The Compromise
For the most part, people agree that wild horse and burros HMAs are overpopulated, which is taking a toll on the animals and the environment. What they do not agree on is the proper solution to that issue.
Banner Image: Two horses graze in the South Steens HMA in May 2025.
Two foals frolic in a meadow in the Big Summit HMA in July 2025.
Vanessa Lowe, founder of Paradise Waits Mustang Sanctuary, stated that she’d like to see “more emphasis on humane fertility control” in conversations about and plans for management, a sentiment many others share.
There are two main methods of fertility control that can be delivered via dart, meaning no rounding up or physical handling is required. The more commonly used method is Porcine Zone Pellucida (PZP), which lasts about 1-2 years and blocks the fertilization of an egg by sperm.
GonaCon-Equine has preliminary data supporting its efficacy being 5-6 years if boostered. This medication stops the hormone cascade of a mare altogether, preventing heat cycles as well as fertilization. Since PZP does not stop the effects of these hormones, stallions can get frustrated with mares, resulting in their harassment or injury. That being said, GonaCon is a newer, less researched, and more expensive medication. Intrauterine devices are sometimes used as well, but this requires a more invasive procedure, requiring more planning and resources to accomplish.
Some research by the National Park Service saw that mares treated with GonaCon twice were not reproducing at all, and three breeding seasons later less than 20% were breeding. With adequate funding and planning that ensures mares are properly boostered and breeding stock of wild herds are tracked, fertility treatments may be a viable solution.
Unfortunately, fertility control is not an immediate solution to overpopulation. In the meantime, overpopulated, starving and dehydrated animals are still going to need somewhere to go.
For horses lacking resources, bait traps can be an effective, less traumatizing way to herd horses and burros into a corral. Even healthy animals can be tempted by valuable resources like good hay. That being said, this is not as quick of a process and is less feasible when larger quantities of animals are being removed.
Once rounded up, wild horses and burros have to adjust to captivity.
In regards to short-term holding, Jearred Foruria stated that, “in most cases, the horses held there have better access to good feed and water. Not to mention veterinary services as needed.” Foruria continued on to say that, in his experience working for BLM, the agency “does a great job with their wranglers, volunteer staff, etc who care for the animals, expose them to humans, and identify the best horses for adoption.”
While their physical needs are met, their emotional and behavioral needs are also important. Having people who work well with the horses is important for their adjustment, and may be the difference in if an animal will be deemed adoptable or not.
Vanessa Lowe of Paradise Waits Mustang Sanctuary agrees with the need for people who work well with wild horses. “I’ve seen trainers break wild horses until they’re a shell of their former self,” she stated. “I’ve also seen wild horses accept domestication like it’s no big deal. It’s in the hands of the BLM, the wranglers, and the trainers. A gentler, more humane gather is going to put out less traumatized wild horses, and the trainers that learn how to listen to the horse and give up their timelines will contribute to more acclimated wild horses.”
Two adult horses dust bathing in the Big Summit HMA in July 2025.
Caitlyn Van Meter discusses the world of mustang owners and her wild horse's great temperament. December 2025.
Caitlyn Van Meter and her mustang, Delta.
This need for understanding does not end with the BLM. Adopters of wild horses may need to work harder with their animals than those with a regular domestic horse. That being said, some mustang owners indicate that formerly wild horses have steadier temperaments once broken, possibly due to their exposure to a variety of stimuli during their time in the wild.
One of these people is Caitlyn Van Meter, an owner of a 14-year-old gelding named Delta, who was rounded up when he was only a few years old. “The only things he’s scared of are fire and one specific donkey cut-out.” Van Meter continued on to say that she contributes much of Delta’s temperament to the two handlers he had before her.
In terms of ensuring that horses go to good homes, there are varying opinions on the role of BLM. Adoption applications are thorough and requirements are specific, but there are still many wild horses that end up neglected or in the slaughter pipeline. Though the BLM is not capable of tracking every horse and owner for years on end, some suggest more comprehensive applications or more home visits. Lowe suggests that BLM owner compliance checkers “should be paid and their jobs need to be taken seriously,” as many are currently volunteers.
The BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program, which paid people $1000 to adopt a wild horse, was stopped in March 2025. There was opposition to the program, as some horses would end up in auctions or being sent to slaughter once adopters received the payment. Some would consider this a step in the right direction, but it does not solve the problem of the many horses living in short and long-term facilities or overcrowded HMAs.
Jearred Foruria argues that reversing the prohibition of “euthanasia or unrestricted sale for mass population reduction” of wild horses and burros could decrease numbers to a more financially and ecologically feasible level, such as was done in Australia.
Though these proposals are consistently blocked by Congress, there are many horse advocates that agree with the sentiment. Andi Harmon, author of Oregon’s Living Legends: A Study of Oregon’s Wild Horses and the Ranges they Roam, also proposed a plan for unrestricted sale of horses in long-term holding facilities in order to clear them out and shut them down. This would decrease the financial burden on the government, and, in the long run, could make adoption demand higher for wild horses due to decreased abundance.
“Everybody needs to listen,” Dr. Dawn Sherwood said at the close of her interview.
These varying perspectives all come from a love of horses and subjective definitions of quality of life. Some consider freedom with risk to be more valuable than safety in captivity. Some consider economic and ecological health to be more important than reducing euthanasia rates and the number of horses in the slaughter pipeline. The management of wild horses and burros is a complicated, nuanced issue that does not have one right solution.
Almost all interviewees suggested that people interested in this issue should educate themselves- through peer-reviewed research, exploring government sites and reports, and speaking with fellow horse advocates- and start volunteering. If only one thing, these animals need people to advocate for them and to work together to find sustainable solutions.
"Everybody needs to listen."
To contact Dr. Dawn Sherwood in regards to the Wild Horse and Burro Experience, email her at Dawn.Sherwood@oregonstate.edu.
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For more information regarding the Bureau of Land Management's wild horse and burro management, visit their website.
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The National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley is located at 15780 Pyramid Highway, Ironwood Road, Reno, NV 89510. The facility's phone number is (775) 475-2222, and they are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.