The Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area (HMA) is in northwest Colorado, about 45 miles west of Craig. The HMA spans about 157,730 acres. There are local groups working with BLM on fertility control and range improvements.

BLM just completed a bait and water trap operation and removed 42 (18 Stallions, 19 Mares, and 5 Foals) wild horses from Sand Wash. BLM has set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) at 163-362 and had estimated the population at 402 wild horses. Captive wild horses were sent to Canon City Off-Range Corral. One of the same corrals doing intake at the ongoing Adobe Town roundup in Wyoming. 

Note: All of these images were taken post-removal. These wild ones are still free.

We were told by several people that are “old timers” in the area that it has not been this dry in a long time. Much of the northwest of Colorado has been under fire watch. Wildfire can move really fast and is an increasing danger with increasing droughts and temperatures (climate change) west wide. If you are going to visit any HMA it is always a good idea to check in with the local BLM office or check wildfire mapping resources like Inciweb.  We also have a few tips we republish each year around the fourth of July for safe off-roading in fire season HERE.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

All of our wild herds are unique. They are unique in rich history tied to the landscape they live in. They are also each unique to the communities that surround them today.

One thing is certain, our wild ones, no matter where they live, need the community of advocacy today to ensure they exist into the future.

If you ever find yourself in northern Colorado, a trip to Sand Wash Basin is a great place to visit for any wild horse lover.

Our team is out at the ongoing roundup in Adobe Town in Wyoming and working on a lot of other projects. As soon as time allows we will write additional updates.

So much of what we deal with involves hard tasks, heartbreak and deep research to find avenues to address the multitude of issues facing our wild horses and burros from habitat loss to abuse. We wanted to take just a moment to share some of the beauty of our wild ones with you.

Our teams need your support. All of our work is only possible because of you.