DD Animal News – America’s iconic wild horses and burros may soon be running out of time—and freedom.
Animal advocates are raising the alarm after the Trump Administration’s newly released Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal slashed funding for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program by 25%. Even more alarming: the budget removes key protections against horse slaughter, potentially opening the door for the killing of up to 64,000 federally protected wild horses and burros currently held in government corrals.
“This budget would be a bullet to the head of America’s wild horses if passed by Congress,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC).
A Shift Toward Slaughter?
The proposal echoes language from the Project 2025 agenda, which encourages Congress to allow the BLM to “humanely dispose” of wild horses and burros. This marks a stark reversal from Trump’s earlier position during his first term, when lethal control was removed from BLM policy due to lack of support from the President himself.
Americans overwhelmingly reject this kind of solution. More than 80% of the public wants wild horses protected and slaughter banned, Roy said. She went on to say that the U.S. should be investing in humane, science-based alternatives, not gutting programs and pushing animals toward a tragic end.
A Bipartisan Push for Humane Solutions
The future of the wild horse program now rests with Congress. Just last week, 83 bipartisan lawmakers urged the House Appropriations Committee to back increased funding for fertility control—a non-lethal, effective strategy endorsed by the BLM’s own advisory board.
After decades of helicopter roundups, more wild horses now live in pens than roam free. The BLM’s current approach has proven costly and unsustainable.
“After decades of costly and ineffective roundups, the BLM now stockpiles more wild horses in government pens than remain free on the range,” added Roy. “Americans deserve a better federal plan that genuinely tackles off-range holding issues without resorting to slaughter.”
The AWHC Plan for Real Reform
The AWHC is advocating for real reform—not rushed removal or mass killings. Their strategy includes a moratorium on roundups and expansion of on-range fertility control to stabilize populations and returning horses to historic herd areas and using long-term pastures instead of high-cost corrals. It also includes partnering with private landowners and preserves to rewild captured horses as well as expanding adoptions through nonprofit collaborations and eliminating government holding facilities.
Overgrazing and ecosystem damage are two key reasons this issue has come to the forefront. Wild horse and burro populations have surged, leading to overgrazing that allows invasive plant species to take over and compete with native wildlife for limited resources. According to National Geographic, the root of the problem isn’t the animals themselves, but rather the BLM’s failure to effectively manage their population sizes.
“You don’t fix years of government mismanagement by slaughtering the very animals you’re legally-mandated to protect,” Roy said. “We’re ready to support real reform, but it starts with halting the flow of wild horses and burros into holding and keeping slaughter off the table.”
What Happens Next?
With the proposal under intense scrutiny, all eyes now turn to Capitol Hill. Will Congress step up to protect the West’s wild spirit—or let a symbol of American freedom vanish under budget cuts and bureaucracy?
For now, wild horse advocates continue to fight—hoof, heart, and voice—for the animals who can’t speak for themselves.
