Wyoming Wild Horse Statistics: Habitat, Population, and Management
Photo of Wyoming Wild Horses By Pam Nickoles Photography
Wyoming Wild Horse Facts
Updated 6/1/16
Habitat for wild horses has been reduced by more than half.
- 1971: Wild horses and burros were found on 5.2 million acres of BLM land.
- Today: Wild horses and burros exist on just 2.1 million acres.
- Net loss: 3.1 million acres.
- Source: BLM
42x More Livestock on BLM Land in Wyoming than Wild Horses
- 3,725 wild horses allowed to graze on 4.7 million acres (Source: BLM)
- 97,382 cow/calf pairs (annual equivalent) allowed to graze on 17.4 million acres of BLM land in Wyoming. (Source: BLM)
- 1,168,588 Animal Unit Months (AUMs) forage for livestock vs. 44,700 AUMs for wild horses allocated statewide.
- Source: BLM wild horse program & BLM public land statistics.
Removed from BLM Land in Wyoming 1996 – 2014
- 25,911 horses
- 1 burro
- 25,912 total
- Source: BLM
- Wyoming has 16 Herd Management Areas remaining. See population statistics here.
- The McCullough Peaks and Red Desert Complex wild horses are the only HMAs in Wyoming being managed with PZP fertility control.