Callaghan Complex, the largest roundup of the year kicked off the summer. BLM removed over 1800 wild horses just from the South Shoshone HMA after adamantly claiming the operation would not target a single HMA in the complex.

The summer roundup season has come to an end as Sand Wash Basin in Colorado and Jackson Mountain in Nevada ended.

Fiscal year 2027 begins for the federal government on October 1. A new roundup schedule starts tomorrow. 

Before the new capture schedule begins, let’s take a look at what has actually happened in summer 2026. 

Before the summer “helicopter” season began, multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed between USDA and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that operates under the Department of Interior (DOI). The gist of all of these agreements was that BLM would open any allotment that may have been closed to livestock and ensure that no Animal Unit Month (AUM, monthly forage measure) would be lost for private livestock grazing.

Shortly after these agreements were made, BLM released the roundup schedule.

On July 8th before helicopters took to the air, a Preliminary Injunction was granted to halt the roundup at Carter, Buckhorn and Coppersmith. These 3 HMAs would be removed from the roundup schedule until the underlying case is resolved. In part, this plan intends to reduce the isolated and rare Carter Mustangs down to what BLM says is an “Appropriate Management Level” (AML) of just 25 wild horses after removing over 280,000 acres for use by wild horses simply because BLM said they want to prioritize cattle.

Carter

The first roundup of the summer was at Inyo on the Nevada.California border. The roundup plan there was written to solely focus on the off Wild Horse Territory (WHT) horses of the Montgomery Pass (USFS/BLM).

The largest roundup of the year came next.

Days before the roundup.

At Callaghan BLM planned to remove 2000. They removed 2005. Over 1800 of those captured came from one Herd Management Area (HMA) in the complex South Shoshone.

BLM had declared over 5000 wild horses in the complex as “excess” and finalized a really shoddy and data poor plan.

We told the court BLM was going to focus on one HMA, South Shoshone. BLM denied it and say that was “purely speculative.” There was no way the court could just say BLM was not honest and ruled that we were “speculating” and that there would still be more than 3000 horses in the complex so we were not “permanently harmed.” The roundup was allowed to happen.

The underlying claim to stop the plan from continuing to gut these HMAs remains in active briefing. We will continue the fight to protect the horses left in the Complex. But South Shoshone is nothing but tatters; cleared for expanding mining and sheep and cattle.

This area is one of the last large areas that could sustain a truly substantial herd of over 2000 in the country. We will not stop fighting for them.

Wild Horse Education’s Colette Kaluza was the only observer onsite for the duration of the operation.

During this operation WHE representatives learned that BLM is using absurd reasons for gutting observation. None of these reasons pass Constitutional muster. These issues continued at the majority of operations this year. 

WHE also discovered that BLM weakened their Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) recommendations. It is really important to remember that “CAWP” is a program, not a set of enforceable rules. So saying “comply with CAWP” is just telling them to comply with a self-policing program that really has no standards.

There was not one roundup this summer where BLM had their CAWP team onsite doing any review. Not one roundup had a veterinarian onsite either. Life and death decisions were made by the same people that wrote the plans to remove the horses. The decision about “what is humane” was also made by the same hands that wrote the plans and then hidden from the public.

At Bible Springs (Utah) it was apparent that BLM “on the ground” was unprepared to deal with the weakening of CAWP. The lack of veterinarians onsite also meant that basic supplies like foal formula was also “not onsite.” BLM made no policy provision to address this issue.

Our team members in the field and behind the scenes worked hard to get BLM to address this lack of basic care and supplies after an orphan baby died. BLM Utah did begin to bring special supplies to the operation to address new foal issue and continued that trend into the next roundup at Confusion.  (See more here about our advocacy on the issue)

Our advocacy to gain enforceable rules is not theoretical. It impacts the lives of individuals. It is also why access to observe condition and handling is not optional, it is vital. We thank our welfare team members for their dedication to each and every life. 

Fifteenmile (WY) was one of the few roundups this year where there was a release. The temporary corrals were also used at trap. Wild horses were brought into that trap, sorted and then the ones slated for release left from that same location. The calls of band members left behind and the replies from the released can be heard clearly in the video above. Family means everything to these horses. (You can see the roundup HERE)

Colorado had three roundups this year: Piceance, East Douglas, West Douglas and Sand Wash Basin. Access was abysmal and included discriminatory access. 

The photos of capture at Sand Wash were glimpses. Each one taken with an extremely long lens. Some very well-known wild horses were captured. BLM allowed partners in their darting program to help choose which horses would go back. No member of the public was allowed at all to even be present to document the release. Of the 301 captured, 55 were returned. 

After the summer of 2026, Colorado has fewer than 600 wild horses in the entire state reaching the “Path Forward” goal of AML as “increasing fertility control” begins.

Idaho also checked off the “get to AML” box this year hitting Saylor Creek and Challis. Both adjusting capture targets due to over estimations.

However, we are fighting in court to get the Challis wild horses returned after BLM failed to do a current analysis determination complying with existing court precedent. That case is active and we will keep you informed.

The last day of Jackson Mountain saw the area of the trap cleared of the last families that lived there.

Access at Jackson was abysmal. Extreme effort, including cutting over dirt instead of taking the road on the last day so our observer could not even get one clear picture of a horse on a trailer, was made during this roundup to obstruct any meaningful observation. WHE’s Marie Milliman was the only observer for the entire operation.

Our legal efforts at Jackson continue. This plan aims to sterilize 30% of the herd and apply a mashup of other fertility control measures on the rest. Our attorneys were able to confirm that none of these steps would be taken during this operation as our action moves forward. 

Team roundup coverage for fiscal year 2026

Capture Totals Summer 2026

Right before the summer roundup season ended there was an announcement that USDA would supply BLM with an additional $30. million to help them accelerate the goal of “getting to AML and keeping them there.” In the spring a “no net loss” of grazing agreement was signed between USDA and BLM. Included would be this goal of getting wild horse and burro populations to low AML and keeping them there to preserve public lands for livestock. That agreement has no funding. Now… it does.

There are no guardrails at all on this funding. All of this is based on “getting to AML first.” Fertility control is not “one thing.” It includes what BLM has planned at Jackson. This funding includes what happened in Colorado… the entire state has fewer than 600 wild horses. Now the goal is to keep the population that low on public lands. There are more formerly wild horses in sanctuary in that state than there are in the wild.  In fact, the groups applauding this agreement did not even use the word “guardrail” until we brought it up. No welfare standards while the BLM has $30 million for fertility control… and under that label BLM includes permanent sterilization. We have no idea how anyone can even try to market this as a “success.” It is sloppy and simply dangerous.

The target number for “low AML” is 16,360 wild horses and burros combined. The maximum allowed number is 26,785. That is what all of this aims to achieve. Is that what you want? 

PLEASE… take the time to learn more and take ACTION today. 

Coming in fiscal year 2027… 

BLM will be releasing the draft for the “National Gather EA” after scoping this summer. (More HERE)

BLM has announced they are rewriting the Wild Horse and Burro Regulations to “better align with law and policy.” If you read the “priority” MOUs for livestock, mining and energy, we can all expect that those will include regulations that allow for livestock to be reduced or removed temporarily or permanently to protect habitat for wild horses and burros. We do know that opening unlimited sales is part of that agenda.

Our team is very busy as we transition into the new year. Briefing on more than 7 lawsuits has been ongoing and we have two more in the works.

We are prioritizing limited funding to focus on the fight. We must force BLM plan-by-plan to openly create a data-based AML (number of horses or burros allowed on the range) and make a real impact to protect herd and habitat as private profit interests blatantly move to gut any protections. 

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. 

Limited Edition Shirt to help support our work. 

Click image or click here to order a two-sided shirt and support our work.

Help Defend Against The Broken Promise

Fifty-five years after Congress declared wild free-roaming horses and burros “fast disappearing from the American scene,” federal agencies are still driving their numbers down on the public lands meant to protect them.

Relentless removals are aimed at herd targets roughly one-third below the numbers found when Congress acted in 1971.

And the failures do not end there. After more than five decades, wild horses and burros still lack enforceable federal welfare standards that protect them through capture, confinement, transport, and disposition. Agencies continue to remove them without ensuring they are safeguarded from the slaughter pipeline.

This 55th-anniversary shirt honors the work of Velma Bronn Johnston—Wild Horse Annie—and refuses to let the cause she ignited be erased. We are carrying the fight forward for freedom, mercy, justice, and the right of wild horses and burros to remain wild and free on their public lands.

All proceeds fuel that fight.