The Dark Side of the BLM’s Wild Horse Adoption Program

American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) sheds light on the dark side of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse adoption program. Many federally-protected wild horses, captured from public lands, end up in the slaughter pipeline. Despite being adopted through the BLM's program, these horses face a grim fate, as highlighted by the Mustang Freedom Foundation's rescue efforts.

All of the horses below were born as federally-protected wild horses on public lands in the West. They were captured in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups and adopted through the agency’s adoption program. All ended up in the slaughter pipeline before being rescued by the Mustang Freedom Foundation.

These horses – rescued by one extraordinary advocate, Carol Poole, in just the last three years -- are just the tip of the iceberg. All of the horses pictured on this page are safe in sanctuaries, but so many others are not so lucky.

Far too many BLM horses – American icons born wild, free and protected by an act of Congress - are slaughtered in Mexico and Canada. (See report of Canadian slaughter official acknowledging that BLM horses are regularly seen on the slaughterhouse floor.)

Chon Teh

Captured: Oregon 3 Fingers HMA 2002
Adopted: PA 2003
Sold to kill buyer: PA October 2010

Faith & Hope

Faith:
Captured: Nevada 2004, 3-5 months old.
Adopted: SC 2005
Sold to Kill Buyer: PA 2011

Hope:
Captured: Nevada 2002, 2 yrs old.
Adopted: SC 2003
Sold to Kill Buyer: PA 2011

Fox Lake

Captured: Nevada 1999
Adopted: SC 2003
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Paisley Desert

Captured: Oregon 1999 (1 yr old)
Adopted: 2002
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Sparky

Captured: Nevada 2003 foal
Adopted: WV 2004
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Rosie

Captured: Nevada 2003, 2 years old.
Adopted: PA 2004
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Nightingale

Captured: Nevada 1995, 7yr old stud.
Adopted: SC 1995
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Tawn-Ha

Captured: Oregon 1989, 2 years old.
Adopted: NC 1990
Sold to Kill Buyer: PA 2011

Gabby

Captured: NV 1996
Adopted: 1998
Rescued November 2012 from a “Wild Horse Rescue” in upstate NY where the “rescue” owner had placed 3 mustangs on Craigslist for sale or they would go to auction.

Elko

Captured: NV 1997
Adopted: 2000
Rescued November 2012 from a “Wild Horse Rescue” in upstate NY before they were to be taken to local auction.

Misty

Captured: Nevada 1985, foal.
Adopted: NV 1985
Rescued Nov. 2012 from a “Wild Horse Rescue” in upstate NY where the “rescue” owner had placed 3 mustangs on Craigslist for sale or they would go to auction.

Precious

Captured: Utah 2004.
Adopted: PA 2010
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2012

Hera

Captured: OR 2003
Adopted: WA 2005, 2 years old.
Sold to the kill buyer: WA 2012

Nu-pah-Hay

Captured: CA 1991, 3 year old stud.
Adopted: CA 1992
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2011

Calico

Captured: NV 2004, 1 year old
Adopted: PA 2006
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2011

Journey

Captured: NV 1992
Adopted: Iowa 1994, 2 year old stud
Sold to kill buyer: PA 2011

Jada

Captured: Utah 2002
Adopted: TN 2002

Jada was found wandering in the back woods of Kentucky after she was threatened with being shot by a landowner in 2008. She was rescued by a local rescue in Murray, KY named Loved but Lost (LBL).

Jada was bounced from foster home to foster home and remained “wild” and about to be homeless so the rescue asked for our help. Mustang Freedom Foundation found for her and the rescue transported her to her new forever home in the early winter 2012 to run free for the rest of her life.