Marketplace · Thursday, July 9, 2026
The federal government faces increasing difficulty managing wild horse populations on public lands, with costs for feeding and care of rounded-up horses rising. Rob Godby of the University of Wyoming estimates each wild horse in captivity costs taxpayers approximately $4 per day. Proposed solutions like selling horses for slaughter or increasing adoption efforts face legal and practical challenges.
“The Bureau of Land Management is the agency responsible for protecting both those iconic symbols of the American West, the horses, and the lands on which they roam.”
“This is a business deal with the federal government.”
“That's absolutely taxpayer money. That is not done with donations.”
“Each new wild horse in captivity is roughly $4 a day on the taxpayers' bill.”