The management plan allows 362 wild horses on 151,435 public acres, or 2.4 wild horses per thousand public acres.
Beyond that, rangeland health will suffer according to your faithful public servants.
We impose these limits for their own good.
The Sand Wash and Sheepherder Spring allotments lie mostly within the HMA.
Sand Wash offers 7,568 active AUMs on 69,457 public acres according to the allotment master report, equivalent to 9.1 wild horses per thousand public acres.
Livestock should be kept below this limit, which is almost four times higher than that for the horses, to maintain rangeland health.
We have a different set of rules for livestock.
The allotment is in the Improve category but none of the AUMs have been moved into the suspended column to help the land recover.
There is no need for such action when you can blame the horses for the problems.
Sheepherder Spring offers 9,042 active AUMs on 74,147 public acres, equivalent to 10.2 wild horses per thousand public acres.
It’s in the Improve category but no AUMs have been suspended.
The current population in Sand Wash Basin is thought to be 505, or 3.3 wild horses per thousand public acres, over the limit for wild horses but under the limit for livestock.
As of this morning, the 2024 update tops the list.
At the end of 2025 there were 102 horses on Shackleford Banks, down from 119 at the end of 2024, according to the 2025 update.
The herd consisted of 61% females and 39% males.
The expected range of variation for either sex, assuming they’re equally likely to occur, is 35.1% to 64.9% according to the following relationship, where n = 102 and p-bar = .5.
Although there is some evidence of an abnormal sex ratio, it doesn’t provide a basis for action.
Seven foals were born in 2025. One died and two were removed, leaving four to offset the 20 adults that died.
The net change is -16, which would put the year-end population at 103.
The size of the breeding population and the number of sterilized mares were not given.
The pesticide of choice is PZP although this is not stated in the report.
A black-and-tan German Shepherd mix and a black Cane Corso attacked the animal last week according to a report by ABC7 News, supporting the theory that recent injuries and deaths have been inflicted by trained dogs.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by both agencies, will strengthen coordination, cut bureaucratic red tape and deliver immediate, tangible support for America’s farmers and ranchers who rely on public lands.
“By working closely with American ranchers, we are enhancing communication, investing in innovation, and modernizing our approach to land management practices,” according to Secretary Burgum, “to deliver real results for the people who feed and sustain this country.”
Yep, if it wasn’t for them we’d all be vegans.
The aim of the grazing program is to ensure that high-net-worth individuals receive generous government benefits, often at the expense of America’s wild horses and burros, with no means testing and no expiration dates.
The facilities will serve as waypoints for animals traveling to adoption and sale events and provide a pick-up location for participants in the Online Corral program.
They must be located east of the Mississippi River and must be capable of holding up to 400 animals.
They will be open to the public.
Instructions for accessing the solicitation are given in the news release.
The move will put leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves, according to the news release, and marks the beginning of a sweeping restructuring.
The impact on wild horses and permitted grazing was not discussed.