In a last-minute decision by the BLM, the Cedar Mountain HMA was scheduled for a major roundup of approximately 700 wild horses. Cedar Mountain wild horses can be found in a variety of colors with dominance on black and bays. There are also several flashy pintos within this herd that are a favorite for photographers and wild horse watchers alike.

The roundup is set to begin this Saturday, September 17th, and be conducted by helicopter drive methods. According to the BLM’s roundup page, the HMA’s population will be reduced to the “low- to mid-Appropriate Management Level.” This means that there will be as few as 190 wild horses left on these lands after this week’s roundup.

Utah’s Cedar Mountain HMA contains more than 211,000 acres with a little more than 197,000 acres being BLM-managed land. This is more than enough land for a modest 390 wild horses, at most, to roam free.

Unusually, the BLM will not be allowing public viewing on the first two days of the roundup. We at WBF believe this is problematic and the BLM should not be authorized to deny visitation on public lands. Without public witnesses, the BLM cannot be held accountable for any failures to policy or inhumane treatment of the public’s wild horses.

In addition to administering Population Growth Suppression vaccines and IUDs, some horses will be equipped with GPS tracking devices via collars or tags. This is something that has not been seen often in BLM management and little is known as to why they are implementing this technology on the range.