A coalition including former Bureau of Land Management (BLM) official Jenny Lesieutre argues that euthanizing captive mustangs over age 10 should be reinstated as an option to manage the overpopulation of wild horses on Western rangelands. Since a 2005 Congressional rider eliminated unlimited sales and euthanasia of older captured mustangs, holding facilities have become overcrowded, costing hundreds of millions and limiting space for new roundups. Lesieutre and allied groups advocate returning to these management tools alongside adoptions and fertility control to reduce mustang numbers to federally designated Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs), which are currently far exceeded, threatening ecosystems and native wildlife like mule deer.
The debate over mustang management remains highly contentious, with advocates opposing roundups and euthanasia as cruel, while proponents emphasize the ecological damage caused by overpopulation and the necessity of population control. Lesieutre, a mustang adopter herself, stresses that love for horses could unite stakeholders toward practical solutions. The controversy continues in Wyoming, where planned roundups have sparked protests, and efforts to repeal the 2005 rider restricting management options are underway, supported by over 120 organizations including hunting and conservation groups.
