The Present
Holding out a copy of a 1984 article discussing the imbalance between minimal willing adopters and the overwhelming amounts of wild horses and burros in government custody, James Beck of the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley stated, “The only thing that has changed are the numbers.”
A copy of a 1984 newspaper owned by James Beck displays a headline lamenting about the lack of wild horse adoptions.
The article stated that the government spent about $5 million annually on caring for the horses.
A 2025 estimate from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) indicated that there were about 73,000 wild horses and burros on public lands. According to the BLM, this is about three times the population that can be sustained by the lands.
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These horses are spread across the United States in hundreds of Herd Management Areas (HMA), concentrated heavily in the western states. As previously stated, about 20,000 wild horses and burros are rounded up every year and brought into government custody, either to be adopted out or sent to long-term pasture holding. According to the BLM, caring for a single wild horse over its lifetime in government custody would cost around $15,000.
"The only thing that has changed are the numbers."
The National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley spans 80 acres about 20 miles outside of Reno, Nevada. There are 26 short-term preparation corrals across the United States for wild horses, with around 20,000 horses passing through their gates annually. Tens of thousands more horses roam free on American lands in hundreds of areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, and some reservation governments.
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According to Beck, about one million dollars is spent on hay alone to care for the approximately 4,000 animals that pass through the facility each year. Of those 4,000 animals every year, approximately 100 will be adopted from the facility directly. With an 1,800 head capacity, the facility was housing about 600 as of November 2025. According to Beck, most animals stay about 4-5 months before being sent to long-term pasture holding or other facilities, with some mares being held for about a year to ensure they do not give birth in long-term holding.
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Another method of management is birth control. There are a variety of fertility treatments being researched and used in wild horses, with varying efficacy rates, expenses, and functions. Injections that can be administered via dart tend to be the most promising, as they do not require rounding up or hands-on work with the animals. That being said, the available types act differently upon the reproductive system. Those that prevent fertilization, but do not otherwise regulate hormonal cycles may have the potential to negatively alter herd dynamics.
A laminated paper is taped upon a metal introductory sign, detailing the fact that the Palomino Valley Center would be closed to the public during the recent government shutdown. The center was once again open to the public after the shutdown was ended in November 2025.