Wild horses deserve better than “Emergency” excuses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
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American Wild Horse Conservation
Your Horse, In Watercolor
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
You asked—we listened. By popular demand, we’re extending our special Year of the Horse partnership with Apolis through March 15!
This limited-time collection features hand-painted, customizable bags created for horse lovers—each one crafted by artists and made to carry meaning, not just your everyday essentials. With every bag purchased, $100 is donated to American Wild Horse Conservation to support the protection of wild horses and burros on public lands.
| PERSONALIZE YOUR BAG → |
Wild horses continue to face removals from their homes and confinement in government holding facilities. Your purchase helps power our on-the-ground observers, legal advocacy, and public accountability work to protect wild horses where they belong—on the range.
If you’ve been waiting to customize your bag, this is your moment. The extension runs through March 15, and these hand-painted designs are only available for a limited time!
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
This isn’t “balance.” It’s mass removal.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
I wish I were writing to you with better news.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just approved plans for a massive roundup in Nevada’s Callaghan Complex — one of the last great strongholds for wild horses in the West.
If carried out, this operation would remove nearly 5,000 wild horses from more than a million acres of public lands — pushing thousands of animals into government holding facilities and leaving only a fraction of the herds behind.
Families will be broken apart. Entire bands will disappear from landscapes they’ve lived on for generations. But this is not a fight we can take on alone. To stop this plan, we need a united community behind us — and we urgently need to fuel our Legal Fund with whatever you’re able to give today.
The BLM claims this plan is about “balance.” But when you look closely, the story changes:
This decision is built on outdated population targets that were set decades ago — before climate change, before modern ecological science, and without meaningful updates to reflect current conditions on the range. Their own monitoring fails to distinguish between the impacts of livestock grazing and wild horses on fragile habitat, yet wild horses are once again being singled out for removal while commercial livestock grazing continues.
Even more troubling: the BLM is proposing to remove thousands of horses before meaningfully deploying humane fertility control at scale — despite clear evidence that fertility control works when implemented seriously. This is not a last resort. It is a default to mass removal — a costly pipeline to overcrowded holding facilities where these innocent animals will live out their lives in captivity or be sent to slaughter.
I refuse to accept that as “management.” And I know you won’t either, Meredith.
American Wild Horse Conservation is preparing to challenge this decision and escalate pressure on the agency — in the courts, in Washington, and in the public eye. But we can only move as fast and as forcefully as our supporters make possible.
Your support powers our legal work, on-the-ground advocacy, and the fight to replace mass removals with humane, science-based solutions that actually keep wild horses wild. A gift to our Legal Fund today will help power the next phase of this fight as we work to halt this devastating plan.
| FUEL OUR LEGAL FUND |
This is the moment we either draw the line for wild horses — or allow their disappearance from these lands to become permanent. If we stand together now, we can still change what happens next.
With determination,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
The Fire Horse year is here — and wild horses still inspire.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The Year of the Fire Horse has begun — a period of strength, resilience, and forward motion. For those of us who care about wild horses and burros, it’s a powerful way to welcome the year ahead.
As we shared earlier this week, wild horses are at a decade-defining inflection point. But this moment isn’t only about policy or numbers — it’s about why wild horses matter to people, to culture, and to our shared sense of freedom.
Across the American West and around the world, wild horses symbolize endurance, family, and the untamed spirit of the natural world. For many, seeing wild horses for the first time is unforgettable — a reminder that something truly wild still exists.
To mark the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, we’re lifting up the voices of supporters and volunteers who stand with wild horses every day:
These stories remind us that this movement is personal — and that visibility creates momentum for change.
Thank you for being part of a community that keeps wild horses in the public consciousness — not as a memory of the past, but as a living presence we are responsible for protecting today.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
The Year of the Fire Horse: A turning point for wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
As the Year of the Fire Horse begins today, I’ve been reflecting on what that symbol represents: strength, endurance, and the courage to keep moving forward — even when the terrain is difficult.
That feels especially fitting for this moment in American Wild Horse Conservation’s journey.
2025 was not just a year of activity, it was a year of measurable progress.
Together, we expanded humane fertility control, documented roundups across the West, strengthened legal accountability, and helped bring the reality facing wild horses and burros into the national conversation. Because of supporters like you, millions more people now understand what’s at stake.
And yet, the bigger picture is sobering.
Nearly a decade ago, approximately 20,000 wild horses were trapped in long-term government holding. Today, that number has more than tripled — with over 62,000 horses confined, now outnumbering those still living free on our public lands.
This is how change moves with wild horses, Meredith: in cycles and over decades. There are moments of progress, followed by periods of pressure.
What we are living through now is not just another cycle — it is an inflection point. The choices made in the next few years will shape the future of wild horses for a generation.
Today, I’m sharing our 2025 Impact Report with you. But I want to be clear: this is not a look back. It is a launch point for what we are building in 2026.
Download the full report to see your impact:
| DOWNLOAD THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT |
As we enter the Year of the Fire Horse, wild horses are experiencing something rare: a cultural renaissance. Across media, art, advocacy, and public dialogue, these animals are reemerging as what they truly are — the lifeblood of the American West and a living symbol of freedom.
This renewed visibility matters. It creates an opening to move wild horses back into the mainstream of our national conscience — not as an afterthought, but as a priority.
We are aligning our 2026 organizational priorities with this moment.
AWHC is evolving — strengthening our field presence, sharpening our legal strategy, expanding public engagement, and demanding higher standards of accountability from federal agencies. The foundation you helped lay in 2025 is what allows us to step into this year with clarity, resolve, and momentum.
The stakes remain high. Roundups continue. Horses are still being removed from their families and pushed into a holding system never designed to operate at this scale. Protections passed by Congress are still being tested in practice.
But moments like this — when public awareness, cultural energy, and institutional pressure converge — are rare. The Year of the Fire Horse invites forward motion. With your partnership, we are prepared to meet this decade-defining moment with the urgency wild horses deserve.
Thank you for standing with us — not just for what we’ve achieved, but for what we are building next.
With gratitude and resolve,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. Our limited-time Apolis brand partnership turns what you carry everyday into real protection for wild horses—$100 from each bag supports AWHC. Customize your bag here.
2026 is the Year of the Horse. Protect something wild.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
This week, we welcome the Year of the Horse—a symbol of strength and freedom—with a special partnership designed to protect what’s wild. We’re teaming up with Apolis to support wild horses through an exciting, limited-edition promotion:
For one week only, Apolis is offering select personalized bags created in celebration of the Year of the Horse.With each bag purchased, $100 will be donated to AWHC to help protect America’s wild horses and burros on public lands.
Across the West, wild horses continue to face removals from their homes on public lands and confinement in holding facilities. Your support fuels our frontline work—deploying observers, challenging harmful policies, and fighting for humane, science-based management that keeps horses on the land where they belong.
When you personalize an Apolis bag through this promotion, you’re not just choosing something beautiful and functional. You’re choosing to stand for freedom on the range, family bands left intact, and a future where wild horses remain wild.
This collaboration brings together two values-driven organizations committed to protecting what’s precious. Apolis builds thoughtfully made products that create a positive impact around the world—and now, your everyday bag can directly support the protection of wild horses here at home.
Join us in bringing the values of the Fire Horse with us—by turning symbolism into protection for our cherished wild horses.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
| PERSONALIZE YOUR BAG → |
Valentine’s Day is for wild love
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today is a celebration of love — but love in the wild doesn’t look like roses and chocolates. It looks like standing watch while your partner rests. It looks like staying close through storms, rivals, and years of survival.
Meet Blue and Lady of Nevada’s Fish Springs Range.
Blue and Lady are the king and queen of Nevada’s Fish Springs Range. Blue is everything you’d imagine a wild stallion to be: fiercely protective of his family, a resilient fighter, and a leader shaped by desert wind and sun. Lady is a stunning mare who has raised generations of wild horses — her intuition and quiet strength helping keep her family wild and free.
Photo credit: JT Humphrey
They’ve stood by each other for years, rarely straying far apart. When Blue rests, Lady keeps watch. When people spot Lady, they know the mighty Blue is nearby.
Through brutal winters and the steady passage of time, their bond has endured. This is wild love.
Blue and Lady are lucky — their family bond has endured rival stallions, brutal winters, and the steady passage of time. So many others aren’t given that chance.
But this Valentine’s Day, you have the power to help keep wild horse families together:
When you become a monthly supporter, you help create steady, year-round protection for wild horses and burros — the kind of support that allows us to respond to emergencies, document roundups, fight removals, and keep families in the wild where they belong.
As a thank-you, anyone who starts a monthly gift will receive a free Valentine’s Day–themed wild horse phone background — a small reminder of the love you’re helping protect, every time you unlock your phone.
| DONATE NOW |
Thank you for standing with wild families.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. Valentine’s Day may only come once a year, but wild horse families need protection every day. Monthly support helps make that possible. Please consider making a recurring monthly donation to AWHC today!
Deadline TOMORROW: Help restore critical wild horse habitat
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We’re down to the final hours to unlock our $25,000 Land Fund match, and we still have a long way to go. The deadline is tomorrow at midnight, and the wildlife that calls Fish Springs home can’t afford for us to fall short.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
When the Conner Fire tore through Nevada at the beginning of summer, it scorched critical habitat of our Fish Springs Land Preserve — including key habitat for the wild horses who depend on this land for forage, water, and safety.
This community has already stepped up in incredible ways. But to have the resources necessary for the restoration work this land requires, we need to unlock the full match — and we’re not there yet.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Your support will directly fund critical restoration efforts like reseeding burned areas, repairing damaged habitat, and rebuilding natural water sources across the preserve.
We’re almost there — but we can’t finish this without you.
Thank you for powering this important work.
— The AWHC Team
Neptune’s home range needs our support.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Earlier this year, we introduced you to a newborn colt named Neptune, born during foaling season on AWHC’s Fish Springs Land Preserve. He took his first wobbly steps on the cold, March earth of the range — full of that unmistakable, too-long-for-his-body foal energy.
As AWHC’s Nevada State Director, I’ve watched many foals take those first steps across Nevada’s desert landscape. But today, I’m reaching out because the land Neptune and his family band depend on needs our help.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
When the Conner Fire swept across the 17,700 acres of Fish Springs at the beginning of summer, it burned up critical wildlife habitat — including the meadows and open spaces where Neptune spent his first days exploring the world alongside his herd.
Thankfully, Neptune is still with his family — healthy, wild, and growing fast. But the lands he calls home need rebuilding.
Your support will fund efforts like reseeding, restoring habitat, and helping to rebuild the fragile areas that young horses like Neptune rely on for forage, shelter, and safety.
That’s why this restoration effort matters so much — and it’s why a generous donor has offered to match every gift made to our Land Fund, up to $25,000, through Monday at midnight. Will you make a 2X-matched donation today to help restore Neptune’s home on the Fish Springs range?
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Thank you for caring about Neptune, his herd, and this land as much as we do.
With gratitude,
Tracy Wilson
Nevada State Director
American Wild Horse Conservation
Your gift goes 2X as far until Monday at midnight
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We’re starting to make progress towards unlocking our $25,000 Land Fund Match — but we’re still $19,889 away from reaching our goal. The Monday night deadline is approaching fast, and we cannot afford to lose momentum now — the Fish Springs landscape can’t wait.
Over 1,000 acres of our Fish Springs Land Preserve — a critical habitat for wildlife — were scorched by the Conner Fire this past summer. Meadows where wild horses grazed, native grasses flourished, and wildlife gathered for water now sit exposed. If we don’t act soon, the damage could deepen, making restoration even harder in the spring.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Your support today will fund critical projects on the Fish Springs range like reseeding efforts, habitat restoration, and rebuilding damaged ecosystems that the Fish Springs wild horses and other wildlife rely on for their survival.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do this without you.
— American Wild Horse Conservation
[Action Needed] Roundup funding has been restored
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Mono Lake’s wild horses are in imminent danger.
With the federal government now reopened, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) now has the funding to move forward with helicopter roundups — and they could begin at any moment, Meredith. Join us in urging USFS to abandon these plans now. →
The Mono Lake horses are deeply tied to the cultural and spiritual heritage of the local Indigenous communities. Yet despite broad opposition, USFS is still preparing to use helicopters to chase, trap, and remove these innocent animals.
| ACT NOW |
Our team has been working in collaboration with the local communities to call for a humane, science-based, and culturally grounded alternative that includes:
- A two-year pause on any helicopter roundups in the Mono Lake region
- A Tribal Management Council to guide decision-making
- A Tribe-run training and adoption facility that creates jobs and cultural connections
- Use of humane, on-range fertility control, not removals
- A transparent review of herd-size targets with community voices involved
This is what humane, responsible, wild horse management should look like. With removal funding restored, we need strong public pressure to ensure the Forest Service changes course.
| ACT NOW |
Your action today can help ensure that these iconic horses remain free.
Thank you for speaking up at this critical moment.
— American Wild Horse Conservation
ACT NOW: 4,000 Signatures Still Needed
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The federal government has officially reopened, and for America’s wild horses, what we do next couldn’t be more important. Call on your members of Congress to support the Horse Protection Platform as they put together the FY26 spending bill.
Late Wednesday night, federal lawmakers passed a short-term funding bill that keeps the government running through January 30, 2026. The good news: protections against horse slaughter remain in place for the 64,000 wild horses and burros currently in government holding.
The bad news, Meredith, is that this funding bill also fully funds the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) costly and inhumane roundup program at the same level as last year. This means that helicopter roundups could resume at any moment while Congress decides the fate of Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations.
| TAKE ACTION |
AWHC has proven that humane, in-the-wild fertility control is effective, scalable, and far more cost-efficient than funneling more horses into holding facilities every year. And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree—their support helped secure $11 million for humane management last year. But Congress still needs a strong push to make these solutions a priority now.
January’s funding deadline gives lawmakers a rare chance to finally shift resources toward science-based, humane management. But they won’t act unless they hear from the public. Will you remind them loud and clear? Add your name and tell Congress helicopter roundups must end.
| ACT NOW |
Thank you for standing with us,
— The AWHC Team
[Signatures Needed] Add your name to protect California’s wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Our first email about California’s at-risk wild horse populations garnered so much support, that we’ve expanded our signature goal.
More than 5,000 of you have already signed onto our petition standing with AWHC as we advocate for the protection of California’s wild herds – thank you!
To make the most impact we possibly can and ensure CA legislators really hear the power of our community, we’ve decided to extend our signature goal to 10,000 supporters. If you haven’t already, will you please add your name to our petition to protect California’s wild horses?
| SIGN THE PETITION |
Thank you for standing with us,
AWHC Team
———- Forwarded message ———
From: American Wild Horse Conservation
Date: Sun, Nov 2, 2025
Subject: Only 3,000 wild horses remain in California
TAKE ACTION: Protect California’s dwindling wild horse population →
California’s most iconic wild horse herds are under threat of mass roundups and removals. After years of being terrorized by brutal helicopter round ups, only 3,000 wild horses remain in the entire state of California.
Without intervention, the bloodlines of these iconic herds could be lost forever. Will you sign our petition to Governor Newsom and the California state legislature’s leadership calling on them to protect California’s wild herds and recognize their cultural, ecological and historical importance?
| ADD YOUR NAME |
| ADD YOUR NAME |
Thank you for taking action.
– American Wild Horse Conservation
A tale of two herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Right now in Nevada, two herds of wild horses stand as symbols of what’s at stake in the fight for their freedom.
In the Callaghan Complex, nearly 5,000 wild horses will be targeted by the federal government for what would be the largest mass roundup in U.S. history.
If the helicopters come, we both know what happens. These iconic animals will be chased for miles across the Nevada landscape—foals will be separated from their mothers, family bands will be torn apart, and inevitably lives will be lost because of these brutal wild horse management practices.
But Meredith, just 200 miles away, on the Virginia Range, there’s another more hopeful story unfolding.
| PROTECT WILD HORSES |
There, thanks to the support of people like you, American Wild Horse Conservation manages the state-owned Virginia Range herd humanely—without brutal helicopter roundups—using proven fertility control and our on-the-ground volunteers. It’s a model of coexistence that’s keeping horses wild and free, and it’s working.
What started as a pilot project over 6 years ago has turned into the largest initiative of its kind in the world — proving that scalable, humane wild horse management is not only possible, but also effective. We’ve taken the results of this historic program to other herds across the West, to Congress and state legislatures, and it’s meant that more horses stay wild and free where they belong.
This lifesaving work has only been made possible because of the support of generous donors like you. Will you make a donation today to continue powering our work to protect America’s wild herds?
| DONATE NOW |
With gratitude,
The AWHC Team
FWD: I’ve seen the majesty of California’s wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
As the Senior Communications Manager for AWHC — and as a California native — I’ve seen firsthand the beauty and the heartbreak of our wild horse country. From the rugged Mono Lake basin, to the forest in Devil’s Garden and the open ranges of Twin Peaks, these herds are more than symbols of freedom — they’re part of California’s identity.
Every time I visit these places, I’m reminded of what we’re fighting for — the thunder of hooves across the desert, the quiet strength in a mare protecting her foal, the living spirit of the West.
Only 3,000 wild horses remain in California, and without the hard work and support of people like you and I, these moments could vanish forever. Our team is doing everything we can to keep California’s herds wild and free.
But this work takes resources — and we urgently need your help. We’ve far exceeded our signature goal for this petition — thank you to each and every one of you that added your name!
| DONATE |
Thank you for your support,
Amelia Perrin
Sr. Communications Manager
American Wild Horse Conservation
Only 3,000 wild horses remain in California
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
TAKE ACTION: Protect California’s dwindling wild horse population →
California’s most iconic wild horse herds are under threat of mass roundups and removals. After years of being terrorized by brutal helicopter round ups, only 3,000 wild horses remain in the entire state of California.
Without intervention, the bloodlines of these iconic herds could be lost forever. Will you sign our petition to Governor Newsom and the California state legislature’s leadership calling on them to protect California’s wild herds and recognize their cultural, ecological and historical importance?
| ADD YOUR NAME |
| ADD YOUR NAME |
Thank you for taking action.
– American Wild Horse Conservation
We’d like to introduce you to Libby:
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Meet Libby, a stunning pinto mare from the Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah. Libby and her herd have been able to stay wild and free for the last several years thanks to the generosity of supporters like you who have donated $30.
On the Cedar Mountain HMA, AWHC operates one of our humane management programs for wild horses. The Cedar Mountain program is especially unique, because we implemented it in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and a local rancher — showing that collaboration is possible.
But before the government shut down, we learned that the federal grant AWHC receives, which is criticalto the operation of this program, had not been renewed. Now more than ever, the future of this program lies in the hands of people like you, Meredith, our generous supporters who fuel our cause.
Our historic fertility control programs have proven to the world that there is a humane way to manage wild horse populations that doesn’t require mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous sterilization surgeries, or slaughter.
The cornerstone of this program is the remote darting of wild mares with the scientifically proven fertility vaccine known as ‘PZP’. And the cost of this vaccine? Just $30 per dose.
| DONATE $30 TODAY |
As the government shutdown continues, we have been directed to stop darting in the Cedar Mountain HMA — and if we can’t raise the necessary funds to continue the future of this program, Libby and the other mares in her herd won’t receive the critical PZP vaccines they need to continue living wild and free.
Since our program began, there have been zero roundups in the Cedar Mountain HMA. And Meredith, we’re doing everything in our power to keep it that way. So, we’re asking, will you spare $30 on the 30th to give our team the resources they need to continue managing and protecting Libby and the rest of her herd?
| $30 → PROTECTS 1 HORSE |
| $60 → PROTECTS 2 HORSES |
| $150 → PROTECTS 3 HORSES |
| $300 → PROTECTS 10 HORSES |
| DONATE NOW |
Thank you for your support, Meredith. You’re truly making a difference.
— AWHC Field Team
A night to remember
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Earlier this month, our herd of wild horse advocates from across the country came together in Los Angeles for our annual Stay Wild event, presented by Jenni Kayne.
With incredible performances by Tyler Rich and Céline Paolini, a lively auction, and inspiring stories told by AWHC’s staff and board, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful or inspiring evening dedicated to protecting America’s wild horses and burros.
Whether you joined us as a guest, volunteer, bidder, donor, or sponsor, your support makes a real and lasting difference for these magnificent animals. Thanks to you, we’re one step closer to ensuring wild horses and burros remain free on our public lands.
As a result of the night’s festivities, we were able to pass our goal, providing crucial funds that will help fund our humane fertility control programs, expand our land conservation initiatives, raise awareness through media and film, and advocate for the policy changes necessary to protect our cherished wild herds.
This special event wouldn’t have been possible without our generous sponsors:
- Presenting Sponsor: Jenni Kayne
- Icon Sponsor: Chantecaille Conservation Foundation
- Defender Sponsors: AlTi Tiedemann Global, CALLIDAE, and Dunstan Wines
- Champion Sponsors: Cascade Trails Mustang Sanctuary and Retrouvé
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to say thank you to our incredible supporters like you. Thank you not only for your generosity to our organization, but thank you for your continued action on behalf of America’s wild horses and burros.
Together, we’re creating a future where they can remain wild and free.
— Suzanne Roy and the AWHC team
Help keep our promises to wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
To be completely honest with you, we had a totally different email that we wanted to send you today. Originally, we were planning to uplift all of the incredibly important ways that you can support AWHC – like leaving a Legacy Gift or using a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to protect our wild herds for generations to come.
But because of the ongoing government shutdown, most nonessential government work has stopped. It means no helicopter roundups are taking place — but it also means we’ve received guidance to stop darting in any Bureau of Land Management (BLM) partnership fertility control programs.
Over the last few years, these programs have served as the blueprint for humane, large-scale wild horse management, and we can’t afford to let up on this progress now.
| DONATE NOW |
Thank you for being with us in this fight,
Amelia Perrin
Sr. Communications Manager
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. If you are a government worker or have also been impacted financially by the government shutdown, please feel free to disregard this email, and know that our thoughts are with you. Thank you for supporting our wild herds in any way you can!
![American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) works to safeguard our iconic animals on all fronts. Your support is vital to keep wild horses wild in every way we can. [Large image of wild horses] Here are five ways you can protect wild horses: MONTHLY DONATIONS By starting a monthly gift, you can provide consistent, reliable, and ongoing support to sustain our mission to conserve iconic wild horses and burros.](https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaQNqojEAzJ1NWHwoWMPU6PR2fubtziTYtUIUrZteGN-g1hMWnDVEBHYER3VgY-7G2rT8sXrdcBJVKh5Fbl9bjaXiltOVvzmrqYBZ46kCiM9zV-PmuE2TS0laCSj3FXVjHOIQyR6_w=s0-d-e1-ft#https://prod.cdn.everyaction.com/images/van/EA/EA002/1/67303/images/CPxbd9Nz.jpeg)
