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FW: From Patricia: Why This Fight Matters 🚁

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

Callaghan is still unfolding, and the fight for reform must continue.
[Help us reach our $100,000 goal to sustain AWHC’s roundup response. Donations fund trained field observers, travel between roundup sites, legal and policy advocacy, communications, and the resources needed to document what happens on the ground throughout roundup season.]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561627/634642385/95380643?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246>

[From the Executive Director: Patricia Miller reflects on why the work does not end after opening day. As Callaghan continues and more roundups approach, she explains why sustained public attention, documentation, and accountability are essential to changing the federal Wild Horse and Burro Program.]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561631/634642387/95380643?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246>

[AWHC’s work extends beyond documenting individual roundups. Support keeps observers in the field, shares verified information with the public, strengthens legal and policy advocacy, and advances humane, science-based solutions that can replace the costly cycle of roundup, removal, and long-term holding.]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561633/634642390/278219660?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246#what-you-can-do>

[Supporters are encouraged to sign AWHC’s System Reform petition calling for the federal Wild Horse and Burro Program to move away from roundup, removal, and long-term holding and toward humane, science-based management that keeps wild horses and burros on the range.]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561634/634642392/880420946?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246>

[The work does not end after opening day. Donations sustain field observation, rapid communications, public education, and advocacy throughout roundup season, helping ensure wild horses and burros remain seen, documented, and protected as additional roundups continue across the West.]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561636/634642394/95380643?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246>

[Continue following American Wild Horse Conservation’s verified updates from the field throughout roundup season. Thank you for standing with us and with America’s wild horses. The AWHC Team]<https://click.everyaction.com/k/135561638/634642396/278219660?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=patricia-the-work&utm_source=everyaction&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9FQS9FQTAwMi8xLzY3MzAzIiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImQ2OWU1MTM2LTdhODMtZjExMS1iMzM3LTAwMGQzYTE1NThjZSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAibWVyZWRpdGhAbHVja3l0aHJlZXJhbmNoLmNvbSINCn0%3D&hmac=GZbNttTdinEfPBJ7nn8aI8Z1K0I8plU-df54f_wavy8=&emci=881fb775-8781-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=d69e5136-7a83-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=5130246>

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Callaghan is underway. Help us stay in the field.

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

The Callaghan roundup is underway, and American Wild Horse Conservation observers are on the ground working to document what happens to these wild horses.

This work matters because roundups should not take place out of public view. Field documentation creates a public record, informs our advocacy and legal work, and helps hold federal agencies accountable.

But keeping observers in the field throughout roundup season requires significant resources.

Please make a gift today to help fund AWHC’s on-site observers and ensure what happens at Callaghan is documented, verified, and seen.

HELP FUND OUR OBSERVERS

Your support helps cover field observation, rapid communications, public education, legal advocacy, and the work required to respond as events unfold.

Callaghan is not an isolated operation. It is part of a larger roundup season that will affect thousands of wild horses and burros.

We need to remain present, not only today, but throughout the removals ahead.

If you’re unable to donate today, you can still make an important difference by submitting a public comment on these two urgent federal proposals:

PROTECT WILD HORSES ON PUBLIC LANDS

The Bureau of Land Management is revising the federal regulations that govern livestock grazing across more than 155 million acres of public lands. Submit a comment urging the agency to adopt rules that protect wild horses and burros, safeguard their habitat, and ensure livestock grazing does not continue to take priority over federally protected wildlife.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT

STAND UP FOR THE RED DESERT HERDS

The BLM is also accepting comments on a proposed management and roundup plan for Wyoming’s Red Desert Complex, home to one of the nation’s largest and most ecologically significant wild horse populations. Speak up for humane, science-based management that protects these horses and keeps them on the range.

COMMENT FOR THE RED DESERT

Whether you donate, submit a comment, or do both, your action helps ensure wild horses and burros have a voice in the decisions shaping their future.

Thank you for helping us bear witness and demand accountability.

The AWHC Team

P.S. What happens out of public view is easier to ignore. Your gift helps keep our observers in the field and ensures these roundups do not go unseen.

Speak up for Wild Horses before July 2 📣

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing nationwide strategies that could shape how America’s wild horses and burros are managed for years to come.

Public comments close July 2.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT

This is bigger than one roundup or one herd.

The BLM’s Programmatic Environmental Assessment could influence the tools and strategies used throughout the federal Wild Horse and Burro Program, including decisions about fertility control, helicopter roundups, population targets, holding facilities, animal welfare, and public transparency.

This is an important opportunity to ask the BLM to:

  • Expand proven fertility control programs, including PZP
  • Prioritize humane, on-the-range management
  • Move away from routine helicopter roundups
  • Protect genetic diversity and long-term herd health
  • Reevaluate outdated population targets using current science
  • Improve transparency and animal welfare protections
  • Protect removed wild horses and burros from the slaughter pipeline
  • Consider livestock grazing and other land uses when evaluating range conditions

You do not need to be an expert or address every issue.

The most effective comments are written in your own words. Share why wild horses and burros matter to you and which humane management approaches you believe the BLM should prioritize.

Submit your personalized comment before July 2.

Thank you for standing with America’s wild horses and burros.

American Wild Horse Conservation

SPEAK UP NOW

Clear the clutter and plan for what matters most 🌾

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

Spring cleaning often starts with closets and drawers, but it’s also a good time to organize the documents that matter most.

For many people, estate planning can feel complicated or like something to put off. In reality, creating a will or reviewing beneficiary designations can be one of the most empowering ways to protect your loved ones and reflect the values that matter most to you.

That’s why American Wild Horse Conservation offers free planning tools to help supporters take this step with confidence.

With our partner FreeWill, you can:

CREATE YOUR WILL TODAY

If you already have a will, reviewing your beneficiary designations is still an important step. Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and donor-advised funds often pass outside of a will, so keeping these designations updated can help ensure your wishes are honored.

Review your beneficiary designations.

Many supporters are surprised to learn that gifts through wills, retirement accounts, or life insurance policies can help protect the causes they love while costing them nothing today.

If you decide to include American Wild Horse Conservation in your plans, your gift can help defend wild horses and burros, protect their habitats, and advocate for humane management policies far into the future.

It’s a simple step today that helps ensure these iconic animals remain free for generations to come.

P.S. Already included American Wild Horse Conservation in your plans? Let us know so we can thank you.

 

A bill that could stop a global animal crisis

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

Across the world, millions of donkeys are being killed each year to fuel a booming trade in ejiao — a gelatin made from donkey hides that is used in cosmetics and traditional medicine.

Demand for this product has exploded in recent years, driving a global trade that has devastated donkey populations and caused immense suffering. Donkeys are often stolen, transported long distances without food or water, and killed under inhumane conditions before their hides are processed.

The United States currently plays a role in this market as one of the largest importers of products containing ejiao. But Congress has a chance to change that.

The bipartisan Ejiao Act (H.R. 5544) would prohibit the transport, sale, and purchase in the United States of ejiao products and donkey hides used to produce them.

Passing this legislation would send a powerful message that the U.S. will not support this cruel and destabilizing trade.

TAKE ACTION

Donkeys are vital partners for communities around the world — transporting food, water, and children to school.

They deserve protection from a global trade that treats them as disposable. Please take a moment to urge your lawmakers to support the Ejiao Act today.

Thank you for your support,
American Wild Horse Conservation

 

Two futures for America’s wild horses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

Right now, America’s wild horses are facing two very different futures:

Future #1: The status quo.
Helicopter roundups continue to chase horses from our public lands, breaking apart families and sending animals into government holding facilities. Taxpayers spend $144 million every year on this cycle — and once captured, a single horse can cost up to $50,000 to house over their lifetime.

Or…

Future #2: A humane, science-based solution.
Fertility control using the reversible vaccine PZP prevents pregnancies while allowing horses to remain wild and free on the range with their families.

PZP is widely tested, scientifically-backed, and already proving effective. At American Wild Horse Conservation, we manage the largest wild horse fertility control program in the country, demonstrating that this approach can work at scale.

And it’s far more cost-effective:

  • Lifetime government holding: up to $50,000 per horse
  • Humane fertility control: about $3,500 for lifetime protection

Congress has already allocated $11 million for humane fertility control in the FY26 appropriations bill.

Now we must ensure the Bureau of Land Management prioritizes those funds for fertility control instead of more helicopter roundups.

TAKE ACTION

Because the future of America’s wild horses depends on the choice we make today.

Thank you for standing with us.

— AWHC Team

Protecting Wild Horses for Generations to Come

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

We’re officially a month into the Year of the Horse, and at American Wild Horse Conservation, it’s already a powerful reminder of why this work matters so much.

America’s wild horses and burros embody freedom, resilience, and the spirit of the West. Yet protecting them requires constant vigilance, defending their right to live free on public lands, advocating for humane policies, and safeguarding the landscapes they call home.

The Year of the Horse is a time to celebrate these incredible animals. It’s also a time to ask an important question: How will we ensure wild horses remain protected for generations to come?

One meaningful way supporters choose to make a lasting impact is through a legacy gift.

By including American Wild Horse Conservation in your will or estate plans, you help ensure that the fight to protect wild horses continues long into the future. These gifts cost nothing today but provide powerful support for advocacy, habitat protection, and humane conservation efforts for years to come.

CREATE MY FREE WILL AND LEGACY

We’ve made it easier to take this step. Through our free partner FreeWill, you can create or update your will online in about 20 minutes.

You can also use this beneficiaries tool to review and update beneficiary designations on accounts like retirement plans and life insurance policies, another simple way many supporters choose to create a legacy for the causes they care about.

As we celebrate the Year of the Horse, we invite you to consider your role in protecting these iconic animals.

With gratitude,

American Wild Horse Conservation

Wild horses deserve better than “Emergency” excuses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:

Over the weekend, we were tipped off that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was preparing to launch another “emergency” roundup of wild horses near Ely, Nevada.

Less than 48 hours later, helicopters were already chasing horses across the range — before the public had any meaningful opportunity to review what was planned or why.

This is now the second emergency roundup of 2026 — and the BLM has released no planned roundup schedule for the year. We refuse to stand by as an “emergency” is used to bypass transparency and public process.

The BLM claims this operation is necessary due to severe drought and lack of forage and intends to remove roughly 300 wild horses from outside the Antelope and Moriah Herd Management Areas (HMAs). But what our team is documenting on the ground raises serious questions about that narrative:

  • This “emergency” didn’t materialize overnight. Operations like this take planning. The BLM could have provided appropriate notice and transparency. It chose not to.
  • No evidence of crisis conditions has been made public. If drought and starvation are the justification, where is the documentation of suffering horses and degraded range?
  • On Day One, helicopters ran 17 times, 161 horses were captured, and one died. Snowy conditions and distance made body scoring difficult. The footage we’ve captured does not support claims of widespread starvation.
  • Foaling season is imminent. Many mares being chased and captured right now are likely heavily pregnant, putting unborn foals at risk.
  • Captured horses will likely be sent into the BLM’s Adoption and Sale Program. Once horses enter Sale Authority, federal protections drop away — creating a fast track out of safeguards with minimal transparency and accountability.

Our team is on the ground right now documenting land conditions, body condition, helicopter runs, and whether livestock are present in the same areas horses are being removed from. If the BLM’s claims are true, the evidence should support them. If not, the public deserves to know.

This is bigger than one roundup. If agencies are allowed to repeatedly invoke “emergency” to avoid transparency and public process, this becomes a permanent loophole — and wild horses will pay the price.

We’re demanding immediate checks and balances on this growing “emergency” strategy. Will you add your name to our petition calling for transparency, independent review, and real checks and balances before wild horses are removed?

TAKE ACTION

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Conservation

Your Horse, In Watercolor

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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.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Purchase your customized bag by March 15!

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

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