On Aug. 11, I woke before dawn from a night of fitful sleep in my pickup out by Rio Blanco Lake State Wildlife Area west of Meeker. It was the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) designated meet-up spot for the day’s wild horse roundup nearby. I was one of four observers at that Piceance/East Douglas site, and the only first-timer. The other witnesses included two photojournalists and a volunteer from the nonprofit Wild Horse Education. She was there to document any breach of protocol and abuse of the horses by the BLM or its contractors.
I own two adopted mustangs, both born in the wild and captured as babies in the same manner I was about to observe. They share our six-acre ranch on Missouri Heights. Having followed wild horse issues since the early 1990s in Oregon, I never dreamed of having one, much less two. More recently, inspired by my horses and past reporting by Amy Hadden Marsh and others, I’ve taken a deep research dive to understand how we’ve arrived at this sorry state: a federal agency charged in 1971 with protecting these “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” is hell bent on exterminating them.
The concerted campaign to remove wild horses from our public lands is decades old. Under both President Biden and the current Trump administration, however, it’s gotten worse. The 2026 overall goal is the capture of 14,000 horses and burros, which mirrors Biden’s annual average. They will join the estimated 64,000 currently suffering in captivity in crowded holding pens around the country, a cost to taxpayers of over 100 million dollars a year. According to Aug. 20 reporting in the New York Times, many may end up in the illegal slaughter pipeline, terrorized further as they are hauled long distances to meet a violent death in Canada.
The month-long Colorado roundup operation near us began on Aug. 2 with the aim of removing 1,000 horses from two historic ranges comprising approximately 313,000 acres. By Aug. 31, a total of 894 horses were removed to no longer run free on those lands. Nine of them died or were euthanized in the process.
Prepared as I was, it was still gut wrenching to watch a BLM contracted helicopter drive the first band of the day toward the outstretched wings of the long portable trap, descending on them to increase the pressure, noise and dust as a way of intensifying their terror. As they eluded the pilot, he circled around, forcing them back toward the trap. Later in the day, as often happens, he had to go farther to find horses to fill the hoped-for quota — gone for over an hour at one point. Some horses get driven miles in the process. One group I observed was obviously exhausted as it emerged from behind a hill and galloped in confusion toward captivity. The day’s total take was 36, including 15 stallions, 13 mares and eight foals.
On Aug. 25, I went back, this time to an observation spot 32 miles southwest of Rangely in the West Douglas range, where my older horse, Rio, was born in 2015, captured at just four weeks of age. The BLM’s 2026 goal for West Douglas was to zero out the 100 horses they estimate continue to live there, echoing similar attempts in 2021 and 2023 to remove them all. After six hours and three refueling stops by the diesel helicopter, they captured only seven horses.
CD Warner Livestock reportedly made $679,249 for their month-long BLM contract. Several of the horrors from Aug. 25 were documented by photojournalist Scott Wilson. You can view them @photoadvocacy.
We, the taxpayers, are footing the bill for this madness … while our majestic wild horses disappear into the dust.
Long-term humane solutions will take time and the public’s commitment. We can be proud that Colorado is speaking up. Here’s how we can support those efforts:
- Thank Congressman Joe Neguse, Gov. Jared Polis, Representative Jason Crow, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen for their Sept. 3 letter to Secretary of the Interior Douglas Burgum and Colorado State Director of the BLM Thomas Heinlein requesting a halt to all scheduled roundups until a thorough investigation involving the public is completed. Scott Wilson’s photos inspiring public outcry helped activate this response. Full letter @photoadvocacy.
- Pressure our entire Congressional delegation, including Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, to add their voices to that call.
- Encourage all representatives to join the bi-partisan Wild Horse Caucus, formed in May, 2025 by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) — Colorado must be represented there. Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper should initiate similar advocacy in the Senate.
- Visit the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History’s upcoming exhibit featuring photos from these recent roundups.
The more we look, and speak out, the less the BLM can hide.