Guestbook

Constance Anderson
May 20, 2011

The video to Oprah was well done...heart-wrenching. Organizing a benefit star-studded concert, say perhaps near the round up sites (is Sting available?); we also need a Julia Butterfly; we also need a video to do a comparative analysis to Hitler and the Nazi concentration camps (the methods of round-up and holding and treatment looks identical to me--the horses look like holocaust victims--)and perhaps round up of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears perhaps. Rename BLM to Bureau of Livestock Mortality.

Sue Krizman
May 20, 2011

Thank you for your tireless work on behalf of these amazing horses!

Michael and Lynda Young
May 19, 2011

Outstanding! Keep pushing ahead and the rest will follow.

128000883389
May 19, 2011

Many years ago I witnessed first hand the atrocities of a BLM wild horse adoption sale. The handling of the horses was so brutal that I had to leave the facility. Since that time my heart has been with the poor, unfortunate horses and burros whose fate has left them in the hands of the BLM. I feel now they may have a chance to change that fate and once again live in freedom. I fully support the mission of Saving America's Mustangs

Jan Pratt
May 18, 2011

There are no words to describe how beautiful these horses are. It is sad that we as humans take away all the things that nature should be. How sad most wild animals have to live out their lives not knowing true freedom. Ideally these animals should run free and we should let them be. As with any wild animal.

Elise Rothman d'Hauthuille
May 18, 2011

I don't understand how something like this continues...Are horse loving foundations and associations aware of this abuse? Why is it so difficult to stop it? Sorry these may be stupid/ignorant questions but maybe someone can answer them anyway? Elise Rothman d'Hauthuille Grantwriter - Equine Assisted Therapy Programs

Barbara Matthews
May 18, 2011

Thank you God for you and other friends I have trying to save these magnificant animals.

130517149241
May 11, 2011

Truth teller. These horses that are being gathered up are not on private land. They are on federal land that is being leased for a approximately $1.25 per head of cattle for each year. Let's have the ranchers pay a fair rate. The budget for the wild horse and burro program for the coming year is 75.7 million dollars. There is also an additional 42.5 million dollars set aside to purchase the land for one wild horse preserve. End the round-ups and transport of horses to pens in the mid-west. These magnificent animals are being abused for no reason other than federally subsidized ranchers want them off of the land!

Gary Cooper
Apr 29, 2011

Sorry I missed Ms Pickens in Dallas on the 29th at 10:00am. I'd been planning that for weeks, however was in the hospital on 28th & didn't out till 5:45 on the 29th. So I did the next best thing. I shipped what I was going to give Ms Pickens. I think could send may supports to the cause. just google G. Wayne Cooper. Thank you for all you do. Gary (the runner in Texas)

Karen S. Freebersyser
Apr 28, 2011

Thank you for all you are doing to help the American wild horse and burros. I applaud your efforts, and wish you the best in your efforts to create a sanctuary. These animals deserve better than being forced to live a miserable existence in the holding pens, or being sent to slaughter. I hope all the western states will follow your example and set up sanctuaries to preserve this very endearing part of American history. These round-ups must stop! This is nothing more than taxpayer funded animal abuse. I love horses and have never seen them in the wild. I look forward to visiting your eco-sanctuary to see these magnificent creatures in their natural existence. Again, thank you for your efforts to save the American wild horse and burros from extinction.You are awesome!

Maureen Barrett
Apr 22, 2011

I fully support this wonderful effort to save our wild horses and burros. I would like to suggest drumming up more interest in the state of Wyoming also. We have several small herds in the Superior-Rock Springs area alone that are now under the threat of round up and I know of two mares on Hwy. 371 to Superior that have new, very small and fragile foals. I love these horses and have named these mares Sugarfoot and Pepper. It would break my heart to see these foals die like has happened already to these two devoted mothers two years in a row now. I stand with you Ms. Pickens.

Michelle Ferchalk
Apr 18, 2011

I love these horses! When I was a little girl I dream of running with them! Silly I know but I have got to see them up close last year and ran the fastest I could to stay with them! Thank you for helping these fine animals!!

Carolyn L. Krall
Apr 17, 2011

I'd like to help in whatever way I can, to save the mustangs for my children and grandchildren. Please keep up the good work and let us know how we can support your work.

130279930682
Apr 14, 2011

Thank you for being the caring compassionate people you are.

donna
Apr 05, 2011

Keep up the great work...hope you are able to reach your goal!

Bruce Burdick S.r.
Apr 05, 2011

I have Miniature Horses, but would like to see their larger counter parts preserved as part of our Horse Heritage. In the Horse world we all know what they represent, and what we all learn from them.

Joanna Schultz
Mar 30, 2011

what a waste of out tax dollars, gathering up wild horses, our government is wasting so much money on silly stuff, and then they raise our taxes too, this outrageous. leave the horses alone, can't man just leave some of Gods animals alone!!!!!!!

Ali
Mar 29, 2011

we need to get up of are buts and stand up for them if we just sit around like nothing is going on they are just going to disapear like all the other animals that happened to so if i were you i would get off my but and save them because i dont want to see them dispear forever because that would be ashamed to let that happen to them and this is only coming from a 12 turning 13 sixthgrader.

129950806678
Mar 26, 2011

Love the work you do. Thanks for it. Wish I could be a part of it and do more. I keep writing and hope that at some pont this will help. A drop on a hot stone but if there are many drops.... hope the sanctuary will be opened soon. Take care and thanks to all of the mustang lovers!

Deborah Parks
Mar 13, 2011

I am glad to see this issue brought to attention!!!

Liesje Marie
Mar 09, 2011

my parents rescued an American Quarter Horse which I had all thru my childhood, "HONDO" my truly best friend...and my heart aches reading this info and having recently visited Carson City, Nevada I was informed thousands of wild horses are auctioned near there every January for rescue. This cause and all of its participants have my deepest respect! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS, KEEP UP THE WONDERFUL WORK.

Tiffany Ann Campbell-Cornwell
Mar 09, 2011

GOD BLESS YOU and all who are assisting you.I was just saying the other day on facebook that we should save their natural lands and fence them in thier natural land since farmers and government want to take this land away for cattle and big companies. Why is it that we are willing to do more for animals that should never be domesticated than we do for these horses/burros. If only you could make sure that you were able to rescue those used in Cheyenne and other places for their stupid "wild horse races"

Kristian and Elizabeth Kuhn
Mar 08, 2011

Dear Madeline, Thanks so much for all you fine work. Betsy and I currently have 8 Horses,5 of which are Mustang adoptions. The rest are Rescues.

Mary Semerak
Mar 03, 2011

Im glad after reading to see that birth control is the goal to stop the senseless out of control management of the herds and to maintain a legacy that will ensure they will be cared for until they die in a humane manner ,by nature or natural causes.Bless you for taking on this cause!they deserve to be wild and untamed where they belong on the land, and having future generations in mind and caring until the end for the American Mustang.They deserve this the American West was won along time ago and their are enough horse breeders in the US letting horses starve to death in their backyards i see it on the news everyday,Im hoping for an American registry that will require quality in all the herds in the US ,instead of at the hands of inexperienced people without a clue on quality and adding to the already out of control american horse populations.Bottom line we need smarter horse owners and less breeding in America.

Wild Horses
Mar 01, 2011

FACT SHEET FOR SPRUCE RANCH Madeleine Pickens has purchased the first property to launch an eco-sanctuary for wild horses in Elko County, Nevada. The ranch is located approximately 35 miles south of Wells, NV on Highway 93, a main north south travel artery and within 35 miles of Interstate 80. THE PROPERTY: The ranch encompasses nearly 600,000 acres of deeded and public land allotments. It is watered by 26 wells and 17 springs. Spruce Mountain rises over 10,000 feet in the center of the ranch and the ranch is flanked by two valleys rich in feed, the Independence Valley to the West and the Goshute Valley to the East. While there is ample feed on the public land allotments for summer months, forage production for the winter months and times of inclement weather conditions will be a key part of the final proposal. Mrs. Pickens now has another piece of property under contract, the Warm Springs Ranch, a parcel of land that includes 4,000 deeded acres and 22,000 public land acres. This property will serve as the entrance to the sanctuary and the deeded land includes a number of center pivots that will provide forage production for winter months. THE STARTUP PLAN FOR THE SANCTUARY: In our numerous discussions with the BLM, they indicated concerns about trying to take too many horses in the initial startup phase. Therefore, the initial startup will include 1,000 horses taken from existing short term holding facilities. It should be noted , however, that the ranch can be quickly improved and expanded to increase the number of horses annually with the eventual intent to take as many as 11,000 horses, the total number currently in short term holding. As previously noted, the ranch will be entirely fenced, precluding spillover to surrounding ranches, and the entire horse population will be non-reproductive. It should be the goal of the BLM and Congress to work with the Foundation to help expand the capacity of the ranch to increase the savings to the taxpayer and decrease the problems associated with excess wild horses currently in holding. THE FINANCIALS: The BLM is spending an average of $5.75 per day per horse in current short term holding facilities. The sanctuary will take those same horses for $1.25 per day per horse, thereby saving $4.50 per day per horse. Those savings equate to $1,654,000 per year for every 1000 horses that can be accommodated at the sanctuary. That figure does not include cost of living increases incurred by the government holding the horses. It should be pointed out that the BLM currently pays $1.25 per day on average for ALL the horses in long term holding. Equally important, when looking at the $1.25 per day per horse figure, is the fact that the Foundation that operates the sanctuary will reinvest 100% of the stipend received from the government back into the project. This stands in stark contrast to the current arrangements whereby private contractors capture as much of the government money as possible as profit. Reinvesting the money benefits the horses and provides the public with a unique experience as they visit this national monument. It should also be pointed out that Madeleine Pickens has purchased the land with private funds and will deed it over to the Foundation in perpetuity for the purposes of a national eco sanctuary for wild horses. This again stands in stark contrast to the proposal by the Secretary to use taxpayer money to purchase land for “preserves.” The BLM has not gotten a handle on the excess wild horse problem over the years and the numbers have continued to mount while they have pursued a strategy of gather, gather, gather. This failure to look at the larger picture has resulted in administrative costs for various holding programs of millions and million of dollars. It is time to move in a different direction. SUMMARY: This proposal provides the only real alternative to the current method of holding horses, standing them in pens for what often proves to be years. It saves the government and taxpayer money, provides an experience for the American people where they can come and see wild horses in a location that will offer a full range of amenities, including a high tech learning center and a wide range of recreational opportunities that will cater to the needs and interests of everyone who visits. It will generate significant tax revenues for local government, provide jobs and other revenues associated with tourist travel.