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NEW EPISODE!

Sundown,
A mustangs Journey

Welcome! I'm excited to share my journey with Sundown, a mustang I adopted from the Bureau Land Management (BLM). He'll be coming home on January 25th, 2025, and I can't wait to document our adventures together. Join us as we explore the beautiful bond between humans and horse, showing how amazing these mustangs truly can be!

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Sundown's Roundup

Roundup Date: January 19, 2024
Location: 50 miles South of Battle Mountain, NV

off of HWY 104
Weather Conditions:
28°F–45°F
Mostly Sunny
 

Summary:
Observation was much closer at the new trap site today, located 1/4 mile from the trap. The wings and horses coming into the wings are visible, however the main part of the trap was obscured by topography and sagebrush. As was also the case yesterday, BLM’s CAWP (Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program) team was onsite. Operations were active, bringing in multiple runs of horses. Several horses separated from larger groups, including 1 colt, who was roped, and 3 horses that ran through the jute fabric of the trap wings.
 

Total Captured Today:
110 (32 stallions, 54 mares, 24 foals)

BLM euthanized 1 horse for a pre-existing condition:
17-year old roan stallion – broken left, front knee
 

Observations and Events:
6:30 AM: Met BLM personnel at the Battle Mountain office and caravanned approximately 45 miles South of Battle Mountain
The alley of the trap in in clear view, but the trap itself is in a culvert and obscured by sagebrush
8:00 AM: The first run, of approximately 15 horses
- 3 horses run through the trap jutes (Sundown is among them, see video)
- After trapping the other horses, the pilot successfully navigates the remaining 3 into the trap.

8:30 AM: Run 2 of approximately 7 horses
9:30 AM: Run 3 with approximately 17 horses
- A colt gets separated from the group as they head towards the trap (see video)
- The pilot goes back for the colt after the other horses are successfully captured
- The colt’s breath is visible in the cold air
- The helicopter flies above the colt, but the colt does not move
- A wrangler on foot runs out to the colt and waves their hands to attempt to get the colt to move
- Two additional wranglers on horseback arrive and rope the colt
- The colt bucks and tries to escape
- During the roping of the colt, the Judas horse (a domestic horse let loose in front of wild horses to lead them into the trap) gets loose (see photo)
The pilot brings in a few more horses along with 2 that had broken off from the group of trapped horses
11:00 AM: Helicopter refuels
12:40 AM: Pilot brought in another group of ~12 horses
- 5 horses split from this group, and the pilot went back to push them into the trap as well
12:53 PM: Another group of around 8 horses are brought in
1:40 PM: A large group is brought into the trap
The helicopter refuels again
2:30 PM: The last 4 horses of the day are brought in
3:30 PM: Operations end for the day
BLM reports indicate body scores ranged from 3 to 5

Roundup Video1 : https://youtu.be/2geouBfx_Kw 
Roundup Video 2: https://youtu.be/xagCycbZ1QI 

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All images and information is sourced from the BLM's Online Corral, American Wild Horse Conservation.

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