Federal roundup aims to thin Colorado wild horse herds amid land-use concerns

In a desert stretch an hour west of Meeker, Colorado, a BLM-run roundup is using a helicopter to drive wild horses into a pen, targeting about 1,000 animals for capture. Participants observed foals and adults being herded, after which the horses will be placed in long-term holding facilities that critics compare to prisons. Advocates like Robyn Smith expressed sorrow over families being split, while Rio Blanco County Commissioner Callie Scritchfield defended the pens as a humane alternative to starvation on the range.

Range expert Troy Osborn noted that both wild horses and domestic cattle strain the vegetation, prompting the need for population control. The BLM reports housing roughly 60,000 horses nationwide at a cost of about $100 million each year, and about 8,000 were adopted or sold last year, with volunteers such as Cindy Day assisting in adoption and birth-control efforts.