BLM has begun the Callaghan Complex roundup. BLM plans to capture 2,000 wild horses in this operation. The Callaghan Complex consists of the Callaghan, South Shoshone, Bald Mountain, Hickison (north of US Route 50) HMAs, and North Shoshone HA and the trapping area consists of over 1.1 million acres.

Background on the Environmental Assessment (EA) BLM is using at this operation: The underlying plan is supposed to be a management plan (what is called a HMAP-Herd Management Area Plan), not simply a “gather plan.” BLM has ignored all aspects of the HMAP and placed them in a generic Appendix (the same as used for Silver King). For the first time, BLM places these distinct HMAs into the administrative construct of the word “complex” and then said they had a “page limit” and could not perform the full analysis required in the HMAP and would get to it “someday.” This leave post-capture target goals grounded in fictional Appropriate Management Levels (AML) and other critical factors ignored. They also responded to all pre-decision comments on the plan with the page-limit restriction. Long-standing issues involving boundary lines, the number BLM says can be on the range (AML), decades of failures to fix water sources, fencing horses off of water, etc. exist in this area under the oldest operational Land Use Plan (LUP) in the country. What all of this means is that there really is no “data-based anything” underneath this plan and the operation is being carried out to suit the agreements from the 1980s.

The underlying plan could target 5000 wild horses in the Complex over the lifetime of the plan and we are in court on the multitude of issues in the plan. We have written several articles on this important litigation and will provide more information in the coming days. (archive: Callaghan)

When we are onsite at a roundup we aim to report to the public, advocate on and off site for the immediate well-being of wild horses or burros. This work also contributes to our ongoing struggle to gain real enforceable welfare rules.

Concerns with the lack of a formalized welfare standard run deep. Gaining an enforceable welfare policy that contains clear standards is vital. The concerns include concerns with foaling season, air quality and heat index standards. All of those are very relevant to this roundup. 

You can learn more about the issue and take ACTION here, 

We take our responsibility to be the eyes and ears of the public seriously. So many of you rely on us to report to you as close to “real-time” as possible so you can engage. We will continue to report to you daily on the “who, what, how and where” of the Callaghan Complex. To follow the operation and to receive our articles on everything else “wild horse and burro”  you can subscribe here. 

This page will update frequently with new information as it become available

Cumulative Totals (as of 7/13, BLM has not updated official numbers): 

Captured: 542 Wild Horses (228 Stallions, 229 Mares, and 85 Foals) 

As of July 14 the unofficial count is around 750. That means all of the horses captured from 7/14 onward will be shipped off-limits to public view.

Shipped: 321 Wild Horses (142 Stallions, 138 Mares, and 41 Foals) Wild horses will be shipped to two different facilities: Palomino Valley Center and to Broken Arrow (Indian Lakes RD.) in Fallon. The Fallon facility is off-limits to public view.

On July 11: BLM officially reported: 213 Wild Horses (71 Stallions, 101 Mares, and 41 Foals) were shipped to Palomino Valley Center. July 12: 112 (75 Stallions, 37 Mares, and 0 Foals)  shipped (we do not know the destination).

Deaths: 3, Day 1, during active trapping: A sorrel filly foal was reported to have been kicked by another horse at temporary holding and broke a leg. (This death is from July 10. Any deaths that occurred on July 11th will be reported the next day.) Day 2, during shipping and holding: 3 y/o, Bay, Mare – Acute/Sudden, broken neck , 3 m/o, Sorrel, filly – Acute/Sudden, indicators consistent with colic. 

Daily reports will be listed by the most recent. Scroll down for earlier reports.

Day 4: 07-13-26

BLM has not updated official totals. BLM is still using the temporary holding corrals as the trap. We are really far away and do not know how many went in. The estimate is 200… give or take 50.

We are working on a long form report and will link it here.

Day 3: 07-12-26

213 (83 Stallions, 89 Mares, and 41 Foals were captured as reported by BLM.

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Our observer saw some very tiny babies. It was another hot day.

Due to a fire erupting at a nearby ranch and a vehicle collision, the tour of temporary corrals was cancelled.

We will load the full video update soon.

Day 2: 07-11-26

No fly day. BLM shipped wild horses to facility. Heat Danger warning from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today.

Deaths during shipping and holding: 3 y/o, Bay, Mare – Acute/Sudden, broken neck , 3 m/o, Sorrel, filly – Acute/Sudden, indicators consistent with colic. 

Stress is a major trigger for colic. In foals weaning, transportation, or being separated from the mare are all contributing factors. Roundups present the perfect storm of conditions, particularly in hot weather, for colic deaths.

These deaths continue into holding facilities. BLM likes to simply quote the death rate only at trap as the statistic. The average death rate from trapping and holding is 12% in the first 5 months. That means 1 in 9 wild horses or burros will die as a direct result of capture. That number can rise as high as 24% in subset populations.

Day 1: 07-10-26

329 Wild Horses (145 Stallions, 140 Mares, and 44 Foals) were captured day 1. This is an area we know well and you have seen many of these wild horses in our articles about this area. As fences and disturbances from recreation and mining increase on the other side of the HMA, more movement toward the west side has occurred. Some of you will remember this area from the “right place, right time” piece we did when a water/mineral survey was being done via helicopter and almost caused horses to move onto the highway through a broken cattle guard. That cattle guard has not been fixed.

The area has a lot of barbed wire in the direct flight path. None of it is dropped or flagged.

Initially BLM was not going to allow viewing of the temporary corrals that also served as trap. Our representative engaged BLM and some viewing was permitted. There are dozens of faces we know.

Our onsite and offsite representatives engaged BLM on several issues including the heat advisory for July 11, holding concerns, etc.

Instead of flying today, BLM shipped captive horses to holding.

We will continue to remain onsite. 

Concerns with the lack of a formalized welfare standard run deep. Gaining an enforceable welfare policy that contains clear standards not left to the discretion of whomever is in charge is vital. The concerns include air quality and heat index standards.

You can learn more about the issue and take ACTION here, 

Our teams are working very hard and need your support.

Every court case we bring, every mile we travel to cover roundups or assess a herd, every win, every action we take is only possible because of your support.

Additional reading:

How A Roundup Gets On The Schedule

Responsible Parties During Roundups Onsite

There is a lot of misleading information on social media:

This is not the largest roundup or roundup plan in Nevada history (the Antelope/Triple B plan removed over 14,000 in 7 years) and the single roundup there in 2023 captured 3,078 wild horses. There have been roundups of over 2000 wild horses in this state (although since the accelerated removals of the last decade, sadly, there are few herds with these numbers left and these large single roundups will become increasingly rare).  This roundup is NOT targeting “5000 wild horses for capture.” The underlying plan (that we are litigating) authorizes that action over the next decade. The BLM is the responsible party and not anyone else. There are so many issues and we urge you to read more (archive: Callaghan). 

This is one of the last places that can sustain a large herd in the U.S. and there is no data-based plan to the extent that everything, even boundary lines, are arbitrary. This roundup plan never should have been approved in the first place. This is the largest roundup on the current schedule.  As always, before sharing on social media please check for accuracy. The confusion created can and does reach lawmakers and court employees that can be influenced by misinformation. Callaghan does not need to be sensationalized; the issues are “bad” and they are very real and must be addressed, specifically, if this herd is to have a better future.

Social media can be a useful tool. It can also be really destructive. Be careful “out there.”

(WHE is the only org to ever take BLM to court over abuse and those rulings have driven the creation of the changes we have today. But we still have more to do. Stating this is not bravado. It is to address the false claims online.)