This method is currently limited because the vaccines must be administered by hand or by dart and the duration of effectiveness is short (one to two years), necessitating annual revaccination with repeated boosters. The costs for care and maintenance of horses in these facilities account for 60% of the BLM’s annual budget.įertility control vaccines were administered to just over 700 mares last year. Those that are not suited for adoption are placed in long-term holding facilities. Horses and burros removed from the range are assessed for adoption suitability. Over 11,400 wild horses and burros were gathered in 2018. The yearly removal of animals from the range is the method with the greatest impact. Q: How is overpopulation currently addressed?Ī: Multiple strategies are employed by the BLM in its efforts to control herd sizes. If they are found to be significantly ill or injured a veterinarian may be called for euthanasia. Horses in long-term holding do not receive routine veterinary care. Horses in long-term holding are grouped by sex, and most receive supplemental feed during the winter to assist in maintaining body condition. The horses placed in long-term holding are meant to be managed in a way that is similar to their state on-range, meaning there is minimal handling and intervention. Horses that are over the age of 10 or those that have been offered for adoption unsuccessfully three times may be moved to long-term holding facilities. Horses in short-term holding are evaluated for adoption and are vaccinated against common equine diseases in preparation for potential placement. For long-term holding, horses are likely to be held in pastures owned by private citizens who have contracts with the federal government. For short-term holding, horses are likely to be held in corrals and small paddocks. In 2019, the BLM conducted an emergency gather of horses in the Red Rock Herd Management Area in Nevada because of no sustainable water sources and range degradation.Ī: Off-range holding can be short-term or long-term. In some herd management areas, overpopulation has created welfare risks for wild horses and burros, such as starvation and dehydration due to scarce food and water resources, especially in those areas with arid geography. Currently, an additional 50,000 (August 1, 2019) horses are maintained off-range in long-term holding facilities. The BLM-designated level is approximately 27,000 the national estimated on-range population as of February 27, 2019, is approximately 88,000. Currently, the number of wild horses and burros on public lands is three times greater than the appropriate management level determined by the BLM. The BLM calculates an appropriate population management level based on the number of wild horses and burros that can thrive in balance with other public land resources and uses. may be considered feral, only the subset designated by the Act have the legal protections of “wild horses and burros.” Free-roaming horses and burros that inhabit tribal, state or private lands are not protected under the 1971 Act.Ī: Overpopulation is the number-one threat to wild horses and burros and the lands on which they roam. While all free-roaming equids in the U.S. This law authorizes the BLM to remove excess wild horses and burros from the range to sustain the health and productivity of public lands. Forest Service (USFS) the statutory obligation to manage and protect wild horses and burros in designated federal management areas. government?Ī: The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-195) gave the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U. Q: Why are these animals managed by the U.S. Wild burros roam rangeland in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Oregon. Wild, free-roaming horses can be found on public lands across 10 western states, with the largest population in Nevada. Most wild horses and burros living today are descendants of animals that were released or escaped from Spanish explorers, ranchers, miners, the U.S.
Q: How are wild horses and burros defined in the U.S.?Ī: Wild horses and burros are defined by federal law as unbranded, unclaimed, free-roaming horses or burros found on public lands in the United States.
AVMA Center for Veterinary Education Accreditation.AVMA Congressional Advocacy Network (CAN).Donate to American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF).
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