This Week in WHB News: Roundup Schedule and NV Roundups

🐎 2026 Wild Horse & Burro Roundup Schedule

March 2026

This week, the BLM has released its 2026 Wild Horse and Burro roundup schedule.

14,830 wild horses and burros are slated to be removed from public lands this year.

These are not just numbers—they are families. Generations of wild horses.

Why This Matters

Wild horses are meant to live wild and free on our public lands. Yet, current management practices continue to prioritize removals over long-term, on-range solutions.

At the same time:

• Many herds are already below genetically viable population levels

• Livestock grazing is prioritized and continues across most Herd Management Areas, further limiting available forage and habitat for protected wild horses and burros

• Fertility control is underutilized or inconsistently applied

• Tens of thousands of wild horses remain in holding facilities at taxpayer expense

This raises an important question:

Are wild horses being managed—or managed to extinction?

Roundups Currently Underway

Several roundups are currently underway in Nevada. Early reports reflect minimal activity so far, which is not unexpected given that these are bait-trap operations that will occur more gradually over time.

Here is the current status based on the latest available updates:

• Spring Mountain Complex – No horses or burros reported captured
  Removal goal: 425 wild horses, 425 wild burros
  The Spring Mountain Complex has three Herd Management Areas (HMAs.) 

  • Johnnie HMA encompasses 177,237 acres of BLM lands and 2,131 acres of private and other public lands. totaling 179,368 acres. It has an Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 65-108 wild burros and is not managed for wild horses. 

  • Red Rock HMA encompasses 157,443 acres of BLM lands and 4,526 acres of private and other public lands, totaling 161,969 acres. It has an AML of 16 – 27 wild horses and 29 – 49 wild burros. 

  • Wheeler Pass HMA encompasses 273,898 acres of BLM lands and 1,677 of private and other public lands, totaling 275,575 acres. It has an AML of 47 – 66 wild horses and 20 – 35 wild burros.

• Pancake Complex – No captures reported as of today
  Removal goal: 300 wild horses 
  AML (total throughout the complex): 240-493

• Caliente Complex – 1 horse trapped
  Removal goal: 550 wild horses
  AML (total throughout the complex): 0 (** See more on Caliente below)

• Antelope/Triple B Complex – 1 horse trapped and released
  Removal goal: 1000 wild horses
  AML (total throughout the complex): Antelope - 150-324 | Triple B - 250-518

We will continue to monitor these operations and provide updates as more information becomes available.

A NOTE ON CALIENTE:
Is AML for the Caliente Complex actually ZERO??

Short answer: Yes.

This isn’t a new proposal—BLM decided nearly two decades ago to eliminate wild horses from the Caliente Complex. BLM has been managing nearly 912,000 acres for zero wild horses since its 2008 land-use plan—and continues to remove any that remain.

What Happens During Roundups

Wild horses rounded up and on a trailer from the trap to the temporary holding area. From this moment on, all they will see of their home will be through bars and netting... Photo © TCF 2024

In temporary holding, family bands are broken apart—stallions separated from mares, and mares from older foals. While young foals are typically returned to their mothers, older yearlings—especially colts—are often separated and placed into pens with other stallions.

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Stay Informed

We will continue tracking roundup activity, policy developments, and opportunities for public engagement.

The future of America’s wild horses depends on informed voices and continued advocacy.