The following opinion piece is a community submission and doesn’t reflect the opinion of TRN Media, which encompasses SweetwaterNOW and The Radio Network.
Submitted by Dave Yakovich
As a resident of Rock Springs for six decades, I’ve explored our majestic mountains and passionately photographed wild horses. On July 10th, I joined a peaceful rally in Rock Springs as soon as I learned of it. The event was held to oppose the BLM’s upcoming wild horse roundups and to express the community’s concerns about the BLM’s mistreatment of these animals.
The BLM plans to round up over 3,000 horses, intending to zero out herds from Salt Wells Creek and the Great Divide Basin. The roundups began in Adobe Town on July 15. However, a ruling by the 10th Circuit Court on the same day favored wild horse advocates, sending the case back to the district court for further review. As a result, the BLM cannot currently zero out herds from these areas.
One of the main demands from the rally was to make the BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program enforceable. Although the BLM drafted this policy in 2015, it did not complete the final step through the formal rule-making process, which is needed to impose penalties for violations by BLM staff and contractors. This oversight has led to documented cruelty, such as a horse brutally roped and kicked at Blue Wing, a colt with a broken leg at Pancake suffering during transport, collisions with barbed wire, excessive use of electric prods, and trampling of foals. Despite these incidents, there have been no legal consequences for those primarily in charge, and the BLM has avoided a public comment period on its current animal welfare policy.
The BLM must halt these roundups until their animal welfare policy is solidified and enforceable, ensuring legal accountability and humane treatment of the horses. The rally was an important step in pushing for these changes, and I am committed to supporting future efforts to protect our wild horses.
