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85,500 wild horses, burros roam in the US. Here's how their population has grown
Federal sales of wild horses reached 2,387 in fiscal 2025 as the Bureau of Land Management said it does not send animals to slaughterhouses.
- The wild horse and burro population has reached about 85,500 across 10 states, with federal sales tripling in the past year as the BLM attempts to control herd sizes.
- Unmanaged herds can grow 15-20% annually without natural predators, prompting the BLM to remove horses last fiscal year for adoption, sale, or placement to prevent starvation.
- Nevada hosts the majority with more than 42,500 animals, while Arizona maintains about 13,500 burros and Wyoming holds 7,165 horses according to recent geographic data.
- The New York Times reported recently that some federally sold horses end up in slaughterhouses through third-party buyers, though the BLM maintains it does not send animals to such facilities.
- Beyond western ranges, Maryland's Assateague Island holds 83 wild horses per a National Park Service census, while burro sales surged 85% last fiscal year to about 1,330 animals.
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