The BLM conducts routine population surveys to estimate the number of wild horses and burros roaming BLM-managed lands in the West. To support healthy conditions on public lands, the BLM determines what it calls the Appropriate Management Level (AML), which is the number of wild horses and burros that can thrive in balance with other public land resources and uses. Wild horses and burros that exceed AML are to be removed from the range, in accordance with the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, as amended. 

Where practical and effective, the BLM applies safe and approved fertility control treatments to wild horses and burros living on public lands as a way to slow herd growth and reduce the need for removing excess animals.  In many herds where wild horses are approachable, BLM gets valuable help from volunteers who devote many hours to identifying animals and delivering vaccines by dart. Unfortunately, delivering any vaccine via dart is not a viable option for most wild horse herds because the animals tend to avoid human contact and the vast sizes of most herd management areas make it difficult to locate and approach individual horses. Animals in more remote herds where darting is impractical are first gathered, treated and then released back to their home range. 

As more wild horse and burro herds approach appropriate management levels, the BLM intends to increase fertility control treatments to help maintain herds at the target size. 

Learn more about the BLM's fertility control and science and research programs. 

Wild horses and burros have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years. As a result, the BLM removes thousands of animals from the range each year as part of its efforts to control herd sizes. 

*Includes 2 mules

The BLM offers wild horses and burros that were removed from the range for adoption into private care. Since 1971, the BLM has adopted out more than 270,000 wild horses and burros nationwide. Potential adopters can attend an off-site adoption event, visit a BLM adoption center, or participate in an Online Corral Adoption event. For general questions on adopting a wild horse or burro, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.  

In 2004, Congress amended the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (the so-called "Burns Amendment") to direct the BLM to sell certain wild horses and burros "without limitation" to any willing buyers animals that are either more than 10 years old or have been passed over for adoption at least three times. It has been and remains the policy of the BLM to NOT sell or send any wild horses or burros to slaughterhouses or to "kill buyers." Learn more about the Sales Program. 

Since 2017, Congress has provided authority to the BLM in its annual appropriations bills to transfer excess wild horses and burros to other government agencies for use as "work animals." 

In an effort to place more animals into private care, the BLM partners with non-profit organizations, volunteers, and state and county prisons to train wild horses and burros prior to being placed into a good home. Trained animals tend to have a higher rate of adoption by the public than untrained.

*Includes one mule

All off-range (unadopted or unsold) wild horses and burros, like those roaming Western public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, as amended. These off-range horses and burros are fed and cared for in either off-range corrals or pastures. The BLM maintains a monthly holding facilities report, which can be found by clicking on the Public Lands Stats tab below. Access the most recent FY2023 monthly facility report. The total capacity of all BLM off-range holding facilities is 82,753 animals. 

Data below is current as of November, 2022. 

FY2022

FY2021

FY2020

FY2019

FY2018

FY2017

FY2016

FY2015

FY2014

FY2013

FY2012

* Expenditures include funding sources from multiple program areas related to wild horse and burro management.

Historical Program Data and Public Lands Statistics

This table contains links to data related to on-range population of wild horses and burros, adoptions and removals by fiscal year.  Some data are preliminary and subject to revision before the end of the fiscal year. Download prior year wild horse and burro accomplishments fact sheets: FY2018, FY2019 and FY2021.