Nearly 50 years ago, Congress passed the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to protect horses from the abusive practice of soring, which involves intentionally inflicting pain on the animal’s legs to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait...

Last October, the US Forest Service (USFS)—which manages approximately 8,000 wild horses and burros in the United States—made a shocking announcement: The agency would soon begin rounding up and selling horses from California’s largest herd...

In the last Quarterly, we discussed the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to conduct mass surgical sterilization experiments on wild horses from the Warm Springs Herd Management Area in Oregon. Colorado State University was slated...

A wide range of equine-related issues have come up in Congress this session, and wild horses in particular have been the subject of considerable deliberation among federal lawmakers. The House Appropriations Committee included language, sponsored...

Dr. Karen Herman, Executive Director, Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary The 23,882-acre Jarita Mesa Wild Horse Territory (JMWHT) is located in rugged, forested mountain terrain in the Carson National Forest of New Mexico. Prior to...

Wild horses and settlers of the American west had a lot in common. They were tough, independent, and resourceful, with a deep need for freedom and open spaces. As more people migrated west, however, wild...

In September, the House passed HR 3354, an omnibus appropriations bill that would harm animals in a variety of ways. Among the amendments not allowed to come to the floor for a vote: one that...

North American wildlife lost one of their staunchest advocates with the death in June of esteemed author and naturalist Hope Ryden. AWI is honored to have worked with Hope: From the 1980s through 2004, she...

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to maintain the long-standing ban on horse slaughterhouse inspections by the US Department of Agriculture. Prohibiting these inspections effectively prevents such plants from operating in this country. However, the House...

In July, the US Department of Agriculture proposed a rule that, if finalized, would bring us closer to ending the egregiously inhumane practice of soring Tennessee Walking horses, racking horses, and other gaited breeds.