Breaking News: Navajo Nation Sells Permits to Hunt Wild Horses

‘It’s just boiled donkey skin’: Chinese health officials rubbish ‘inhumane’ product

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

byRachael Turner as published on Horse & Hound

A popular product made from the skins of donkeys has been deemed “not worth buying” by Chinese health officials.

Demand for ejiao, derived from donkey hides, has led to the slaughter of millions of donkeys in recent years.

However, China’s national health and family planning commission recently told consumers the remedy was ,“not worth buying” and despite its many health claims is “just boiled donkey skin.”

On Sunday (18 February), the commission posted on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, that ejiao, is “..not a good source of protein” and that its health claims were at best overstated.

The news was welcomed by international welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary.

The Donkey Sanctuary has been campaigning for a halt to the global trade in donkey skins, which utilises around four million donkey skins every year.

It is estimated that as many…

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Wild Horses Found Shot in South-Central Wyoming

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

as published in the Casper Star Tribune

BLM Investigating

photo by Carol Walker of Wild Horse Freedom Federation and Living Images

The Bureau of Land Management is investigating the shooting of five wild horses in south-central Wyoming’s Red Desert, the agency said in a statement last week.

Three horses were found shot in early November and two more in mid-January in a similar location.

“Preliminary findings suggest all five horses were shot,” the statement said.

The horse were found both on Green Mountain and near the Three Forks/Atlantic City Road in the Pickett Lake area. The BLM is working with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to investigate the incident.
Wild horses and burros are protected under federal law, and the BLM is responsible for managing the animals on government land. The animals have been the source of controversy in Wyoming, with…

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Protected: Salt River wild horse preservation begins in 2018

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

By Ashlee DeMartino, 3TV/CBS 5

“We are a little slow on the draw, here, but hats off to Simone and our good friends at Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, job well done.” ~ R.T.


The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group celebrated with champagne. (Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

SALT RIVER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – With champagne in hand, the volunteers with the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group chanted and cheered on Monday.

“We are not just celebrating New Year’s today, we are celebrating that we preserved a true piece of Arizona history,” said Simone Netherlands from the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

The Salt River wild horses are officially protected.

“They are protected from harassment, from shooting. They are protected from someone causing them any injury and protected from slaughter,” said Netherlands.

[RELATED: Advocates of wild horses deliver 300,000 signature petition to Sen. Flake]

If anyone…

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NM Memorial Means to Murder Wild Horses

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

Unedited Report from The Taos News

“A Senate Joint Memorial wants the U.S. Department of Interior to better manage a growing wild horse population even if that means euthanasia and unrestricted sales to people who might haul the animals off to meat-packing plants in Mexico…”

The memorial is sponsored by Sen. Pat Wood, a Republican from Broadview, New Mexico, who represents Curry, Quay and Union counties.

New Mexico’s Wild Horse’s Fate?

More than 50,000 wild horses now roam public lands, and too few people exist to adopt them all, according to a legislative analysis of the bill.

The memorial asks the federal government to “follow the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and utilize all of the management tools provided in that act, including unrestricted sales and euthanasia, to achieve ecologically sustainable wild horse and burro populations. Additionally, this memorial encourages Congress to restore funding to that department to…

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BLM Reschedules Hearing on use of Helicopters and Motorized Vehicles for Wild Horse Mismanagement

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

An opportunity to offer input on your mismanaged public lands

BLM Antelope Complex attack on Nevada wild horses in 2011 ~ photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation

CHALLIS, Idaho – The Idaho Bureau of Land Management invites the public to submit comments as part of a statewide hearing regarding motor vehicle and helicopter use in wild horse management operations; in particular, aerial census flights. The hearing has been rescheduled to take place Feb. 6, from 1-2 p.m.at:

BLM Challis Field Office
721 East Main Avenue, Suite 8
Challis, ID  83226

This public hearing is being held to obtain information and your views, comments and suggestions about the BLM’s use of helicopters and motorized vehicles in managing wild horses within Idaho during the coming year (Feb. 2018 to Jan. 2019).  The BLM believes that partnerships and inclusion are vital to maintaining sustainable, working public lands.

Comments submitted to BLM should…

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‘From Wild to World Champion’: A New Song About Cobra the Mustang

R.T. Fitch's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

Story by Biz Stamm as published on Horse Nation

A country song telling the true story of how a three-strikes mustang became a dressage champion, with a music video starring the actual horse and trainer themselves? YES PLEASE!


“Although we would prefer to have seen Cobra live out his life, naturally, on his rightful range it warms ones heart to see someone take a chance, step forward and save this ‘3 Strikes’ pony from further abuse and possible slaughter.  A true love story and a definite tissue alert is warranted.  Thanks to all who made this tribute to a magical rescue possible.  May God bless.” ~ R.T.


As someone who is attempting to bring a mustang up the levels in dressage, one of my biggest inspirations is Marsha Hartford-Sapp and her mustang Cobra. After being returned to the BLM three times, he was deemed unadoptable: a three-strikes horse. In 2010…

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Advocates Urge Court to Immediately Stop Army’s Illegal Seizure of Horses, Slaughter Plan

debbiecoffey's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

SOURCE:  Animal Legal Defense Fund

Pegasus Equine Guardian Association files preliminary injunction motion to protect Ft. Polk horses

Contact: media@aldf.org

New Orleans — This week animal advocates filed a motion for a preliminary injunction asking a federal court to take immediate steps to stop the Army’s illegal roundup and sale of Louisiana’s wild horses pending their lawsuit’s resolution.

In 2016, Pegasus Equine Guardian Association (PEGA), led by attorneys with the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, sued the Army over plans to evict roughly 700 wild horses from a western Louisiana Army base and national forest areas that are used in trainings. The lawsuit alleges the Army violated laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, by asserting it did not need to prepare an environmental impact statement for the removal of the horses. The Army also omitted other requirements, such as ensuring nonprofit organizations could put…

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The Bureau of Land Management Blocks Public Observation and Adoption of Wild Horses Rounded Up in Wyoming’s Checkerboard

debbiecoffey's avatarStraight from the Horse's Heart

SOURCE:  wildhoofbeats.com

Great Divide Basin Family

The Forgotten Horses – at least that is what the BLM wants them to be.

1/10/2018

by Carol J. Walker, Director Of Field Documentation, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

I spent three weeks in September and October of 2017 observing the roundup and removal of 1968 wild horses from Great Divide Basin, Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek, three of the largest remaining Herd Management Areas in Wyoming and the country.

Great Divide Basin wild horses

Although the Environmental Assessment prepared by the BLM prior to the Roundup said that they would remove 1560 wild horses total from all three Herd Management Areas, they illegally proceeded to remove a total of 1968 wild horses, contending that the 408 captured and removed foals and yearlings “didn’t count.” Although the BLM’s own numbers showed that they would only be able to remove 1560 wild horses total without…

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A Bridge Of Shadow ~ An Anthology

By Natalie J. Case

Recently we finished up our second Creativia anthology.  Like the first one, all of the writers started with the same prompt, and had about four months to write.  This time around, their prompt was “The letter/email/missive/message was ominous, if a little vague in the details. “Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone.””

The finished product is an unusual mix of genres and subjects.  Each writer really set off on their own path from the prompt.  As usual, they are give a fair bit of leeway in interpreting the prompt as long as they kept the heart of it the same.

As a result, you’ll find colonial America, Victorian London and fantasy worlds alike.  There are love stories, cautionary tales, and fantasy.  You will find paranormal creatures like wendigos, vampires, Shades, sentient shadows or talking animals.

The six authors represented here took our prompt and each of them headed off in a different direction, and that right there is half the reason I do it!  I love the way creative minds work, and it is a thrill getting to edit (and contribute) to this collection.

Now available on Amazon in kindle and paperback formats, get your copy of A Bridge of Shadow today!

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