Advocates outraged over video showing wild horse being kicked in head during BLM roundup

By Joe Moeller , Christian Hudspeth

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    NEVADA (KTNV) — Wild horse advocates in the Silver State are pointing to new video as evidence of cruel practices from the Bureau of Land Management.

American Wild Horse Conservation, which published the video on its website and social media pages Tuesday night, says it filed a formal notice of abuse against the Bureau of Land Management.

The video, which the organization titled “Wrangler Kicks Exhausted Horse in Head,” was taken during a wild horse and burro roundup in Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex northeast of Reno. It shows a a downed wild horse being kicked in the head. American Wild Horse Conservation identified the man shown on video kicking the horse as a BLM contractor.

Nevada is home to the largest wild horse and burro population in the country, putting the Silver State at the forefront of conversations around humane population management. Nevada residents who oppose the tactics employed by BLM in these roundups point to videos like this as continued evidence for reform.

“Whether you support roundups or not is immaterial,” said Scott Wilson, who is director of strategy and awareness for AWHC. “This is about a code of conduct and an animal’s right to fair treatment. Even the bureau should be appalled by this.”

Wilson spoke to Channel 13 anchor Joe Moeller in response to the video, which AWHC claims is in violation of federal law and BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program standards. The organization is calling for an immediate investigation.

In addition to violating the BLM’s own standards, American Wild Horse Conservation claims the video is evidence of criminal conduct under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

Channel 13 has reached out to BLM for comment.

According to the AWHC, 39 horses have died as part BLM’s Blue Wing Complex summer roundup operation — a number corroborated by the BLM.

“Blue Wing has the highest death rate of any roundup this year,” said Wilson. “They’ve had 39 deaths in under a month. I think at that high level, the agency’s kind of lost sight of its protection mandate and clearly lost control of this operation.”

Of those 39 horses, BLM said nine have died from “sudden or acute” causes, and 30 died from pre-existing, chronic conditions. AWHC went further, saying of the 39 deaths:

– Some died from traumatic injuries like broken necks and blunt-force trauma. – Three died in trailers in transit from the roundup sites to holding corrals. – The remainder died from euthanasia for conditions like arthritis and clubbed feet.

Wild horse advocates have made recent progress in their effort to pursue legal action against the BLM — including a favorable ruling in U.S. District Court — but they’re pushing for the federal agency to adopt more humane wild horse population control measures.

They’ve pointed to potential solutions like fertility control darts as an alternative to the BLM’s roundups, which the agency argues are necessary to maintain ecological balance on public lands and protect threatened or endangered wildlife species like the desert tortoise.

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