“Cloud’s Image” – Pryor Mtns, MT
August 19, 2009
With the Pryor Mountain BLM gather looming at the beginning of September, I thought it appropriate to feature one of the many horses likely to lose its freedom if it proceeds as planned.
Young stud colt Image - 2008
This handsome little colt goes by the name of “Cloud’s Image” or “Image.” He is Cloud’s grandson – a yearling now. Carefree, happy, healthy and born wild, he has no idea how his family is about to be torn apart. Image will be absolutely terrorized and run down the mountain alongside all the other horses, chased for miles by a helicopter over rough and treacherous terrain. Hopefully, his young body will be able to withstand the distance and the stress he’ll be forced to endure. Hopefully, he won’t be one of the casualties (and there are always injuries and/or casualties with this method).
Cloud and his grandson, Image - 2008
Image and his dam Cloud Dancer who is also known as Damsel.
Image with Shadow who is also known as Hailstorm
Image plays with Ember who is also known as Incendia
Every one of these wild horses carries unique genetics that will likely be lost by the numbers of horses the BLM intends to remove. Taking the numbers so low will destroy their genetic viability. (Read Equine Geneticist, Dr. Gus Cothrens’ letter regarding genetic viability HERE).
The deadline for letters and comments to the Billings, Montana BLM office was today. I suppose we will have an answer about the future of these horses sometime soon. It’s clear the BLM is very determined to carry out this roundup. I pray for some type of intervention. My hope is that there will be a more positive outcome for these horses and all of the wild horses still scheduled to be gathered yet this year.
What can you do?
Sign the petition at the following link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/stop-the-massive-removal-of-cloud39s-wild-horse-herd
Contact your Senators and ask them to support S.1579, the Senate Version of the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (ROAM).
Contact Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, exsec@ios.doi.gov or 202-208-7351.
Contact President Obama, http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT
When writing, please be sure to mention that it’s not just the BLM managed wild horses that you care about – all of our wild horses need and deserve protection including the horses living on US Fish and Wildlife Service lands and National Parks Service lands.
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Pam Nickoles Photography 
August 19, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Please do not thin this herd any more!!! Protect our wild horses.
August 19, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Please protect our wild horses and not destroy them.
August 19, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Please leave our wild horses free so future generations can enjoy them.
August 19, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Please leave leave these horses and there place of freedom alone. There are very few “freedoms” left in this world. Let these horses have theirs!
August 19, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Jennifer, Sherri and Sandy – thanks for your comments. Please be sure to make your comments even more effective by signing the online petition at the following link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/stop-the-massive-removal-of-cloud39s-wild-horse-herd
Thanks!
August 19, 2009 at 5:05 PM
I am very ashamed of our government. What does this country stand for? Freedom. What do our wild horses represent? Freedom. Little by little this will no longer be a “free nation”, and I cannot even fathom this country without it’s free-roaming wild horses.
The question I continue to have is, if our government is “overloaded” with wild horses in government holding facilities (30,000+ and more than the wild numbers) and are thinking of covert euthanization of our wild horses bc they don’t know what else to do with them…. Then why are they still rounding up more of these animals to add to their “out of control” numbers??
Thank you Pam for highlighting these free-spirited individual lives of a tight-knit family. Hopefully with empathy more and more American’s will learn and understand this plight. Funny how the loss of wild horse freedoms, eerily parallels what is slowly and methodically happening with our country.
August 19, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Thank you Pam for supplying me with whom to contact, and be a voice for these horses. I hope everyone takes the time to follow these links and do what we can to help them, if we don’t contact officials, that WE ELECTED, what voice or chance do the horses have?
August 21, 2009 at 2:05 AM
what is so so sad about AMERICA..is that the bucks rules it..
there are more treasures than what money can buy..and the wild creatures are in that category
for GODS sake..let our beloved wild herds run free
if we can’t afford that ! we can’t afford to call ourselves AMERICANS !
mary ann kennedy
August 28, 2009 at 2:27 AM
11th Hour for Cloud’s Herd,
URGENT MESSAGE ABOUT THE PYRORS
Please act now to stop this unnecessary and cruel round up— the BLM still plans to move forward on September 1st
The Bureau of Land Management is rounding up and eliminating 12 herds (650 horses) off 1.4 million acres in Nevada right now– next they plan to destroy Cloud’s herd with a massive removal of 70 horses that would include OLDER HORSES and YOUNG FOALS.
Many of the horses you have come to love in the Cloud shows and will meet in the new Cloud show on October 25th will lose their families and their freedom next week. By zeroing out whole herds and reducing others to below genetic viability, the BLM is circumventing the will of Congress. The House just passed the Restoring of American Mustangs (ROAM) act and the Senate will review this bill (now S.1579) when they return from recess in September. Is BLM just trying to do as much irrevocable damage to America’s wild horses as they can before Congress can act?
This round up will start on September 1st unless we can stop it. Removing 70 horses will destroy this unique little Spanish herd, leaving them well below the bare minimum for genetic viability. The range is in great condition and the horses are healthy. This removal should be stopped. Please do all you can to help! Listen to Ginger Kathrens on Endangered Stream Live– a special edition show “Angels for Cloud”
National Call in Day for Cloud is Friday, August 28th — SPREAD THE WORD! Have your kids call in and write too– These horses need to be preserved for future generations and we must act NOW
1. Call/write/fax President Obama as often as you can—this herd is a national treasure and should not be wiped out by a government agency. Please flood the phone lines with calls! Phone: 202-456-1111 or 202-456-9000 Fax: 202-456-2461
E-mail Obama
2. Ask Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to stop this round up
Call: 202-208-3100
Write: feedback@ios.doi.gov
3. BLM Director Bob Abbey, tell him to halt this round up– he must reconsider his agency’s actions
Call: 202-208-3801
Fax: 202-208-5242
Robert_Abbey@blm.gov
4. Call and write your own Senators and Congress people- tell them that Montana is allowing the destruction of Cloud’s unique and historical wild horse herd. Politely express your outrage and ask them to help stop this round up. Find your state offices here
Listen to Ginger Kathrens NOW on “WFL Endangered Stream Live”
REMEMBER: National Cloud Call-In Day is FRIDAY, AUGUST 28th!
Thank you to everyone for signing the petition- we only need about 400 more signatures!