Under Trump, hundreds of America’s wild horses are being sold for as little as $25 and being sent to slaughter, report says

Wild Horse Sales Under Scrutiny After Report of Slaughterhouse Sales

Animal advocates are voicing concern over the treatment of wild horses after a New York Times report said that several hundred were sold to slaughter since Donald Trump took office. The report has reignited debate over the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) management of wild horses and burros, which the agency is responsible for overseeing.

According to the Times, at least one buyer purchased wild horses for $25 a head, then sold them to Canadian slaughterhouses for $750 each. The report also said that more than 50 mustangs sold at an Oklahoma event later appeared at livestock auctions states away, citing records from wild horse protection programs. Others showed up at auctions frequented by slaughter buyers, and some were photographed with their brands at a Canadian slaughterhouse.

How the BLM's Adoption and Sales Program Works

The BLM's adoption and sales programs work with organizations across the country to place wild horses and burros into private care. Bureau officials claim that more than 290,000 animals have been placed into private care since 1991. Private care is done in two ways: adoption and sales.

Once a horse is adopted, it must remain in the United States until it gets titled, which can happen on the one-year anniversary of adoption. Adopters must have a facility to meet the animal's needs. To be sold, an animal must have been passed over at adoption events at least three times.

In 2024, just over 1,500 horses were sold. That number more than doubled in 2025, rising to 3,718.

The bureau maintains that it does not sell or send horses or burros to slaughterhouses or to "kill buyers," according to its website. However, the Times reported a different story, suggesting that legal protections can be circumvented by selling to a third-party "middleman."

Tracking and Enforcement Challenges

There is no official way to track the horses, though they are branded with a serial number on the neck. The Times reported that this lack of tracking has allowed some animals to end up in slaughterhouses despite the BLM's stated policy. The report noted that it is not the first time this has happened.

Advocates Respond

Since the Times published its report, animal activist organizations like Humane World for Animals have decried the BLM and parties responsible for the alleged slaughter buying. The organizations are calling for greater oversight and transparency in the wild horse program.

Perspectives

Bureau of Land Management

The BLM maintains that it does not sell or send horses or burros to slaughterhouses or to "kill buyers," and emphasizes its adoption and sales programs as a means of placing animals into private care.

Animal Advocates

Organizations like Humane World for Animals have expressed concern over the alleged slaughter buying and are calling for accountability from the BLM and other parties involved.