BLM Wild horse specialist speaks to Casper College students

RAWLINS, Wyo. — On June 12, the Bureau of Land Management wild horse and burro specialist Eddie Vandenburg visited Casper College to share firsthand experience with students. The class was part of The Wild Horse Effect, a course led by Dr. Chad Hanson in the Department of Social and Cultural studies.

The visit was part of an ongoing partnership between BLM and educational institutions to promote understanding of the complexities of wild horse management on public lands.

Prior to the presentation, students studied a chapter on wild horse behavior from “The Horse,” by Wendy Williams, providing foundational knowledge that shaped the discussion.

Vandenburg, who oversees three herd management areas in BLM Wyoming’s Rawlins Field Office, covering Stewart Creek, Lost Creek and Adobe Town­—offered students a boots-on-the-ground perspective on the agency’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. His presentation highlighted range management practices, field challenges, and fertility control strategies such as darting mares with a type of birth control to slow population growth and keep it ideal levels.

“Our job really comes down to one thing: healthy horses on healthy rangelands,” Vandenburg told the class. “Finding that balance can be complicated and at times controversial, but it’s critical to the long-term health of both the animals and the land.”

The visit included a live demonstration of field equipment, including the darting rifle used in fertility control operations, and encouraged open dialogue about public land use, ecological balance and the evolving role of wild horses in the American West.

Vandenburg continued, “Even if we managed the land just for the benefit of wild horses and burros, we would still have to go in periodically and gather them. Fertility control helps, but gathers are still part of the job.”

Hanson said the presentation gave students the rare opportunity to connect abstract coursework with real-world applications. “Our discussion on wild horse behavior came to life in a powerful way. Students gained insight into both the science and the policy behind managing these iconic animals,” he said.

Following Vandenburg’s presentation, students had the opportunity that weekend to visit the Green Mountain Herd Management Area and observe wild horses in the field.

BLM manages wild horse and burro populations under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The program operates under a multiple-use mandate, ensuring that wild horses and burros are managed alongside other public land uses such as recreation, grazing and energy development. All gather operations are conducted in accordance with BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.

To learn more about future adoption events and how to bring home a mustang or burro, visit Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sale Events page. For the latest updates and stories follow BLM Wyoming on Facebook or X.