Dear supporters,

We are writing with some upsetting news. The Mt Charleston horse family in Kyle Canyon was removed from the mountain this morning.

It all started yesterday, late afternoon. The USFS was spotted using food to lure horses into a corral at the Spring Mountains Visitor Center. Residents arrived to find a heart-breaking sight: the beloved family of horses confined to a small enclosure (and an enclosure without shade from the hot sun), their autonomy so deeply and fundamentally impaired. 

Residents were told by the USFS that the equine family of 8 would be moved to a federal holding facility in Enterprise, Utah, where they will stay for approximately 30 days while they receive vaccines and other medical treatment and assessments. From there, the USFS say the horses will be adopted out to a rescue, although they still did not specify which rescue (and they repeated their prior claim that they are still accepting applications from other rescues at this time). This early morning, one resident watched from behind USFS constructed barriers their beloved neighbors lured onto a trailer destined for a lifetime of captivity.

This all came as quite a shock, as just two weeks ago, the USFS reported to Fox5 that the plan to relocate the horses was "on hold," in part, because of the summer heat. Yet, this week is one of the hottest weeks of the summer thus far. 

Questions remain about the future of these horses. Where will they end up? Some residents have pleaded with the USFS to ensure that if these horses are to be moved, that they end up in a reputable sanctuary-- preferably (and at a minimum!) a well-established and respected 501c3 that has operated as such for at least several years, has decent acreage for the horses (preferably with grazing opportunities), is within visiting and volunteering distance from Mt Charleston, and will permanently keep the horses together.

We continue to invite you to make your concerns about this issue known, demanding government accountability and transparency. Your voice does make a difference.

Who to contact?

jeremy.dorsey@usda.gov, kathryn.gulley@usda.gov, jon.stansfield@usda.gov