coalition urges congress to reject the "path forward" 10 years to aml plan for wild horses and burros

​Today, a broad coalition of stakeholders, organizations, and businesses sent a letter to the U.S. Congress in strong opposition to a dangerous and unworkable proposal that threatens our iconic American wild horses. The "Path Forward" 10 Years to AML proposal, a brainchild of The HSUS, ASPCA and Return to Freedom, working in concert with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and American Farm Bureau Federation, calls for the removal of at least 45,000 to 60,000 and potentially as many as 200,000 wild horses and burros from our federal lands over the next ten years, putting the horses at significant risk of slaughter and placing a burden on taxpayers for an outcome that is widely opposed by the public.

“This is terrible deal for wild horses. The unfunded 'plan' will put tens of thousands more wild horses in government holding, with their fate left to the whims of future appropriators,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director at the American Wild Horse Campaign. “Make no mistake: this could result in the eventual slaughter of tens of thousands of wild horses. The cattlemen’s lobby is the only winner, achieving the near extinction-level population of wild horses they have long sought."

"In its current form, this plan would be disastrous for our wild herds,” said Ginger Kathrens, founder and executive director of The Cloud Foundation. “It provides for no meaningful accountability on the part of BLM to implement humane and reversible fertility control measures. This plan gives BLM the mandate it has always wanted to round up more than 50,000 of our wild horses, doubling the number in off-range holding at enormous cost to the American taxpayer. We fear that unless funds are allocated to support those horses in holding for the rest of their natural lives, we will eventually see them sold killed in slaughterhouses. Meanwhile, our wild herds will be even more decimated, suffering deterioration in health due to poor genetic variability. Bottom line, wild horses and burros will eventually disappear from the West altogether. We suspect this is exactly what some of the stakeholders presenting this plan want."
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Rounding up horses and burros is a highly stressful and dangerous experience for these animals. Injuries and deaths are not uncommon, and many horses will be separated from their families. The plan places wild horses and burros at significant risk of slaughter. The proposal significantly increases the number of captive horses at federally run and financed facilities and will create a future fiscal crisis. If history repeats itself, this increase will provoke pro-slaughter lawmakers to call for mass slaughter and euthanasia as a matter of fiscal responsibility.    

As a humane and responsible alternative, stakeholders are instead calling for a step up in BLM-conducted fertility control programs, which allows horses to be managed humanely on the range. Proposed by U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), fertility control will eliminate the need for mass roundups and removals and spare taxpayers the need to finance long-term care, feeding, and leasing of land. 

Nearly 50 signors, including wild horse advocacy organizations, horse rescues, animal protection organizations, and horse-related businesses across the nation have banded together to defeat this egregious measure, urging legislators to reject the dangerous proposal:

​American Horse Rescue Network
American Wild Horse Campaign
Animals Association
Caroline Christy Photography
Center for a Humane Economy
Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition
Coloradans Against Horse Slaughter
Country Excursions
Equine Collaborative International
Ever After Mustang Rescue
Fly North Adventures
Freedom Reigns
Hanaeleh
​Hearts of Horse Haven

Horses For Life Foundation
In Defense of Animals
Jicarilla Mustang Heritage Alliance
JT’s Wildlife Photography
Kickin’ Back Ranch
Kimerlee Curyl Fine Art
Lara Joy Brynildssen Photography
Least Resistance Training Concepts
Lockwood Animal Rescue Center
Lynne Pomeranz Photography
Maine State Society for the Protection of
Mobilization for Animals
Montgomery Creek Ranch
My Dream Photography 
Pity Not Cruelty Foundation

PJ Kasas Photography
Placitas Wild
Safe Food Safe Horses
Salt River Wild Horse Management 
Skydog Sanctuary
Spirit of the Wild Horse
The Cloud Foundation
TheSoulofaHorse.com
Virginia Range Wildlife Protection
Virginia Wild Horse Rescue
Vista Caballo
Wild Equid League of Colorado
Wild Horse Photography Collective
Wild Horse Preservation League
Wild Horse Tourist
Wild Horses Carry Me Away Tours
Wind Dancer Foundation

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