Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Duke is a mustang classic. He has lived his entire wild life in Spring Creek Basin, with that familiar horizon. These days, he hangs out alone or with the younger bachelors. His presence is a gift for them and for us.

Happy birthday this beautiful day to devoted mustang advocate Pat Amthor, who, with her husband, Frank, works tirelessly to better the lives of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs!

This was supposed to be a post of joy and beauty, a snapshot memory from an exceptional day of mustangs and friends and mustang friends.

Then I found out that every National Advisory Board member *except* Ginger Kathrens, who has spent more than two decades fighting for the protection and good management of America’s wild horses and burros, voted to KILL 45,000 equines that have been rounded up and removed from their home ranges and now are held in government holding pens and pastures – all because of four decades of mismanagement by BLM.

That is not merciful euthanasia, as Carol Walker has said. Plain and simple, it is mass execution, mass slaughter, mass murder.

Even the thought and encouragement of such a thing is deplorable and despicable, and completely impossible to comprehend. A few years ago, when this was first proposed, it was learned that BLM already was planning counseling for the people it would task to go in and kill all those healthy animals. …

The good news is that BLM stopped the terrible mare-sterilization experiments it had proposed in partnership with Oregon State University. A terrific victory!

And in the style of one step forward, 100 back, BLM now gets most of its “advisory” board to encourage the slaughter of 45,000 wild equines.

Deep, deep thanks to Ginger Kathrens for continuing to stand up for the responsible and humane management and protection of America’s wild horse and burro herds.

To the rest of that “board” … what the outrageous hell are you thinking?????????????????????

Links:

http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/media/lawsuits-public-outrage-halt-dangerous-blm-wild-horse-sterilization-experiments

http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/news/press-releases

http://www.wildhoofbeats.com/news/breaking-news-blms-wild-horse-advisory-board-just-voted-to-kill-all-49000-captive-wild-horses-in-holding

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This was the post I had planned …

This view comes to you courtesy of a marvelous day at the end of August. Spent with friends and mustangs in one of the most beautiful places on Earth (look at that scene and feel free to argue!?), it was a dreamy day set right smack dab in reality.

While sitting at the top of the world (the rimrock ledges that form the basin’s western boundary), it was another day during which I felt blessedly grateful for all the wonders of life, so richly expressed here in Spring Creek Basin.

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… Now … my heart cries …

Another scene that needs no words.

We live in a beautiful, beautiful, wild world.

Temple looks beautiful on a windy, pre-rain evening in Spring Creek Basin with iconic landmarks McKenna Peak and Temple Butte in the background.

We DID get rain later that night! What a blessed relief!

Sometimes … they all line up beautifully. 🙂 Hollywood and Maia complement McKenna Peak and Temple Butte.

Classic Spring Creek Basin mustang; classic Spring Creek Basin horizon.