The Piceance/East Douglas Herd Management Area (HMA) is about 190,130 acres and BLM says only 135-235 wild horses can occupy the area. The target of the operation is the low AML of 135.
1,025 horses planned for gather, about 1,011 horses will be removed from the range, and 14 will be returned to the Piceance-East Douglas HMA. Ten of the returned horses will receive fertility control treatment to help slow future population growth.” This removal number represents only Piceance/East Douglas and not the “zero out” target for West Douglas Herd Area that is the next roundup on the schedule listed as a distinct operation targeting 100 wild horses for permanent removal.
You can read more about the numbers, targets and strange population estimates that repeatedly ignore overcounting HERE.
Did you know there are 18,400 recorded historical and active oil and gas wells within the Piceance Basin? The area is dominated by oil and gas. The area also has significant livestock grazing. Livestock are allocated 57,105 Animal Unit Months (AUM, or the amount of forage a cow/calf pair eats in a month) compared to 2,820 for wild horses.
There are severe access issues that we are working on behind the scenes. The public is being limited to only 3 days a week, no access at all to temporary holding corrals and the captives are being sent to the private Wheatland facility in Wyoming that is not open to the public.
You can meet our observers in the field now in Colorado and Utah HERE.
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 these critical issues are very relevant to this roundup.
You can learn more about the issue and take ACTION here.
We will update this page frequently.
Official cumulative numbers:
On 8/24/26 BLM began the West Douglas HA zero out portion. We have moved the update age HERE.
Captured: 808 wild horses (316 stallions, 335 mares, and 157 foals) from Piceance -East Douglas 11 wild horses (6 stallions, 3 mares, and 2 foals) . Total: 819 wild horses (322 stallions, 338 mares, and 159 foals)
Shipped: 757 (273 stallions, 327 mares, 157 foals)
Deaths: 6, gray mare suffered catastrophic injury during shipping. We do not know if that was from trap to holding. Or from holding to facility. 2 “bay stallions” with no other identifying information where BLM says something (unidentified) was reason to put them down because whatever it was would not improve (we do not know if it was asserted blindness, broken bone, club foot, etc.). Another death with zero information about why it was put down except it was a bay stud. BLM asserted, “Yearling cremello colt humanely euthanized due to pre-existing condition – eye abnormality/blindness.” Another foal was found dead at temporary holding.
Please be aware, BLM weakened the standards in their CAWP program on June 29th, right before helicopter roundup season began. A veterinarian is no longer required to be onsite.
Newest reports at the top. Scroll down for earlier reports.
On Day 22, BLM began the West Douglas portion of this operation. This is a “zero out” of the Herd Area.
11 wild horses (6 stallions, 3 mares, and 2 foals) were captured with no public observation allowed.
Of note: Another foal was found dead in temporary holding.
BLM captured 808 wild horses from Piceance-East Douglas.
__________________
Day 21, 08-22-26, 22 wild horses (8 stallions, 10 mares, and 4 foals) captured. 1 foal shipped. No additional information. When BLM ships only a foal it is either an orphan or a failing foal.
Day 20, 08-21-26: 17 wild horses (6 stallions, 7 mares, and 4 foals) captured. No public observation allowed.
Day 19, 08-20-26: 15 wild horses (10 stallions, 4 mares, and 1 foal) captured. No public observation allowed.
Day 18, 08-19-26:
Trap moved. It appears that BLM is removing small numbers at each trap as they catch nearly every wild horse in the HMA. 27 wild horses (8 stallions, 13 mares, and 6 foals) were captured.
Please remember, this operation will reduce this herd to near low allowable numbers (AML: 120) prior to applying fertility control. After summer roundups the entire state of Colorado will have fewer than 600 wild horses left on public lands.
Wild horses came into trap wet with sweat.
BLM stopped operations at around 92 degrees.
The last wild horse of the day appeared to be a younger filly that rounded a corner alone. She took off into the hills and escaped capture.
Our volunteer was the only observer to stay until the end of the day.
Day 17, 08-18-26
25 wild horses (8 stallions, 12 mares, and 5 foals) additional wild horses were captured by the highway.
This tiny baby was one of the wild horses driven into a trap down a draw observers never saw. The only view was of this move into the draw. Approach to wings and trap were not observed.
Day 16, 08-17-26:
43 wild horses (18 stallions, 18 mares, and 7 foals) is the officially published number captured today on the border between East Douglas (HMA) and West Douglas (HA) near Rangley.
The number is actually 22 (6 stallions, 11 mares, 5 foals). BLM said they will fix the online error.
A new chopper, pilot and several escapes including this stud.
Operations are right on a major busy highway.
Day 15, 08-16-26: 43 wild horses (18 stallions, 18 mares, and 7 foals) captured. No public observation allowed.
Day 14, 08-15-25: 10 wild horses (2 stallions, 5 mares, and 3 foals) captured. no public observation allowed.
Day 13, 08-14-26: 23 wild horses (14 stallions, 5 mares) were captured. BLM put down a cremello yearling claiming he was blind. No public allowed to observe.
Day 12, 08-13-26: 15 wild horses (9 stallions, 4 mares, and 2 foals) were captured. No public observers allowed.
Day 11, 08-12-26
51 wild horses (18 stallions, 22 mares, and 11 foals) were captured. Of those captured, two were adults that were roped. As this operation moves forward we expect small groups coming in (like todays) and more roping of adults. This happens when BLM is zeroing out or “at or near AML” with a goal of low AML.
Another death with practically zero explanation: “Adult bay stallion humanely euthanized due to pre-existing condition – physical deformity, unable to maintain or improve.” A lot of words for so little specific information.
We would like to remind everyone that the estimated population BLM reported to Congress in their annual 2026 report (March): North Piceance, 58. West Douglas, 101. Piceance, 814. Those numbers total 973. The target of this operation is to capture 1,025 and release 14. After roundups in 2026 the estimated population in all of Colorado will be fewer than 600 wild horses.
Day 10, 08-11-26
Our team members are onsite today.
36 wild horses (15 stallions, 13 mares, and 8 foals) were captured.
BLM keeps writing “3-4” on the body scale and “good condition.”. These horses are technically 4-5 (and a 6 now and then). BLM notes “3” usually when they want to assert the horses are in poor shape. We did a run down on heat and body score during Callaghan. If you want to know more, click HERE.
Day 9, 08-10-26
BLM allowed observation resumed day 10.
38 wild horses (15 stallions, 16 mares, and 7 foals) were captured today.
It seems that “dust control” is something being used to push wild horses and actual control of dust in the air is inadequate.
We are editing the events of the day and will update with the full report soon.
Run 1
Run 2
We have had a change of volunteers at Bible Springs. Our volunteers had to head home fast to evacuate from the Bug Fire/Freds Mt. fire.
Please keep them in your prayers.
This page will update frequently. We are still editing today’s footage.
Day 8, 08-09-26
Fourth day of no public observation. 67 wild horses (30 stallions, 28 mares, and 9 foals) captured.
Deaths: 2 “bay stallions” with no other identifying information where BLM says something (unidentified) was reason to put them down because whatever it was would not improve (we do not know if i
Day 7, 08-08-26
35 wild horses (16 stallions, 12 mares, and 7 foals) were captured. This is the third day of no public observation.
Day 6, 08-07-26
The second day where the public is prohibited. 48 wild horses (16 stallions, 21 mares, and 11 foals) were reported captured by BLM.
Day 5, 08-06-26
The first day of no public observation allowed. BLM is claiming a “staffing shortage.” This is not an allowable restriction. We have engaged and are working to address these ongoing access issues we first reported on in Callaghan.
41 wild horses (15 stallions, 19 mares, and 7 foals) were captured. Only 1 horse was shipped a foal. A gray mare suffered a catastrophic death during transport. We do not know if that was from trap to holding or from holding tp the facility.
Day 4, 08-05-26
41 wild horses (21 stallions, 10 mares, and 10 foals) were captured.
Below: When new babies run, they move really close to their moms. Watch the grey as she turns. There is the new foal. After a long pursuit the band is captured but the grey flees. The helicopter and riders search for her in the trees but she evades.
Below: Group is fractured. Foal belonging to one band follows another in and band bolts from the jute. But they stop to wait for baby and are captured.
We have been writing about the lack of veterinary staff at all summer roundups.
At Callaghan we discovered “on call” meant literally “on the phone.” Decisions to euthanize, no real diagnosis or necropsy to find out why foals were dying (simply classifying as “unknown” clouding any information that could address serious concerns with facts).
After working through numerous channels, the Colorado State veterinarian is onsite.
We will update you with additional information on access and findings as it is provided to us.
There is no public access through Sunday. BLM claims a staffing shortage. Essentially the person that sits with the public is a baby sitter. They have a radio and tell the public when it is safe to go find a sagebrush to relieve themselves and when they “all clear” is given to go back to your vehicle. “No staff” is not a narrowly tailored restriction on the First Amendment. Our legal team has engaged.
Day 3, 08-04-26
52 wild horses (23 stallions, 22 mares, and 7 foals) were captured.
Long form report on the spotlight issue where there are no veterinarians onsite HERE. The State of Colorado has stepped up. The state veterinarian is onsite and will remain onsite.
Day 2, 08-03-26
84 wild horses (23 stallions, 40 mares, and 21 foals) were captured.
The area was under an Air Quality Heath Advisory from smoke blowing in from outside the state for the entire day.
Access continued to be poor. There is no ability to assess handling or condition of captives.
There continues to be no veterinarian onsite. The combination of no veterinarian and the lack of meaningful access to assess handling is disturbing. Our team is engaging the situation.
It seems BLM is going to begin discriminatory access to temporary holding corrals, a practice the abandoned in 2013 after our litigation. Our team is engaging the situation.
After the 5th run, at about 10:30 a.m., observers heard something. Two wild horses had moved into the vicinity and may have been the two that evaded earlier. They were the only wild horses that could be seen clear enough to assess their condition.
There were 8 runs and operations ended at 11:45 a.m.
Day 1, 08-02-26
BLM estimated they captured approximately 100 wild horses.
Observers were about a mile from trap. Shooting into the sun and dust made visibility worse, even with high powered zoom and additional cropping in edit. Dust abatement was inadequate.
We are still editing video and will update as time allows.
BLM stopped active trapping 11 a.m. due to heat.
At 11 a.m. the temperature was approaching 90 and the heat index sat at 85, the caution zone. Air Quality was fair.
Our team members remain onsite at active roundups in Colorado and Utah.
These pages will update frequently.
We need your support to keep our teams engaging lawmakers, our team fighting in the court, our team running the roundup schedule.
Every mile we travel to cover roundups or assess a herd, every court case we bring, every win, every action we take is only possible because of your support. Sincere Gratitude.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
You must be logged in to post a comment.