Our treasured American Wild Horses and Burros are loved by people near and far. Those of us that can still travel to see our remaining herds are very lucky. Yet the love and appreciation for these amazing beings goes far beyond those of us that can see them in person. Much like bald eagles, polar bears, wolves, whales, lions, giraffes and more, you do not have to see them in person to deeply appreciate their importance and magnificence.

“Free-roaming” horses and burros live in numerous jurisdictions throughout the U.S. and the world. Wild horses and burros are actually a legal term (when used for legislative purposes) that reference wild ones living on United States Forest Service (USFS) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. These are the wild ones you call your House and Senate Representatives about. (It should be noted that BLM manages more free-roaming horses and burros than all other jurisdictions combined.)

Purple, both House and Senate in Session. Blue, Senate only.

Congress enacted a second FY 2024 continuing resolution on Nov. 16 that funds Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations programs until early February.

Although the “Path Forward” (adopted by Congress to fund BLM and USFS) has been, once again, incorporated into spending directions (increased removals and fertility control), we may be able to squeeze on last request to gain a provision that can actually benefit wild horses and burros before we can switch back to asking for full reform in the 2025 funding debate. (2024 funding will run through October 1 and 2025 funding will begin to direct spending provisions.)

Take our Survey and Sign on to our letter HERE

This week we are focused on funding for rulemaking for welfare policy. BLM has a failing internal standard that is not enforced and complied with when convenient. Rulemaking is happening now for exotic animals on exhibit. Congress can designate that funding be utilized to formalize BLMs handling policy (as it should have been) through public rulemaking.

Learn more about the history of the fight to gain an enforceable welfare policy HERE

This is a simple request, easily accomplished and should not be a controversial subject: How can anyone not agree that BLM needs a formal and enforceable welfare rule? Saying they don’t is tantamount to endorsing abuse. If BLM says they are “humane” then creating enforceable rules should not be a problem. It is mind boggling that big cash lobbyists won’t ask for this and instead just focus on “population growth suppression” without and humane handling rules. If your rep endorsed the last budget… you can ask why they won’t add humane handling rulemaking for on range, during capture and in holding facilities?

Congress needs to hear from you, literally. 

Please take a moment to make a call to your lawmakers in Congress: 

(202) 224-3121 for the U.S. House switchboard operator. A U.S. Capitol Switchboard operator can also connect you directly with the Senate office. (202) 224-3121.

This means you have to make 2 calls (or more if you have more than one Senator). Call the number and ask for your House Rep and then call and ask for your Senator. If you do not know who your House or Senate Rep is, the operator should be able to help you. OR you can click HERE to find your reps by just putting in your zip code. 

The script is simple:

I would like you to propose an amendment to add a budget line item solely devoted to make the BLM wild horse and burro welfare policy (currently referenced as “CAWP”) into an enforceable rule. The internal program is not creating an environment where wild horses and burros are treated according to safe, sane and current animal husbandry practices to ensure steps are taken to prevent injury and death.

BLM never opened a humane handling policy to public participation and revision through rulemaking. 

Please, add a budget item to ensure the safety of wild horses and burros. This amendment should not be controversial. We should all be able to agree there must be an enforceable welfare policy.

Thank you. 

You can say the first paragraph, all of it, or use your own words.

Right now, Congress is dealing with calls on subjects ranging from wars overseas, health care and more. Our opposition uses simple, one subject requests with little context (i.e. population growth suppression through removal and a vague definition of fertility control). In order to get something into the bill (that has nearly been finalized) we need to keep it as simple as we can.

After the budget is finalized in February for the rest of the year, we will begin to push all of the reforms needed again as we enter an election year. (Note: The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed in an election year.)

Please, if we want to change the things we see during roundups and in holding facilities, we must gain an enforceable welfare policy. Can you please make this one call this week? No amount of fertility control, rescue or exposure through movies is going to STOP the abuse and neglect we witness. Please take action to help gain movement in this very specific layer of advocacy. 

Thank you. 

Our team is working hard in the field, at the table and in the courts. Through litigation we are fighting to get burros recognized as distinct and management planning to reflect those distinctions. At Stone Cabin, we are in court to gain accountability to management planning, data-collection, formal recognition of seasonal movement BLM knows exists, to stop a backdoor agreement from happening with livestock and more. At Antelope, we are fighting against BLM continuing to do 10 year plans without doing any public disclosure of the adequacy of those plans (NEPA adequacy) and the lack of an enforceable welfare policy. In other cases we are pushing for site-specific designation of foaling season (BLM is prohibited from using a helicopter for roundups during foaling season, but they have no data showing when that actually is), no documentation to show how forage allocations and the number of horses and/or burros the land can sustain, and more. 

Our wild ones should live free on the range with the families they hold dear. Our wild ones should also live without abuse. WHE carries ongoing litigation to push BLM into open public process to create an enforceable welfare standard for our treasured wild ones. 

Thank you for keeping us in the fight!