In 2023, Colorado passed Senate Bill 23-275, establishing the Colorado Wild Horse Working Group (CWHWG) and allocating $1.5 million to develop humane, nonlethal wild horse management strategies in response to public outcry over horse deaths during roundups. The bipartisan group, including ranchers, tribal representatives, conservationists, and government officials, met for nearly two years to recommend policies such as fertility control and support for adoptions, though contentious issues like livestock grazing and roundups remained unresolved. The effort led to a follow-up bill in 2024 creating a Wild Horse Advisory Board under the Colorado Department of Agriculture to continue collaborative management without conducting roundups directly.

Despite these state-level efforts, federal wild horse management remains fraught with controversy. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues helicopter roundups to reduce herd sizes, citing overpopulation, while advocates argue that livestock grazing causes more rangeland damage than horses. Nationally, conservative proposals like Project 2025 have called for more aggressive measures, including humane euthanasia and loosening protections, sparking opposition from advocates and lawmakers who seek to end helicopter roundups and promote humane treatment. The killing of a prized stallion during a recent BLM roundup symbolizes the ongoing tensions and challenges in balancing wild horse preservation with land management policies.