Monday, December 30, 2013

Breaking News: New Mexico AG Gains TRO Against Proposed Horse Slaughter Plant | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Breaking News: New Mexico AG Gains TRO Against Proposed Horse Slaughter Plant | Straight from the Horse's Heart

We have just learned that New Mexico’s Attorney General, Gary King, has obtained a temporary restraining order against Valley Meats which will prevent the company from slaughtering horses until after a hearing on the AG’s lawsuit which is scheduled for this Friday.

Owners of Valley Meats and their attorney have been making sounds to the effect that they had intended to start butchering companion horses as soon as the first of the year, those plans are now null and void.

Many thanks to Attorney General Gary King for listening to not only  the citizens of the fine state of New Mexico but the 80% of Americans who do not want to see the blight of predatory horse slaughter taint their country.

NH Boy a Vigilant Opponent of Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

NH Boy a Vigilant Opponent of Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

A horse slaughter plant in New Mexico plans to open soon, which is mobilizing animal welfare advocates to repeat calls for a federal ban on slaughterhouses and horse meat for human consumption.

One of these opponents is an 11-year-old boy from Greenland, N.H.
Declan Gregg, who runs the blog Children 4 Horses, keeps tabs on the bills that are in committee on Capitol Hill. He has traveled to Washington three times to fight for the bills, and he and his mother, Stacie, plan to keep pressing the case in 2014.

“It’s not good for the horses, community or public safety,” Declan Gregg said in a phone interview Friday.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Donor gives Wisconsin Girl, 12, a Horse for Christmas | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Donor gives Wisconsin Girl, 12, a Horse for Christmas | Straight from the Horse's Heart

“It’s ‘Feel Good Sunday’ and if this story does not warrant a TISSUE ALERT I don’t know what does.  With all of the ugliness out there and the propensity for humans to be violent, obscene and twisted it is a VERY welcome breath of fresh air to see a community of people doing the right thing for one individual, a heartbroken little girl.  My hat is off to these folks and we present this story to you, today, on bended knee.  It will make your eyes leak.  Keep the faith!” ~ R.T.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Stolen Horse Found Thanks to Facebook | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Stolen Horse Found Thanks to Facebook | Straight from the Horse's Heart

HAMBDEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio– A Geauga County woman turned to Facebook hoping friends could help find her beloved horse and found the social networking site led her right to the missing companion.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Straight from the Wild Horse’s Mouth – A Letter to Santa | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Straight from the Wild Horse’s Mouth – A Letter to Santa | Straight from the Horse's Heart

“It’s not only ‘Feel Good Sunday” but for Christmas this will be ‘Feel Good Week’ where we will share original equine related Christmas stories every day until the 25th  for you to ponder, enjoy and hopefully allow you to wash your mind out and gain a breath of fresh air; we all need an extended recharge.
Today’s story was sent to me last year by one of the last stallions of Twin Peaks, “Ace”, now safe and out of the BLM’s grasp.  On first read it made my eyes leak and a year later it has not only maintained it’s poignant message but it is even, perhaps, more timely at the close of 2013.  I thank Ace for his input as I believe this is one of the best things he has ever written, except for the note to the other day reminding me to share it.  Thanks buddy and the best to all this holiday season!” ~ R.T.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Carol Walker with Jane Velez-Mitchell | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Carol Walker with Jane Velez-Mitchell | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Thank you to Carol Walker, Director of Field Documentation for Wild Horse Freedom Federation, and to Jane Velez-Mitchell for showing the plight of the wild horses & burros.  Thanks to ALL advocates who are pushing for shelter in ALL BLM facilities.  (Note that in this news segment, Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, doesn’t mention attrition in BLM’s fuzzy math equation regarding their “estimates” of wild horses & burros on the range.)  DEMAND PROOF!  We want to see photos and videos from BLM’s  aerial population inventory flights.  THERE ARE NO “EXCESS” WILD HORSES OR BURROS, SO THE BLM CANNOT LEGALLY REMOVE THE WILD HORSES & BURROS FROM THEIR FEDERALLY PROTECTED AREAS.  And the BLM has NO PROOF or hard evidence to support their claims of the number of wild horses & burros on the range.  -  Debbie Coffey

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Advocate, the Guard and the Force of the Horse® at Christmas | Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Advocate, the Guard and the Force of the Horse® at Christmas | Straight from the Horse's Heart

“It is ‘Feel Good Sunday’ and our long term readers have brought to my attention that it is time to dust off some of our formerly published equine Christmas stories and start stirring the hearts over this holiday season; so for the remaining Sundays prior to Christmas, Christmas Eve and the 25th of December will be dedicated to sharing tales (tails) from Christmas’ past.  Who knows, maybe even something new will surprise you over this season.  So please enjoy and allow these vignettes to sincerely help you ‘Keep the Faith’.  Best to all!” ~ R.T.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Video: National Day of the Horse Message from Equine Advocates | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Video: National Day of the Horse Message from Equine Advocates | Straight from the Horse's Heart

The story of Hayden, the Dun-Striped Mustang, has as many treacherous twists and turns as the Yellow Brick Road. Captured in 2009 during a cruel and unnecessary BLM round-up in the Pryor Mountains of Montana, Hayden survived capture, being uprooted and separated from his family, being auctioned off, being shipped from Montana to Colorado and then arriving at Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary in Chatham, NY on October 1, 2013. The plight of America’s Wild Horses & Burros as told through Hayden’s eyes is our way of personalizing the horrendous fate of tens of thousands of Wild Equines in America today. We are most grateful to Ginger Kathrens of The Cloud Foundation and Terry Fitch of the Wild Horse Freedom Federation for their amazing and graphic photography as they witnessed Hayden’s capture firsthand. There are also breath-taking shots of Hayden with his dam (mother) when he was a foal and of him with other Mustangs when they were all still wild and free. For more information about Hayden’s story, please visit http://www.equineadvocates.org/news.p…

Monday, December 9, 2013

December 13th: National Day of the Horse | Straight from the Horse's Heart

December 13th: National Day of the Horse | Straight from the Horse's Heart

This is the 3rd Annual Event on Facebook. It’s a day to share your thoughts, photos and personal stories of how horses contribute to us, to our society and the special bond we have with horses. It’s a day to contact your legislators to urge passage of the SAFE Act, PAST Act and to enforce the 1971 Wild Horse and Burros Act.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Counting Wild Horses: An Aerial Tour of Twin Peaks Wild Horse and Burro Habitat | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Counting Wild Horses: An Aerial Tour of Twin Peaks Wild Horse and Burro Habitat | Straight from the Horse's Heart

“For several years Straight from the Horse’s Heart (SFTHH) and Wild Horse Freedom Federation have followed the struggles of the last remaining wild horses and burros on one of the largest HMAs in the United States; Twin Peaks that stretches across the state lines of both California and Nevada.  Besides personal visits of our own, several other wild equine advocates have been keeping an eye on what is left free on the open range, one of those advocates is Grandma Greg who has documented her findings and made them public here on SFTHH.  Her most recent installment was “Where Have All the Wild Horses and Burros Gone?” which is pretty much required reading for any advocate as it contains links to the full report and many of the preceding documentation that verifies that contrary to what the BLM alleges there are ‘NO Excess Wild Horses and Burros.’

Last week a group of advocates did an aerial assessment of what is left and we are pleased to share with you their video and ask that you click on the link at the conclusion of this post to visit their site to comment directly and encourge them for more aerial surveillance of our vanishing icons of American freedom.  Thanks to Ney Grant and http://www.lighthawk.org for making this possible.  Keep the faith!” ~ R.T.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Tribute to the Lost Wild Horses of Wyoming | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Tribute to the Lost Wild Horses of Wyoming | Straight from the Horse's Heart

This past week we have been following the extraordinary adventures of Wild Horse Freedom Federation‘s Carol Walker as she has endured sub-zero temperatures in an effort to capture the last images of wild horses in Salt Wells and Adobe Town where the BLM is attempting to manage the herds into total extinction.  The current operation has concluded and what Carol shares with us today are the ghostly images of 40 PZPed mares being released into another area, not their home, without their mates and without their babies…at times like these, it is difficult to say ‘Keep the Faith’.” ~ R.T.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

BLM Strips 668 Wild Horses of their Freedom, Releases 38 Stallions and 40 Chemically Spayed Mares | Straight from the Horse's Heart

BLM Strips 668 Wild Horses of their Freedom, Releases 38 Stallions and 40 Chemically Spayed Mares | Straight from the Horse's Heart

“It’s over, the BLM’s war on wild horses in Wyoming has concluded with a total of 668 horses ripped from their families and freedom.  The BLM walks away with a smile on their face while the Cattoors have a nice fat paycheck for the holidays, thanks to you taxpayers.  Wild Horse Freedom Federation‘s Carol Walker was on hand for the release of the 40 PZPed mares, yesterday, but was not present for the alleged release of 38 studs on Sunday as tax paying Americans were forbidden and banned from the operation.  You can view the BLM’s official reports by clicking (HERE).

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wyoming BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Stampede Over; Captured, Shattered, Herd Remnants All That Remains | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wyoming BLM Wild Horse Helicopter Stampede Over; Captured, Shattered, Herd Remnants All That Remains | Straight from the Horse's Heart

This past weekend the public was not allowed to witness nor audit the controversial BLM helicopter wild horse stampede and roundup in the Red Desert of Wyoming.  This subversive action on the part of the federal agency so infuriated the Board and Officers of Wild Horse Freedom Federation that Advisory Board Member and noted photographer Carol Walker put our cares and concerns for the weather aside and traveled to the area in question to be the eyes and ears for WHFF and the wild horse and burro advocacy.  Below is her report along with her photographs which will be added to her stunning collection of wild equine photography at www.wildhoofbeats.com upon her return home.  Carol will cover the release of the PZPed mares and final operations before heading back, stay tuned.