Welcome to this UnchainedTV Emergency Town Hall for Wild Horses and Burros in Crisis. Americans cherish their horses. These magnificent beings helped build our nation, and they remain iconic symbols of freedom, resilience, and the untamed spirit of the American West. Yet few people realize that our country’s wild horses and burros are now facing a dire emergency—one unfolding largely out of public view. Government roundups, conducted by the Bureau of Land Management, have pushed these animals to the brink. In fact, there are now more wild horses warehoused in BLM holding facilities than living free on the range. 64,000 captured wild horses at last count! And still, the roundups continue, primarily to make the land available for business interests, especially livestock grazing.
Where do these horses and burros go? Many spend years languishing in crowded government pens. Others are funneled into the so-called “adoption” pipeline, which too often becomes a fast track to livestock auctions. From there, kill buyers purchase them and ship them across the border to Mexico for slaughter. The suffering these animals endure is beyond description. It is horrifying, unconscionable, and utterly at odds with the will and values of the American public.
Amid this crisis, small groups of determined advocates are fighting day and night to save as many horses and burros as possible. They race to outbid kill buyers, sometimes securing just two or three horses or a handful of burros at a time. But, the moment one group is safe, another shipment is already lined up. These rescuers arrange emergency transport, coordinate placement with sanctuaries and qualified adopters, and manage the enormous logistical and financial burden that comes with each life saved. Their dedication is extraordinary, but the scale of this crisis has surpassed what they can sustain alone.
Tonight, we bring together some of the most courageous leaders on the front lines: advocates from Sweet Grass Advocacy for North American Equines, Heart of the Wild Equine Rescue, In Defense of Animals, NYCLASS and Blinders filmmaker Donny Moss, plus Madhu Anderson who was traumatized after witnessing a roundup. Plus a very special surprise guest. They are united by a single call to action: the public must get involved now.
This Emergency Town Hall is hosted by UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell. If you love horses, please listen closely, comment, share this out, and take action and DONATE:
https://www.sweetgrassadvocacyfornorthamericanequines.com/