Salazar and BLM Sued for Contempt of Court in West Douglas Wild Horse Case

Salazar and BLM Sued for Contempt of Court in West Douglas Wild Horse Case

HOUSTON, (HfHAC) – On September 28^th, 2010 plaintiff Colorado Wild Horse & Burro Coalition (CWBC), supported by Habitat for Horses Advisory Council (HfHAC) and Front Range Equine Rescue (FRER), filed a motion to reopen the case and for contempt of court in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the Secretary of the Department of Interior Ken Salazar.

Judge Denies TRO to Stop Wild Horse Roundup at Refuge « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Judge Denies TRO to Stop Wild Horse Roundup at Refuge « Straight from the Horse's Heart

RENO, Nev. — A federal judge has denied a request by animal rights advocates to halt roundups of wild horses after the federal government quietly gathered nearly 400 mustangs at a national wildlife refuge on the Nevada-Oregon line.

Grass Roots Horse, a mustang advocacy group, had sought a restraining order against ongoing roundups. U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks on Monday denied its request for a temporary restraining order, but has not yet set a date to hear arguments in the case.

Advocates Condemn Wild Horse Stampede at Sheldon Refuge « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Advocates Condemn Wild Horse Stampede at Sheldon Refuge « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Laura Leigh of Grass Roots Horse Speaks out on “Transparency”

Federal agencies and a helicopter contractor last week conducted an unannounced wild horse gather of nearly 400 mustangs at the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge 200 miles north of Reno, a operation that led to legal action by wild horse advocates.

Mares Make Big Bad Men Very Afraid « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Mares Make Big Bad Men Very Afraid « Straight from the Horse's Heart

This is Leslie Peeples. She is a woman. See her nice picture with her and her nice horses. Leslie likes horses. Leslie has been around horses almost all of her life. Leslie says that is somewhere around 40 years give or take a few minutes. Leslie is scary. Big bad men are afraid of Leslie. Leslie was polite to big bad men but they were very afraid. Big bad men tried to run over Leslie with a big bad truck. Big bad men tried to chop her up with a helicopter. Big bad men were rude and mean to Leslie. Big bad men have body parts that are not too big. The brain is one of these body parts. Leslie is much smarter than big bad men.

Feds and Contractor Caught Conducting Covert Wild Horse Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Feds and Contractor Caught Conducting Covert Wild Horse Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

While law makers and the American public had their eyes concentrated on the much contested Silver King round up in Nevada the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) along with helicopter contractor David Cattoor where conducting an unpublished and unannounced secret wild horse gather at the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (Sheldon).

BLM Clobbered with Law Suit to Cease All Helicopter Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM Clobbered with Law Suit to Cease All Helicopter Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Photojournalist and videographer Laura Leigh, supported by GrassRootsHorse, filed a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) at 0500hrs PT, September 24^th 2010.

The motion names as defendants Ken Salazar, Bob Abbey, Ron Wenker and the BLM as it asks for an immediate cessation of all helicopter roundups and related activities regarding any and all aspects of actions related to wild horse movement, gathering or roundup as well as any actions involving all the horses in both short and long term holding. The case has been assigned to the Honorable Judge Hicks who, likewise, is considering Ms. Leigh’s contempt complaint regarding the Tuscarora stampede.

THE U.S. Equine Advocacy Letter to Nancy Pelosi « Straight from the Horse's Heart

THE U.S. Equine Advocacy Letter to Nancy Pelosi « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A copy of the actual letter signed by 83 Congressman asking Nancy Pelosi to act on behalf of the American Horse by putting H.R. 503 up to vote.

Breaking News: BLM Reverses Itself to Avoid Suit « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Breaking News: BLM Reverses Itself to Avoid Suit « Straight from the Horse's Heart

In what can only be described as suspicious timing, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)has issued a new press release that now states public lands will not be closed as previously declared by the BLM and Department of Interior, now suddenly stating they are aware of public interest. We at Grass Roots Horse are not fooled by this latest version of the Bureau of Land Management’s extreme gymnastics to prevent scrutiny of their actions and activities by our court system and the concerned public.

Yet Another Suit Filed Against BLM Over Wild Horse Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Yet Another Suit Filed Against BLM Over Wild Horse Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A Complaint seeking Declaratory and Injunctive Relief was filed September 22, 2010 in regard to the proposed Silver King Wild Horse roundup to be conducted in Nevada by the Bureau of Land Management. The action is brought by Laura Leigh, a credentialed photojournalist and videographer who had been among other members of the press who were singled-out during previous wild horse roundups, which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) euphemistically calls “gathers.”

Men, Horses, Sex and a Thing Called Love « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Men, Horses, Sex and a Thing Called Love « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Overall, and this is huge, the bulk of all men are insecure…full stop. That’s why we speak loud, push things around, believe that size matters, play with balls and call it a sport, start wars and subjugate women and animals. Ya can’t deny that boys.

The BLM Censoring Wild Horse Roundups « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The BLM Censoring Wild Horse Roundups « Straight from the Horse's Heart

LAS VEGAS — The Bureau of Land Management has suffered two defeats in federal court in recent weeks. One judge ordered BLM to make public the names of ranchers who lease public land for grazing, something BLM didn’t want to do. A second judge struck down a BLM plan to severely limit public input into how public lands are managed.

Pickens Refuge Not a Done Deal, Says BLM « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Pickens Refuge Not a Done Deal, Says BLM « Straight from the Horse's Heart

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – A highly placed spokesman for the federal Bureau of Land Management refused to confirm that a proposed private refuge for tens of thousands of wild horses is a done deal, as claimed by billionaire Madeleine Pickens.

Wild Horse Advocates Laura Leigh and Deb Coffey Speak Out « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wild Horse Advocates Laura Leigh and Deb Coffey Speak Out « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Both Laura and Debbie have been attending the unlawful round-ups and zeroing out of America’s wild horses, perpetrated by the very agency meant to protect them. Using 30 year old data, and lacking any verifiable data to support the herding and terrorizing of these animals, BLM actively destroys a symbol of American heritage.

The Silence of the Foals and Journalists « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Silence of the Foals and Journalists « Straight from the Horse's Heart

RENO, – The BLM is escalating removal of wild horses from western rangelands in epic numbers. Thirteen thousand horses will be removed just this year. Flawed data and ulterior motive drive their purpose. Blanket closures, deception and restrictions hide their brutal enterprise. With journalists excluded, their public relations prowess spins favorable accounts from horrendous failures.

Emergency Equine Mission to D.C. « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Emergency Equine Mission to D.C. « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Time is very very short to get enough signatures on the congressional letter to Nancy Pelosi.

We have a problem with legislators not checking their emails and most do not know about the letter as of yet!

So what we need to do is physically deliver this letter to each and every co-sponsor of and ask them to sign it. We need people in Washington D.C. NOW, this Monday through Thursday to help walk the halls and physically deliver the letter to our co-sponsor legislators..

Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary: Relief for the Imprisoned but No Help to the Free « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary: Relief for the Imprisoned but No Help to the Free « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Anyone who knows anything about Wild Horses and Burros has heard the recent news that Madeleine Pickens has reported to garner agreement from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to move 1,000 captive wild horses from long term holding to an “Eco-Sanctuary” environment with the remaining 38,000+ to follow. Ms. Pickens should be applauded for her efforts but while she moves 1,000 altered Wild Horses to private land the BLM will strip from public land several thousand more and put them behind bars. Doesn’t speak highly of the BLM’s level of commitment to a solution, does it?

Part III: Who is Sue Wallis and Why Should I Care? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Part III: Who is Sue Wallis and Why Should I Care? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

In a membership communication distributed on January 30, the United Organizations of the Horse (a Wyoming based lobbying group whose mission is to open a horse slaughter facility in Wyoming – referred to as the UOH) applauded the financial support of various organizations and spoke of the attendance of Rep. Sue Wallis and David Duquette at the Simon Bucking Stock Sale in Oklahoma City, OK. Rep. Wallis is an elected state legislator from Wyoming, as well as Executive Director of the UOH, and Mr. Duquette is the President of the nonprofit 501 (c)(3) affiliate of the UOH, the United Horseman’s Front. The Simon Bucking Stock Sale is operated by Joe Simon Enterprises of Lakeville, MN.

Judge Rules Against BLM in FOIA Case « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Judge Rules Against BLM in FOIA Case « Straight from the Horse's Heart

On September 13, 2010, the District Court of Idaho granted Advocates for the West a victory in an important case under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to disclose to the public basic information on its grazing program – including the names of livestock permittees authorized to grazing the public lands.

Part II: Who is Sue Wallis and Why Should I Care? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Part II: Who is Sue Wallis and Why Should I Care? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

According to the Wyoming lobbying group, United Organizations of the Horse, its affiliate, the United Horsemen’s Front is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and charitable corporation who mission is:

… to rejuvenate starving and neglected horses; as well as provide a comprehensive program of evaluation, training, and retraining of abandoned and donated horses with potential. For those horses that are past their useful life, unsound, dangerous, or otherwise unusable this program would ensure a quick, painless death while they are well cared for and in good condition. The Rescue, Rejuvenation, and Slaughter Program accepts horses from owners who fully understand that the horse may be humanely slaughtered. Horses are also accepted from livestock agencies or other jurisdictions that have become responsible for abandoned or abused horses. This program is also designed for those horse owners who desire a quick, relatively stress-free end to a horse’s useful life, and who are comforted by the idea that the meat will be put to valuable use. Depending on the contributor’s wishes the meat may be designated to be distributed to the hungry, or the proceeds may be used to further research or other nonprofit purposes…..

“We will probably work up to the point where we’re killing 20 horses a day.” « Straight from the Horse's Heart

“We will probably work up to the point where we’re killing 20 horses a day.” « Straight from the Horse's Heart

On March 9, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal signed into law a bill that enables the Wyoming Livestock Board to send stray, unwanted or feral horses to slaughter. Prior to this legislation, the Board could only send such horses to public sale. This bill (http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2010/Enroll/HB0122.pdf), was introduced into the Wyoming House on February 11, 2010 by Rep. Sue Wallis, and was signed into law less than 30 days later.

BLM Sent Wild Horses to Slaughter, Again? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM Sent Wild Horses to Slaughter, Again? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wild horse advocates are asking the federal government to investigate allegations that the Bureau of Land Management sent 172 Nevada mustangs to an auction attended by “slaughter buyers” in July.

Wild Horse Advocates Speak Out Against Yet Another BLM Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wild Horse Advocates Speak Out Against Yet Another BLM Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A recent Associated Press news release indicates that wild horse advocates are critical of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plans to remove virtually all of the wild horses from a large swath of the range near Tonopah, Nevada saying the action is being taken to accommodate livestock grazing and geothermal projects.

BLM’s Wild Horse Stampede Contractor Exposed as Deceptive « Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM’s Wild Horse Stampede Contractor Exposed as Deceptive « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Clare Major, of the New York Times, caught on video BLM Wild Horse Stampede contractor Dave Cattoor discussing with his company and BLM personnel the process of killing a horse, that his firm would injure, and how to hide it and dispose of it in such a manner that the public and press would not see it or become aware of the incident. How sweet is that?

The Senseless Capture of Cloud’s Herd: One Year Later « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Senseless Capture of Cloud’s Herd: One Year Later « Straight from the Horse's Heart

It was a year ago today, September 7^th, that myself, Terry, Ginger Kathrens, Makendra Silverman, Ann Evans, Pam and Tom Nickoles, Carol Walker, Elyse Gardner, Sandy Elmore and many others sat silently on a bluff overlooking the Britton Springs BLM Holding Facility in Wyoming and watched the cruel Cattoor Helicopter drive Cloud and his family into the awaiting holding pens.

NYT catches Dave Cattoor on Tape Conspiring to Hide Wild Horse Injuries/Deaths from Press and Public « Straight from the Horse's Heart

NYT catches Dave Cattoor on Tape Conspiring to Hide Wild Horse Injuries/Deaths from Press and Public « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The recent New York Times video report of the BLM’s destruction of the Wild Horse herd of Twin Peaks captures Helicopter Stampede contractor, David Cattoor, clearly stating how he and the BLM will shoot and hide the death of an injured horse so that “we aren’t going to give them the shot that they want.”

BLM Speaks Out of Both Sides of Mouth on Issue of Press “Access” at Controversial Wild Horse Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM Speaks Out of Both Sides of Mouth on Issue of Press “Access” at Controversial Wild Horse Stampedes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The long awaited New York Times article written and shot at the BLM’s destruction of the Twin Peaks Wild Horse herd hit the internet, yesterday. Although the story attempted to tell both sides it lingered far too long with the musings and philosophy of multi-millionaire helicopter owner, Dave Cattoor, BLM contractor hired to stampede the wild horses into traps for removal from their rightful homes.

Reader Challenges BLM “Staged” Rancher Engagement at Twin Peaks Wild Horse Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Reader Challenges BLM “Staged” Rancher Engagement at Twin Peaks Wild Horse Stampede « Straight from the Horse's Heart

It’s rare that I either have the time or the inclination to personally respond to individuals who take issue with what we publish and question the depth of our convictions. Most assaults come from phony email addresses and are only meant to damage or demean with four letter words used in rants; so it goes for the opposition. But today I received an email from a woman who claims to be the wife of one of the “ranchers” who set upon the female observers, last week, at the Twin Peaks debacle. Being that I was there, listened, recorded, photographed and elected to disengage during the conversation I feel that it is necessary to respond to this individual, who will be known as “Linda” during this conversation.

More Nevada Roundups Planned Despite Pleas from Congress « Straight from the Horse's Heart

More Nevada Roundups Planned Despite Pleas from Congress « Straight from the Horse's Heart

LAS VEGAS -- Government contractors have fired up their helicopters for yet another roundup of Nevada wild horses. The latest gather targets a remote area north of Ely, Nevada.

Four more roundup operations are on the schedule in our state this year. They will not only thin the herds, but wipe them out altogether.

BLM’s Own Numbers Indicate Wild Horses Will Be “Zeroed Out” in 2011 « Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM’s Own Numbers Indicate Wild Horses Will Be “Zeroed Out” in 2011 « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Several days ago we ran a “tongue-in-cheek” article about the poor math skills of a much recognized individual, Mr. BLiM. That piece was published in an effort to prime the public for the following information, facts and figures. We now have a real sense of urgency upon us as the BLM’s recent release of the 2011 Stampede schedule indicates their misguided plans to remove 11,000 wild horses from their rightful land…by the BLM’s OWN numbers that is all that will be left in the wild after their assualt on the horses in 2010. There will be NO MORE wild horses, by their numbers, after 2011.