2018 Spruce-Pequop Emergency Wild Horse Gather
This gather is complete.
The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin an emergency wild horse water gather on or about August 23, from the Boone Spring area, located in the Spruce-Pequop Herd Management Area (HMA), as there is not enough water and forage to support the number of horses in the area. The gather will be conducted using the bait and water trap method; no helicopters will be used. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 300 excess wild horses. An additional 70 horses were approved to be gathered due to large groups of horses with poor body condition due to lack of forage.
Details of Gather
The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District, Wells Field Office will begin an emergency wild horse water gather on or about August 23, from the Boone Spring area, located in the Spruce-Pequop Herd Management Area (HMA), as there is not enough water and forage to support the number of horses in the area. The gather will be conducted using the bait and water trap method; no helicopters will be used. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 300 excess wild horses.
The Boone Spring area within the Spruce-Pequop HMA is not capable of sustaining the excess wild horses which rely on this water source. Boone Spring currently has minimal to nearly nonexistent water, which cannot sustain the more than 300 wild horses that have been observed on a regular basis waiting for water at this location. The area is remote and the roads are not passable for a water tender.
Public Observation
The BLM will conduct this operation by using temporary water and bait traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water and hay; no helicopters will be used. Because of the nature of the bait and water trap method, wild horses are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.
Adoption Information
The horses identified for removal will be transported to the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Fallon, Nev., where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program. For information on how to adopt a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
Background
The Spruce-Pequop HMA is 138,000 acres in size and the area around Boone Spring is located in the South portion of the Spruce-Pequop HMA. The current population estimate for the Spruce-Pequop HMA is 1,523 and the Appropriate Management Level (AML) is 57-82 wild horses. The Spruce-Pequop HMA has very limited naturally occurring water sources. Additionally, there very little forage available to support the excess wild horses.
The Boone Spring area within the Spruce-Pequop HMA is not capable of sustaining the excess wild horses which rely on this water source. Boone Spring currently has minimal to nearly nonexistent water, which cannot sustain the more than 300 wild horses that have been observed on a regular basis waiting for water at this location. The area is remote and the roads are not passable for a water tender.
Gather Reports
September 8, 2018
Summary: Continued sunny and high near 90 with some haze from smoke. No horses were gathered today and 31 horses were shipped. The gather is complete.
Animals gathered: 0
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 31 (Studs 11, Mares 20)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
September 8, 2018
Summary: Continued sunny and high near 90 with some haze from smoke. No horses were gathered today and 46 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 0
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 2
4-month-old, chestnut, foal, BCS 2.0, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, (blindness).
7- year old, bay, mare, BCS 2.0, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, emaciation and severe weakness.
September 7, 2018
Summary: Continued sunny and high near 90. Horses were gathered today and no horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 37 (Studs 8, Mares 19, Foals 10)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
September 6, 2018
Summary: Continued sunny and high near 88. Horses were gathered today and 31 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 56 (Studs 19, Mares 24, Foals 13)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 31 (Studs 31)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
September 5, 2018
Summary: Sunny and high near 88. Horses were gathered today and 44 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 47 (Studs 13, Mares 21, Foals 13)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 44 (Mares 24, Foals 20)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
September 4, 2018
Summary: Sunny and high near 88. No horses were gathered today, one foal born at temporary holding facility and 29 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 1 (Foal 1) One foal born at the temporary holding facility
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 29 (Mares 29)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
September 3, 2018
Summary: Sunny and high near 88. No horses were gathered today and 32 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 0
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 32 (Studs 32)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 1
15-year old, pinto, stud, BCS 3.0, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, (blindness).
September 2, 2018
Summary: Sunnyand high near 88. Horses were gathered today and 35 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 35 (Studs 14, Mares 23, Foals 6)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 35 (Studs 12, Mares 23 )
Acute: 1
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
7-year old, grey, stud, BCS 3.0, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a broken leg.
Notes: Five geldings have been gathered and shipped to Fallon to be turned over to State of Nevada as estray animals.
The geldings are included as studs in the count above.
September 1, 2018
Summary: Wide spread haze and 90. Horses were gathered today and 41 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 53 (Studs 12, Mares 28, Foals 13)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
9/1/2018; second leppy foal placed into foster care
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 29 (Studs 29)
Acute: 1
Chronic/Pre-existing: 1
4-year old, pinto, mare, BCS 2.0, died after hitting a panel, apparently braking her neck.
20+ year old, bay, mare, BCS 1.5, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, emaciation and extreme tooth wear.
August 31, 2018
Summary: Sunny, high near 89. Horses were gathered today and 29 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 40 (Studs 13, Mares 22, Foals 5)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 29 (Studs 29)
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
August 30, 2018
Summary: Sunny, high near 89. Horses were gathered today and 39 horses were shipped.
Animals gathered: 47 (Studs 16, Mares 15, Foals 16)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 42 (Mares 26, Foals 16)
Correction on shipping numbers.
8/30/2018; One leppy foal placed in foster care
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 3
9-year-old, roan, stallion, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, (blindness).
5-year-old, sorrel, mare, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, (blindness).
7-year-old, bay, mare, was humanely euthanized due to a hopeless prognosis for recovery due to a pre-existing condition, (blindness).
August 29, 2018
Summary: Sunny, high near 90. No horses shipped today.
Animals gathered: 28 (Studs 9, Mares 9, Foals 10)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 0
Total Deaths Today: 0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0
August 28, 2018
Summary: Widespread smoke at the gather site. No horses shipped today.
Animals gathered: 27 (Studs 4, Mares 18, Foals 8)
Note: The foal count includes all horses under 12 months of age.
Mares treated with fertility control: 0
Animals shipped: 0
Total Deaths Today: 0
Acute: 0
Chronic/Pre-existing: 0