The article discusses the ongoing controversy surrounding the management of wild horses in Wyoming, with some considering them to be invasive and detrimental to ecosystems while others see them as a symbol of the West. The Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act has been reintroduced by bipartisan lawmakers to protect American horses from commercial slaughter, with the American Wild Horse Conservation organization supporting the act due to concerns about horses gathered by the Bureau of Land Management being sent to slaughter.
The Bureau of Land Management has been conducting large-scale helicopter gathers of wild horses in Wyoming, with some horses ending up in kill pens despite efforts to find them good homes through the Adoption Incentive Program. The program offers adopters $1,000 per horse, but some individuals are exploiting this system by reselling the horses for profit. The AWHC is advocating for changes to the BLM’s management efforts, including de-incentivizing adoptions and transitioning to on-range management using fertility control to prevent horses from entering the slaughter pipeline.
A federal court in Denver recently ruled that the Adoption Incentive Program violated federal laws, leading to a pause in the program. The AWHC is pushing for an end to large-scale helicopter gathers and a shift towards on-range management to save taxpayers money and protect wild horses from being sold for slaughter. While the BLM has not commented on the SAFE Act or the AWHC’s allegations, they state that they are committed to protecting animal welfare and providing humane care to all wild horses.
