America’s Wild Horses

  Where the Wild Still Runs Free

Across the vast landscapes of the American West, wild horses still roam.  Powerful, untamed, and symbolic of our nation’s rugged spirit. Often called mustangs, these horses are more than a reminder of freedom; they are living testaments to our shared history and connection to the land.  Wild horses are found in ten Western states, including New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, and Colorado. Smaller herds also exist in other regions, such as the East Coast’s Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, where wild ponies roam the beaches and marshlands.

Strongholds of the Herds

Nevada
    Home to more than half of the country’s wild horses, especially in the      Virginia Range.

Wyoming
    Second-largest wild horse population in the U.S., including the renowned 

Pryor Mountain herd.

Other Notable Areas

Sand Wash Basin, Colorado

Steens Mountain, Oregon (Kiger Mustangs)

Tonto National Forest, Arizona

Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia

These regions offer opportunities to witness wild horses thriving in diverse environments, from deserts to alpine meadows.

A Native Species, Reintroduced

Though often labeled as non-native, wild horses are a reintroduced native species. Horses originally evolved in North America and later disappeared from the continent around 12,000 years ago. When Spanish explorers returned with horses in the 1500s, they were simply bringing them home.  Many wild horses alive today are descendants of Spanish horses, Native American stock, military remounts, and escaped ranch horses.  All of which now form strong, resilient bloodlines on the range.

A Growing Controversy Over Freedom

Despite their deep roots and cultural importance, wild horses are at the center of an ongoing battle. Conflicts arise mostly from public land use. Industries that graze cattle and sheep on federal lands argue that wild horses overgraze and damage the land, but the truth is that livestock outnumber wild horses by more than 30 to 1.

Unfortunately, this narrative has influenced public policy.

Once Protected, Now at Risk

In 1971, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, declaring wild horses as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.” The law aimed to protect them from harassment, capture, and slaughter.  However, decades of lobbying by powerful commercial interests have weakened those protections. Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the agency tasked with managing wild horse populations on 175 Herd Management Areas, totaling over 25 million acres of public land.

This “management” often results in aggressive helicopter roundups, with thousands of horses ending up in long-term holding pens.  Many never to be released back into the wild.

How Many Are Left?

According to current government estimates:

83,000 wild horses and burros live on BLM-managed lands

Dozens of thousands more live on tribal lands or in unmanaged areas

More wild horses now live in holding facilities than roam free

The actual number of wild horses in the U.S.,  including those outside BLM jurisdiction, may reach up to 225,000, spread across remote deserts, rugged mountain ranges, and grassland plateaus.

Family, Freedom, and the Fight to Survive

Wild horses live in tight-knit family bands. A dominant stallion protects the group, while a wise lead mare often guides their movements. They nurture their young, defend their territory, and grieve their losses. These are not just herds. They are families, bound by 

trust and instinct.  Stallions clash in displays of power and endurance. Mares care for foals with quiet devotion. And yet, all of this can vanish in an instant when helicopters descend for removal operations.

What You Can Do

Protecting wild horses means speaking up, spreading awareness, and demanding better policies from our leaders. It means supporting organizations and photographers working on the front lines to share their stories.

You can make a difference by:

Learning more about wild horse issues

Visiting public lands where wild horses roam

Supporting sanctuaries and rescues

Sharing their stories with your community

Experience the Wild Through Photography

At NewMexicoWildHorses.com, we are committed to preserving the wild through the power of storytelling and imagery. Each photograph is captured with deep respect for the horses, the land, and the life they fight to keep. Explore our gallery at https://valerieduranphotography.com/ read the stories behind the bands, and bring home a piece of the wild. 

Stay Wild. Stay Free.
The story of America’s wild horses is far from over.  But it’s up to all of us to decide how the next chapter will be written.