Thank you to all who have offered your support, your tears, your concerns, your optimism and hope. I can’t begin to tell you how much it means.
The last four years (and before that … 13 years back since others in our group have been advocating for our Spring Creek Basin mustangs?) have been difficult … The last few days have been more difficult still. It will get better. We have been working too long and too hard and with too much single-minded purpose to settle for any other outcome.
I’m packing now. I need to buy food. I’ll be at work till midnight, home around 1 a.m., and then I’ll be on the road to the basin in the morning. I’ll know more tomorrow … with probably no way to relay it here.
Again, BLM plans to have a hot line to call for information about each day’s roundup activities: (970) 882-6843.
I do not think I will have enough of a signal to connect to the blog via my cell phone for updates, so anything from me will have to wait until I return home, which probably won’t be until Monday.
The horses are strong. They’re in excellent health. They’re resilient and they are just damn tough. They will adapt. We all will – because we have to. The coming years will bring even more changes – positive changes. The roundup is not the end of the story, just the end of a chapter, and as time goes on and it’s further in our past, it will be yet another thing to learn from and channel our management into better forms. We have to get through this to get there.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you …
… for all your care.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Wish you a good day(despite you’ll be busy).Hope the round up will bot be exhausting for the horses and everything goes as planned.
Just wait a few days when all ends and everything will be normal again 🙂
Praying for you and everyone involved … especially the magnificent SCB Mustangs.
“God is watching us. God is watching us. God is watching us …
from distance.” Bette Midler
I may be wrong, but I think He’ll be watching how these precious horses He created are handled … from the front row!
Thank you, TJ for all your concern and work for the horses. Praying that everything goes well.
Love you TJ! Thank YOU- you gave a horseless girl a basin full of horses to hold in her heart [now I’m going to cry]. I’m praying for the horses safety, roundup and beyond.
TJ, my thoughts are with you and the horses this week. *Hugs*
Our thoughts and Florida prayers are with you and the group. Hugs to Pati and Dave too. These Spring Creek horses are strong and blessed to have you as their advocate. Wish we could be there to help you. Have a safe trip out.
The best of luck for you and the horses, and our mustang’s future owners.
When I read your post, a thought popped into my mind- “If it’s not good, then it isn’t over yet.”
We know the Heart ake, We are so SO Sorry for our Wild Horses and YOU at this very trying time, The Wild Ones and I at Cold Creek,NV
My thoughts are with you and the horses. It’s comforting to know you’re there, yet I feel your pain. Mojo.
Thoughts are with you guys and anxiously awaiting news to how all is going and who the unlucky ones are to be removed.
Many people need news and are waiting for you to post. I hope all have come through this uninjured. Including you, TJ.
Hello everyone- I found a news article that you might be interested in, about the mustangs. http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/709179939/Wild-horse-roundup-stops-when-plane-threatens-helicopter-
I think this might be why TJ hasn’t given us any news yet.
I saw that article too and thinking they might have kicked the media out after that. They delayed the roundup. No new news since that article 4 days ago though.
Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ifjB1b5jt4&feature=player_embedded
Wow that was an interesting video to say the least. Thanks for posting this Maria. It is stupid that they would go through all the work for 10 over the AML why don’t they just leave them be a couple more yrs.
The video was made a couple days prior to the roundup.. James Kleinert has promised a report on the roundup but I have not seen anything. I was told one horse died. Don’t know who or how.
The changes in BLM handling of the roundup was due to the sudden influx of people just before and thee fact they were asking people to show and show support. TJ had plenty of things in place herself and I wonder how she was affected by all this. There are details waiting. I have been trying to get a link to this lawsuit… I am very interested in reading it.
TJ, we are waiting for your news and hope you are OK! mar
Thank God those people rode the path the horses were to take. They would have killed some of them. This is just unbelieveible. Hope everything worked out as well as can be expected. Hope we get some news soon.
Did you notice in the beginnig of the video at 00:25 I see Kootenai and Raven with Apollo and their stallion but Mysterium is not with them,and it says ”September 2011″.I fear the worst,but I hope the footage was taken earlier,before Mysterium was born
Very interesting video! Thanks for sharing that. I’m no expert (I’m learning fast though!) but it really seems this round up was unjustified. The horses look very healthy. It’s awesome these people took a good look at the route the horses were to be chased. Why is there barbed wire anywhere out there? And I wonder what’s the story an that underground “house?”
I haven’t seen this video, but apparently (from people who have), it’s misleading because the horses were NOT brought through the canyon, for one thing, and for another, we cleaned out that wire. There’s wire all over the basin, and that’s one of the things I’ve been doing the last four years is hauling it out where I find it. It’s a big place, and I don’t get everywhere. One of the riders knew about it … why wasn’t it dragged out by him? Other issues going on.
As I wrote in my current post, the trapsite was changed – that decision was made after we hauled out the wire. Because of the rain, the mud in the bottom of the canyon would have been bad for the horses AND people trying to work there. And with the FAA rules governing flight safety (interesting how that applied to the helicopter pilot but apparently not the plane pilot, eh, who buzzed both people and horses?), people had a much better view when we moved to Filly Peak.
Again, the roundup and removal of some horses was justified – for the health of the herd overall and the health of the range upon which they depend. Just 11 horses were sent to Canon City – if no roundup this year, I expected ~27 foals next year – how many more horses would have been sent? Aren’t we trying to prevent horses going to the “pipeline”? Even 11 is too many – to me – but as so many things, it was necessary to prevent even greater numbers going. And the horses ARE healthy – YES! Why would we wait until there was an emergency – of either horses or range – before we determined a need to remove some horses?? The horses remaining are in great shape. The range is in great shape. And with all that rain and less pressure, think about the future. We’re encouraging growth and regeneration of those grasses with less pressure.
We MUST think long-term for the best management of our mustangs.
no horse should die…especially not Cinch….round up is not humane!!!! no matter what twist one puts on it….health of horses, health of land,for the future of the herd….whatever….helicopter roundup is inhumane and should never be used on these magnificent creatures….give the wild horse his land BACK!!!!….there are no excuses for the death of a proud and now forever wild stallion….cinch ….still free!!!!!
Neither is starvation humane – if we have the tools to prevent it. And we do. Yes, it is taking time to make changes, and more time than any of us would like. And you’re right: No horse should ever die like this.