BLM Rock Creek, Wyoming closed for months, now strangles

Closed facility since October? Strangles three full months after the roundup? This is not the first incident of strangles though the others have been minor. Also, the BLM spokesperson's reason for closing it .. evidently they don't have enough staff to operate the facility when horses are being vetted, tattoed, etc. is another byproduct of the Salazar's failed massive roundup plan. How are they going to be able to adopt out the horses if people can't come to view them beforehand? And how does a public facility remain closed for six months and no one complain?

I have talked to a few of these folks and they think they are doing a good job, however, they are too casual in their rationale that "horses get strangles all the time." There are usually specific reasons (either its in the facility from previous cases or it came in from the outside on something as innocuous as the boots the staff was wearing.) Something needs to be looked at there so there is no repeat outbreak in future roundups.

Here is a comment by Sandra from the STTH site. It sums up the situation better than I can ...

"Strangles is not naturally occuring in wild horses..it comes from overcrowding in small areas, like all animals pigs chickens cattle that are being held for slaughter, they are consantly doused with antibiotics.It is inherant, and strangles remains in the soil and on the fences awaiting the arrival of new victims..you can sterilize the metal chutes but not the rest…the foals who are undergoing weaning are at the greatest risk because of the stress..in domestic horses they are exposed to many things they build up antibodies to, mares pass that to their foals in the colostrum..wild horses live in a open environment and do not come in contact with anything other than ranchers cows and sheep, those cows and sheep have brought disease to deer elk and bison, chronic wasting disease..which is very simular to mad cow..you should not eat nor butcher any animal that exhibits those symptoms..It appears to be radiating out from Colorado to other states..Any number of viral diseases will sweep like wildfire thru the hundreds of unprotected horses in those crowded pens"

http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/news_room/2013/january/23hdd-AdoptPostpone.html

Release Date: 01/23/13
Contacts: Serena Baker, 307-212-0197 BLM Rock Springs Wild Horse Adoption and School Field Trips Postponed
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District (HDD) is postponing this week’s scheduled Sweetwater County School District #1 and #2 fourth grade field trips, wild horse adoption and reopening of the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility (RSWHHF) in Rock Springs, Wyo. due to illness. Approximately 30-40 percent of the weanling wild horses were diagnosed with Strangles during yesterday morning’s routine veterinarian check-up prior to the adoption. Strangles is an upper respiratory infection in horses. The bacterial infection causes fever, runny nose, swollen or enlarged lymph nodes and even abscesses in the neck and throatlatch. BLM veterinarian Dr. Paul Zancanella, who examined the young colts, says, “This is the cold and flu season for all of us, even horses. There are s everal reported cases of Strangles in southern Wyoming and this type of infection is common any time a number of horses are together.”