Here’s what our Investigations Team has uncovered.

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) has been advocating for transparency and accountability in all of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) initiatives, including the Adoption Incentive Program and the training programs for mustangs and burros.

Today, we’re setting a goal to raise $10,000 to help us continue our work fighting for wild horses and burros, including investigating the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and bringing our findings to light. If you are able, can you chip in to help us hit this goal?

CHIP IN TODAY →

For years, the BLM invested in a training program called the Trainer Incentive Program (TIP), which incentivizes trainers to adopt wild horses or wild burros, gentle them, and find them permanent homes. Once completed, the trainer is paid for their training services. However, only a few months ago, the agency abruptly ended the TIP and announced it would begin the process of partnering with a new organization to invest in wild horse and burro training programs.

Although humane training programs can be very effective in preventing our beloved wild equines from being sent to slaughter,AWHC’s Investigations Team found serious animal welfare issues within the TIP program, raising concerns about the potential treatment of mustangs in new training programs. 

In 2021, the AWHC Investigations team received alarming information about trainers in the TIP. It was revealed that some of the trainers participating had sold their BLM wild horses into the slaughter pipeline. In addition, one trainer was found to havemalnourished animals on his property.

We submitted a comprehensive 21-page report to the BLM with our findings, but unfortunately, the response was underwhelming and our concerns were disregarded. This lack of action spurred us to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to learn about any investigative steps or corrective action taken.

The BLM didn’t respond to our FOIA request, which compelled us to file a lawsuit in federal court. It was only when our case reached court that the BLM released its records.

According to the records, the BLM failed to investigate the incident thoroughly, leaving the very animals it is supposed to protect in harm’s way. Despite the severity of the allegations, the records show that only three internal emails were exchanged regarding the incident. Moreover, our Investigations Team uncovered that the BLM was aware of starving horses on the trainer’s property and that one horse even died due to “prolonged weight loss.”

It requires considerable effort to uncover crucial information like this – information that we then share with the media, legislators, and the public.

So today, we’re asking you to step up and make a contribution to help us hit our $10,000 goal so we can continue this critical work protecting wild horses and burros. Will you make a contribution today?

CHIP IN TODAY →

Thank you,

The American Wild Horse Campaign