Contact: Tom Gorey, BLM Public Affairs (202-912-7420)

Wild Horse and Burro Quick Facts

Updated as of November 17, 2009

Wild Horse and Burro Population

The Bureau of Land Management estimates that nearly 37,000 wild horses and burros (approximately 33,100 horses and 3,800 burros) are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states based on the latest data available, compiled as of February 28, 2009. Wild horses and burros have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years. As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control herd sizes.

The estimated current free-roaming population exceeds by some 10,350 the number that the BLM has determined can exist in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses. The appropriate management level is approximately 26,600.

Off the range, there are more than 33,000 other wild horses and burros that are fed and cared for at short-term corrals and long-term pastures. (As of October 2009, there were approximately 11,000 in corrals and 22,000 in Midwestern pastures.) All wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming the public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Wild Horse and Burro Budget

In the most recent fiscal year (2009), which ended September 30, holding costs were approximately $29 million, or about 70 percent of the total enacted wild horse and burro program budget of $40.6 million for FY 2009.

Removing Wild Horses and Burros from the Range and Placing Animals in Adoption

To ensure that herd sizes are in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses, the BLM removed 5,275 wild horses and burros from the range in Fiscal Year 2008. The Bureau placed 3,483 animals into private care through adoption in FY 2009 -- down from 5,701 in FY 2005. Since 1971, the BLM has adopted out nearly 225,000 horses and burros. For more information about adoptions, please visit How to Adopt and the national adoption schedule.

Sale Authority

About 8,400 wild horses and burros became eligible for sale under the December 2004 sale-authority law, which directs the BLM to sell "without limitation" animals that are either more than 10 years old or have been passed over for adoption at least three times. Since 2005, the Bureau has sold more than 3,700 horses and burros. The BLM has not been selling any wild horses or burros to slaughterhouses or to "killer buyers."

The proceeds from the sale of the eligible animals are used for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program, as directed by Congress under the sale-authority law.

BLM’s Legal Mandates

The BLM manages the nation’s public lands for multiple uses, in accordance with the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The Bureau manages wild horses and burros as part of this multiple-use mandate.

The BLM manages, protects, and controls wild horses and burros under the authority of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (as amended by Congress in 1976, 1978, 1996, and 2004). This law authorizes the BLM to remove excess wild horses and burros from the range to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands.

Law Enforcement

In enforcing the 1971 Act, the BLM continues to work with law-enforcement authorities in the investigation and prosecution of those who violate this landmark law. The text of the law can be accessed here.

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"What Happened to the 19 Million Acres?"

Frequently Asked Question: In 1971, wild horses and burros were found roaming across 51.3 million acres of Herd Areas, of which 40.3 million acres were under the BLM's jurisdiction. Today the BLM manages wild horses and burros in subsets of these Herd Areas (known as Herd Management Areas) that comprise 31.9 million acres, of which 26.6 million acres are under BLM management. What happened to the 19-plus million acres on which these animals were originally found roaming?

Answer: More than four million acres of the original 51.3 million consisted of state or private land not controlled by the BLM.  There are numerous other reasons why another 14.9 million acres were removed from wild horse and burro management, such as:

-- the absence of one or more critical habitat components (such as forage or water) to sustain horses and burros year-round;

-- the claiming of some horses as private livestock during the claiming period provided for in the 1971 law;

-- the transfer of some BLM-managed land to other Federal agencies through legislation;

-- conflicts with other resources, such as threatened or endangered species;

-- and the economic infeasibility of managing some of the original Herd Areas across their original expanse. Over time, some of these same factors -- particularly the lack of suitable habitat in arid areas affected by drought and wildfire -- have forced the BLM to eliminate or consolidate some Herd Management Areas, of which there are currently 180.
 

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Video Clip: Below is a three-minute video on the BLM's pasture holding facilities in Kansas and Oklahoma, with statistics updated through early 2009.