Policies to care for and manage wild horses and burros would be established under a bipartisan bill recently proposed by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ).
“For too long, wild horses and burros have been subjected to dangerous, cruel, and costly roundups that often result in the death of the animal,” Rep. Ciscomani said. “As an Arizonan and co-chair of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus, I’m proud to support this common-sense, bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the use of helicopters during Bureau of Land Management roundups and encourage more humane and cost-effective alternatives to manage these iconic animals.”
In efforts to control equine populations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently directed to “humanely capture” wild, free-roaming horses and burros and set them up for adoption, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
To assist in the capture, the BLM contracts with private helicopter companies to pursue the horses and burros over long distances, which can be frightening and even deadly to the animals, the summary says.
Scientific research has shown that more humane and cost-effective alternatives, like fertility control, are equally effective in controlling equine populations, though the BLM currently spends less than 4 percent of its budget on such methods.
Rep. Ciscomani on July 10 cosponsored the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025, H.R. 4356, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) to eliminate the use of helicopters in roundups and to require a study into alternative methods for humanely gathering the animals, including workforce opportunities for traditional cowboys, states the summary.
“I am proud to introduce this bipartisan proposal that would protect these icons of the American West [that] remain a source of pride for Nevada residents,” said Rep. Titus.
The American Wild Horse Conservation, The Wild Beauty Foundation, and the Animal Welfare Institute support H.R. 4356, which is under consideration by the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee.