Horse Gathers - Click here for Wild Horse Gather photos. Wild horses have few natural predators, most herds increase at a rate of 18% to 25% per year, excess wild horses must periodically be removed to assure the health of the land is maintained and to minimize conflicts with wildlife and domestic livestock. Each Herd Management Area (HMA) has specific objectives for achieving and maintaining viable, vigorous and stable populations. Appropriate Management Levels (number of horses) are set for each HMA and gathers are conducted to meet management objectives. The BLM normally gathers wild horses from the range using helicopters since researchers have found this method to be the most humane and least stressful for the animals. Depending on the number of animals the BLM must remove, the gather operations can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Once gathered, BLM wild horse and burro specialists load the wild horses onto trucks for transportation to a holding area at the gather site where a BLM specialist determines the age of the animal by looking at their teeth and also notes their sex. Horses are separated into different holding pens depending on their age and sex. All mares with foals at their side are placed in a separate pen. If a mare is lactating and has no foal at her side, every effort is made to reunite the mare with her foal. After separating the animals, a BLM wild horse and burro specialist determines which animals will be sent to a BLM preparation facility and which animals will be returned to the range. Every effort is made to release those horses that will select for desirable characteristics, correct the age structure and sex ratio to improve the overall health of the herd. Excess animals are made available to the public through the National Adopt-A-Horse and Burro Program. A National Adoption schedule is available at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or by calling toll free to 1-866-4MUSTANGS. Qualified adopters may also make appointments to adopt directly from the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley in Nevada by calling 775-475-2222. For detailed information on how to adopt a wild horse, ask for the free publication, "So you’d Like To Adopt A Wild Horse or Burro", available at all BLM offices. Back to Wild Horses and Burros
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