Above: No matter the pressure, over and over, this band stallion did not lose his nerve. His band stayed steady with him. Their steadfast refusal finally leads to escape. 

2025, Truth Meets Hope
by Colette Kaluza, Volunteer & Welfare Team Assistant Director, Wild Horse Education (WHE)

Each year of wild horse advocacy leaves a deep mark, but 2025 stands out as a test of endurance, purpose, and gratitude. Being a dedicated wild horse advocate is not easy—it’s demanding, exhausting, and at times overwhelming. A lot of what we see is tragic, yet there are moments of unexpected beauty, and we can never forget to keep searching for that beauty and the hope it brings.

My colleagues and I at WHE push ourselves as far as humanly possible to ensure the public knows what is happening on the range and behind the fences. Through long days at helicopter roundups and long nights processing footage, I strive to deliver complete, in-depth, and accurate reporting—coverage that holds power accountable and gives truth a voice in real time. Alongside WHE’s founder, Laura Leigh, I gather images, video, and narrative records that form a living documentation of each operation. It’s not about taking pictures—it’s about bearing witness, with integrity and purpose.

Below: Beautiful Devil’s Garden wild horses in captivity. It gives me hope that we are fighting in court to stop any further removals. 

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At the end of each day, I insist on viewing newly captured horses—examining their condition at temporary holding corrals, comparing observations, and debriefing with Laura to identify patterns of welfare concern. Together, we analyze not only what we see but what we must ask—pressing BLM for clarity, accountability, and reform. Because within these daily details lie matters of life and death.

Through relentless fieldwork and evidence-based reporting, WHE compiles detailed welfare assessments of BLM’s conduct under its own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). Our reports—grounded in photographs, video, and on-the-ground logs—frequently expose striking discrepancies between BLM’s self-assessments and the realities we document. Investigative research powered by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests brings even deeper truths to light, revealing agency negligence and misinformation that undermine public trust.

For example, our recent FOIA investigations revealed that BLM emails contradicted their public claims about the legitimacy of the CAWP—uncovering a pattern of concealment with devastating consequences for wild horses and the public. These revelations are why we fight—to ensure that misinformation is challenged, truth is documented, and reform becomes possible.

Below: This beautiful wild horse would be removed and probably never seen again by the BLM that has no concern for the genetic diversity of the few horses they leave on the range. I know we must continue the fight.

WHE’s foundation rests on the First Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act—two cornerstones that protect the public’s right to know. The landmark case Leigh v. Salazar affirmed that transparency and humane treatment are not just moral duties but constitutional and statutory rights. WHE’s work continues to turn those rights into daily practice, building public trust through documentation, legal action, and courage.

Advocacy is never static—it evolves. But what has not changed is WHE’s tenacity. We maintain more access days at helicopter roundups than any other organization, an unmatched record built on decades of persistence and precedent-setting court victories. We stand on that foundation every day, carrying forward a mission rooted in transparency, truth, and compassion—for the horses still running free, and for those who no longer can.

Above: While documenting a roundup in the biting cold I saw Diamond dust, when ice crystals danced in the morning sunlight.

As we turn to 2026, I am tired, but I am also deeply grateful—to stand beside my colleagues, and for the moments of unexpected beauty that help heal my tired soul. Each act of witnessing, each step toward transparency, and each show of public support makes the work possible.

If you believe in truth, transparency, and humane treatment, please consider contributing to Wild Horse Education. Every donation strengthens the effort to expose abuse, demand accountability, and protect America’s wild herds for generations to come.

Happy New Year!

Our final critical fundraiser of 2025 will TRIPLE your contribution thanks to two generous supporters!

Your $25 becomes $75. Your $100 becomes $300. Every dollar brings us closer to real reforms the law promised decades ago.

Thank you for standing with Wild Horse Education at the close of this difficult, pivotal year. Together, we can make sure that what came to light in 2025 and the lawsuits begun lead to real change in 2026—for every wild horse and burro captive or free on our public lands.