Running Free - A Wild Horse Tale

Wild Horse Tutorial - Module 7

Module 7 - How the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Manages Mustang Populations

Mustangers

Mustangers were hired to capture the wild horses. Many killed the horses, while others hauled them to the slaughter house or to pet-food factories. County governments supported the roundups and slaughter. In fact, mustangers and ranchers were paid two dollars for each pair of horse ears they turned in. Additional profits came from the European market sales of horsemeat. Mustangers soon discovered the best way to capture the horses was by plane or helicopter. Once the horses were captured they were piled into trucks and shipped long distances without food or water. Many horses died due to the stress, or were trampled to death; others suffered severe injuries.

Photo Courtesy of The Mustang ©1997

Wild Horse Annie

In 1950, a woman named Velma Johnston was driving behind a truck load of wild horses. She noticed a trail of blood coming from the truck. When it stopped, she was horrified to see horses with gun shot wounds, a trampled dead colt, and a stallion with his eyes shot out. She asked the truck driver what happened, and was told the horses had been chased by planes. At that moment she vowed to protect the wild horses from such horrific treatment.

Wild Horse Annie Law

Velma did her research and contacted the BLM, but they did nothing to help. In fact she realized they were helping the mustangers to get rid of the horses. Due to Velma's crusade to protect the horses, she was nicknamed "Wild Horse Annie". In 1959, Annie testified in front of the U.S. Congress, and a law was passed which made it a felony to round up unbranded wild horses on public lands with planes and other motorized vehicles. The horses were not out of danger yet. It was still legal to round them up, and send them to the slaughter houses.

Illegal Roundups

Even though the Wild Horse Annie law prohibited wild horses to be rounded up with planes, illegal roundups still occurred . Mustangers and ranchers had discovered if they mixed their own stock with the wild horses, they could not be prosecuted by law. They claimed the wild horses accidentally got caught up in the round up.

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Save the Horses

By 1970 the wild horse populations had dwindled to a mere 17,000 animals. The word began to spread about saving the wild horses, thanks to the help of Annie. School children became involved and began writing their congressmen about saving the wild horses. As the word spread, letters to Congress increased to a staggering 25,000 letters in one day. After initial drafts and additional testimony, finally, in December 1971, President RIchard Nixon signed Public Law 92-195, the Wild Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. This law makes it a federal offense to harass, capture, or kill unbranded wild horses and burros. The BLM was now in charge of protecting and managing the wild horse herds in the western states.

Over Population

With the federal law and no natural predators, the wild horse populations exploded during the 1970s through the1990s. By 1991, most herd areas were overpopulated by 4,000 animals. The land could not support such large numbers. During the winters of 1990 and 1991, many horses were in danger of starving to death. The BLM had to do something.

Adopt a Horse Program

In 1973, the Adopt a Horse Program was tested in Montana. It was a success, and by 1976 the BLM had a nationwide Adopt a Horse program. Between the 1970s and the 1990s, the BLM adopted out over 130,000 wild horses. The program was a great idea, but was poorly managed. Several large lot adopters would adopt large numbers of horses, and haul them to the slaughter houses. The BLM was taken to court, and they revised their program. New adoption centers were opened to make horses available to more people across the country. A new training program was started in a Colorado prison. Certain prisoners were given the privilege of training the wild horses to accept halters, and ultimately gentle them for riding. The prison training program was a success for both the horses and the prisoners. Adoptions increased because people could now adopt a gentled wild horse. Between 1985 and 1998, around 1,100 horses had been gentled and put up for adoption. The prison program expanded and now includes Wyoming, New Mexico, and California.

For specific details and requirements on the BLM's Adopt a Horse program, click here.

Photo Courtesy of BLM

Today's Politics

Despite the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act, which was intended to protect the wild horses, years of policy and regulation changes have weakened the act leaving the wild horses unprotected. Wild horses have continuously been removed from public lands and today more wild horses live in holding pens (captivity) than those roaming free in the wild. The capture and removal of the wild horses costs millions of tax dollars annually. It ignores the laws set in place to guarantee a home for the wild horses on our publics, and it threatens the genetic viability for long term survival of the wild horse.

Save the Horses AGAIN

The wild horse is calling to the American people again, for we are their only hope for survival. We have established them as a living symbol of our history, freedom and power. Yet we have rounded them up, broken them, abused them, separated them from their family members, and hauled them off to slaughter. There is no profit in free roaming wild horses in our capitalism society, but we the American people can claim their value to our American spirit and living history. Contact your local congress person today and tell them how much free roaming wild horses mean to you and the rest of the American people. For more information on the latest policies and legislative issues, visit the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign web site at: http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/

Wild Horse Sanctuaries

Many wild horses are un-adoptable. These horses live out their lives in BLM holding facilities, or are transferred to wild horse sanctuaries. There are several sanctuaries in the west. One is the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota, and another is Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue Ranch in California. Private citizens have donated their lands to the wild horses. They receive funding from everyday people wishing to sponsor a horse or two. The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary also provides tours of their ranch so visitors can get a true wild horse experience.