BLM Completes Wild Horse Gather in Utah, Ensures Herd and Land Health
CEDAR CITY, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management has completed a wild horse gather in the Sulphur Herd Management Area in western Utah. The operation was aimed at stopping the decline of range conditions and protecting the long-term health of the herd. The BLM gathered 257 wild horses from rangeland where shrinking forage and water were already affecting animal health. The gather began Oct. 2 and concluded Oct. 17.
“Healthy horses depend on healthy rangelands, and the Sulphur area has been stretched beyond what the land can sustain,” said Acting BLM Utah State Director Christina Price. “Bringing this herd closer to its appropriate management level gives the horses that remain a real chance at stable forage and water, and it gives the land time to recover.”
Many of the horses gathered were in poor body condition, a sign the range can no longer support the number of animals living on it. The BLM estimated about 560 wild horses were roaming the area, well above the target population of 165 to 250 horses, and the herd was facing shrinking food and water on drought-strained rangeland. The management area covers roughly 230,000 acres of public land.
Wild horse herds can double in size every four to five years. Without active management, populations quickly outgrow available food and water, leading to overgrazing, degraded vegetation, and declining range and herd health. Gathers carried out under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 help restore balance on public lands and improve conditions for horses, wildlife, and other permitted uses.
Trained gather personnel conducted operations in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program, which promotes safe and humane treatment of all animals.
All gathered horses were transported to the off-range wild horse corral facilities in Axtell and Sutherland, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and prepared for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sale Program. The BLM routinely offers animals from these off‑range facilities for adoption at off‑site events and through the Online Corral, and also provides opportunities for the public to tour the facilities and learn more about the program.
The BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program is grounded in science, law, and humane‑care standards and adheres completely to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and other federal laws. The BLM does not send wild horses or burros to slaughter, and no loophole exists that would legally allow people who adopt or buy wild horses to ever sell animals directly or to middlemen for slaughter.
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.