Equine Welfare Alliance The BLM reports foals still have upper respiratory disease & two more deaths at the Indian Lakes Road Facility: A few of the 2010 foals are noted with minimal levels of upper respiratory disease. They are being monitored and treated as necessary. Gelding of the five years and older stallions continued this week. Two deaths occurred this week: a 12-year-old stallion (#1406) suffered a spinal neck injury, and a 25-year-old gelding (#1337) was found dead. Necropsy was performed and the gelding’s death was due to pulmonary hemorrhage caused from anesthesia.
The BLM would have you believe that upper respiratory disease is common in foals. It is not. My horses, Tex and Kahlua, and I have been together for a long time now. I have raised them from when they were very young. Foals that are brought up in a nurturing environment, with a healthy diet and plenty of room to run around, rarely, if ever, contract upper respiratory disorder. The little ones at the BLM holding facility are stressed and scared and that has resulted in their becoming ill. Further, the BLM is not separating the sick horses from the healthy population which greatly increases the chances of so many other horses contracting the illness. Whatever illness and injury befall our wild horses is the fault of the BLM and their cruel, inhumane and irresponsible handling of these beautiful creatures.
The spinal neck injury that "occured" in the stallion was more than likely caused by shoving this poor horse through a chut at a very fast speed. The horse was unable to clear the chut properly which caused a severe neck injury. The 25 year old gelding obviously had complications after some sort of surgery and no one bothered to check him post operatively. He was left to die.
A new roundup is coming in a few weeks. Sadness, heavy hearts and possible tragedy on the horizon. Pray for the safety of our wild ones.
As Winston Churchill once said: "Never, never, never give up
As Winston Churchill once said: "Never, never, never give up
