Wild Horses Endure 100+ Degree Heat in Government Holding Pens

Video Shows Wild Horses in Distress at Government Corrals in Reno

RENO (July 23, 2023) – On Saturday, July 22, a humane observer with theAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign)(AWHC) visited the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM)Palomino Valley Center for Wild Horses and Burrosin Reno. The observer witnessed several animals in distress, including a disoriented mustang in poor condition.

The facility, which can hold 1,850 wild horses and burros, was unstaffed on a day when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. Newly captured horses from thecontroversialAntelope Complexroundup in eastern Nevada were present, and AWHC was there to conduct a welfare check.

In avideo shotby an AWHC observer, a blue roan senior stallion is seen unsteady on his feet, appearing disoriented and unable to climb the hill separating him from food and water.

By the time aBLMemployee was contacted, the stallion had collapsed. The observer reported seeing foals clinging to their mothers' sides, left without shade to endure the sun's harsh rays.

TheBLM’s adoption requirements mandate that adopters provide shelter for wild horses and burros. However, the agency does not ensure this basic necessity is available in its own holding facilities, even for horses who have just undergone extreme trauma and exertion in a summer helicopter roundup.

“The conditions in these holding pens are inhumane and unacceptable. It’s past time for theBLMto change its practices to ensure the wellbeing of the animals it is legally mandated to protect,” Roy concluded.

Photos of the current conditions of the horses are available upon request.

About the American Wild Horse Conservation

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign)(AWHC) is the nation's leading wild horse protection organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America's wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horsefertility controlprogram in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.