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The fiscal year 2025 roundup schedule began with the fiscal year, in October. Fiscal year 2024 saw more than 10,000 wild horses removed from NV alone. Year-after-year BLM refuses to complete the actual process to formalize rules and Congress fails to hold them accountable. 2025 saw no accountability. Accountability to welfare is already being buried in the 2026 debate under deliberate omission of language to protect our captured wild ones from slaughter. An enforceable welfare policy should be simple, why is it such a fight?

Helicopter drive trapping in FY2025 began with the operation at Twin Peaks (managed by CA, physically in both CA and NV) where we saw operations so rushed someone forget to secure a trailer door and wild horses spill out (above). A total of 960 wild horses were captured. 

Helicopter drive-trapping then moved on to Triple B where relentless pursuit of solo horses (even though they were not zeroing out the area) became routine and led to deaths and unnecessary suffering. It was rather strange that BLM said the reason for this was so that these horses would not teach others how to evade the chopper, when that is absolutely not a reason approved in policy or memo. 2,196 were captured and 27 died onsite with more deaths (an average of 12%) in holding. As we continue to battle out issues at Triple B and Antelope, BLM is supposedly proposing a management plan (that is really just another gather plan after the last one removed over 14,000 since 2017). This is the largest set of complexes in the U.S. You can see more, find sample comments and how to submit them so they count by clicking HERE.

The roundup machine then went on to hit Buffalo Hills (NV), Challis (ID), Fish Creek (NV) and the burros at Canyonlands (UT). 25 of the 85 burros captured at Canyonlands died within weeks. Burros are highly susceptible to illness after helicopter capture and helicopters use should be banned due to the risk.

Canyonlands burros (UT)

Roundups through the end of September represent the fiscal year. On October 1, the next fiscal year begins.

At this time there has been no real debate and bills have not been crafted yet to fund the government beyond October 1. Debates are still focused on what this called a “reconciliation bill” for fiscal 2025 (“The Big Beautiful Bill” debate you are all seeing in the news). For fiscal year 2026, all we have is the Presidential Budget request that both Houses of Congress then try to draft into distinct agency bills (in subcommittee) and then debate and move to the floor.

But as this debate just gets underway, things do not “look good” for our wild ones and the Presidential request has left out protections against killing healthy horses/burros in holding and sending them to slaughter. Every request (except 2017 and this year) has maintained those protections. See more and take action HERE.

As the 2025 schedule enters the last leg, high profile herds are in the target zone.

When you look at the roundup schedule you can see the state, herd name, dates of operation, target for capture and any fertility control. You can also see the “type” that the public might assume means “method” (bait or helicopter). Type, in BLM lingo, means what is “reason.” The “reason” given for Saylor Creek is do a CTR (Catch, Treat and Release). The reason given for Kiger and Riddle also includes fertility control but they did not list it as a CTR, they list it as AML and note under the “purpose column” that they expect to reach that goal. Now you might think the two last columns are repeats, and in many ways they are. But you can see the reason given for Adobe Town, Salt Wells is AML (what BLM calls Appropriate Management Level) but the purpose is listed as “litigation.” (If you check the larger schedule you can see that Canyonlands also has litigation in the purpose column).

When BLM lists “litigation” on the schedule, they mean litigation from livestock (counties, livestock boards). BLM likes to complain about litigation when it comes from advocates and tries everything they possibly can to ignore any resulting order against them or come up with a new shell game. But livestock interests file ten times more litigation than advocates addressing issues with their permits and things like wild horses. BLM usually jumps into a settlement. If a court rules against them on a case with livestock, they jump fast to comply. So the next time you hear BLM complain about “litigation” or “court orders,” see it with a new perspective… because they are only complaining about advocates. 

Salt Wells (WY)

Adobe Town and Salt Wells were first put on the schedule for a roundup to “get to AML” that was tiered to the  2021 Gather EA for Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek, Great Divide Basin, White Mountain and Little Colorado Herd Management Areas (known as the Rock Springs Checkerboard) that did not include the Resource Management Plan (RMP) revision to zero out “the checkerboard” known by many of you as “Rock Springs Checkerboard.” However, BLM has since finalized the gather plan to remove all of Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells and part of Adobe Town, 47 days before the roundup was set to begin.

We are being asked how BLM will conduct this operation and we cannot answer, because BLM has not answered. Will they run it as a “get to AML” in both areas as defined in the 2021 plan (and await a ruling from the Appeals court) and will they just start hitting certain allotments in these HMAs as a “zero out.” We cannot answer except to say that BLM rarely waits for a court to rule and, in many instances, it certainly feels like they are trying to reach their objective before any court can stop them.

Kiger stallion

BLM also targets another very high profile herd, Kiger/Riddle. The Kiger and Riddle horses have been some of the most sought after for adoptions in the history of the program. So much so that there is a “breed registry” and adopter clubs. This is one of the only areas, up until a few years ago, where BLM would adopt out intact studs to private breeders so the public could make more “Kigers.”

The horse that inspired the film “Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmaron” was a Kiger.

In a strange twist, BLM plans to slam these herds down to low AML of about 50 Kigers and 30 Riddles and apply the long lasting hormonal treatment GonaCon that has an efficacy of 4-10 years with the two dose regime BLM uses. 

BLM seems to be insisting that AML alone is a reason for this roundup when, in fact, courts have repeatedly ruled that AML alone does not represent cause. BLM has not produced any specific data relating to wild horses that reflect that horses are any cause of range degradation and that removing them will improve land health.

BLM has also not complied with the 1996 HMAP (nor done the update they said they would complete by 2006). Many of you are becoming familiar with Herd Management Area Plans (HMAP) through our litigation where we won two cases last year demonstrating that an HMAP is NOT a gather-EA nor does a Land Use Plan (LUP) replace the HMAP. WHE also carries litigation that demonstrates that where there are HMAPs (the vast majority of herds do not even have them), BLM is not complying with them (and an important case will be coming to conclusion soon that we hope build precedent to help build the framework for wild horse and burro management BLM has neglected for decades, Stone Cabin).

Just like at Rock Springs, there is active litigation at Kiger/Riddle. BLM is obviously not waiting for a court to give a final ruling. Will BLM (at least) hold off on applying GonaCon on this herd that is already feeling the impacts of genetic loss? Probably not without a court order.

Black Mountain, Hardtrigger, Sands Basin Roundup, 2023

Summer roundups are set to begin again. 

Summer roundups carry additional danger to new foals, pregnant mares, while herds on heightened alert during breeding season. Summer also brings very real concerns over Heat Index and Air Quality (see more HERE).

Summer roundups begin again without a concise and enforceable welfare policy.

• BLM refuses to allow any comment period on CAWP to address deficits, vague parameters and lack of consequences for violations. (There never was a time for public input.)
• BLM refuses to allow comments on how roundups are done as part of actual roundup plans.
• BLM refuses to address these issues as part of the Mandatory Motorized Vehicle Use Hearing.

WHE is in the courts on this issue (as well as many other issues). However, you can help!

Congress could put an end to this ongoing battle simply to gain an enforceable welfare policy by simply creating language in the Appropriations bill directing BLM to formalize a Welfare Policy through open public process (called Rulemaking).

Take Action Today, Click HERE.

Our teams are gearing up to bring you in-depth coverage of summer roundups. Can you help get our team members into the field and help us document as many days of roundups as we can as we work to expose abuse and neglects, litigate and work to gain a real welfare policy?

All of our work is only possible with your support. 

Your support keeps our teams in the field, our investigations running and our litigation alive. Together, we will take a strong stand to defend our precious wild ones.