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Re: [RC] BLM Sponsorship - Karen SullivanSorry Randy, While I think it's great to have a good working relationship with BLM (I have done clean up and work days with them, as well as given imput on horse inclusion into BLM areas and trail improvment).......this idea of the horse adoption is one of the worst I have heard. The one in my town last February was an embarassment....horses given to clueless folks with clearly inadequate facilities, horses arriving crammed into huge livestock trailers, many coming off the rigs hurt,and worst thing, all exposed to strangles (BLM knew about this, as it was at the holding facility ) and spread it around my county. If your idea below goes through, how in the heck is BLM going to inspect facilities from people who have hauled to an endurance ride? From information from a gal who had been involved with their adoption programs many years I learned the following. There are too many horses. We all know that,and they are a problem. But by the time these horses are rounded up, transported to holding facilities, fed for months, transported again to adoption fairs, vaccinated, medicated, etc, the cost must be in the thousands per horse. Yet BLM was unwilling to consider alternatives, such as sterilization, as they already had the whole adoption program set up. I know there are some glowing successes, but I wonder, for the small number of BLM mustangs that are adopted by knowlegeable horse people and have productive lives, how mamy more are adopted by people drawn by the advertisement of a cheap horse, and never do get gentled to the point of being able to get feet trimmed, shots, etc. There are three up the road from me that went to totally clueless people who had never had horses, crammed into too small an area, all wearing halters and dragging ropes for months, not fed enough...and NO SHELTER. There were so many violations of BLM policy it was not funny, and BLM was aware of it. In my opinion, some of these horses are better off enthanized than going into some of the homes where they live lives of total neglect. This whole horse adoption thing is too much like giving away puppies and kittens in front of K Mart. And remember the BLM adoption last spring where adopting mustangs were likened to getting Easter Chicks? If someone is seroius about taking on a project such as a wild horse, it SHOULD require some effort on their part,and they must be held accountable to have proper facilities. In addition, it SHOULD be mandatory that they show some proof of prior horse ownership and ability. Endurance riders that are seroius adopting a mustang will be able to figure out how to do an internet adoption or go to a holding facility. Dragging these poor horses around the country again sounds like an inhumane thing to me...... And feel free to share my opinions with Debbie Collins. I made my thoughts more than clear to our local BLM office regarding the 3 poor yearlings up the road from me. The owner was never made to comply. The fencing and lack of shelter is attrocious. It's only a matter of time before the ungelded colt is out in the neighborhood looking for the ladies. Why isn't he gelded yet? Owner can't handle him, can't get him in a trailer to go to the vet. I'll tell you another thing. The local vets and farriers were NOT happy about this! They are the ones who are going to get HURT, trying to deal with some these wild horses, as the owners are not able to gentle them. The adoption idea in itself is not a bad idea. But these horses need to go to serious, experienced horse people, not the general public. Karen Sullivan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Randy H Eiland" <renegade12@xxxxxxxx> To: <AERCMembersForum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; <AERC_Ride_Managers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <AERC_BoD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <DR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <SWDRA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 8:40 PM Subject: [RC] BLM Sponsorship AERC and the BLM have finalized the Sponsorship Agreement - The BLM needs a list of 10 Ride Managers who have well attended endurance rides and would like to have a BLM Wild Horse Adoption as part of their ride event. The adoption event will be a positive addition to the endurance ride and can take place on the day before or after the ride, or whenever the Ride Manager believes it will work best.. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested and I will forward your name and location to Debbie Collins, BLM Wild Horse and Burro Marketing Specialist. Debbie is a big supporter of endurance and AERC - she and I have worked many hours to bring the BLM Sponsorship to a reality. I think the new relationship between AERC and the BLM will have long term benefit for AERC on issues concerning equine use on federal lands. Remember, the BLM-AERC Wild Horse Raffle is now open for business - Tickets are 7 for $5.00 and can be purchased from the AERC Office. The Winning Ticket will be drawn at the AERC National Awards Banquet in Reno in February. The Winner can adopt their BLM Wild Horse from any BLM Adoption Center of their choice. You do not have to be an AERC Member to purchase tickets or win the raffle (although we would love for you to join AERC using the Sundowner Trailers, Inc Discount - Sundowner Trailers will pay 25% of your first years dues if you are a new member) Randy Eiland SW Region Director =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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