Since April 23, at least 124 wild horses have died in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility called Cañon City due to Equine Influenza Virus (EIV), a deadly infectious disease. More than 2,500 BLM-managed wild horses are confined to the Colorado facility where this outbreak occurred and are at risk of exposure to the highly contagious illness.

This is the second government holding facility in recent weeks to experience disease outbreaks that threaten the lives of these wild animals. 

Our team has obtained records under the Freedom of Information Act that reveal disease outbreaks are not the only cause of fatalities for captured wild horses in government holding facilities. Records show that hundreds of captured mustangs are dying from traumatic injuries like broken necks, skull fractures, broken legs, and even evisceration from castration surgeries at government facilities across the West.

59,749 wild horses and 862 wild burros are already trapped in BLM off-range holding facilities. And with plans to remove 19,000 more wild horses and burros from public lands this year, the BLM is putting thousands of these innocent animals at risk.

We must protect the thousands of federally-protected wild horses and burros in captivity today. Will you be a voice for them by taking action below? 

Right now is the time to enact systematic changes to the BLM's management practices because U.S. Senators are submitting their priorities for the FY23 appropriation language and we need you to help us make sure wild horses and burros are strongly represented! We are advocating for $11 million dollars to be allocated towards humane, in-the wild fertility control to keep wild horses and burros out of these crowded holding pens in the first place!

So, please contact your Senators now to call for an investigation into the BLM's off-range corrals and urge them to support the appropriations language that would keep wild horses wild!