Karen Sussman guests on Vickers Tree May 2, 2010 @ 1 pm EST.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/vickers_tree/blog/2010/04/14/karen-sus...

Karen Sussman

Karen's experience with horses is extensive covering a period of more than 58 years with the last 29 years devoted principally to the preservation, protection, and understanding of wild horses. Karen graduated from Temple

University in 1967 from the College of Nursing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having a background in the field of health has allowed her a deeper perspective in understanding the myriad of human emotions resulting from stressful situations. This knowledge was very useful as applied to wild horse behaviors.
Creating a new paradigm in wild horse protection, She began an eco-tourism program in South Dakota in 1999 bringing awareness to visitors about the beauty and significance of saving wild horse populations in the U.S. Of particular interest to me was studying the herd and determining what horses should be removed in selective removals.

In 2000, she accepted the second wild herd into the program. The Painted Rock horses known now as the Gila horses. This herd was literally unmanaged since 1936 when the last mustanger quit rounding up horses in that area. They are believed to be direct descendants of the Spanish horses brought to Arizona by Father Kino in the late 1600’s. Karen has devoted the past nine years studying and managing these wild herds. In 2007, she received her fourth herd that ran free on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation
for the past six years. Called the Virginia Range Herd, the horses originated from the state of NV in the Virginia Range near Virginia City and were transported to SD in 2001.

On a daily basis, Karen observes behaviors of the different herds. There are 600 wild horses under my care. Karen said," I know most all of the horses by name and have the harems documented by harem stallion and his mares. The bachelor stallions are also categorized. I do my fieldwork throughout the year including the winter months. I know the bands by hierarchy in the herds."

While serving on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, Karen helped write the recommendations for planning, monitoring, and inventorying populations and habitat. A copy of the recommendation is available upon request.

In conclusion, BLM has created a quagmire in the Wild Horse and Burro program, by mismanaging wild horses for the past 38 years. They have caused untold suffering of the horses, deterioration of the educational structure of the harems and the doubling of recruitment rates within the herds because of their management policies. The future of our nation’s wild horses and burros is bleak at best unless steps can be taken to remedy their management practices and policies.

Karen A. Sussman

President, ISPMB
http://www.ispmb.org/