A New York Times investigation has raised questions about a federal program that allows wild horses removed from public lands to be sold to buyers who can potentially send them into slaughter channels overseas.
The investigation found that about 3,700 wild mustangs were sold through the Bureau of Land Management's Sale Authority program.
Under the program, horses that fail to attract adopters after three one-week listings can be classified as unadoptable and sold at low prices.
Animal conservation advocates have criticised the system, arguing that young and otherwise healthy horses are being sold instead of addressing population growth through fertility-control programs.
Federal law prohibits the BLM from using public funds to destroy healthy wild horses, although President Donald Trump has supported more aggressive population-control measures. The investigation has renewed debate over how the government manages America's wild horse populations.
Related Tweet:
3,700 Wild Horses Sold in First Year of Trump’s Second Term Raise Fears Some Are Being Sent to Slaughter: Report https://t.co/bG5qS0oR9s
— People Pets (@PEOPLEPets) August 21, 2026
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