wild horses
Turning conversations into action for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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This week’s eNews: a recap of our annual Stay Wild event, an update from our nation’s capital, and more!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
What a month it’s been for American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC)! From our unforgettable annual Stay Wild event in sunny Los Angeles to participating in the Homes for Horses Coalition Conference, our team has been hard at work fighting for wild horses. Keep reading to discover the highlights from these inspiring events and learn how you can take action against the cruel and costly practice of helicopter roundups!
An Unforgettable Evening In LA
Photo by Jessica Mangia
Our annual Stay Wild event took place in sunny Los Angeles this year, bringing together wild horse lovers for a truly unforgettable celebration. The event featured music, inspirational speeches, and beautiful art, all in honor of our shared love for wild horses and the community that stands united in their protection. Be sure to check out the photos and learn more about our 2024 Freedom Award recipient, Jenni Kayne.
| Read More |
AWHC Attends the Homes for Horses Conference
Last month, AWHC team members Amelia Perrin and Fernando Guerra spoke at the Homes for Horses Coalition Conference in Washington, D.C. They also met with members of Congress to discuss humane conservation solutions for wild horses. A highlight was meeting with Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who showed up wearing his Stay Wild hat! A strong advocate, he has pushed for reforms to the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Click here to watch AWHC’s presentations!
| WATCH |
Speak Up Against the Use of Helicopters
Tomorrow, the United States Forest Service will host a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up against the harmful practice of helicopter roundups. Take action and make your voice heard here!
| TAKE ACTION |
Thank you for reading and taking action, Meredith.
Team AWHC
The devastation doesn’t end once the helicopters are grounded
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Across the West, our nation’s iconic wild horses and burros are rounded up at an alarming rate. These helicopter chases cause deep trauma – and the impacts on survivors left behind on the range can be devastating.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that roundups are necessary to maintain healthy wild horse and burro populations, but the facts don’t support this. Beyond the immediate suffering that mustangs and burros face during helicopter roundups, these operations actually threaten the long-term viability of America’s wild horse and burro herds.
Photo by Tandin Chapman
Family bands – critical social structures for wild horses – are torn apart by roundups as new generations are stripped from the wild, separating them from their families and weakening essential bonds for survival. Older, experienced horses are often removed, and with them, the wisdom needed to thrive in the wild is lost. Additionally, the BLM often sets the Appropriate Management Level (AML) of wild horse and burro herds below the standards recommended by equine geneticists to maintain herd genetic viability in the long term.
The fact of the matter is that roundups are not an effective way to maintain healthy populations of wild horses and burros. Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we’re fighting for more humane and effective alternatives to roundups, such as PZP fertility control, which keeps horses and burros safe and in the wild where they belong.
| DONATE |
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Conservation
USFS virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in roundups
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros.
On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros. If you agree, can you attend this meeting and give public comment?
If you can’t attend, you can still make your voice heard by sending a letter to the USFS urging them to adopt more humane management practices.
Thank you for your advocacy,
Team AWHC
Celebrate world animal day by supporting America’s wild horses and burros
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Happy World Animal Day!
World Animal Day is an annual international day of action to promote animal rights and welfare. While people around the world are standing up for animals of all kinds, we’re calling special attention to the plight of America’s wild horses and burros, who need our help now more than ever.
Wild horses and burros hold an iconic place in American history, but tragically, their future is uncertain. Year after year, federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have removed tens of thousands of mustangs and burros from Western public lands by way of cruel and dangerous helicopter roundups.
Stripped of their freedom, they are then crammed into overcrowded government holding facilities where they often spend years confined away from all they hold dear; their family and their freedom. Worse, many are at risk of ending up in the slaughter pipeline through the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has funneled thousands of horses and burros into kill pens.
These roundups not only result in severe injuries and even deaths, but they also destroy family bands and disrupt the delicate ecosystems of the Western rangelands that wild horses and burros call home. It’s a crisis that we simply cannot ignore, Meredith.
That’s why, on this important day for animal welfare advocacy, we’re asking for your help to protect these beloved beings. American Wild Horse Conservation is fighting in the field, in the courtroom, and on Capitol Hill to end these inhumane roundups and ensure wild horses and burros can remain free on our public lands where they belong. But we can’t do it without you.
| DONATE |
Thank you!
Team AWHC
Will you help us keep up the momentum?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Raising awareness on the plight of America’s wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
In recent years, the plight of wild horses and burros has become more prominent in the public’s eye. This is, in part, thanks to our recent awareness efforts. American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading organization in the fight to keep wild horses and burros wild, so it’s our job to educate the public and build the grassroots army necessary to rise up and advocate for these iconic animals.
If we’ve learned one thing as an organization, it’s that once people learn about the suffering of wild horses and burros, they are upset, frustrated, and ready to take action to protect them. That’s why over the past several years, we have greatly ramped up our awareness efforts to inform Americans about this important issue.
Our Awareness Fund has been key to our success. Through this Fund, we’ve worked to bring the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by deploying billboards, digital ads, TV commercials, and traditional media hits. Can you chip in today to fuel our Awareness Fund and help us keep spreading the word about wild horse conservation?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
This year alone, we’ve placed over a dozen impactful stories in the media highlighting the dangers wild horses and burros face, including government mismanagement, the inhumane use of helicopters for roundups, the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) slaughter pipeline—which is threatening the lives of hundreds of wild horses and burros—and more:
And last winter, we made one of our biggest media moves ever. We launched a billboard in Times Square from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve – New York’s peak tourism season with an average of five million visitors!
This work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of folks like you. Your contributions enable us to continue shining a light on what’s happening to our wild herds, and with over 11,000 wild horses and burros in danger of roundups next year, it’s critical that we continue to push the issue of wild horse and burro conservation into the forefront. Can you make a contribution to power our Awareness Fund today and help us continue this important work?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
Thank you!
Team AWHC
UPDATE: The BLM just released its 2025 roundup schedule (!!)
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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There is a better way
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Update from Colorado
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
It’s officially month 4 of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundups, which continue to inflict stress and suffering on wild horse and burro populations on public lands across the West. Since June, the BLM’s inhumane helicopter roundups have amassed more than 90 deaths (and counting). Make no mistake: We will continue to expose the brutal reality our mustangs and burros face until these cruel, unscientific BLM roundups have ended for good. To continue these efforts through the fall, we need to raise at least $20,000 by the end of September. Will you chip in to help us reach this ambitious goal?
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
Just this week, the BLM wrapped up a roundup in the Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area in northwest Colorado, which aimed to reduce the herd size by 57%. This goal was based on an unscientific appropriate management level (AML) of 90-150 horses. Based on the data reported so far, here’s what we know about this operation:
A total of 140 animals were captured and removed, including 21 foals. This roundup also resulted in three unnecessary deaths.
Photo of Little Book Cliffs Roundup by WilsonAxpe PhotoAdvocacy
The Little Book Cliffs roundup is yet another stark reminder of the ongoing battle to protect our wild horses and burros. The BLM’s mismanagement continues to raise serious ethical concerns, and we cannot remain silent while these animals are subjected to such treatment.
| HELP US REACH OUR GOAL |
The cruel and costly BLM roundup is expected to cost American taxpayers up to $154 million and this summer has targeted more than 10,000 wild horses on the public lands in Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, California, Oregon, Arizona and, now, Colorado.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Our work at the American Wild Horse Conservation proves there are more humane, cost-effective ways to manage our wild horses — especially in Colorado where the state is poised to help support and expand existing fertility control programs.
| FUEL OUR FIGHT |
Thank you for being an ally in our ongoing fight to protect America’s iconic wild herds from eradication. Together, we can stop inhumane helicopter roundups and fight for in-the-wild conservation for our cherished wild horses and burros.
Together,
American Wild Horse Conservation
September is World Animal Remembrance Month. This is how we’re commemorating >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
September is World Animal Remembrance Month – a time dedicated to honoring the memory of animals who are no longer with us.
In that spirit, our team here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) would like to commemorate all of the wild horses and burros who have lost their lives or their freedom this year as a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel and inhumane helicopter roundups.
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So far this year, thousands of wild horses and burros have been captured through BLM helicopter roundups, stripped of their freedom, and crammed into overcrowded holding pens where they’re in danger of abuse and deadly diseases. Hundreds have suffered severe injuries during these brutal operations, and over 90 have tragically lost their lives, including young foals.
As if that’s not bad enough, our investigation team has also uncovered that since 2020, more than 2,100 wild horses and burros have been found in kill pens, over 600 of whom were adopted through the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). While the AIP, which pays adopters $1,000 per adopted BLM horse or burro, is meant to give these animals a permanent home, the sad reality is that the program is being abused by individuals scheming to defraud taxpayers at the expense of these precious animals.
Wild horses and burros don’t deserve to endure the mistreatment and abuse they suffer thanks to the BLM’s cruel mismanagement. That’s why our mission at AWHC is to keep them in the wild where they can live safely and freely – where they belong. We fight every day towards that goal, but we need you in this fight with us, Meredith.
| SIGN ON |
Thank you,
Team AWHC
Take action for the Montgomery Pass Wild Horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Last month, we asked you to speak up for the Montgomery Pass wild horses (also known as the Mono Lake horses). And thanks to your advocacy, we generated nearly 5,000 letters demanding that The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) implement humane, scientifically led conservation solutions instead of cruelly rounding this historic herd.
Now the wild horses who roam the 50,815 acres of public and private lands need your help again. On August 8, 2024, the BLM and USFS released an Environmental Assessment, detailing their proposed action for the Montgomery Pass wild horses.
This inhumane plan calls for multiple roundups in order to remove all horses who currently reside outside of the Territory, as well as to achieve the unscientific Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 138 to 230 animals. This AML was set in 1988 and has not been re-evaluated in the 36 years since.
| Object to this Proposed Action |
When evaluating the final proposed action in this Environmental Assessment, the agencies failed to consider:
- Relocating the horses: According to binding USFS regulations, the agency must consider relocating the removed wild horses. In this case, the USFS should relocate the Montgomery Pass horses inside the Territory and address the ecological conditions that are causing them to leave their designated habitat. If that is not possible, they should evaluate other USFS lands where the horses could be relocated.
- Reevaluating the AML: The BLM and USFS should conduct a thorough reassessment of the AML using new and updated scientific data to ensure it reflects the current ecological reality.
- Implementing Fertility Control: Utilize humane, scientifically studied, and reversible fertility control initiatives to humanely manage the population of the herd, without resorting to removals.
- The impact of Livestock Grazing: Assess and acknowledge the detrimental impacts of livestock grazing on the Territory and incorporate this understanding into all management decisions.
- Protecting predators: A 25-year study on mountain lion predation shows this herd has been managed successfully by predation. This study provides invaluable insights into natural population control mechanisms and should be considered for re-establishing natural predation to manage the herd’s population.
| Object to this Proposed Action |
This proposed action is not guided by science and allows for the most outdated, costly and cruel methods of managing wild horses including helicopter roundups. Speak up now to formally object to this proposed action!
| Take Action |
Thank you for your advocacy,
Team AWHC
We’re Fighting for Transparency — Can You Help?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The investigative work we do at the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) represents some of the most impactful action we take for our nation’s iconic wild herds. A critical component of that work includes our ongoing efforts to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests uncovering the fate of captured horses and burros. This wouldn’t be possible without your support. As we enter the final stretch of summer and fall roundups, will you rush a donation to fuel our investigative work through the end of the year?
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
Every time the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts a roundup, we get to work filing FOIA requests to shine a light on what’s really happening to wild horses and burros after they have been ripped from their habitats. The BLM often reports low death rates during these operations, but our investigations have uncovered a more grim reality.
For example, in 2022, the BLM rounded up 1,022 wild horses and burros from Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex. The government reported 14 deaths associated with that roundup. But, our investigation revealed an additional 63 animals perished in the months following the operation — including 31 burros who likely died of a condition typically brought on by extreme stress.
These heartbreaking deaths would have remained hidden if not for the records we obtained through our FOIA efforts. The worst part: This is not an isolated incident. We are on a mission to continue pursuing transparency and holding the BLM accountable. At any given time, our team is following up on dozens of active FOIA requests, many of which are subjected to a series of unnecessary delays. As a result, we have filed over 20 FOIA lawsuits just to access public information from our own federal government.
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
This work is vital to exposing the truth and pursuing meaningful change for American wild herds — especially with yet another federally funded roundup operation set to begin this month in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) straddling Lassen County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada. The Twin Peaks roundup will deploy helicopters intent on trapping and eradicating over 800 wild horses from their home on 758,128 acres of public land.
We can’t do this alone. Your support allows us to continue filing FOIA requests, taking legal action, and shining a light on the BLM’s failures to provide humane treatment to America’s wild herds.
| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
Thank you for standing with us and for these incredible animals.
Warm regards,
Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation
Our latest investigative findings
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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We must ensure accountability for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Our wild herds are suffering. Contractors, hired by the federal government to conduct wild horse helicopter roundups, are violating the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) very own animal welfare standards. These violations endanger our iconic wild horses and burros and put them at risk of serious injury.
Since 2021, the BLM has sent Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) teams to assess five roundups conducted by Cattoor Livestock, one of the BLM’s longstanding roundup operators. These assessments revealed that in the five roundups assessed, Cattoor Livestock contractors violated the animal welfare standards 30 times. Over 20 of those were “major” violations, which means they impact the health or welfare of our wild equines.
One of the more concerning cases was the 2021 Antelope Complex roundup, where 11 wild horses died. Numerous violations were recorded including, separating foals from their mothers for at least six hours, and overcrowded holding pens. The BLM’s own publicly-available CAWP report from this roundup states:
| “The contractor was observed to be disagreeable and argumentative at every opportunity for discussion with the COR, the contractor offered more excuses than demonstrated interest in complying with the CAWP standards.” |
| HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY |
This is not an isolated incident. In 2022, at the Black Mountain roundup, an employee of Cattoor Livestock was documented using a paddle in an abusive manner by jabbing and striking burros in their most sensitive areas, all while visibly angry and frustrated.
And at the Piceance-East Douglas roundup in Colorado, the federal contractor company was cited for seven major violations, including failure to provide proper facilities to care for vulnerable horses, including foals, improper water trough placement, and neglecting to control dust levels that posed respiratory risks to the animals. These violations of basic animal welfare guidelines are unacceptable.
| HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY |
Thank you.
American Wild Horse Conservation
This week’s eNews: A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This week’s e-news contains an exciting announcement about American Wild Horse Conservation’s annual fundraiser, important information about the dangers of feeding wild horses, and recent media coverage about the plight of mustangs and burros, including an opinion piece by wild horse champion Representative Dina Titus (D-NV). Read on for more!
Experience the Wild with AWHC In Los Angeles This Month
On September 19th, join AWHC and our passionate community of wild horse advocates, along with celebrity ambassadors and special guests, for an unforgettable evening celebrating the majesty of wild horses. This exciting event will feature our guest of honor, Jenni Kayne, who is our 2024 recipient of our annual Freedom Award. We’re also delighted to have special guest, DJ Brandi Cyrus and her remix of Wild Horses and WildFlowers be a part of our evening program. We’ll have an immersive art experience of documentary and fine art provided by Kimerlee Curyl, KT Merry, and Scott Wilson, with select fine art prints featured in our curated auction. All proceeds will benefit AWHC’s life saving conservation work. Don’t miss this opportunity to support our cause, and be part of a wildly fun night!
| Get Your Tickets |
A Fed Horse is A Dead Horse
Wild horses are a captivating symbol of the West, drawing visitors from far and wide to witness them in their natural habitats, particularly in Reno’s Virginia Range. However, despite good intentions, feeding or giving treats to these wild horses can do more harm than good. Learn more about the dangers of feeding wild horses, especially those in the Virginia Range below.
| Read More |
Op-ed: Rep. Titus: There is a better way to help wild horses
On August 25th, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) published an opinion piece in the Las Vegas Sun. It shines a light on the cruelty faced by wild horses and burros due to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups and highlights AWHC’s fertility control program in Nevada as a model for wild horse management across the West.
| Read More |
Recent Media Coverage
We are making headlines as we ramp up efforts to protect wild horses and burros across the West. Recently, AWHC’s Scott Wilson was interviewed for the Sopris Sun about the importance of fertility control in Colorado. And in Nevada, Amelia Perrin talked to KOLO TV about the wild horse abuse AWHC documented during the Blue Wing Complex roundup.
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of e-news,
Team AWHC
Support wild horses and their wild friends
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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With gratitude and hope ❤️
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Thank you for following our updates over the past few heart wrenching months of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundups. Your dedication to staying informed and engaged means the world to us and, more importantly, to the wild horses and burros we work every day to protect.
This year, BLM roundups have already taken a significant toll on our beloved herds. In just seven roundup operations, 89 animals have tragically lost their lives.
For the next few weeks, federal helicopter roundups have been paused. But the somber reality of what our magnificent horses and burros have lost so far weighs heavily on all of us at American Wild Horse Conservation.
Because, we know there’s a better way.
That said, your unwavering support gives us hope — hope that, together, we can continue to fight for a future where wild horses and burros roam free, unthreatened by this cruel, costly federal mismanagement.
To express our gratitude, we’ve created a special graphic that you can download and set as your mobile phone’s home screen. It’s a small but meaningful way to keep the spirit of these magnificent animals close to you — and a reminder of the impact you’re helping to make.
As we look ahead, please know that we remain committed to advocating for these animals, and we will continue to push for changes that ensure their safety and well-being. Your voice, your support, and your compassion are what make this work possible, and for that, we are profoundly grateful.
Thank you once again for standing with us. We will keep you updated in the fight that lies ahead and share ways you can remain a part of this critical mission.
With gratitude and hope,
Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Conservation
Help Support Fergie & her fillies with humane fertility control!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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