Are Wild Horses & Burros Overpopulated?
- Erin Phillips
- May 26
- 4 min read
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) frequently states that wild equines are overpopulated, and many believe it without question. The BLM's claims are correct and based on science, right? Maybe not. Let's dig into this deeper - you may be surprised at what we find.
First, it is necessary to note that the BLM's leadership is very much against wild horses and burros. Why? Because many ranchers in the livestock industry hate wild horses and burros since they compete for the forage on the range. Ranchers have much power and influence in the BLM's decision making. Not to mention that nearly every member of the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board is for livestock and against wild horses - which is obvious by their statements and votes during board meetings.
The BLM's method for population counts is not efficient. The Double Observer Method is conducted over several days as the BLM counts wild horses and burros from an airplane 500+ feet above ground in the Herd Management Area (HMA). The horses appear as specks when that high in the air, so the BLM has to determine whether that speck is a horse, burro, cow, sheep, or another large wild mammal. Also, they're likely counting horses and burros multiple times, since this counting method takes several days to complete.1
1Twin Peaks, Wild Horses Wild Lands:
In 2022, the wild equine population in Twin Peaks was determined using two different methods. One method showed that there were 1,500 wild horses and burros (Transect Strip Method, which takes one day to complete), while the method commonly used by the BLM showed the population to be 3,500 (Double Observer Method).2 For example, in 2022, the BLM claimed that the population of wild horses in the Wyoming Checkerboard was 5,000 horses and planned to remove 3,500 horses. They would've been close to removing the last mustangs in that complex because they counted hundreds more than were present.
The BLM currently manages 245 million acres of public land. Livestock are allowed to graze on 155 million acres, while wild horses are restricted to 27 million acres (although most is shared with livestock). The BLM "estimates" that there are about 88,000 wild horses and burros on public lands, yet recent congressional reports state that there are between 700,000 and 1,000,000 domestic livestock on the wild horses and burros' land.3 The livestock's excessive use of the range damages wildlife populations and the ecosystem, whereas wild equines benefit the land and wildlife.
Privately owned livestock inhabit many other public lands, including national parks, such as the Grand Tetons. The livestock (such as cattle and sheep) are allowed to run rampant with little management, and ranchers often keep their cattle on the land longer than their permit allows. The livestock graze areas down to the dirt, allowing non-native grasses and weeds - which affect the wildlife - to grow instead. Livestock are not well suited for life in the West and have a poor impact on the land.
The government also allows the killing of predators to protect the livestock. This removes the natural predation on wild equine herds and affects other animal populations. The BLM's website states, "Unchecked herds double in size every four years, due to a lack of natural predators and a rapid growth rate."4 There is a lack of predators because they are being killed for the safety of domestic livestock. Still, this is no excuse for capturing wild horses and burros. If mustangs, burros, and wild predators were left alone, herd numbers would stay in check without human management. In the meantime, the BLM could use an effective and humane population control method, such as PZP (a fertility control vaccine).
For example, in 2023, wild horses in the Pryor Mountains had reached a higher population count than the herd had experienced for many years. There were 209 horses on the range.
That year, predators (mainly cougars) began moving back into the range after being killed off several years earlier. Due to that, the mortality rate was high, and by January 2024, the population count had decreased to 202 horses. Contrary to popular opinion, predators effectively keep wild equine populations in check.
Removals via helicopter roundups and bait trapping also backfire. Compensatory Reproduction is a natural occurrence with wild horses and burros (and all wildlife) as a response to more predation than normal, disease, and environmental challenges, including roundups. Scientists have found that the BLM's roundups cause wild equines to breed at higher rates than normal to keep the species alive.5
2Twin Peaks, Wild Horses Wild Lands, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lftvyrj4PY
3Private ranching influences government policy, American Wild Horse Campaign,
4Wild Horse and Burro Program, Bureau of Land Management, www.blm.gov/whb
5Cruel roundups create a vicious cycle, American Wild Horse Campaign,
So are wild horses and burros overpopulated? No. This is a blatant lie from the BLM, so they can place the blame on the wild horses and burros and allow livestock to graze on our public lands. The horses aren't overpopulated or destroying the land. Instead, it is the cattle and sheep who trample the grounds, foul water sources, endanger native species, and dry up rivers.
We need to correct this issue with wild equine management and the destruction of our public lands, placing the blame where it is due - the Bureau of Land Management.
Erin Phillips
Director of Mustang Mission
Erin Phillips is the founder of Mustang Mission, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving America’s wild horses and burros. Inspired by a lifelong love of horses, Erin has become a passionate advocate for wild equines and all wildlife. Since 2022, Mustang Mission has worked to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome mustangs and burros in need. Through training, advocacy, and education, Erin continues to fight for the future of these iconic animals.
This article is from the May issue of Equine Business Magazine
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