Wild horses arrive at Madeleine Pickens’ eco-sanctuary in Nevada

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Wild horseOn Friday, June 3, wild horse advocate Madeleine Pickens announced that the first group of wild horses had arrived at the Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Preserve. These horses are part of a pilot program where 1,000 horses managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be moved to the sanctuary.

Pickens has been a longtime advocate for animal welfare. After learning that many racehorses were being killed in slaughterhouses after their racing days were over, Pickens and her husband, billionaire T. Boone Pickens worked to end horse slaughter. In 2008, Mrs. Pickens approached the BLM with the intent to create a sanctuary to house Mustangs that had been rounded up and removed from public land. Finally, in fall of 2010, the BLM agreed to support a pilot program for Pickens’ sanctuary.

The first horses arrive at Madeleine Pickens’ Mustang Monument

The sanctuary covers more than 500,000 acres, according to Pickens’ website, and is located near Elko, Nev. Earlier this month, the first group of horses, all mares and foals, was trucked in and let loose at the Mustang Monument.

Pickens hopes that her sanctuary will ultimately become a tourist destination and educational opportunity for Americans. Under her original plan, visitors would be able to camp and hike in the sanctuary and see the Mustangs in their natural habitat. For now, she is just happy to see horses at home at the Mustang Monument.

“I cannot aptly describe the experience, but this is definitely a mission driven by God,” she said on her website. “He has blessed us all with this wonderful gift…We are so lucky. I am so lucky. I’ve been surrounded by so many supporters and friends and I can’t thank you all enough. I am overwhelmed, speechless, and very fulfilled. It’s a new beginning.”

15 COMMENTS

  1. THAT’S PRETTY AMAZING. IF MORE MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES WOULD PUT FORTH THIS KIND OF EFFORT AND HELP ANIMALS IN NEED, THE WORLD WOULD BE SUCH A BETTER PLACE FOR ANIMALS LESS FORTUNATE. AND I DONT MEAN JUST A LITTLE MONEY DONATED HERE OR THERE, I MEAN A MAJOR SANCTUARY WHERE THEY COULD LIVE OUT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER FOREVER HOMES TO HUNDREDS, OR EVEN THOUSANDS, OF HOMELESS PETS AND LIVESTOCK. WISH I COULD. GOOD FOR HER AND ALL SHE HAS DONE. I HOPE SHE CAN INSPIRE OTHERS, AS FINANCIALLY WELL OFF AS SHE, TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

  2. YESSSS!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOO!! MUCH MRS. PICKENS YOU ARE HELPIING HUNDREDS OF THESE BEAUTIFUL,WILD HORSES! GOD BLESS YOU!

  3. Those few Mustangs are a good beginning. Now, if only the government will take her seriously and stop all the road blocks that surround her. No new laws have to be created for her dreams to become reality. Stop the wasteful spending of tax payers money and let her go on with this. The little bit she will be paid for these services is well worth it to me. Rather than the millions upon millions the BLM is wasting on a monthly basis.

  4. How wonderful that the first mustangs are finally there. It sure took some time!
    Thanks for sharing the video though it seems that the camera favours the sky!

  5. There is a horse heaven thanks to Pickens and she is an example of what faith in a cause and true determination can do, move the mountains. I am so grateful for her efforts on behalf of the horse. Bless you Ms. Pickens, it was a pleasure to meet you briefly in Washington on June 8th.
    Sincerely, Heather

  6. I can’t believe it…it has finally happened. The perseverance that Madeleine Pickens displayed made me believe this dream would come through. Today is a great day…

  7. Wow, I thought that this project was going under not too long ago. Amazed that they could go along with it. Though I wonder how SHE is going to manage their numbers–will they all be sterilized? And also, what will keep them on that range? Will they stay there on their own or will some of them ‘migrate’ back to BLM land eventually?

  8. Video was hard to see, but what a wonderful idea, to help the Mustangs. I do agree, that what ever can be done to sterilized, either with gelding or with shots to prevent mare having foals, should be done.

  9. Mr Pickins fights for horses but wants to kill eagles? sounds pretty hypocritical to me.
    The US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposed rule that would allow energy companies owned by the Pickin’s to kill bald and golden eagles for 30-year periods.
    Tell the Service you oppose the new rule by following the link below and entering your comments. We cannot lock our wildlife into 30 year contracts when we do not even know what will be needed to preserve these species decades from now.
    Public comment form for: Eagle Permits — Changes in Regulations Governing Eagle Permitting. Regula
    http://www.regulations.gov
    For my entire life, I’ve heard about the dangers to eagles, and how they were nearly extinct before we started to protect them. HOW DARE the pickins’ try to undermine the success of this species to make personal gain, while trying to protect another!

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