A small change that makes a BIG difference!

NMLB email notification alerts started.

The first colt of this year.  Check out that spiky mane!

Below is an example of an email notification alert.  This is an excellent pro-active tool, implemented by NMLB (Ray Baca/Troy Patterson) specifically for all concerned Alto residents.  This is due to our Rock Star petition and the many conversations with NMLB's Troy Patterson.  

 

NMLB email notification alert . . . this one came through yesterday (not here in our area):

The Following Notice Has Been Posted on the NMLB Website:

NOTICE:  Found one Brown Flaxen mane and tail gelding pony taken up from La Cienega Area. Picked up June 6th by Santa Fe Animal Control. If you have any info on this horse call Shane Faulkner @ (505)358-8433.
NOTICE EXPIRATION DATE: 08/04/2014
DOCUMENTS AND IMAGES:
La Cienaga Horses 002.jpg

A group effort and thanks to all for helping to forge a path for change!  

 

 Lynda Maire Blaney

WHOA! Wild Horses of Alto-Save the Herd!

saveherdalto@gmail.com

          

The Wild Horses of Alto, NM, Thanks YOU!

 We are overwhelmed by your support and overjoyed to hear from so many of you who grew up with the wild mustangs of Alto. So many of us live in harmony with our herd and take pleasure in their peaceful and majestic presence.

The sad news is, we have two more horses missing from the herd.

I know there is so much going on in your lives, but it just takes a minute to make a change. Please reach out to your community and distribute our petition to save the Wild Horses of Alto (WHOA!). What is life without something to fight for?


2247 supporters have signed our petition since it was developed and posted on change.org four days ago!  The goal is 5,000 supporters.

Herd Advocates:  Audrey Breeding, Bruna Campos, Lynda Blaney plus all of you!

This is so important. We need to respect and preserve our wild horse herd. Thanks a million!

Save the Alto Horse Herd petition

Hello!

I've started the petition "Sen. Heinrich, Rep. Pearce: STOP SENDING OUR MAGNIFICENT ALTO WILD HORSE HERD TO SLAUGHTER!" and need your help to get it off the ground.

Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/petitions/nm-livestock-board-lincoln-county-board-of-commissioners-stop-sending-our-magnificent-alto-wild-horse-herd-to-slaughter

Here's why it's important:

Rock Star making friends

Our venerable Alto horse herd has been in our backcountry for over 30 years. The herd numbers are approximately 12-14.  They are longstanding members of our community. One of the herd members, a gentle, inquisitive 3-year-old gelding we called Rock Star was picked up and hauled off to auction by the NM Livestock Board.  

Rock Star went to Southwest Livestock Auction, LLC, the largest kill facility in the southwest United States, with criminal charges for animal cruelty and other violations. They illegally funnel horses from all over the country. Our gelding sent here.  He was sold to a kill buyer in Mexico and slaughtered - suffering an inhumane, violent and needless death. 

By forcing the NM Livestock Board to revise their policy and protocol regarding our wild horse herd . . . 

• We can stop these horses going to disreputable kill auction and slaughtered. 
• Place our organization of New Mexico Board's required notification chain prior to a horse being hauled off by the District 20 Brand Inspector.  
• We will spread public awareness about the benefits and protocol of adopting one of these magnificent animals.

You can sign my petition by clicking here.  Please distribute to your friends & co-workers for signature. Visit our blog spot!

Thank you!

Lynda Maire Blaney

WHOA! Wild Horses of Alto-Save the Herd!

saveherdalto@gmail.com

Adopting a member of the Wild Horses of Alto herd

First off, per Troy Patterson, Area Supervisor, NM Livestock Board in Albuquerque, "...these horses fall under my jurisdiction". They are not State or Federal/BLM responsibility.

These horses are not protected by BLM.  BLM has two herd management territories in NM.  Farmington and Soccoro region.  BLM horses have freeze brands in the course of processing.  

This is what we know about the protocol of adopting horses from our Alto herd through the NM Livestock Board:
   

As they are considered estray, feral, horses from the Mescalero reservation: When the Brand Inspector has been called in to pick up one of the animals, an interested party has five (5) days from pick up date to contact the Brand Inspector.  

Lost/found livestock are no longer posted in Ruidoso local papers.  To determine if a horse has been picked up, the NM Livestock Board's website has to be monitored.  Go to nmlbonline.com or google search NM Livestock Board. Click on the left panel LOST/FOUND ESTRAY.  Monitor the Active Estray listing*.

After the mandatory five-day period has expired, you let the Brand Inspector know that you want to place a bid(s), in writing, on the animal(s).  The Livestock Board needs three (3) bids in writing.  If they only get one bid, the Livestock Board reverts to that one bid.

If you are a family of four people, each family member is not considered a separate bid - a family is considered 1 bid.  

Once the bid is awarded to the buyer, the buyer will receive a brand inspection and bill of sale.  That animal now belongs to the buyer, and is the buyer's responsibility. THEY CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THE HERD.

If they don't have any bids, that is when the horse(s) are sent to public auction and most likely go to a high-kill auction house.  That is what happened to Rock Star - he was sent to Southwest Livestock Auction, LLC in Los Lunas, NM.  He was sold for $300, but the Brand Inspector only made $42.59. 

The objective of our future petition would be to request the Brand Inspector contact a defined, appointed person or persons when he has captured a feral, estray horse from our Alto herd.  It is definitely doubtful he would do this, but worth the try to present pressure from the community he serves.

Regarding adopting foals directly from the herd, contact Bruna Campos directly at gilandbru@windstream.net or 575.808.2657

 *We are considering re-contacting Troy Patterson about the Brand Inspector being a bit more descriptive in his postings. Currently, they are extremely broad range and difficult to determine where the animal was found, characteristics of animal, etc. 

NM Livestock Board-District 20

Troy Patterson-Area Supervisor:  505.250.5956

Don Hatfield, Brand Inspector:  575.649.2758

Rock Star

On May 21, 2014, our beloved Rock Star, was auctioned off and sent to slaughter.

The hundreds of people who loved him, the people who delighted in his daily visits, the multitudes of people who tried to track his disappearance with the hope of getting him back...we are devastated and can not come to terms with his end.

Rock Start was 3 years old, halter broke plus he was gelded by Dr. Franklin for his own safety   Rock Star was a gentle, peaceful soul who never caused harm to other animals.  He chose our Alto valley as his home.

The mare and her yearly stud taken by the Brand Inspector on June 10, 2014, were sold to a private buyer in Roswell.  They did not go to auction, thank goodness.  We assume that they are safe.

The horse herd are members of our community.  We look forward to their visits throughout our neighborhoods.  We respect their freedom and each creature had an enormous impact on all of us.

This post is from Lynda Blaney's flyer on the demise of Rock Star and call for action.

Action is called for to help save the herd

To institute change in the policy and protect the future of our magnificent herd of Wild Horses of Alto (WHOA), we are looking for comments and suggestions at saveherdalto@gmail.com or also here in the comments to posts.

If enough positive response is received, a petition will be distributed for signatures.  That petition will be presented to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, Lincoln County Manager, NM Livestock Board and the Lincoln County Sheriff.

Please speak up and help save the herd!