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| CLOUD'S PAGE IN ORDER TO SPREAD A MESSAGE OF CONCERN FOR THE WILD MUSTANG HERDS IN CONTINENTAL AMERICA, THIS IS A NEW PAGE, BEGUN IN AUGUST 2010, BUT CONTAINING REPORTS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THIS DATE. THESE REPORTS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY ' THE CLOUD FOUNDATION' DIRECTOR, GINGER KATHRENS, WHO HAS STUDIED THESE HORSES IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT FOR MANY YEARS.OTHER REPORTS OF RELEVANCE MAY BE POSTED AS AVAILABLE. The rest of the world 's horse lovers can also become involved, and help put political pressure on the U.S. Government to preserve their national treasure. By writing to U.S. officials, or to those in our own governments, we can speak for the wild horse. E-mails can be sent to The Cloud Foundation, and they will print them and post or fax them to the appropriate departments and representatives in government.
Carol visits the BLM holding facilities, and is present during roundups in order to record and document the circumstances.
Spring has Sprung!
Part 1: A Trip to Montana & the Freedom Fund Horses
Dear Friends of our Freedom Fund bands;
Despite a not so rosy weather picture, Lauryn and I started out from Colorado to Montana, encountering sleet, snow and rain on our way to Billings. Luckily, the rain stopped overnight, allowing us to access the road to the Freedom Fund horses. It was a windy, but lovely, day to visit. Because of all the moisture, the huge 1,000 plus acre pasture is beginning to explode with new growth, the cottonwoods have all leafed out, and the creek is running high. I could see where it had flooded during the past few weeks of near constant rain.
 Shane's band down in the valley
This was my first chance to see the two new foals that had been born weeks before, both in Shane’s band. We spotted Moshi’s husky dun daughter, and Chalupa’s little black colt, a near carbon copy of his father, Bo. As if this wasn’t wonderful enough, we also discovered that Trigger’s mare, Mae West, had foaled just a few days before we arrived. The colt is a cracker jack—so like Pistol in looks and in temperament. Both the new foal and the almost yearling are the image of their father, Trigger. Check out our new YouTube video of footage taken during our visit with these stunning horses!
 The two new foals in Shane's band Mae West and her new foal
Pistol was born last August, and he is just that—a pistol. He loves to fool around, in between nursing his mother, Evita. At one point, he picked up a dead branch from under a cottonwood tree and appeared to be using it as a tool. Alexa Guttenburg, our student intern from Carroll College, is working on a behavioral study of the horses, so it will be interesting to see if Pistol really is a tool user. It would be the first observation of this type of behavior that we are aware of—Pistol, our very own Albert Einstein colt? Stay tuned! As a result of her summer-long study, Alexa’s paper will be a scholarly addition to our visual record of wild horse behavior.
 Trigger and his band, with Pistol holding a stick Pryor Einstein?
The meadowlarks were singing, and the cowbirds were following the horses around, snatching insects kicked up by their hooves. What a peaceful kingdom. I sat on the ground and watched the two bands move together. The stallions, Trigger and Shane, are so respectful of each other and both families seem to find some comfort in traveling and resting fairly close together. The dun filly and black colt are cute together, playing, nursing and then sacking out in the sun. Even Grumpy Grulla is a wonder at 23 years young. She looks great and doesn’t even seem to mind the colt and filly too much… I wonder if she is mellowing in her old age.
 Grumpy Grulla shedding out Shane and his band
Trigger and Pistol: Like father, like son
Not everything was so calm a month ago. Shane ran Bo through the barbed wire fence—it’s the second time he did has done this. Bo was just trying to win back his mares that Shane stole nearly almost a year ago. I felt like Bo could be badly injured or killed, so we took him to Livingston to be with Sierra when she improves. It is our plan for Bo and Sierra to be together from now on. Sierra seems to be improving so we’re hopeful. Thanks to those of you who made a donation to help us defray the costs of her treatment, which included two operations. A button is now set up on the website if you want to continue helping us pay off the bills for her care.
 Bo
 Little Augustina She gave us quite a show! Conquistador and his familyDiego, Cavelitta and Conquistador’s yearling son, will continue to live with Robert and Effie and their three daughters on their ranch outside Emigrant—a stunningly beautiful mountain location just north of Yellowstone National Park. Diego is growing like a weed and appears ready to eclipse both his parents in height.
Diablo, Bo and Chalupa’s son, and Annie Oakley,Trigger and Mae West’s daughter, are in halter training class together and will be adopted soon. Since we have offspring this year of the same bloodlines, these two are going to make some lucky horse lovers very happy! They are both just beautiful, even though they haven’t shed out. Who can blame them after the winter they’ve gone through?! Diego
 Diablo Annie Oakley  continue to so generously support these horses, thank you. It’s hard to say where these older adult horses would have ended up without you. One thing for sure—they would not have been together!
Happy Trails!
Ginger
Stay tuned for Part 2: A Trip to the Pryors!
Shane
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Cloud's Birthday! Plus Other News
Help us celebrate Cloud's 16th!
Dear Friends of Cloud and our Freedom Fund horses;
As many of you may or may not know, Cloud’s birthday is fast approaching! On May 29th, he will celebrate his “Sweet 16th.” It’s hard to believe that so much time has elapsed since I first saw him totter out of the trees with his mother! He has endured a lot over the years – harsh winters, predation, three helicopter roundups, bait trapping, and the loss of many members of his family. But he has survived and is still one of the top stallions in the Pryor Mountains, just like his father, Raven, was years earlier, and like his son, Bolder, is today. We hope you’ll take the time to wish him a “Happy Birthday” this Sunday!
 Cloud on day of his birth with his Palomino mother
On a separate, less celebratory note, our sweet Freedom Fund mare, Sierra, was injured and is now at the vet’s office in Billings. A tiny, quarter-sized puncture wound just above her hoof slowly turned infectious, and Sierra began limping. She had an operation two weeks ago to clean out the infected area, but she will need a second operation in order to clean out necrotic cartilage. She’s a smart girl and has been very calm throughout the whole experience. The vet techs are in love with her, and have taught her how to lead and to stay calm while the veterinarian changes her bandages. We’re very proud of how she is handling all this. As you can imagine, the cost for her treatment is quite high.
 Sierra in the Pryors with a young foal
Because of your contributions, Sierra and the rest of the Freedom Fund horseswere reunited after they were removed from their Custer National Forest Service home in the 2009 helicopter roundup. Our lawsuit against the BLM and the Forest Service aims to make sure this never happens again, and to force the Forest Service to take down the gigantic fence, which currently blocks all the horses from accessing crucial summer and fall sub-alpine meadows in the Custer National Forest.
 Sierra
We’re doing everything possible to help protect our national symbols of the West. If you are able, please consider a special donation in support of Sierra, or in support of our lawsuit to help Cloud’s Pryor Mountain herd receive legal use of Custer National Forest lands they have roamed for two centuries or more.
 
Two-week old Cloud (left) and an all grown-up Cloud (right)
We’re on our way to the Pryors as I write this, hoping that the Montana monsoons will let us access the mountain so we might find Cloud and wish him "Happy Birthday" in person. As I always do, I will tell him how much he is loved by so many people and thank him for allowing me to bring his life story to a worldwide audience. In recognition of his birthday and his role as wild horse ambassador for all mustangs, Congressman Raul Grijalva of New Mexico submitted a tribute to Cloud in the Congressional Record . Congratulations big boy!
Happy Trails!
Ginger Kathrens |
Cloud honored in Congressional record, May 25th 2011. HONORING CLOUD, WILD STALLION OF THE ROCKIES HON. RAU´ L M. GRIJALVA OF ARIZONA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Mr. GRIJALVA. " Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the wild horse stallion known as Cloud, born May 29, 1995 in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range of Montana. This majestic stallion has become the most famous wild horse in the world, and serves as the ambassador and emblem of wild horses and burros living free and protected on public lands. No other wild horse in United States history has had his life story known and shared throughout the world. Filmed as a tottering newborn foal beside his mother, the citizens of our great nation watched him grow into a bachelor stallion living among other young males, testing his strength, honing the skills he would one day need to start his own family. Eventually, Cloud became a band stallion, winning mares and fathering his own foals. Cloud’s history, captured on film and books by Ginger Kathrens, filmmaker and documentarian, has been shown throughout the United States on Public Broadcasting as part of the Nature Series, and throughout the world on numerous channels and networks. Cloud symbolizes the spirit of the West and links us with our heritage. The study of his life has brought recognition and appreciation of wild horses and burros on our public lands. Cloud has taught us that what wild horses and burros cherish most is not so different than for all Americans, FREEDOM AND FAMILY. " Happy New Year!
Thanks everyone for your hard work, encouragement, friendship, and determination this past year. With your continued support and dedication, I believe we will make 2011 a better year for our wild herds. Now, more than ever before, we are a part of an exciting, unified effort to win a moratorium on all roundups of our herds throughout the West, including Cloud's glorious herd in the rugged Pryor Mountains. In 2011 TCF will continue to ensure a peaceful, wild place for our Freedom Fund family bands. Through our legal efforts we will work towards expanding Cloud's home range to include their historic lands in Custer National Forest. And we will focus our efforts on preserving Cloud's legacy on the mountain.
I hope you will join me in pledging to never, ever give up in our efforts to preserve Cloud and all the wild horses in their homelands. Please join us in helping bring the inspiring message of family and freedom to audiences throughout the country and around the world.
I wish every one of you a wonderful 2011. Together we will ensure a future for these beautiful spirits in the vast wild lands of the American West.
Happy Trails! Ginger 
Christmas Ride: Board member, Ann Evans on Cloud's sister, Smokey (removed in 1997) and Ginger aboard Cloud's 3 year-old brother, Sax (removed in 2009).Cloud's great-grandson (born April 2010) and Cloud's 3 year old granddaughter, Arrow (removed in 2009) with board member Susan Sutherland riding and Makendra Silverman.
Longterm Holding Horses in Oklahoma- photo by Betsy Brown. November 2010. Freedom Fund foal, Pistol, racing around his new home, his family close by- October 2010.
A pair of Salt Wells Stallions- September 2010
Cloud's son, Bolder, and his mare, Texas- August 2010
TCF Office Manager, Christine Ferguson, unloading the 2nd printing of the new Cloud book! July 2010
Bachelors play-fight, Cloud's herd - June 2010
Cloud's grandkids: Echo and Kicks Alot- May 2010
Freedom Fund Foals, Diablo and Diego- May 2010.
Captured Calico wild horses- April 2010. Photo by Elyse Gardner (humane observer website)
March for Mustangs- D.C. Protest! Photo by Terry Fitch- March 2010.
Banner by Nevada advocate, Arlene Gawne- February 2010.
Freedom escapes the Calico roundup- an act that continues to inspire us all. Photo by Craig Downer, January 2010. |
On December 15th we received good news in our lawsuit against the BLM and the Forest Service to protect and preserve Cloud's herd. Federal Judge Gwin again stated that the Forest Service fence could be taken down should we win the case. The two-mile long fence prevents Cloud's herd from accessing important summer and fall grazing lands the horses have used for centuries. You can learn more here in our December 22nd press release. Cloud and Aztec's daughter, Breeze, born in the Forest Service- July 2010.Action Alert:
Nevada Predator Control Program Harms Wild Horses and Burros
Please take Easy Action by Jan. 18 to Voice Your Concerns 
Each year, federal programs kill millions of mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, ravens, badgers and other animals for the benefit of private livestock and hunting interests. In Nevada, much of the predator-killing activity is focused on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands where wild horses and burros live. The BLM then uses the absence of natural predators as justification for its costly wild horse roundup and removal policy. Please take a moment to submit your comments by Tuesday, January 18th, please Take Easy Action Here!
 Thank you to the American Wild Horse Protection Campaign for the important action alert above!
NEWS:
Call for End to BLM’s Participation in “Horse Slaughter Summit”
BLM Director Bob Abbey, among others, is scheduled to speak at pro-horse slaughter convention
The Las Vegas "Summit of the (Dead) Horse" conference, ties wild horse management to the so-called “solution” of horse slaughter. American wild horses must be protected from groups trying to profit from their slaughter. Director Abbey’s taxpayer-funded trip to Las Vegas to participate in a conference supporting horse slaughter is concerning and not supported by The Cloud Foundation. Call or email the BLM today and let Mr. Abbey know that you don't support this conference or BLM's participation!Wild horses and burros are currently being managed to extinction on our public lands, the last thing they need to continue to face is the threat of slaughter.
Bob Abbey: Director@blm.gov
(202) 208-3801
ARTICLE:
"Warehousing of America's Mustangs"
From Natural Horse Magazinewith thanks to Ellen McCoy & photographer Betsy Brown
Read the whole article online here!
Join Cloud on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated!
Cloud's grandson, Echo, in his Pryor Mountain Home- June 2010.
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The Cloud Foundation depends on your generousdonations and support through direct giving and purchases from our Cloud Foundation store- thank you!
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First posted on www.TheHorse.com Wild Horses: New Mexico Plan Would Create Nation's First State-Owned Sanctuary by: Pat Raia
September 23 2010, Article # 17000 New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson wants his state to be the first to establish a state-owned sanctuary for wild horses. On Sept. 16 Richardson announced he would use $2.8 million in funds awarded to the state under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to purchase the 12,142-acre Ortiz Mountain Ranch from the Nature Conservancy, an international land conservation organization, and a private owner. The purchase would expand the Cerrillos Hills State Park to create the sanctuary. The New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources would maintain the sanctuary, said department spokesperson Jodi Porter. A nonprofit agency would likely manage horses that would reside there. "Establishing the sanctuary is a multi-step process," Porter said. "First we have to acquire the land, then it will take between 12 and 16 months to create a management plan." The department also must submit a sanctuary proposal to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in order to receive animals from BLM-managed herds. BLM spokesman Hanson Stuart said his agency has not yet received a formal proposal from the state of New Mexico regarding the sanctuary. "Once that proposal is received, the BLM would conduct an environmental impact study of the proposed range's condition and its capacity and would then solicit public opinion regarding the placement of BLM horses there," Stuart said. Wild Horse advocate Jerry Finch supports the notion of the state-owned sanctuary if the site operates outside BLM control, and if the nonprofit chosen to manage it is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, adopts a so-called "no kill" rule that would prevent sanctuary horses from sale for slaughter, and limits the use of contraception drugs to control herd growth. "Under those guidelines, I am 100% for it and truly hope that other states follow suit," Finch said. Richardson initially introduced the possibility of a state-owned sanctuary in New Mexico at the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors in Washington, D.C., in April. In announcing his plan in New Mexico earlier this month, Richardson said expanding the park and creating the sanctuary would benefit wild horses and enhance New Mexico's economy by creating jobs and promoting tourism. However, in a commentary published in the New Mexican on Sept. 20, State Senator John Arthur Smith, chairman of the New Mexico Senate Finance Committee and vice chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, opposed the use of stimulus funds for the project on the grounds that "the state is simply not in the financial position to invest in recreational opportunities." Porter said though the land purchase would be made using federal stimulus funds for use at the governor's discretion, the state's Board of Finance must approve the expenditure. "It should be on their agenda in November," she said. Received October 9th, 2010. | A New Home for the Freedom Fund Bands 
Evita and her son, Pistol (Chalupa and Diablo in the background).
Dear Friends of our Wild Horses;
A year ago in September the BLM removed the family bands that roamed the Commissary Ridge area in the Custer National Forest, saying they were illegally grazing in this Pryor Mountains area. Their decision to remove ALL the horses in the Forest Service came at the 11th hour when there was no time to mount a protest. Their actions resulted in the removal of four bands led by the stallions Conquistador, Trigger, Bo, and Shane. The bands contained animals like Grumpy Grulla who was 21 years old and Conquistador, the magnificent 19-year-old stallion you may remember from the first Cloud film. 
Conquistador (still a proud band stallion.
Because of an outpouring of donations from all across the country from generous wild horse lovers like you, the Cloud Foundation was able to adopt and buy the older members of the bands, keeping the families together and providing them with the freedom to roam on a beautiful ranch just north of their home in the Pryor Mountains. This spring three foals were born in Conquistador, Bo and Trigger’s bands. Diablo (Chalupa x Bo) and Diego (Cavelita x Conquistador) were born in April. Lovely Annie Oakley was born in early May to Mae West and Trigger. Our surprise gift arrived in August when Trigger’s mare, Evita, gave birth to little Pistol.
Shortly after, in late August, we learned that our lease would not be renewed and we began looking for another appropriate area where band members could continue to live together as families. Only through the tireless work of foundation volunteers, Laura and Carl Pivonka of Billings, were we able to secure a lease on a 1,000 acre pasture in the rolling hills just outside Billings. This peaceful refuge for our bands is even larger than their pasture near Pryor.  The land is just amazing and contains a long valley lined with tall cottonwood trees growing along a creek with springs and ponds. The pasture rises to high, flat topped hills. The entire acreage has abundant forage. It is truly an ideal area for the horses to live in as it is similar to Commissary Ridge in the Pryors. 
Annie Oakley and Pistol await turnout into their new home.
We are completing the preparation of this huge pasture which includes repair and replacement of fencing to make it secure as well as all the many costs associated with a move like this. It is expensive and we need your help. Please consider sending a special donation today on behalf of our family bands. Give what you can so they might live their lives in precious freedom. Thanks so much.
Happy Trails,
Ginger
 
.........FREEDOM FUND: DONATE HERE............
Upcoming: At least 9 protests are planned for October with 10 more in the works-- join a protest or start your own! Visit our event calendar for more details on protests and upcoming Cloud Foundation events in Illinois and Colorado!
TCF Press Room: New press releases posted now in the TCF press room as new lawsuits are filed and nationwide protests planned. Over 80 press releases from 2009-2010 now online. |
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Received August 27th. PZP in the PryorsComments on BLM's Plan to Extend Infertility Drug Use through 2015 due by September 16thDear Cloud Supporters; Mark your calendars. Comments regarding a five-year plan to continue the use of Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) infertility drugs on Pryor wild horse mares are due on September 16. The initial scoping letter from the Billings BLM was mailed on August 18. As a result of aggressive infertility applications delivered via shots last fall ( 2009 ) and dart guns this spring, 52 mares on the mountain are cycling monthly (coming into oestrous or heat), being bred, and defended by their band stallions. 
The long-time buckskin stallion, Chino, is now a bachelor
Makendra and I were in the Pryors last week for 5 days and I witnessed more societal disruption than I have seen in over 16 years of documenting these horses. Currently, it is a herd in chaos. 60% of the 18 bands we observed have had some kind of disruption. Three band stallions have lost their families all together. Some band stallions have benefitted from the intense competition—like Cloud, who won a new mare. This high degree of disruption has taken place just since our last visit in July. Let me say that interchange among the Pryor wild horse bands is common—probably more so than in most herds in the West. There is a reason for this. The majority of the family bands come to the mountaintop in the summer, to a relatively small area. Here, in the beautiful sub-alpine meadows, bands regularly graze and roam only 100 yards apart. In contrast, bands are commonly miles apart in other herds. Add to this close contact situation, a sex ratio artificially altered when 32 females and only 22 males were removed during the massive September 2009 roundup. Then, factor in the monthly heat cycles of 52 females on birth control (40 mares given PZP-22—22 months of infertility—during the round up in 2009, and 10 more mares receiving the one-year drug remotely by the Pryor Mustang Center under the direction of BLM). 
Flint, Jasper and Agate just minutes before Flint lost the band
The result is a herd in social disarray. Saddest for me was Flint’s loss. When he unwisely tried to capture an older mare in heat, he lost his family to a beefy grullo stallion. I hope Flint might win them back, but the grullo is far larger than Flint and seems determined to keep his prize of two mares (Feldspar and Heather), Flint’s yearling son, Jasper, and the two filly foals, Agate and Amber (I called this little family ‘the Flintstones’). 
Young foals can be injured as stallions fight to win mares & breed them monthly
The timing of BLM’s scoping letter is ironic. It requests comments on a plan to continue giving infertility drugs through 2015. Based on what we saw on our last trip this seems unconscionable. The Pryor herd is currently a genetically non-viable one. The population, which includes well under 150 breeding adults, begs the point of population control. Any drugs to suppress population growth should not be given at this time. ( Read more here about the Cloud Foundation’s position on the use of infertility drugs on wild horse herds.) What we will be proposing to BLM is a sea change in the “breeding farm” mentality that threatens the future of the herd as we know it. What we mean by a “breeding farm mentality” is attempting to control factors artificially that are normally regulated by the laws of nature—i.e. natural selection as opposed to human selection of who lives and dies and reproduces. With this in mind we will be making these recommendations: - Immediately begin serious discussions with the Custer National Forest Acting Supervisor, Mary Erickson, to discuss the legal expansion of the Pryor wild horse herd boundaries to include their current and historic use areas beyond the BLM/Forest Service boundary atop the mountain. (See range expansion background and initiative).
- Conduct meetings with Wyoming and Montana Fish and Game to encourage the agencies to reduce the hunting of mountain lions within the PMWHR. (See natural management paper).
- Only consider the use of the one-year remotely delivered PZP when the herd is back in the minimally viable range of 150-200 adults two-years old or older. Use the one-year drug only selectively rather than giving the drug to every mare in the herd. Use the drug at the optimum time of year to avoid out-of-season births. Do not use any infertility drugs on yearling fillies.
- Make the determination of using the one-year drug on a year-by-year basis so that immediate cessation can take place if predation begins regulating the population naturally as it did in 2001-2005.
- Allow wild horses, who become unwell on the range due to natural versus human related activities, to die on the range. Of course, if horses are discovered down they should be humanely euthanized. But, removing, rehabbing, and re-introducing them only serves to potentially weaken the herd.
Cloud's nine year-old black mare has never foaled after receiving PZP as a yearling & two-year-old Click here for a sample letter you can send to BLM to give them your opinion on their scoping letter- BLM is not accepting comments via e-mail, but you can email your comments to The Cloud Foundation and we'll mail or fax them to the BLM. Please help us fight for this precious herd and their right to live free on the land of their birth with as little interference from man as is possible! Thanks. Happy Trails, Ginger
Bolder & Texas, a ten year-old mare who has foaled only once - PZP'd again last fall in the roundup
Don't Fence Me In!
The Fight to Save a Legendary Wild Horse Herd
From Director Ginger Kathrens
The Custer National Forest awarded a contract on August 6, 2010. It calls for the building of new, bigger, stronger, longer fence to prevent the Pryor Wild Horse Herd from grazing on their mid-summer through fall pastures atop their mountain home. The first question I am always asked is “Why?” To answer honestly, I am not sure what is pushing this kind of expensive and unwanted project. But, to even try to answer the question requires a bit of a history lesson. 
The wild horses of the Pryor Mountains, known as the Arrowhead Mountains to the Crow Indians, have been documented as living in this area since the early 1800s. But, they probably have lived here for far longer. The Arrowheads were the sacred heart of Crow Indian country, and the Crow tribe possessed the largest horse herd in the West. The wild horses are likely descended of their treasured war ponies.
It is also likely that they are the descendents of the horses of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The famous explorers had traded for Shoshone and Nez Perce stock and on their return trip from the West Coast in 1806 they put Sgt. Nathaniel Pryor in charge of bringing the horses back to the Missouri River. While camped in the Arrowheads, the Crow Indians stole all the horses. The mountains were subsequently named for the hapless Sergeant.
However, the history of the mustangs of the Arrowheads traces their back even farther through a genetic blood trail that leads to the Caribbean and the breeding farms of the Spanish Conquistadors. The Spanish returned the horse to the Americas in the early 1500s and the DNA of the Arrowhead mustangs links them to the horses of the Conquest. 
Flint and Feldspar Time travel back even farther into the prehistory of North America, and you will see that the small Pryor horses resemble their ancient ancestor, Equus lambei, also called Yukon Horse. E. lambei was a small but stout, solid-hooved horse with a flop over mane, that lived in North America for at least 20,000 years before dying out only 7,000 years ago. E. lambei is the genetic equivalent to Equus caballus—the modern horse. I believe this link allows us to better understand why the horse, re-introduced in the early 1500s, was so successful once it began roaming wild again. North America is its ancestral home. The eco-systems the horse re-occupied were those in which it had co-evolved.
Painting courtesy of the Beringia Interpretive Centre
Even as recently as the early 1900s there were millions of wild horses roaming the west, including the isolated Pryor Mountains. Flash forward to the 1960s when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sought to exterminate the hundreds of horses that ran wild amongst the rugged canyons and windswept ridges of the Pryors. Local residents protested the destructionof the herd, and Hope Ryden, a reporter for ABC News exposed the upcoming roundup to a national audience. After much rapid fire wrangling and debate, Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, quickly stepped in and designated the BLM lands on East Pryor Mountain a sanctuary for the wild horses.
It was named the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Range in 1968. As Interior Secretary, Udall had no authority over the Custer National Forest Service lands, most of which were in the high country, and fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture. No move was made to include any of these lands, despite the presence of wild horses in the Forest Service area.  Three years later, in 1971, the Wild Horse and Burro Act was unanimously passed by Congress. The Act states that horses will be managed “where presently found.” The Forest Service has denied that the horses were present in 1971 and the BLM has never challenged them on this. The locals, who had fought so hard for the horses did not make a point of challenging the Forest Service and for years the local philosophy was to “let sleeping dogs lie.” The wild horses continued to roam the area, descending to the lower country in the winter and traveling with the greening grass to higher elevations in the summer.
When a wooden buck and pole fence was constructed by the BLM to prevent the horses from using the Forest Service lands atop the mountain in the 1980s, it quickly fell into disrepair because the horses kicked it apart so they could continue to travel their well-worn trails back and forth from BLM to Forest Service land.  By the time I arrived on the mountain in 1994, the fence was down in a dozen places or more and the horses were using their traditional trails into the Forest Service. In 1997, the fence was repaired, but within days the horses had again torn it down. While the horses are in the Forest Service lands they are called “trespassers” even though they were simply doing what they had always done, and that is to freely roam.
Actually, the full name for the 1971 Act is the Free-Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act. The free-roaming part is what is being denied the historic Pryor mustangs today. The new fence to be built atop the mountain still closely follows the boundary line between the Custer National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This new fence promises to be stouter. It certainly is longer… by nearly a mile. 
The old fence- broken down. Red Raven's band is technically outside of their legal range in this photo For those of you who have traveled to the top of the Pryors and have seen the old fence you will know what I mean when I say that the assertion that the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains used only the open meadows on BLM land and did not graze the same open meadow to the west on the Forest Service makes absolutely no sense. It is a ridiculous argument, and is one we are legally challenging.
Just this July we watched a dozen or more family bands, including Cloud with his newborn daughter, Bolder and his trio of rambunctious foals, and Flint with his two mares, his yearling son and his two little fillies. Many tourists came to watch the horses. We talked to folks from nearby towns and others from Oregon, Ohio, Kansas, Colorado, and even Switzerland. Without a 4-wheel drive vehicle or driving dangerous roads they could observe the wild horses of the Pryors grazing, playing and sparring in lupine covered meadows. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of these people—something they said they would never forget.
Besides being a spectacular eco-tourism destination which brings considerable economic benefits, the Forest Service meadows are essential for the well being of this world famous herd—to meet their physical requirements and their genetic needs. The Pryor herd is too small right now. Closing off this vital area will hamper efforts to let the population expand to at least 200 adult animals.  And for me, there is something very wrong with denying these beautiful animals access to their home… a home they have known for hundreds of years. Might Forest Service have another motive for evicting the wild horse… beyond the unbelievable argument that the horses were not here in 1971?
Some within the Forest Service believe the agency plans to open the area up for cattle grazing. There are cattle allotments farther down the mountain, but not in this area near the Dryhead Overlook. In July, it was a thrilling sight to see the vast majority of the Pryor herd in this incredible location. Visitors were awed. I doubt they would react the same to a herd of cows out here.   It would be great if our elected officials would work on a solution to this dilemma. Those who live in Montana need to voice their objection to fencing the Pryor horses out of their home. Please let Senator Tester and Senator Baucus know your views on this issue.
Everyone please contact Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack to ask him to intervene, just as Secretary of Interior Udall did years ago. With the stroke of a pen Secretary Vilsack could create a wild horse sanctuary in the Custer National Forest atop the mountain. You can also contact the Custer National Forest Service directly about the fence and tell them that they don’t want taxpayer money spent on this kind of project.
The proposed fence line Here is something else you can do if you are able: The Cloud Foundation is waging a legal battle on behalf of the horses, which is not cheap—even though our attorneys work at greatly reduced rates. Many of you responded with donations for Cloud’s Legal Fund (Don’t Fence Me In Legal Fund). Please do what you can to help us fund this lawsuit and keep fighting for the herd!
Get involved (TAKE ACTION HERE) and let your friends know that we need everyone’s help to expand the Pryor Wild Horse Range and preserve this legendary herd. Don’t let them fence Cloud and his herd in. Thanks so much!
Happy Trails!
Ginger Join Cloud on Twitter & Facebook
Learn more at www.thecloudfoundation.org
Photos by The Cloud Foundation Report Aug 15th, 2010. California's Wild Horses & Burros Need Your Help
BLM conducting a bloody 2000+ mustang and burro roundup
California doesn't have many wild horses and very few wild burros left but that, along with a public outcry, has not stopped the Bureau of Land Management from rounding up thousands more of California's wild equids. The BLM, responsible for managing most of the remaining wild horses and burros in ten Western States, are now running horses ten miles or more over rough volcanic terrain with helicopters. Horses bleeding from their noses in the thick dust, very young foals separated from their mothers, a mare with a broken leg and a colicking mare have been observed by a dedicated team of advocates observing the Twin Peaks roundup. 
California has lost 16 of the original 38 wild horse herds designated for protection in 1971 and over 2/3 of the public land tagged for wild horses and burros has been taken away from these celebrated icons of the West. Now BLM is working fast to remove 1855 mustangs and 210 wild burros from the Twin Peaks area, just north of Susanville, California. The roundup is scheduled to last 45-60 days and BLM aims to leave only 450 mustangs and 72 burros on this 1250-square mile range, larger than the state of Rhode Island. Almost all the mares returned would be given infertility drugs and a mere 72 burros is not a genetically viable population in this beautiful area designated principally for their use . Over 32,000 privately-owned cattle and sheep are permitted to graze annually on the Twin Peaks area. Revenues generated yearly from livestock grazing fees are estimated at $120,000 while the cost of rounding up/processing of 1,980 wild horses and burros would be 35 times the annual grazing revenues -over $4 million. Over 38,000 wild horses are in government holding while less than half that remain on the range and BLM plans to complete the removal of 12,000 wild horses and burros this fiscal year alone.
California's Wild Herds Need You- What You Can Do - Call and email and meet with staff of U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (ph. 916.448.2787) and Dianne Feinstein (ph. 415.393.0707), Governor Schwarzenegger (ph. 916-445-2841) , and your Congressperson & state legislators too! Message: High cost to the taxpayers; loss of our last big California wild horse herd; loss of potential for eco-tourism in area; loss of freedom and family for the wild horses; likely death toll at least 99 animals (.05% average deaths according to BLM)
- Write letters to the editor of your local paper.
- Tell your friends about Twin Peaks & roundups planned across the West; visit your CA herds in the wild and work to protect them for future generations to come. Observation of the Twin Peaks roundup is being allowed 7 days per week- please come and bring a reporter with you.
Learn more at www.thecloudfoundation.org
Photos by Craig Downer
Following report received July 24th, 2010. Update from the Mountaintop & Action Alert for Cloud
Dear Friends of Cloud and the wild horses;
Makendra and I just returned from a great five days in the Pryors with the wild horses. We sighted band after band in the broad, flower-covered meadows near Tony Island and the Dryhead Overlook in the Custer National Forest. As is their pattern, the wild horses had migrated to this higher elevation area where show still dotted the slopes above a snow crater surrounded by boulders. The meadows have exploded with purple lupine in football sized flower beds. Due to cool temperatures and moisture the flowers were delayed and the height of the bloom coincided with our visit. 
Bolder's yearling daughter, Jewel
One of the first bands we saw was led by the grullo stallion, Lakota and, to our surprise, we discovered, he was a new father. The little dun colt, still unsteady on his legs, had clearly been born that morning to Mariah, Cloud’s palomino sister. Last month, I thought Mariah was just fat. Even after the birth she still looks alike a beach ball. 
They were traveling toward snow in scenic circle of boulders in the middle of the meadow. When we hiked closer we got a better look at the handsome colt sticking closer to his attentive and experienced mother. Later in the day we watched his brother who had been born the month before walk slowly toward the young colt. As the darling grullo colt we named Koda Wakan (sacred friend in the Lakota Sioux language) approached, Mariah laid her ears back. “No”, she was clearly saying to Koda. I know in time the two will become playmates, but Mariah was clear that this was not to happen for a while. We named her son Kokopelli. 
At least a dozen other bands were enjoying the rich grass in this highest of the meadows, including Cloud’s family. As we hiked closer to them, we quickly realized how very pregnant Aztec was. She is the grulla mother of Shadow, the mother-daughter duo you met in “Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions”. Aztec looked huge and her udder was tight—a sure sign of an imminent birth.  The next morning we got up extra early and began searching for Aztec before dawn. We found them in the area around the Dryhead Overlook close to where we left them the night before. We spotted Cloud, his family and Aztec, just as a tiny dark lump flopped down at her feet. The newborn didn’t stay down for long, struggling to its feet to suckle. 
We could see that it was a baby girl. When she looked around with bleary eyes, still light in color like most newborn foals, we could see her big star and the tiny little spot of pinkish-white on the tip of her nose. 
Over the next few days we saw her grow stronger and stronger. |
Bolder and his family came to the congregation of wild horses that day and I was awestruck at his son, Cloud’s white grandson. I finally settled on a name for him—Echo… Echo of the Arrowheads. Echo was near his mother, Cascade, and the other mares and his two siblings, Kicks Alot, the dun filly, and Absaroka (what the Crow call themselves, meaning children of the Raven), the dark colt with a narrow blaze.  \
Kicks Alot resting in the lupins
Although we watched Echo play with his siblings, we also watched as he walked boldly to other bands to play with the yearlings! Sometimes he tried to play with horses even older and walked to his grandfather who looked at the upstart then lifted a foot to send him away. The pale colt knows no fear and, if he lives, he has band stallion written all over.
During our stay we had a taste of all the weather changes possible in July—heat, intense sunshine, rain, cold wind, and dense fog. To come around a bend in dense fog and spot horses just adds to the sense of wonder and adventure in this wild horse wilderness. 
Bolder and Red Raven spar
Kicks Alot, mother Autumn and grandmother Texas To our dismay, we noticed small orange flags marking the line where the Custer National Forest plans to build a two-mile-long fence that would prevent the wild horses from accessing the very area they were enjoying on our visit. This is a horrifying thought on many levels. It would compromise the health of the herd, if they were not able to graze on these wide, sub-alpine pastures in mid-summer through the fall. The fence would cut off historic horse trails they have used for centuries and would prevent the public from viewing the wild horses on these high scenic meadows that are more easily accessed by regular vehicles. We are not sure why Forest Service is so determined to keep the wild horses out of their historic range. Is it to increase cattle grazing? The ‘why’ of this is very hard to understand. 
Part of the planned route for 2-mile-long fence
The Cloud Foundation has just filed an expanded lawsuit, which we hope will prevent this tragedy (read our new press release here). If you want to help Cloud, his family and his herd we are asking you to take action now. Please contact Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Montana Senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester and Custer National Forest Supervisor, Mary Erickson to stop the wasteful and destructive building of this fence (click here to find out how). And please consider a contribution to Cloud's Legal Fund today.
Thanks so much,
Happy Trails!
Ginger
Prince & Cloud spar
Visit The Cloud Foundation online at www.thecloudfoundation.org to learn more & join Cloud on Facebook & Twitter for frequent updates on our American mustangs.
Thank you for your support & action.
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