Smoke

Smoke is a dark McCullough Peaks beauty. For ten years, she was the lead mare in Las Vegas’ band on their Wyoming range. While the band stallion focuses on protecting his mares and foals from competitors and predators, the lead mare makes the decisions of day-to-day actions: when and where to rest, graze, shelter from the elements, and go to water.  When fleeing danger, she runs at the head, while the stallion brings up the rear. While the stallion is fighting battles, she brings a steadfast security that is calming for the herd. So it was nothing less than devastating when the BLM rounded up both Smoke and Las Vegas in March 2024.

In describing the roundup aftermath for the horses remaining in the wild, an authoritative McCullough Peaks photographer, Sandy Sisti (@sandysisti), wrote: “Las Vegas’ long time mares, Oakley, Cactus Cate, Sonoma and Sonoma and Las Vegas’ 2-year-old filly, Sable, have been quite agitated and don’t appear to be adjusting well to the absence of their band stallion and lead mare, Smoke.” These losses were amplified for Smoke and Las Vegas who lost their freedom and homeland, in addition to losing their family.

The McCullough Peaks roundup in Wyoming over the winter 2023-24 clearly demonstrated the complete absence of any justification for wild horse removals. This herd is famous. People travel from abroad to see them, attracting tourists to Wyoming. They are photographed extensively and have huge followings on social media, where photographers offer almost daily updates on their lives. We know their families, backgrounds, victories and setbacks. We’ve celebrated the birth of foals and watched them grow to adulthood, mourned the passing of elders, whom we’ve followed for decades. To the public, they are dearly loved horses and a national treasure.

The BLM touted this herd as a success of PZP darting for population control. Volunteers not only helped the BLM identify and dart the horses, they paid for and supplied the vaccines (regardless of the $11 million in the BLM’s budget for PZP programs). The foaling rate was brought down to 2%, which would have made the bureau proud if population control was really the objective. It isn’t. Even though the law states that wild horse herd management areas (HMA) are to be managed primarily for the use of wild horses, the BLM manages McCullough Peaks primarily for the use of the Rocksprings Grazing Association’s commercial cattle and sheep.

There were egregious violations of the BLM’s own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) Guidelines. They separated nursing foals from their mothers. Another motivation for this bait-and-trap roundup was the money the BLM stood to make off famous horses, like Thora. This nursing foal, the spitting image of her world-renowned father, the stallion Thor, sold for $60,000. Rather than prioritize placing these horses in excellent homes, the BLM only cared about making a profit. In doing so, they drained funds from good homes and sanctuaries for the life-long care of these federally-protected animals.

There was so much noise around this roundup and auction, it was hard to hear. We knew if we were going to help, it would be to assist the older, bonded, or special needs mustangs. Many people who knew Las Vegas in the wild, were desperately concerned for his safety. He was 15 years old and known for never backing down from anyone or anything. There were reports he was aggressive in the trap. It was widely believed that he was a horse who urgently needed sanctuary.

Whenever possible, we rescue mustangs with members of their family and we were so happy to be able to take Smoke with Las Vegas. For the Love of Aria Mustang Sanctuary raised funds to help sanctuaries and private owners win the bids on the captured McCullough Peaks horses in the BLM’s online auction. Skydog did not accept any of that money so that there would be more to help other good adopters.

After giving them some time to settle in, rest, and recover in Oregon, we brought these two back together. Las Vegas stopped in his tracks when he heard Smoke nicker.  She followed the sound of his voice, calling to him as she worked her way from the barn to the open gate. Then she ran to him to begin what feels like an equine ritual dance after separation. They circled each other. Then, nose to nose, they stopped to take in one another’s scent. Then they ran again, repeating these steps over and over. Smoke used all her senses to know that this was really her Las Vegas, stopping periodically to snort disapproval of the humans who were filming their reunion at a distance. Tears of joy were streaming down Clare’s cheeks as they always do when she has the honor of restoring freedom and family to mustangs.

#skydogsmoke

Mustangs and burros need your help 

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.