BLM to begin wild horse gather in Wyoming’s Adobe Town Herd Management Area
RAWLINS, Wyo. — The Bureau of Land Management will begin a wild horse gather and removal on July 15 in the Adobe Town Herd Management Area in south-central Wyoming. The gather is being conducted to prevent further deterioration of land health due to wild horse overpopulation in the area. This gather will remove approximately 1,675 excess wild horses. The area includes nearly 348,000 acres of mostly public lands managed by the BLM intermingled with some private lands. Recent infrared aerial surveys have shown wild horse populations exceed the established appropriate management level of 259 to 536 wild horses in the area.
This multi-year gather plan will also allow for similar actions in future years whenever the BLM determines populations exceed appropriate levels. Chronic wild horse overpopulation in fragile ecosystems endangers overall land health, with the possibility of permanent, irrecoverable damage to important resources and impacts to other wildlife populations.
Upon arrival at designated holding facilities, the horses will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the agency’s wild horse Adoption and Sales programs. BLM staff and contractors will use the best available science and handling practices for wild horses while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
Once the gather is underway, the BLM will post daily gather reports and additional information on its webpage 2025 Adobe Town Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather | Bureau of Land Management.
Opportunities are available for the public to observe the gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff and observers, or disrupt gather operations. The BLM will escort the public to gather observation sites located on public lands. Participants must provide their own transportation, water and food. The BLM recommends a four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle. Those interested in observing the gather must notify Jacqueline Alderman at [email protected].
For technical information, please contact BLM Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Eddie Vandenburg at 307-328-4262. To learn more about the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program and adopting a Wyoming wild horse, please visit blm.gov/whb or contact the national information center at 866-486-7826 or [email protected].
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.