Wild horses and burros are diverse in their coloring, ranging from solid brown and black to colorful paints and palominos. Most wild horses stand 13 to 15 hands high (52-60 inches) and weigh from 700 to 1,000 pounds. Wild burros average 11 hands high (44 inches) and weigh about 500 pounds.
Wild, free-roaming wild horses can be found on public lands across 10 western states. Wild burros roam rangeland in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Oregon.Pursuant to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM and U.S. Forest Service manage wild horses on subsets of public lands where the animals were found upon passage of the Act in 1971. These areas are known as Herd Management Areas.
Population Estimates:
Fiscal Year 2019
Nationwide population estimates*: 88,090
Total removed: 7,276
Total placed into private care: 7,104
*As of March 1, 2019
Fiscal Year 2018
Nationwide population estimates*: 81,951
Total removed: 11,472
Total placed into private care: 4,609
*As of March 1, 2018
Download the FY2018 Wild Horse and Burro Program Highlights fact sheet.
Program History
During the 1950s, Velma B. Johnston, later known as "Wild Horse Annie," became aware of the ruthless and indiscriminate manner in which wild horses were being treated on western rangelands. So-called "mustangers" played a major role in harvesting wild horses for commercial purposes during this time.
Wild Horse Annie led a grassroots campaign, famously involving many school children. Newspapers published articles about the exploitation of wild horses and burros. As noted by the Associated Press on July 15, 1959: "Seldom has an issue touched such a responsive chord."
In January 1959, Nevada Rep. Walter Baring introduced a bill prohibiting the use of motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and burros on public lands. The "Wild Horse Annie Act" became Public Law 86-234 on Sept. 8, 1959, but it did not include Annie's recommendation that Congress initiate a program to protect, manage and control wild horses and burros.
By 1971, the population of wild horses on public lands had declined significantly because of the encroachment of man and the impact of mustangers.
In response to public outcry, Congress unanimously passed the "Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act" (Public Law 92-195) to provide for the necessary management, protection and control of wild horses and burros on public lands. President Richard M. Nixon signed the bill into law on December 15, 1971.
The law declares wild horses and burros to be “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” and stipulates that the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service have the responsibility to manage and protect herds in their respective jurisdictions within areas where wild horses and burros were found roaming in 1971.
To maintain wild horses and burros in good condition and protect the health of our public lands, the BLM must manage the population growth of wild horse and burro herds. Without natural population controls, such as predation, herds can increase at a rate of up to 20 percent annually, doubling in size in just 4 to 5 years, if not appropriately managed.
Population control must be implemented to protect scarce and fragile resources in the arid West and ensure healthy animals.
To carry out this mission, the BLM controls herd growth through the application of fertility measures, such as birth control, and through the periodic removals of excess animals and the placement of those animals into private care.
Learn how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro.