House Committee Blocks Effort to Legalize Wild Horse Slaughter
Last week the House Appropriations Committee passed a crucial piece of Department of the Interior funding legislation that included language to continue prohibiting the slaughter of wild horses and burros, despite ongoing efforts by President Donald Trump to eliminate those protections. Trump's budget proposal, which would have slashed funding for the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program by 25%, left horse advocates deeply concerned that it could have opened the door to the slaughter of over 60,000 federally protected wild horses currently in government holding facilities.
The Fiscal Year 2026 Interior Department funding legislation allocates $144 million to the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and includes a provision requiring $11 million to be spent on humane population control methods, prioritizing in-the-wild fertility control—a compassionate, cost-effective alternative to cruel helicopter roundups.
Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of American Wild Horse Conservation, praised the strong pro-wild horse provisions in the House Appropriations Committee’s legislation, stating: “This is a major win for the American public, which has overwhelmingly demanded more humane treatment for our iconic wild horses and burros. The House Appropriations Committee, led by the steadfast efforts of Representatives Ciscomani and Pocan, has once again stepped up to reject slaughter and direct real investment in fertility control. Now it’s time for the BLM to follow through and make humane management—not removals—the foundation of its program.”
This is an encouraging step forward in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros—but we’re still working to make these protections permanent. We’re continuing to push for the passage of the SAFE Act to permanently ban the slaughter of American horses and are calling for an end to the cruel roundups that continue to threaten these iconic animals. If you haven’t already, please sign and share both petitions today to help us keep the pressure on.