Wildlife Welfare

Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Programs

The Bureau of Land Management oversees wild horse and burro adoption programs that attempt to rehome rounded-up animals. Welfare challenges exist throughout the adoption pipeline from capture to new homes.

Key Facts

Over 60,000 wild horses and burros are currently held in BLM long-term holding facilities
Adoption rates have historically been insufficient to keep pace with population growth
Trained mustang programs using gentling clinics dramatically improve adoption success rates
,000 incentive payments for adopters have increased uptake but with welfare monitoring challenges
Some adopted horses are at risk from adopters who resell them to kill buyers for slaughter

Welfare Considerations

Wild horse welfare in adoption programs spans multiple phases. The capture process is traumatic. Long-term holding facilities provide minimal behavioral enrichment for animals adapted to vast ranges. Adoption success depends heavily on adopter experience and preparation. Incentivized adoption without adequate welfare follow-up creates risks of animals entering kill-buyer pipelines. Enhanced adopter screening and post-adoption welfare checks improve outcomes.

What You Can Do

Consider adopting a trained mustang from a gentling program as a riding partner
Support BLM adoption programs with welfare monitoring and post-adoption follow-up
Advocate for immunocontraception as an alternative to roundup for population management
Donate to organizations tracking incentivized adoption welfare outcomes and flagging kill-buyer concerns