“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Are you a wild horse advocate?
WHAT makes a wild horse advocate?
Webster defines advocate as:
Ad·vo·cate
noun
- 1. a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy: “he was an untiring advocate of economic reform”
Ahhhh a key word in the definition…
PUBLICLY
My Google search also led me to this website (https://www.thebodypro.com/article/makes-good-advocate) that gave some good answers on what an advocate IS AND what an advocate IS NOT:
“An effective advocate knows how to persevere and not give in, but also knows when it’s an appropriate time to try to reach a compromise, always keeping in mind who they are there for and what they are trying to accomplish. They understand that they have a responsibility, first and foremost, to those they serve — in our case, people living with HIV who otherwise would not have a voice.
An honorable advocate is someone who is not afraid to stick their neck out or be the “lone wolf.” They are sometimes ostracized at first for their unpopular stance, only to be thanked later for their insight, courage, and forward-thinking views. They are not afraid to ask the difficult or uncomfortable questions. They also build consensus, lead by example, and try to bring the best out in others by using words of encouragement, and by giving honest feedback and criticism.
What does not constitute a good advocate is someone, or some entity, that takes the credit for the work done by others, for their own personal gain or for funding purposes. We see it happen time and time again.
Another thing that does not a good advocate make is constant dissent and disagreement. After a while, this type of advocate begins to sound like a broken record. It brings me back to the age-old axiom, if you can’t be a part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. It’s okay to disagree or to be critical, but come to the table with solutions.“
We here at Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates have been leading the fight to be the voice of the wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home since the park announced their plans to eliminate the ENTIRE herd of horses back in December of 2022! We have been advocating with all of you from day 1!
Advocating means you use your voice to speak up for these horses! It doesn’t matter if you are a board member of a nonprofit organization, a professional or hobby photographer or even someone at home who has fallen in love with these horses over the internet. These horses need EVERYONE’s voice!
It does no good to take and share pretty pictures of these horses and NOT mention the fact that the park’s plan is to completely eliminate them. There are still sooo many people who don’t know this! If you say you are advocating for these horses, by definition, you PUBLICLY speak up for them! There is no such thing as “silent advocacy”!
Of course, no one can make you do anything. I do ask you to ponder…
IF you LOVE this herd
IF you love photographing this herd
IF you travel to Medora to see these horses
IF you visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park to see these horses
IF you LOVE sharing stories and photos of these horses
IF you LOVE seeing stories and photos of these horses
WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THE PARK IS SUCCESSFUL IN ELIMINATING THIS HERD?
There will be no more opportunities to photograph these horses
No more trips to see these horses
No more current stories or photos of these amazing horses for you to share
No more current stories or photos for anyone to read
Just old stories and photos of how there once was an amazing herd of wild horses that called Theodore Roosevelt National Park home. And then, because humans have a huge problem working together for a common cause, because too many people are afraid to speak up, or even share a post, all we will have will be the memories of how these majestic wild horses once roamed these beautiful badlands here in North Dakota.
Are you doing what you can, with what you have, from where you are?
If you are
THANK YOU!
If this post bothers you in some way or you find it offensive, please look within yourself and answer the question above: Are you doing what you can, with what you have, from where you are? Chances are there is more that you can do to help.
We are ALL waiting PATIENTLY for the park to release their Draft Environmental Assessment (EA). Until then, we have given you a few pretty easy things that you can do to help this herd:
- If you would like brochures to hand out in your area or if you have a store you can put them in, please let us know and we will be happy to send some to you!
- The Associated Press did an article on these amazing horses! The news has now gone INTERNATIONAL! Please share the AP story from their website: https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-national-park-wild-horses-dd955ffdf9c3ff9f5370e832e59cc3e4 AND PLEASE – IF your local newspaper printed the story, please send a letter to the editor! The more this story is shared, the more it will send a message to the powers that be at the AP that wild horse stories have an audience, and they should write more! These simple actions can go a long way in helping wild horses everywhere!
- Please consider making a donation to Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates https://secure.everyaction.com/FbY2_tNxQU6Ehc9K2RsjZw2. Every $1 counts! With your support, we have been able to gain a TON of support for these horses! We STILL have A LOT of work to do!
- Volunteer to help Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates! If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at info@chwha.org. You DO NOT have to live in North Dakota to volunteer for us!
- Please continue to check our website. When the Draft EA comes out, we will need everyone to comment! Spreading the word now by sharing our posts helps raise awareness!
Thank you for your support and have a GREAT day!
Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates is committed to advocating for a wild horse management plan and protection for these unique wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home! We are fighting for a management plan that is guided by science especially when it comes to decisions regarding the removal of horses and the administration of birth control. Many other wild horse management plans have proven to be successful with their science-based plans. We are asking for the same for this amazing group of wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home.