After a federal judge denied a request by the Cloud Foundation and Front Range Equine Rescue to stop round-ups from beginning in the Pryor Mountains, several horses were chased by helicopters into corrals set up by the Bureau of Land Management on Thursday.
This morning, the Today Show on NBC ran a story on the controversy surrounding these round-ups, which are set to continue.
The third installment of the Cloud saga, Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, premieres on NATURE Sunday, October 25.
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Horrendous… how can they still be continuing this barbarous behavior.
And then with the hunting licenses to shoot the wolves in Montana, after just spending all that time to repopulated Yosemite. Land Management? What are they thinking?
Why do humans always think they can “manage” nature. Just let nature take its course.
Um, these horses are not natural. Man brought them here from Europe. Remove them so the Bison can have the land back.
Situations like this are always hard to resolve in ways that make everybody happy. I agree with Laura in the sense that the horses are not native to North America- they were originally introduced by Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s, and have the potential to compete with true North American natives such as Bison. BUT, the horses have adapted to the North American environment, and have thrived for centuries- they are “naturalized citizens”, if you will. They now have a place in the ecosystem and food chain- they are preyed on by bears and mountain lions. Removing them entirely could potentially upset the balance. Nature does have a way of balancing things out, and mankind can help facilitate that- we just have to make sure that whatever it is we do, we don’t mess it up.
Let them roam free, they’re part of America, just like the buffalo. The Indians caught and trained and rode them. They have a natural right to be here and live free.
how can i contact someone to adopt a horse or a few of them? or who do i contact?
I think the wild horses should be left alone. I dont believe the buffalo live in the mountains they live on the plains. Leave Cloud and his small herd be and let them live out the life mother nature intended. As they already have horses in captivity that they cant find homes for WHY would they want to catch more for us to feed. I have 8 horses of my own and so I know what it costs to feed them. The american public is always footing the bill for all of the goverment mess ups.
The Pryor Mountain grazing is depleted. The BLM is not planning on eliminating Clouds entire herd. Of the estimated 200 horses in his area (not his own herd) 70 will be culled and put up for adoption, the rest will be released after they have been vaccinated, evaluated and given a shot to prevent pregnancies, so the herd does not out grow it’s grazing withing the next few years. They well also rotate stallions to insure inbreeding does not become a huge factor.
Leaving the wild horses alone and to their own devices will result in sickness, starvation and death.
Attend a gathering of BLM adoptees, where they showcase their once wild ponies. It is not the end of the world for a horse when he is taken out of the wild. For many, it insures a much safer and healthier life.
laura mentions let the bison roam free – the blm would not allow that either there are bison only in yellowstone and in south dakata – what makes you think the blm would allow bison back on the ranges the cattlemen would complain – thats what this is over – ranchers want the land for cattle – horses must go – thats their thinking – what will we lose next – wolf was taken off endangered species list – now ranchers want to kill it and as for becky comment this is straight from blm – ginger who photograped cloud said all the horses are fat and healthy
Horses ARE natural to North America. They evolved here and were driven extinct at the same time humans arrived. Some migrated across to asia where they survived and were reintroduced by the spanish. So while the mustangs are classified as feral, they did evolve to be in this ecosystem. They should be here.
some blmemployees have been taking bribes fromoil companies,mining companies, etc totake and use all the public land for profiteers. theykeeptaking every single acre away from the horses to let the horseslive.they alsokill the buffalo. blm is a nasty, venal, vicious agency. why dont you examine what they do – itisenvironmentally horrendous.
BLM is government at it’s best:
Take something working right, play around with it, mess it up real good, try to fix it without understanding the problem you created, shy away from your mistakes and invent an excuse to justify doing it in the first place!
We try to take care of the mess we do when we take the land that does not belong to us. We continue to grow and run rivers out their courses and keep later trying to fix the mess we make.
good news but sad – cloud and his band were released today but one filly of his had to stay behind so he did not want to leave without her – so sad
It seems to me with all the people that are concerned and federal money, one could use the money to feed horses in the winter and stop spending money on helicopters, fuel, and unmerciful pens. Iwonder how we as people would like it if we were put in pens, and stabbed and killed sounds like Hitler again the weak have no vote shame on america there are last evidence of true wild free horse.just like the buffalo..im so disapointe in our government……
What the BLM is doing is a very good thing for the horses and the land. First of all, they are not killing the horses, they are trimming down the herd to reduce overgrazing and diseases among them and providing a safe secure place for the horses. By limiting the numbers, they will produce much better quality forage on the rangeand improve the overall health of all of natures animals. Have you ever seen these horses up close and seen their condition? Most are fairly healthy, but, some need immediate medical attention. Rather than let them suffer, they will be treated humanely. The rules for adoption are very strict for the care of these animals, so they will have better lives. We (the BLM) are the owners of these animals and take much stock in their welfare. I wouled like to adopt some, but living in Michigan, it is not a financial option for me. Let the BLM do their jobs as we pay them to do.
I saw this story and had mixed feelings. It is better for the land, but America just wont be the same place without its wild horses. I think that as long as the horses arent all rounded up it is alright, but if all the horses are taken away, something needs to be done.
The wild horse program is one of the few things that the BLM has done right. To the person who said that the BLM employees take bribes, shame on you! Most of the workers in the BLM care very much for the land they manage. Many have their hands tied by energy policy and constantly changing land management priorities, but they are the good guys! Talk to your congress persons about saving land for horses (or better yet elk, mule deer, moose, bear, cougar, wolves etc, etc, etc…). There are always a few bad apples everywhere, but the problems with the BLM are at the top (Washington) not the bottom (field offices).
I don’t think some of you even watched this news cast.
The range is green and boutiful, there is no evidence of depletion – that can be seen with your own eyes – and the horses are fat, again, how can this claim of starvation be believed?
Using example of dead grass in the desert as evidence – well, just think about it, if you watch the Cloud series you know the horses migrate to where they need. And they even do eat dead grass – but the horses are not in the desert in the summer – just watch the shows and just watch this news cast please – and then do some research.
This makes me sad. I am a kid in school and I love watching Cloud on tv. Why can’t the blm just leave the horses alone? they are beautful. They say America.
The BLM has more than 30,000 wild horses standing in pens and yet they continue to rampage through our American West and ruin our living, breathing piece of American history: the wild mustang. The Mustangs were fine where they stood and only struggle when BLM and private individuals fence them away from water and other essential to living areas. Cloud’s herd, 188 of them, lived on nearly 40,000 acres of land devoted to their protection, thus the name: The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, so designated by the United States Congress. You do the math: those horses are not starving. They look wonderful. There is mining to be had in those mountains. Too, there are the ranchers who can graze cattle. Unfortunately, the poor horses are standing on the money. Don’t say it isn’t about greed, because it is.
Ok, I have mixed feelings about this but here’s my opinion. Ever think that the reason the Pryor Range’s horses look so great is because BLM has been thinning the herds? Yeah, the horses have natural predators and BLM could just let nature take its course yadda yadda, but unless the horse is sick it can out run a bear and a cougar. So what else does nature have up its sleeves if predators don’t work, disease and starvation. Not a fun way to go, and overpopulation guaruntee’s it. So while I think it would be great to just let the horses be, I really do believe it is for the best interest of the horses. But I also believe that unless they can find a place for the horses they have already round up, they don’t need to catch anymore. And why do they have to sell them? Relocating them would be pretty cool to. And by the way, I love the Cloud series… and I’m not a little girl.
Please stop this nonsense! Horses have just as much right as we do to the land. Land management Please let our dear Cloud and his family go!
Hearing about roundup at end of 10/25 show sickened me to think that the produce of Cloud’s genetic heretige will not be passed down to future generations. Let nature take care of her own animals and stop the roundups. Any one looking at Cloud’s story could see that the horses who survive nature’s rigors are healthy and well-fed without anyone having to provide food for them. Also the information about mares that are shot with birthcontrol breeding and foaling out of the natural breeding time show just how stupid and misinformed the BLM policies are. Makes me think someone is profiting from these policies; perhaps those selling feed to the BLM for the captured wild horses as well as ranchers; but I have never seen any cattle in the Cloud series. I hope to learn more about Cloud and his family in the near future. Thank you for these wonderful stories.
i have followed the saga of cloud from the beginning,having had horses all my life i did adopt a free range mustange about 10 years ago a med size pony, she had great feet!! and was a truly loving animal my kids whom i gave 30 riding lessons a week to a community of children loved her dearly. no mater what people think a horse is very differnt from others my horse has a brain and communicates with me it is a shame the blm cant let animals be free to moniter themseleve, i understand the need for management but it is inhumane to round them up from helicpoters cloud especially is valuable because of the color of his coat along with the other various coat colors
provide colorings for future babies. please lets help stop this horrible nonsense. my personal horse which i have had for 16 years was rescrued from a premarin farm in canada premarin is for female hormone treatment where they collect the horse urine to make the drug. the horses are
in their stalls 23 hours a day. maybe if blm would make the horses more reasonably for adoption it would be easier to find them homes. they come to virginia once a year to sell them.
the young horses would be easier to tame leave cloud and his band alone. it would be severly cruel to round up older horses who have known nothing but freedom all their lives the mental toll on that horse would make him want to die. he would not understand. i wanted to be online the other night for the live chat but i had to put my 7 year old to bed she has been watching cloud since she was 3.i could not bring myself to tell her cloud might be rounded up. she shares my love of horses and i am so grateful.i plan on joining forces for thier survival. anyone who has never connected with a horse does not understand our love for their integellance and beauty my horse is my best friend she takes me where i want an escape from the brutalailty of life i cry on her shoulder when i feel bad and she brings so much joy to my life. we have to find room in our lives for these animals to live free. horses forever – lori
I watched the show with heartache, wondering who is going to help the horses sold when they are abused or used for rodeo’s.
What is wrong with our goverment, this is stealing for prfit not manangment, someone gets the money.
Nature will take care of it’s self, the horses need to be left alone.
Whay can we all do?
I think they should let the horses go back to the wild!! :):)
I watched the last installment of “Cloud” with the same love and enthusiasm as always, only to learn at the end of the piece that all of the Pryor Mountain horses were rounded up by the BLM and auctioned off -that included Cloud. I was horrified. Why? What a cruel thing to do to innocent animals who didn’t bother anyone and only gave joy to Ginger’s viewers. I am saddened and furious. What can we do?
I’m a bit confused on all this as I just came in. But I’ve bookmarked this site and am planning on continuing to see what is going on with all of this. I love horses, and while I’m not such a little girl, I’m not an adult either. I’m a teenage girl who absolutely adores these amazing animals. I know that everything will work out in the end. I enjoyed watching my first episode of this Cloud series, and I don’t know when and if I’ll be able to watch more. Amazing and beautiful animals, kinda wish I could adopt one. For now- Goodbye and goodnight.
-morgan-
Nature has predators, bears, cougars. and only cougars were enough to not leave a single foal alive in 2004 (i believe it was 2004 i might be wrong). So, dont you think that nature can handle the population. After all, we dont know what will happen if BLN will continue doing that, it might start something that we would not be able to fix. Why do they want to take the chance of there being no wild horses left in the wild, what will future generations think of us when we say “There was ones wild horses that roamed this lands, but because of us there is no more wild horses left”? Or does BLN even think of the concequences?
It appears to me that Cloud, his herd and the others around the Arrowhead Mt. top have been surviving just fine on their own.He’s 14 yrs. old!Were they really bothering anyone or anything? If they run out of food, they move on. Obviously, they have been fine where they are for years. Why do humans think they have to control everything! Now, their families/herds are split up,been traumatized and humanized and they are going to re-release some of these horses? Leave nature as it was intended to be. I cried for about an hour after the last comments about the round up at the end of the 3rd episode.Does Ginger actually condone this? Is the government rounding up horses to use as PMU mares? Why does it have to be this way? Donate to the Front Range Equine Rescue and write your Congresspeople to stop these tragic and unneccesary round-ups!!I did not expect Cloud’s story to end that way!