Hog Creek HMA, Day Two: 50 horses captured

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Wild horses being driven towards trap at the Salt Wells Creek HMA in Wyoming during September 2017. RTF file photo by Steve Paige.

 

The Bureau of Land Management captured  50 wild horses on Tuesday, Jan. 30,  during the final day of a two-day helicopter drive trapping at the Hog Creek HMA near Harper, Oregon. No horses were captured the previous day, according to the BLM.

The 50 horses captured included 25 mares, 24 studs, and one foal. The 21,814-acre Hog Creek HMA, located in northern Malheur County, has a BLM-assigned Appropriate Management Level of 30-50 wild horses. Before the capture, the total wild horse population was 66, according to the BLM.

The agency plans to release 25 of the captured horses back to the HMA in order to “maintain a diverse age structure and ratio.”  Approximately 15 of the horses released back into the HMA will be mares that are 2-years of age or older and will have been treated with PZP fertility treatment.

As of now, all 50 animals have been shipped to the Wild Horse Corrals in Burns, Oregon. The horses selected for permanent removal will be prepared for adoption at this location.

You can help:

Please consider a contribution to the Wild Horse Defense Fund, which makes it possible for Return to Freedom to have humane observers on the ground at roundups. Having an active voice has proven valuable for holding BLM and contractors accountable for the humane handling of wild horses, pressing for improvements to humane standards, and educating policymakers and the public about how tax dollars are being used.