What Happens At A Roundup?
Although American Mustangs are protected by law, people do not always treat them with the respect they deserve. Multiple times every year, Mustangs are 'rounded up' by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). These 'roundups' are far from what is typically believed; a cowboy throwing a lasso around a horse's neck is not even close to what happens to 21st century mustangs. Instead, the horses are chased by helicopters only feet above them down many miles of rugged mountain and desert terrain to a corral fenced in at 7 feet high. These corrals simply can't fit as many horses as they need to hold. Once inside, the Mustangs are packed in like sardines.
Mares and foals are seperated in a frenzied panic, stallions fight and kick out at eachother if one gets too close to a mare; but worst of all, horses get trampled. Because Mustangs have such a burning passion for freedom, some have tried (and succeeded) in clearing 7 foot high fences from a standstill to escape. Foals and older horses can't always make the journey down to the corral, and they either break down or break a limb. These horses are usually shot or left to die.
Statistics show a mustang herd of 190 is reduced to about 130-90 horses after a roundup. This does not include horses shot with infertility darts, or ones too ill or injured to survive the journey home. Those who do not return to the wild are hopefully adopted to be trained as riding horses, or put into BLM owned holding pens. Holding pens are larger corrals that simply hold the wild horses until they can be adopted. The BLM has to feed these horses, and pay to fix broken fences when Mustangs attempt escape. It is very costly, considering there are more horses in holding pens than are in the wild.
Why do roundups need to happen? Even though thousands of acres of public land was set aside for America's Mustangs, the cattle industry and neighboring ranches see Mustangs as pests who strip the land of grass that could be use to feed their animals. The economy in America is terrible, so the BLM sees the cattle owner's need to buy land as a good thing even though it is bad for the Mustangs. Ranch and farm owners next to Mustang reserves become furious when a Mustang wanders onto their property. Since Mustangs do not understand the 'invisible' boundaries between public lands and private, they eat privatley owned crops and grass. This causes the farmers to deeply encourage and support Mustangs to be captured and starved.
Click on the first photo below to begin a slideshow.
Mares and foals are seperated in a frenzied panic, stallions fight and kick out at eachother if one gets too close to a mare; but worst of all, horses get trampled. Because Mustangs have such a burning passion for freedom, some have tried (and succeeded) in clearing 7 foot high fences from a standstill to escape. Foals and older horses can't always make the journey down to the corral, and they either break down or break a limb. These horses are usually shot or left to die.
Statistics show a mustang herd of 190 is reduced to about 130-90 horses after a roundup. This does not include horses shot with infertility darts, or ones too ill or injured to survive the journey home. Those who do not return to the wild are hopefully adopted to be trained as riding horses, or put into BLM owned holding pens. Holding pens are larger corrals that simply hold the wild horses until they can be adopted. The BLM has to feed these horses, and pay to fix broken fences when Mustangs attempt escape. It is very costly, considering there are more horses in holding pens than are in the wild.
Why do roundups need to happen? Even though thousands of acres of public land was set aside for America's Mustangs, the cattle industry and neighboring ranches see Mustangs as pests who strip the land of grass that could be use to feed their animals. The economy in America is terrible, so the BLM sees the cattle owner's need to buy land as a good thing even though it is bad for the Mustangs. Ranch and farm owners next to Mustang reserves become furious when a Mustang wanders onto their property. Since Mustangs do not understand the 'invisible' boundaries between public lands and private, they eat privatley owned crops and grass. This causes the farmers to deeply encourage and support Mustangs to be captured and starved.
Click on the first photo below to begin a slideshow.
