Hello and Happy Thursday!

TODAY is the day! We have meeting with Senator Hoeven AND The National Park Service here in Washington DC! We will share updates on our meetings in the next few days!

We are going to spend the next few days talking in detail about GonaCon.  We believe that giving the park the ability to hand inject the mares with GonaCon was the ONLY REASON for this roundup!  We KNOW they had all the DNA they needed and they also observed where the horses travelled because they TOLD US in the March 2024 report.  You can read the report here:

The combination of treating EVERY MARE IN THE PARK with GonaCon along with removing just about every young horse between the age of 4 months old to 3 years old, has called into question how viable this herd actually is. 

You can read the reports the park gave us yourself on their website: https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/nature/feral-horses.htm

WHAT is GonaCon?  I have found this quick fact sheet from the Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control:

From this fact sheet:

“At the me of this writing, PZP-22 and GonaCon™ can produce five to seven years of infertility in free-roaming wild horses with one initial treatment and a single booster two to three years later. As such, the use of these vaccines could result in a much greater reduction in wild horse population foaling rates if repeat immunizations of the PZP-22 vaccine and/or Gona Con™ vaccine were incorporated into long-term population modeling and management plans for areas where animals are difficult to access and/or thinly dispersed.”

NOTE: that these scientific findings show that ONE treatment of GonaCon with revaccination 2-3 years LATER can produce 5-7 years of infertility. 

Please keep this in mind as you look at the reports the park gave us over the next couple of days and as you see the treatment schedule they have come up with for OUR wild horses. 

GonaCon is still relatively new.  There is a lot that is not known and a lot that all of us are still waiting to see. 

I do STRONGLY SUGGEST that to understand GonaCon in the easiest way, please watch our YouTube video where we talked directly to Dr. Dan Baker who was the lead researcher from Colorado State University for the GonaCon experiment on the TRNP wild horses from 2009-2020.  You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/kdLHvgVmIuw?si=pL5hZ0U77v4NDJcc

Theodore Roosevelt National Park told us on October 11, 2024 that:

“A small number of mares that did not successfully respond to previous contraception will be retreated with GonaCon, an immunocontraceptive. The park wants to ensure that these few mares are not skewing the population’s genetics by their breakthrough reproduction. Additional mares may receive a scheduled booster.”

I saved this part of the report for last because this one will be the longest and I have found is the hardest to make sense of.

Let’s start by saying that there are 196 horses currently in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  According to the park’s records – 144 of those are female and 52 are male.  The BLM person I spoke with last month as well as other herds aim to have as close to a 50/50 male to female ratio as possible.  For those of you saying that we have too many bachelor stallions, know we are actually very short on males.  Not EVERY stallion will be a band stallion.  Not every band stallion is meant to be a long-term band stallion like Red Face, Sidekick, Mystery, Thunder, etc.  There were little to no bachelor’s to challenge those stallions because they were all captured and sold.

Of the 144 female horses currently in the park, 54 of them were hand injected with GonaCon.  Remember: “A small number of mares that did not successfully respond to previous contraception will be retreated with GonaCon” and “Additional mares may receive a scheduled booster”

I know you will be shocked – but there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to what they did.  I am sure it makes sense to the Chief of Resource Management.  We, the tax paying public, were given a sheet saying WHAT they did with no explanation as to WHY.  We, the tax paying public deserve that – after all, our tax dollars paid for ALL of the GonaCon injections on this herd since 2019. 

I am going to attempt to group as many of these together as possible but in some cases I will call out individual mares to highlight our best understanding, with the limited information we have been given. 

I also want to state that I am not a scientist, or a geneticist.  I do think that there are some pretty clear common-sense questions that arise from these reports that even a novice like me can recognize.  I also want to say in advance that if I asked questions below, more than likely I do not have the answers.  Only the park does.  While I will ask the park the questions I have complied, I am doubtful that they will respond and also do not believe their answers can be trusted. 

EVERY mare in this herd has been given GonaCon.  The ONLY ones who have NOT been given any GonaCon are the 4 fillies that were born this year (2024). 

Please REMEMBER: From the Botstiber Institute: that these scientific findings show that ONE treatment of GonaCon with revaccination 2-3 years LATER can produce 5-7 years of infertility. 

Please note: the majority of the foals listed were captured and sold over the years.

1999 Mare Frosty – She has received GonaCon in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.  She last foaled in 2021.  In spite of such heavy dosage to GonaCon on this 25-year-old mare in the last 4 years, the park felt it was necessary to hand inject her with GonaCon.  That is AFTER watching her foal EVERY YEAR from 2009-2021 as she was NOT one of the mares treated with GonaCon. 

2000 Mare Flame. 2002 Mare Shale, 2005 Mare Mist, and 2006 Mare Betty Blue were all hand injected with GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  Flame and Mist foaled in 2020.  Shale foaled in 2021.  All 3 mares also received GonaCon again in 2020, 2022 and 2024.  Betty Blue foaled in 2019 and was also given GonaCon that same year.  She was given GonaCon again in 2021 and 2024.  None of these mares received GonaCon during the roundup.

The following mares appear to have responded “properly” to GonaCon.  They have not foaled in years and have all been given GonaCon in 2020 and again in 2024.  The park must KNOW they do not need more GonaCon – possibly from the poop sample collecting or the biopsy darts they used in 2022 – or ???

2000 Mare Busy Blue
2001 Mare Snip’s Gray
2004 Mare Winter
2004 Mare Little Brother’s Girl
2005 Mare Spotted Blue
2005 Mare Sundance
2005 Mare Blondie
2006 Mare Daisy
2006 Mare Diamond
2007 Mare Maggie
2007 Mare Maddie
2007 Mare Blue
2007 Mare Cedar

It would seem that it is safe to assume that these 13 mares will never foal again, especially since they continue to be given GonaCon. 

The park records shared after the roundup indicate that 2000 Mare Pale Lady was one of the mares that was NOT given GonaCon but in the last 15 years, she has only had 3 foals, according to the park’s records.  According to their records, she was given GonaCon in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022 and 2024 and was NOT given GonaCon during the roundup.

2001 Mare Tanker was part of the group of mares that did get GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  The park’s records do NOT reflect that she had a baby in 2009, Mare Punkin.  Their records show that Tanker’s last baby was born in 2012.  Tanker was given GonaCon in 2020 and 2024, just like Flame, Mist, Shale, Betty Blue and the list of 13 mares that will more than likely never return to fertility – BUT – she was also given a hand injection of GonaCon during the roundup.  WHY?  She does not seem to be a breakthrough mare by any means. 

2001 Mare Bella was obviously NOT one of the mares that was hand injected with GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  She has foaled just about every year from 2009-2021.  She was given GonaCon for the first time in 2020 and again in 2021. She was then given GonaCon again in 2023 and 2024.  She has not foaled since 2021 and yet, the park felt it was necessary to hand inject her with GonaCon during the roundup. 

2003 Mare Pretty Girl was also NOT one of the mares that was hand injected with GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  Pretty Girl has foaled almost every year from 2009-2021.  Two notes about Pretty Girl: 1 – she last foaled in 2021.  2 – she is Perdita’s mother.  You remember, Perdita, one of two mare that we were told had “special” mitochondrial DNA.  Since Mitochondrial DNA comes from the mother – why then did the Park feel a need to NOT ONLY give Pretty Girl GonaCon in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 BUT also hand inject her with GonaCon during the roundup?

2004 Mares Little Gray and Freckles were hand injected with GonaCon in 2009 and 2013 AND are non-responders.  So then, since the park told us they were hand injecting these mares with GonaCon INSTEAD of taking them out BECAUSE: “The park wants to ensure that these few mares are not skewing the population’s genetics by their breakthrough reproduction.” Then WHY weren’t these two mares hand injected with GonaCon?

2004 Mare Rosie and 2006 Mare Ruby were both NOT given GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  BOTH mares received their first GonaCon injection in 2019 and both foaled in 2019.  Both mares received GonaCon again in 2020 and BOTH mares foaled in 2020.  Neither mare has foaled since 2020.  Rosie has received GonaCon in 2022 and 2024.  She did NOT receive GonaCon during the roundup.  Ruby has gotten GonaCon in 2022, 2023, and 2024 – AND – she WAS hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup.

2006 Mare Escape was one of the 28 mares that were hand injected with GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  Like the 13 listed above, she has not had a baby since 2012 and it would seem very unlikely that she will ever return to fertility. She received GonaCon in 2020 and 2024, like the mares listed above.  She also got a “bonus” dose in 2022.  Why?

2006 Mare Raven was NOT one of the mares to get GonaCon.  She has foaled many times over the last 15 years.  She was given GonaCon for the first time in 2020.  She also had her last foal in 2020.  She was given GonaCon again in 2021, 2023 and 2024.  The park felt that she needed to be hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup too. 

2006 Mare River was NOT one of the mares to get GonaCon.  She has foaled many times over the last 15 years.  She was given GonaCon for the first time in 2020.  She also foaled in 2020.  River was given GonaCon in 2021 and also gave birth to a filly who “failed to thrive” and died shortly after its birth.  River has not foaled since 2021 and has been given GonaCon in 2023 and 2024.  She was also hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup.

2006 Mare Ember’s Girl was also NOT given GonaCon in 2009 and 2013. She was given GonaCon for the first time in 2019.  She foaled in 2020 and was given another dose of GonaCon.  She was given GonaCon again in 2022.  She foaled again 2023, but that foal “failed to thrive” and did not survive.  In 2024 she was given GonaCon and then she was given another dose of GonaCon by hand injection during the roundup.  The inconsistencies are baffling.  2006 Mare Domino also was NOT given GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  She was given GonaCon for the first time in 2020.  She also foaled that year.  She was given GonaCon again in 2021 and she foaled again.  Domino was also given GonaCon in 2022 and again in 2024.  Domino was NOT hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup in October.  2007 Mare Crow has a similar story.  She also did NOT get GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  She got GonaCon in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.  She ONLY foaled in 2020 (lethal white) and in 2022 to Filly Phoenix.  Yet she WAS hand injected during the roundup.  Mares Sapphire, Firefly, Smokey, Punkin, Goblin, Maiden, all have a similar story and were also hand injected during the roundup. 

Mare Dolly was NOT given GonaCon in 2009 and 2013.  She has foaled every year since 2009 except 2023.  Dolly received GonaCon in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024.  She is a definite non-responder and a mare that we talked SPECIFIALLY about to McCann and Finley during our meetings as one of the mares that was “skewing the population’s genetics by their breakthrough reproduction.”  Remember:  When the park decided that they were NOT removing mares, they said: “A small number of mares that did not successfully respond to previous contraception will be retreated with GonaCon.”  Dolly was NOT hand injected with GonaCon. 

Another interesting case is 2010 Mare Lakota who was first given GonaCon in 2013.  The park’s records show that Lakota has NEVER foaled, but we know that she did give birth in 2013.  Lakota received GonaCon again in 2015, 2020, and 2024.  And even though she has NEVER foaled again – the park chose to hand inject her with GonaCon during the roundup.

I think you get the idea about the inconsistencies and answers the park owes us on choices they have made that make it seem as if the ONLY management they are practicing on this herd, is to manage them to extinction. 

Here are some other points:
Mare Grace has had one foal and seems like she is responding to GonaCon.  After being dosed with GonaCon in 2022, 2023 and 2024, WHY did she also need to be hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup?

We have the same questions for the following mares who all have had 2-3 years in a row of GonaCon and then were ALL hand injected during the roundup:

2016 Mare Minnie
2017 Mare Aurora – the other mare we were told was left in the park because of her “special” mitochondrial DNA
2018 Mare Patience
2019 Mare Almanac
2019 Mare Amargo
2019 Mare Anisak
2019 Mare Antice
2019 Mare Ardena
2020 Mare Frosted Arrow
2020 Mare Raven’s Myst
2020 Mare Blue Angel
2020 Mare Misty Blue
2020 Mare Little Bear
2020 Mare Annabella
2020 Mare Katie – I want to add the late Stallion Guardians ONLY known offspring in the park
2020 Mare Pippi
2020 Mare Birch – Perdita is her mom with the “special” DNA and her only offspring, Aspen, was killed as a result of this roundup
2020 Mare Pixie
2020 Mare Lil Mo

If you have not already, I urge you to listen to Dr. Dan Baker’s Horse Talk on our YouTube channel.  He talks specifically about this radical treatment and the fact that there is NO data to support using GonaCon this way. 

Every mare born in 2021 has been treated  3 times with GonaCon.  ALL of them EXCEPT Mare Tontee (who actually had a foal), was also hand injected during the roundup. 

They are 3 years old and they have had 4 doses of GonaCon!  The park is OVERDOSING our mares!

It is the same story for the horses born in 2022.  They  have ALL had 2 doses of GonaCon.

The horses born in 2023 have also ALL been given 1 dose of GonaCon and Bluebell and Maisey were also hand injected with GonaCon during the roundup.

To add to this mind-blowing, irrational misuse of GonaCon on our mares – 2014 Mare Velvet – who was brought in during the roundup, is one of ONLY 2 mares that was NOT treated with GonaCon in 2024!  The other mare is Mare Bee in Georgia’s Boy’s band and we believe that is ONLY because that band was not brought in. 

The ONLY horses in this herd that have NOT been treated with GonaCon are the 4 fillies that were born in 2024: Chloe, Rumor, Josie and Breeze. 

Don’t worry – there is always next year!

We know this was a lot to take in.  We will have one last post in this series tomorrow to discuss final thoughts on all this. 

Thank you for your continued support and have a great day!

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