Wild horses and burros on public lands in the western US face welfare challenges from population management practices including roundups, holding facilities, and fertility control.
Wild horse management in the US involves genuine welfare trade-offs. Helicopter roundups cause acute fear, injury, and disruption of social bonds formed over years. Long-term holding in large pens prevents natural movement and social complexity. Fertility control using PZP vaccine, delivered by dart, is significantly more humane than roundup and removal, maintaining horses on their home ranges with minimal disruption. Expanding PZP programmes while reducing roundup frequency represents the most welfare-positive management trajectory.