I had to post this.

This kind of news makes me crazy angry and pumped-up hopeful all at the same time.

Here’s the situation and why I find it so compelling…

I happened to have heard about a group of citizens/neighbors in Stagecoach, Nevada who are desperately trying to save their own little band of wild mustangs who were trapped illegally and given to the Department of Agriculture as estrays.

(Estrays are wild horses who are on private land and therefore do not fall under the BLMs need to protect them.)

You see, this little band of wild horses has grown up around the people of Stagecoach.  The townspeople all know the horses, speak about them often and refer to them by their familiar nicknames.

It was a total shock and outrage to these kind people that their horses were baited into catchpens and then sold to the feedlot.

The horses go up for auction next week.

Ugh.

 

THE HEARTWARMING AND GUT WRENCHING PART

The townsfolk in Stagecoach are not wealthy.  Yet, even at Christmastime when money could be going elsewhere, the town is banding together to save these horses!  One woman has donated her large spread to house the horses… a hardware store is donating some supplies to make fencing.  The townpeople are gathering to build the fencing required to keep the mustangs safe…  They are passing the hat to amass food, medical monies, and to raise enough to buy these 8 mustangs back from the feedlot.

Right now, they have the fencing and some food, but not much bail money – yet.

This is where we come in…

WHAT WE CAN DO

Just like George Bailey who thought his Christmas would be dismal for  him and the people of his town… I would like to have a special Bucket Fund (and gift Xmas donor gift certificates) for the “Stagecoach 8”.

I’d like to help these kind and compassionate people of Stagecoach buy back their horses that they have respected and revered.

I would like this town to succeed in reversing the misfortune of these horses by giving space to their wild ones to roam and be free.

If you feel moved, too, please donate.  Every single cent goes to these horses.  Every single cent counts.  Even Starbucks money.  It all adds up!

Each horse should sell at the meat auction for approximately $300.  8 x 400 = $2400 (goal)

HERE IS THE HERD’S STORY TOLD BY ONE OF THE TOWNS PEOPLE…

Bandit was one of the signature horses in the community of Stagecoach.  He was originally foaled to the “Whiteface Band,” a group of horses that roamed the rocky ledges and river headlands south of Stagecoach.

Bandit got his name because he looks like he is wearing a mask.

Bandit got his name because he looks like he is wearing a mask… the townspeople have known him since he was a foal. They knew his sire. When Bandit was a teenager, he was kicked out of the herd and then became the leader of his new, little herd of 8. They all hung out with the townspeople and were loved dearly.

 

Bandit and his crew, a total of 8 horses, were captured at a “bait house.”  According to residents in the area near the bait house, a family (that apparently includes a registered sex offender / kidnap – rapist) has been baiting horses into their yard, then calling the Department of Agriculture to come pick up the horses. Bandit and his crew were among the horses so baited, trapped and removed.  The Department of Agriculture dumps the horses that they pick up at the livestock auction in Fallon.

This is some of his herd. 8 adults and 2 foals…

Stagecoach residents are pulling together and fencing several acres in order to retrieve Bandit and his band from the livestock sale.  Stagecoach is a relatively poor community.  The residents can get the fencing together and they intend to pool their finances in order to care for the horses, but the livestock sale is known for shill bidding, often bringing the prices of horses to $300.00 or more apiece when rescue groups try to buy them.  The town is passing the hat to raise the expected $2,400.00 needed to recover the horses and some funds are coming in, but it’s a tough time of year to raise money.

Wild horse advocates are prepared to donate the logistic elements (transportation, fuel, allowing the residents to participate in the rescue groups’ hay coop, and even putting some money in the “acquisition” fund) however the advocates have taken in over 100 horses already and are spread pretty thin.

Bandit and his group are expected to come up for sale in a week.  The townsfolk can definitely use some help in carrying out this rescue effort in such a short period of time.

Thanks,

Willis

We cannot save them all, but if townspeople are this determined to rescue and care for their band, we CAN save these 8 (plus 2 foals)!

 

PLEASE FORWARD!

 

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

 

 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.