses to their deaths.

It looks to be that the BLM is at least placing some water tanks and troughs near the herds, but then the BLM picks back up using helicopters to herd these animals, more will be lost in an inhumane manner.