Calico Roundup: November 18, 2011 to January 2012

January 9, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment

BLM Concludes Calico Roundup

On January 9, 2012, the BLM concluded the Tri State Calico Complex roundup, capturing a total of 1,344 wild horses and returning 241 of them to the range. At least 11 horses died as a result of the roundup, and the death toll is expected to rise as the horses are processed, transported and held in short term holding pens. Read below for eyewitness accounts of inhumane treatment of mustangs documented at the Calico roundup.

Calico Roundup, Jan 4, 2012. Photo by Mike Lorden.

Despite a recent warning from a federal court judge and the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) own acknowledgment that guidelines are needed for helicopter use at roundups – the dangerous and abusive behavior has continued at the Calico Complex roundup.

AWHPC’s eyewitness report on the Calico Roundup (Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, 2011) please click here.

Photo by Mike Lorden, Jan. 4, 2012.

As of Friday, January 6, 2012, the BLM reports that 1,203 horses and 10 burros have been captured since the Calico Complex roundup began on November 19, 2011. The BLM reports that 186 of the horses rounded up have been released to the Complex, releasing more stallions than mares to artificially skew the sex ratio to favor males 60 to 40 and administering the fertility-control drug PZP to all released mares.

To date, the BLM reports that 10 horses have been killed during the roundup, including a four-month-old foal who died due to an “inguinal hernia during gather operations,” one horse died in holding due to a “torsion of the bowel (Colic),” a mare broke her neck while being loaded into a trailer, 3 mares were killed due to “pre-existing conditions,” two 20+ year old mares were killed due to a body score of 3 on the Henneke body score scale and “excessive tooth wear,” another older mare was killed due to a “chronic condition,” one horse was killed due to a “chronic and incurable disease,” and one mare was killed on the range due to a “pre-existing leg injury.”

Photo by Mike Lorden, Jan. 4, 2012.

Calico Roundup 2012. Photo by Mike Lorden.

Video of “Sun J Helicopter Pilot” dangerous flying at Calico roundup taken on Jan. 4, 2012 by Elyse Gardner.

Photo and description by Mike Lorden, Jan. 5, 2012: "The forth one in line is hanging he's head in all my pictures. I have no idea how long these guys were run before they came into view but we watched them run for over an hour. The baby stayed with them the whole way."

Horses are lathered in sweat after being chased by BLM-contracted helicopter at the Calico 2012 roundup. Because the BLM refuses to install helicopters with GPS-equipped real-time cameras, public observers are unable to determine for how many miles, for how long, or how fast horses are being chased by the helicopter.

Photo and description by Mike Lorden, Jan. 5, 2012: "The public has no way of knowing how long these horses were run."

Photo and description by Mike Lorden, Jan. 5, 2012: “so sweaty” (click on image for magnification)

Below is a series of photos that shows a horse who struggled so hard inside the transport trailer that his hoof got stuck in the trailer air “dividers.”

Photo and description by Mike Lorden, Jan. 4, 2012. "There was a lot of commotion as the trailer pulled away. You can see a hoof caught in the dividers. This horse is on his back in a trailer full of other very agitated horses."

Photo/description by Mike Lorden: "They back the trailer up to unload the other horses. You can see a wrangler kicking the hoof. I think the guy in the cap is using a jack to pry the bars apart"

Photo/description by Mike Lorden: "More pushing and prying. You can see legs start to come out of the trailer. The vet is in the foreground in the maroon jacket. Sometime during this it let out the most disturbing sound of pain."

Photo/description by Mike Lorden: "butt's now on the ground, hoof's still in the air"

Photo/description by Mike Lorden: "Hoof is finally free and the body lies on the ground."

Photo/text by Mike Lorden: "He's up! Looking at time stamps on the photos, it took 14 minutes to free him. You can see the vet is giving hiS a thorough look over. seeing how unconcerned she is, the horse must be fine."

Finally, the BLM kept public observers over a mile away from the trap site during the days these photos were taken — yet the BLM contractor allows a small child to run around the trap. AWHPC previously documented BLM staff allowing a child to climb on the trap pens while wild horses were inside.

Photo and description by Mike Lorden: Jan. 5, 2012 “The public is kept up the hill away from the trap for our safety while this child plays next to the trap”

Photo and text by Mike Lorden, Jan. 4, 2012: "The trap is on the other side of the valley for our safety. We have to photograph from a mile away and into the sun for the contractors protection."