Wild Horse and Burro Program Data
The BLM monitors rangeland conditions and wild horse and burro herds to determine the number of animals, including livestock and wildlife, that public rangelands can support. When deteriorating rangeland conditions are observed, the BLM removes excess wild horses and burros from overpopulated Herd Management Areas (HMAs) and restricts livestock grazing to keep animal populations at sustainable levels. Wildfires and severe drought conditions are key factors affecting the condition of public rangelands, too.
The excess wild horses and burros removed from the range are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt-a-Wild Horse-or-Burro Program. After properly caring for a mustang or burro for one year, adopters are eligible to receive title, or ownership, from the Federal government. While the BLM faces a constant challenge in adopting out enough animals to match the number removed annually from the range, the adoption program is a popular one. In fact, the BLM has placed more than 230,000 wild horses and burros into private care since the adoption program began in 1971.
Data From the Program
This table contains links to final data relating to population, gathers, adoptions, and Herd Areas (HAs) and HMAs. Some data are preliminary and subject to revision before the fiscal year ends.
1 Data are from the BLM's annual Public Land Statistics.