The BLM is responsible for protecting, managing, and controlling wild horses on public lands in the Planning Area. The BLM collects data about the animals and their habitat and prescribes management actions to ensure that free-roaming populations are in balance with other uses. In addition, the BLM ensures that the productive capability of wild-horse habitat and a thriving natural ecological balance is achieved and maintained. Wild horses are of interest to some members of the public and are classified as a resource value rather than a land use.

Existing wild horse herds originated from animals released into native habitat since early European-American exploration and settlement in the region in the 1800s. Current populations incorporate genetic traits from a wide variety of breeds historically used in the region.

The BLM manages wild horses in the Planning Area in two Wild Horse Herd Management Areas (HMA) (Map 36) - the McCullough Peaks HMA and the Fifteenmile HMA. Each HMA has a Herd Management Area Plan that establishes appropriate management levels. Each HMA is located within the boundaries of a larger Herd Area of the same name (Table 3–32); portions of these Herd Areas outside of the HMA boundaries are not managed for wild horses. In addition, there are five Herd Areas in the Planning Area that are not currently managed for wild horses but remain Herd Areas in perpetuity. Analysis for previous decisions determined that managing wild horses in these Herd Areas resulted in management issues or conflicts (e.g., competition with livestock for water sources or forage, and adjacent landowner complaints), that were most appropriately resolved by the removal of wild horses. Previous decisions also determined that management of wild horses within the original Herd Area boundaries would result in issues or conflicts. Table 3–32 lists acreages and appropriate management levels for the two HMAs and seven Herd Areas, as well as the reason horses were removed from the Herd Areas not managed for wild horses and the decision document or other documentation related to these removals. The wild horse population in 2009 in the HMAs was 199 (see Table 3–32). The BLM collects annual monitoring data to evaluate progress toward meeting management objectives.

The wild horse program receives a high level of public interest and scrutiny. For a variety of purposes and reasons, multiple public organizations closely monitor the health, nutrition, and general well-being of wild horse herds. These groups present unique opportunities for cooperative and collaborative partnerships, and for controversy. Such groups in the Planning Area have provided monitoring assistance and publicity for the wild horse program. The Pryor Mountain Horse Range is physically located in the northern portion of the Planning Aarea and in Montana and is administered by the Billings BLM Field Office. This RMP revision project does not address the Pryor Mountain Area.

McCullough Peaks HMA

Before the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, wild horses were already prominent in the area from what were known as U.S. Cavalry remounts, which included Clydesdale stock, Percheron and Thoroughbred crosses, and most notably, the Cleveland Bay breed. This resulted in the present-day configuration and distribution of wild horses in the McCullough Peaks HMA. The historic water sources at various springs, Shoshone River, and Dry Creek, along with the development of water sources in the 1950s through 1970s, influenced the horses’ selection of this area as its home range.

Existing boundary and division fences associated with management of the allotments did not affect horse movement in the late 1980s and 1990s. However, with the increase in public presence in the 2000s, fences have increasingly prevented horse movement and have created a physical barrier that is sometimes harmful to the horses.

Since 1990, much of the exterior boundary of the approximately 110,000-acre HMA has been fenced. An interior fence was also constructed, forming pasture and allotment boundaries to improve management of livestock grazing. The combination of the exterior and interior fences has limited the mobility of the wild horses. Increases in other human activities in the Red Point area, primarily recreational viewing and Special Recreation Permit (SRP) viewing, have resulted in keeping 80 percent of the herd within 20 percent of the HMA.

Horse management planning documents call for the HMA to support 70 to 140 total head of wild horses (1,050 to 2,100 animal unit months [AUMs]) in an attempt to maintain an average of 100 adult wild horses in the HMA (1,500 AUMs). An AUM is the amount of forage necessary for the sustenance of one cow or its equivalent for a period of 1 month, or approximately 800 pounds of dry forage. Once herd levels surpass 140 head, or after approximately 4 years, the BLM gathers and removes enough horses to leave 70 head, for an overall average of 100 adult horses. This method is more cost-efficient than annual roundups and has resulted in less capture-induced stress on the horses. There were gathers in 1983 (215 removed), 1987 (152 removed), 1992 (225 removed), 1995 (170 removed), 1999 (188 removed), and 2009 (94 removed).

The McCullough Peaks HMA is approximately 12 miles east of Cody, extending an additional 15 miles east, with U.S. Highway 14-16-20 forming the southern boundary. It is bounded on the north by BOR-withdrawn lands controlled by the Willwood Irrigation District. McCullough Peaks and State Highway 32 comprise the western and eastern boundaries. The HMA encompasses approximately 109,856 acres, of which 103,863 acres are on BLM-administered land; the remaining 5,993 acres is scattered parcels of state and private lands. In the third quarter of 2009, the herd had approximately 110 horses.

Vegetation in the McCullough Peaks HMA consists primarily of a saltbush/grass with approximately 36,440 acres of sagebrush/grass (BLM 2009b). Big sagebrush, Nuttalls saltbush, greasewood, bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, needle-n-thread, Indian ricegrass, blue grama, Sandberg bluegrass, and saltgrass are the major plant species in the area. Average annual precipitation is approximately 5 to 7 inches, with 40 percent occurring from April through June.

There are five grazing allotments in the HMA, and livestock use within these allotments is authorized during spring, summer, fall, and winter depending on the specific allotment and its specified rotational grazing strategy. Each allotment has a built-in rest period during the growing season at least once every 3 years. Water development benefits wild horses, livestock, and wildlife.

At present, the wild horses in the McCullough Peaks HMA are considered to be in good health. Most horses are of ample body condition and forage conditions range from poor to good, with some areas considered in excellent condition. However, the drought of the late 1990s through 2008 adversely affected rangeland health.

Approximately 15,600 acres of the McCullough Peaks HMA is classified as a WSA and is managed in accordance with the Interim Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands Under Wilderness Review (IMP) (BLM 1995a). Horses are regularly observed in the WSA, and their use is considered compatible with the management objectives and values associated with the WSA.

McCullough Peaks HMA is popular among visitors for its easily photographed horses, easy access, and year-round availability. The BLM issues SRPs for wild horse viewing activity twice daily from May through October. The SRP has a cap of 2,000 visitor-use days with one primary active SRP holder. There has been continued interest from additional “outfitters” or guide services to obtain additional visitor-use days for viewing wild horses. These 2,000 visitor-use days do not include the general public in the calculation. Over the last 8 years, more and more members of the general public have viewed wild horses. However, because of frequent exposure to people, more than 80 percent of the horses have become approachable and do not display the wild and unique characteristics for which they were once known.

Fifteenmile HMA

Wild and free roaming horses have been reported in the Fifteenmile area since the late 1880s. Historically, the horse herd ranged over approximately 330,000 acres between Worland and Meeteetse, and the Greybull River and Gooseberry Creek. After the ranching community arrived, it was common practice to cull the horses periodically and to occasionally introduce new horses to the population. The horses were then gathered as needed. In the 1930s and 1940s, many horses were shot and others were captured and sold. In the 1950s, almost all the horses (approximately 600) were captured and sold. Some wild horses were periodically gathered by local residents until the practice was prohibited in 1971 by the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

The wild horse population in 1971 was estimated to be between 150 and 175 head. The first intensive inventory of the population took place in 1974, when 245 horses were counted. In 1978, wild horse numbers had increased to approximately 334 head, and due to drought conditions, the BLM removed 186. The BLM removed another 360 horses in 1984. The Fifteenmile Wild Horse Herd Management Area Plan was approved in 1985. This plan established the current HMA boundary, and specified that the wild horse herd would be managed within a range of 70 to 160 mature horses. The plan also specified that following gathers, the horses remaining on the range would be managed in a ratio of 60 males to 40 females to help slow population growth. Since 1985, there have been periodic (every four to 6 years) gathers to reduce the population. These gathers occurred in 1991 (129 horses removed), 1994 (141 horses removed), 2000 (161 horses removed), 2004 (115 horses removed), and 2009 (301 removed).

The Fifteenmile Wild Horse HMA is approximately 35 miles northwest of Worland. The HMA encompasses approximately 81,107 acres, with portions in Big Horn, Park, and Washakie counties, of which approximately 10,383 acres, or about 13 percent, are privately owned. The HMA can support a wild horse population of 70 to 160 mature horses over 1 year of age, or 100 to 240 total horses. However, rangelands in the HMA cannot sustain both the wild horse population and the full permitted livestock grazing use level. In the third quarter of 2009, the herd had approximately 89 horses.

Rangelands in the Fifteenmile HMA are in conformance with the Wyoming Standards for Healthy Rangelands (Appendix N). Annual precipitation in the Fifteenmile HMA ranges from 4 to 12 inches per year, with an average of approximately 7 inches per year. About half of the precipitation falls during the growing season from April through June, with the remainder falling in high intensity summer thunderstorms. Much of the precipitation occurs during summer thunderstorms as runoff to numerous drainages. Some of this water is captured in reservoirs or pits and is the primary source of water for wild horses, livestock, and wildlife. Due to the erosive nature of the soils, these reservoirs and pits quickly fill with sediment, thereby reducing their capacity to hold water. Evaporation rates are high due to the hot, dry weather during summer. In some parts of the HMA that receive little wild horse use, vegetative cover and litter have increased to the point that storm runoff is not sufficient to fill some reservoirs and pits. Because of these factors, water availability is a concern in the HMA.

There are five unfenced livestock grazing allotments in the HMA, and the total permitted livestock grazing on these allotments is 7,925 AUMs. An AUM equals about 800 pounds of forage. This use is limited to winter sheep use from November through March. Most of this permitted grazing use has been in voluntary non-use for several years, largely because permittees do not run sheep, but permittees could activate grazing use at any time. The overall recommended stocking level for both livestock and wild horses in the HMA, based on rangeland vegetation inventory data, is approximately 5,670 AUMs. The Grass Creek RMP allocated a total of 2,300 AUMs of forage for wild horses, which is the amount of forage required to sustain the wild horse population at the upper range of the appropriate management level, and 3,370 AUMs of forage for domestic livestock.

The wild horses in and around the HMA are considered to be healthy and in good physical condition. Genetic testing has indicated that the herd exhibits a high degree of genetic variability. Some of the horses frequently travel outside the HMA onto adjacent livestock grazing allotments. There is a small band of horses outside of any HMA, approximately 10 to 20 wild horses, in the Fivemile Creek area. There is no known interaction between these horses and the horses in the Fifteenmile HMA. Over the last 20 years, the BLM has attempted several times to remove these horses, but due largely to the remoteness of the area and rugged topography, a few horses have always evaded capture.

Management Challenges

Management challenges for wild horses include controlling herd populations to maintain herd and rangeland health and habitat, forage, and water for native wildlife. Since 1973, when the horse and burro adoption program began, the two legal means of disposing of surplus, gathered animals has been through public adoptions and euthanasia. Some animals, especially older studs, lack the physical appeal and disposition that attract adopters. Ultimately, when these animals are perceived as unadoptable, they are returned to holding facilities or released back onto public lands. Euthanasia is currently the subject of heated public debate. The BLM no longer euthanizes horses to control populations, and the BLM has no current plans to resume the practice in the Planning Area.

From 1988 to 2004 congressional appropriations did not allow public funds for euthanasia as a method of population control. In the fall of 2004, Congress amended the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 to facilitate the sale of animals 10 years of age and those that have been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least three times. In fiscal year 2010, congressional appropriations once again did not allow for public funds for euthanasia for population control.

McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area

Although monitoring data indicate horses have localized impacts on vegetation in areas near water in relation to drought, current management of the horse herd should not affect these plant communities. There could be impacts to rangeland resources if herd numbers are allowed to grow beyond appropriate management levels. Continuing to implement fertility control during gathers will help maintain and improve rangeland resources. Managing horse distribution and grazing use will impact the long-term success of a healthy watershed and healthy horses.

With the administration of fertility control methods, the horse population is expected to increase at a rate of 15 percent annually, slower than in the past. In 2004, 36 mares were treated with a revised immune-contraceptive vaccine. A single injection will provide up to 2 years of contraception at approximately 94 percent efficiency (BLM 2009o). Contraceptives will become a more common tool in limiting the growth of the horse herd. Scheduled, periodic small gathers will continue so as to maintain population numbers in the targeted range of the appropriate management level.

Fifteenmile Herd Management Area

At present, the wild horses in the Fifteenmile HMA are considered to be in good health. Most horses are of ample body condition and forage conditions range from poor to good, with some areas considered in excellent condition. However, the long-term drought has adversely affected rangeland health.