The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has quietly increased sales of federally protected wild horses, some of which reportedly end up in a complex pipeline leading to foreign slaughterhouses, according to a New York Times investigation published on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026.

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the number of wild horse sales doubled to 3,700 in 2025. The BLM manages a population of over 70,000 protected wild horses roaming public lands across Western states such as California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. To control this population, the agency removes approximately 9,500 horses annually and offers them for adoption.

The holding system currently contains about 60,000 wild horses and costs $100 million per year to maintain. Buyers of these horses must sign contracts promising not to kill the animals or knowingly sell them to someone who would. However, a legal loophole allegedly allows Americans to purchase "unadoptable" horses, which can then be sold to middlemen and eventually to foreign slaughter plants.

Patricia Miller, director of American Wild Horse Conservation, told The Times, "The BLM is using sales in a way that was never intended by the law to send young, healthy wild horses into the slaughter pipeline."

The Trump administration estimates that the sale of 3,700 horses in 2025 saved taxpayers $56 million. A BLM post stated, "Every wild horse or burro placed into a good home represents a win for the animals, the American taxpayer and our public lands. We’re not only saving millions in taxpayer dollars, we’re also helping ensure our wild herds have the resources they need to thrive."

Sources