Bruneau Wild Horse Off-Range Corrals Temporarily Close Due to Strangles Outbreak

BRUNEAU, Idaho—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has temporarily closed the Bruneau Wild Horse Off-Range Corrals (ORC) to prevent the spread of an upper respiratory infection among the horses. Initial tests suggest the presence of strangles, a highly contagious equine disease. While horses often recover without treatment, the disease can spread through direct or indirect contact and may lead to serious complications.

The closure is expected to delay the shipment of wild horses gathered from three Wyoming Herd Management Areas—Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek, and Great Divide Basin—to BLM facilities and events nationwide, where they are placed into private care.

“The Bruneau ORC horses will be monitored closely by facility staff and an on-call veterinarian,” said Krystle Wengreen, Bruneau ORC manager. “After all signs of infection have passed, the closure will be lifted, and horses may be transported out of the facility to event locations. The BLM takes the health of every wild horse seriously.”

For more information, contact the Bruneau Off-Range Corrals at (208) 329-4534.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $75 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2016—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 372,000 jobs.

Originally posted by the BLM Idaho