Little Lone Ranger

On Thanksgiving day there was a BLM roundup at the Pine Nut HMA. This was scheduled for the on-site application of the birth controll PZP, and no horses taken off the range. It appears like the Contractor took matters into his hands, and rounded up all Mares and foals, separated them and trucked them to the Palomino Valley STH. Needless to say there was a huge public outrage, and the phones were ringing off the hook at the BLM field office. Mark Strubble, was in charge, and must say he tried his best to "put out the fire".....he immediately ordered the Moms and babies to be matched up and scheduled their release the following day. There was one tiny colt, that just would not match up....he lost his Mom, and the following day he lost his whole family, the only family he has ever known in his short little life. To make things worse, he suffered a real nasty open fracture of his nose, he was in pain, bewildered and alone. When I heard of this, I knew there was no way in earth that the tiny colt would survive without special care and shelter. I called John Neill, the head of Palomino Valley STH, and volunteered to adopt Li'll Lone Ranger, as he was aptly named. John would not release him, I guess for fear of bad PR. I pleaded with him to at least place the colt with one of the local foal rescues the BLM worked with. he said he would in 10 days. Ten days later they still would not release the colt. Then after that no one saw him. I was upset, because I thought he was dead. Towards the end of March, I got an unexpected call from John, asking if I still wanted Li'll Ranger? I was truly surprised. I asked a friend, who was heading up to PV for a positive ID. I just could not imagine he was alive! Sure enough, it was him I was amazed, it sure appeared like a "Miracle"!