7 replies to this topic

[Allison]

Quote

"These are the horses I was hoping to cross with mine, looks like they stand a chance of disappearing like the wolves. I can not believe that people don’t care any more than they do. I would suggest we all contact Disney Studios …. I’m sure they made plenty of money on Hidalgo at least enough for them to save the gaited pintos & ship some of them to me?

Something has to be done here …. I understand as its hard enough for me to save my Indian Shufflers & Indian Dogs, with all the political junk going on, but give me a break all these casinos making all that money now. ……….. Please pass this on, along with the wolf info., thanks ~"

Kim La Flamme ~ founder/trustee of the AIDog breed for over 45 years -- www.indiandogs.com



PLEASE HELP - URGENT! – IMPORTANT -


Help needed in rescuing horses. Oklahoma Land and Timber Company (formerly Mississippi Land and Timber) has without warning terminated the grazing leases on Blackjack Mountain near Finley, Oklahoma. These Spanish Mustangs have to be removed by February 29, 2008. The problem is that the company (which has recently purchased the land) had previously agreed to extend the leases (contract in writing) and has since broken their word. Unfortunately, they not only canceled the lease without notice but they have ALREADY begun spraying the one and a half million acres with chemicals in order to kill the ground vegetation and sterilize the land for the next two years (except for the timber company's pine seedlings). These straight Spanish Mustangs (Spanish Colonials) are eligible for registration with the Southwest Spanish Mustang Association and probably with the HOA (Horse of the Americas). Included in the large number of horses is a small number of purebred Choctaw and Cherokee Indian Ponies. As such, there are less than 200 of these living legacies of the "Trail of Tears" remaining in the world. Also it should be noted that this is the herd that Frank Hopkins's Hidalgo was released into at the end of both the movie Hidalgo and in real life. These horses are also the legacy of the late Gilbert Jones' preservation activities. Can we let this rare resource and piece of our National heritage perish? I surely hope not. If you are interested in knowing more about this situation, please contact, Bryant Rickman at 580-743-1991.

As a side note, David and I were at Bryant's ranch and at the Gilbert Jones' Medicine Springs Ranch this weekend. There are approximately 150 horses needing to be removed from the mountain. Unfortunately, Rickman was not able to obtain an exact number due to the horses being deeply spooked and scared by the helicopter and planes dropping the herbicides. As such, there is also deep worry concerning the safety of the chemicals which has now contaminated the horses' water and food resources. Needless to say, the situation is dire. If you cannot reach Bryant, please feel free to call David or I at 479-696-9677 and we can relay the messages to Bryant.

Or call me; Kim La Flamme at 541-597-2871

Fonder/ trustee of the AIDog breed for over 45 years -- www.indiandogs.com

[Allison]

For those of you who don't know, Kim's horses were used in the film. It is a shame to think that they would let the herd die out, when such a small amount of money would save them.

Here's some more from a piece about the film:

"Q. An early scene in the movie shows the U.S. Army massacring hundreds of Indians. Was that true?

A. The film accurately depicts the 1890 tragedy at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. The Plains Indians were in crisis by 1890. Confined to reservations, and witnessing the systematic extermination of the buffalo by the Army, many Indians in despair embraced the Ghost Dance religion, hoping it would restore their former way of life. Army officials viewed the Ghost Dance ceremonies as threatening, potentially a prelude to an attack. As the film shows, the 7th Cavalry fired into the encamped Indians while disarming them, killing hundreds.

What the film doesn't show are the many unarmed women and children killed in the massacre, some shot while cowering in ditches. And, as suggested in the film, many soldiers were awarded medals for their "bravery," in what was long called a "battle."

Q. Did the Army really have a policy of shooting mustangs, as depicted in the film?

A. Yes, mustangs were frequently shot by white men in that era, for sport, or for meat, but mostly because they wanted to keep the large herds of wild horses off their grazing land. Wiry, scrubby and small, the mustang was not seen as a valuable horse by most horsemen.

Interestingly, though, if there had been an "Ocean of Fire" race in Arabia, it's plausible that a hardy little mustang like Hidalgo, accustomed to life on the open range with little food or water, might have won it.

More here.

[Allison]

Here is contact info for Disney conservation. Check out the site, as they are involved with many other types of animal conservation. Let's all write, and ask for their help!

Contact Disney Conservation and Public Affairs

(this URL has been edited out by Allison)

[Allison]

Okay. I sent mine. I small window opens for you to send an email. Please do. In searching out this contact info, I found that Disney is involved in conservation all over the globe. Let's give them something to do, here at home. Our international members, don't be shy, they will listen to you, as well.

Thanks in advance to all of you animal lovers, and to those who respect the awful history that is the "Trail of Tears". May we never forget.

[Allison]

Hello everyone! And thanks for your letters. We have gotten a response from Disney. Keep at them, if you haven't already written, they are interested, are willing to fund it, so we just don't want to drop the ball.

I hope we will soon be able to congratulate ourselves on a job well done, but it is not over yet.

[Allison]

Quote

Spud ~

I wanted to catch you & every one that has been concerned with the Indian horses up on the latest news, as far as I know.

The registry (Horses of the America's) that has been trying to save these horses, has obtained 8,000 acres of land next to the mountain that they are in now, the one that is being sprayed. So all they needed was panels to form a large catching coral to round them up & drive them all over to the land they will now be living on. It seems they needed about $5,000.00 to get these panels. That is what Disney has in its emergency fund for rescuing animals.
So far it looks like its all working & the Horses of the America's are saved.

Thanks so much to Disney & all of you that helped in this, it's a nice feeling to know these historic horses are safe now from possible extinction once again. ~ thanks, Kim

[Allison]

Thanks to everyone who helped; you guys are the best!

[Sandra]

Great news !
Being horse lovers and horse owners with great intrest for the "wild" horses in the world we were very concerned ... and now reliefd with how things evolved.