Wild Horse and Burro Subject Guide

Medium range view of four wild horses standing in long green grass, Wyoming.The BLM protects, manages, and controls wild horses and burros on public lands under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands. The following subject guide provides information on the BLM's wild horse and burro program, and on wild horses and burros in general, and is intended as a starting point for researchers.

More information about the BLM’s wild horse and burro program can be found on the program's website. Questions about the program can be addressed to wildhorse@blm.gov or by calling (866) 4MUSTANGS [(866) 468-7826].

For questions about this guide or assistance accessing resources presented here, please contact blm_library@blm.gov. We also appreciate your feedback and suggestions for this subject guide.

POLICY AND LEGAL RESOURCES

BLM Librarians have compiled policy and legal resources related to wild horse and burros. For questions about this guide or assistance accessing resources the presented here, please contact blm_library@blm.gov.  

SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

BLM librarians have compiled a bibliography of publications relevant to wild horses and burros. Links are provided where available but access may be limited to BLM employees due to our subscription agreements. For assistance locating any of these publications, including those not available online, BLM employees should contact blm_library@blm.gov.

A searchable database of the BLM Library's journal holdings can be found on our e-Journal Portal. Articles relevant to wild horses and burros are likely to be found in ecology, range, and wildlife journals.

BLM PUBLICATIONS

Visit the Wild Horse and Burro publications page.

View digitized BLM publications on either of these sites:

  • BLM's collection on Internet Archive may be viewed in 17 different formats; view results for keywords "wild horses" and "wild burros."
SELECTED LINKS

Links of Interest

Federal Resources

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management: Wild horse and burro program
This site provides history of wild horses and burros, recent news, information on adoption, gathering schedules, links to each participating state program, as well as myths and facts.

See also: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey: America's wild horses and burros; Research for management
An excellent site with links to USGS publications, citations for BLM publications, and general reading suggestions, as well as citations for alternative population estimation techniques and fertility control in mares. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Wild horse and burro program
The Forest Service manages wild horses and burros on Forest Service lands, in conjunction with BLM. This site explains the Forest Service’s responsibilities, a list of Forest Service wild horse and burro territories, and FAQs.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
APHIS is responsible for administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities, among other efforts, in support of the USDA's overall mission of protecting and promoting food, agriculture, and natural resources. Use links from the left side of the page or the search box for specific terms (browse search results for ["wild horse" AND burro] here).

External resources

The Science and Conservation Center at ZooMontana
An independent non-profit organization that is the only dedicated facility for the development of wildlife contraceptives and methods of application, the Science and Conservation Center (SCC) produces and distributes porcine zona pellucida (PZP). The site offers an FAQ page, general information about PZP, and a publications page. The SCC produces extensive research on immunocontraception, led by Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick. We have included many of his papers in our wild horse and burro bibliography.

The Humane Society of the United States: Wild horses
Includes news and events as well as reports, fact sheets, and other resources.

National Mustang Association, Inc.
Focusing on wild horses in Utah, this site gives an overview of wild horse issues, where to view wild horse herds, and how to "adopt a horse for a year" to support wild horses kept at the National Mustang Ranch in Barclay, Nevada.

OTHER MEDIA

Video: The Story of America's Wild Horses and Burros

Produced by the Bureau of Land Management and released in May 2012, this video outlines the history of how the BLM came to manage federally protected wild horses and burros on millions of acres of public lands across the West. Current and former BLM employees, historians, horse advocates, and others tell their parts of this continuing story.

Click to watch the video on YouTube (running time 56:28).

Library Services

The BLM Library, located at the National Operations Center in Denver, exists to serve BLM employees across the country. We also are able to assist members of the general public who seek BLM publications and information. We are the BLM's only full-service library with professional staff. 

Questions? Want to request an item? Contact the BLM Library or visit the Library FAQ.