Wild horses running on a plain. Words read: Tales from the Trails. Your "mane" source for wild horse and burro stories

The Tales from the Trails blog pulls together wild horse and burro stories from across the Bureau of Land Management. These are stories about our work to manage and protect wild horse and burro herds on public lands, how animals are cared for in our off-range holding facilities and where they end up after they've been adopted to a good home. 

With kindness and patience, a wild horse or burro may be trained for many uses.  Wild horses have become champions in dressage, jumping, barrel racing, endurance riding, and pleasure riding, while burros excel in driving, packing, riding, guarding, and serving as companion animals.  Both wild horses and wild burros are known for their sure-footedness, strength, intelligence, and endurance. Contact the BLM or visit an event or facility near you to learn more about how you can bring home your own wild horse or burro. 

Send us your story!

If you're a proud partner to a wild horse or burro, we want to hear from you! Tell us about your trek "from wild to mild," a competition you won, or just tell us about why you're proud of your wild horse or burro.

Send your written stories and photos to wildhorse@blm.gov with the subject line MY WILD HORSE (or BURRO) STORY. For best results, stories should include your and your horse or burro's name, location (state) and at least one good photograph of the animal, you with the animal, or some other activity you'd like to convey. Please include at least one photograph depicting the freeze mark. Stories should be 300-500 words in length.

A burro's wise eye

My Wild Burro Story: Adam Eggers and Penelope

Penelope or “Penny” is from Yuma, Arizona, and was a part of the BLM and Arizona Dept. of Corrections Wild Horse and Burro Training Program. We adopted her about 3.5 years ago...
Karin Usko and burro Margarita

My wild burro story: Karin Usko and Bracelet Margarita

Just three days before Bishop's event we were still convinced she was going to be adopted out to some lucky home. I decided to take her on a 4-mile walk -- and we jogged. She did so great that I told my husband, "this is a premium donkey, she will be a great and docile pack burro runner!" Well, she went to the adoption event in Bishop and then came home with us!
Dr. Al Kane conducts trach check

A Veterinarian's View

Physiologically, these animals are the same as domestic horses and burros, but they are not just unhandled horses and burros. They are truly wild animals and this just makes the practices the BLM has put in place over the years that much more important to help protect the animal’s health and well-being.
Laura Newberry and her first mustang Buckeye Boone

My wild horse story: Laura Newberry and Buckeye Boone

I grew up reading the book “Misty of Chincoteague”. My dream for as long as I can remember was to train my own “wild” horse. From the time I was a young teen to my late 30s I had many opportunities to gentle, work with and train my own domestic horses. I enjoyed every bit of it, but in the back of my mind, I still had that dream of training a “wild” one.