National Mustang Association

06/01/2026

Drought, Carrying Capacity, and Finding Balance

One of the most important realities of wild horse management is that healthy horses depend on healthy habitat.

As drought conditions intensify, the carrying capacity of the land changes. Water becomes scarce, forage production declines, and the landscape can no longer support the same number of animals it could during wetter years. When horse populations exceed what the land can sustain, both the horses and the habitat suffer.

This is why management matters.
Unfortunately, the conversation is often framed as two extremes: either leave horses completely alone or remove hundreds of horses at a time. We believe there is a better path.

Large-scale removals are not a sustainable long-term solution. There simply is not enough capacity to humanely handle, train, adopt, and care for the number of horses that can be removed during major gathers. Without long-term management, we risk creating overcrowded holding facilities while repeating the same cycle year after year.

At the same time, doing nothing is not a responsible option either. Healthy herds are not created by neglect. They require active management that keeps horse populations aligned with what the land can support.

At the National Mustang Association, we believe successful wild horse management requires a balanced approach that includes:
• Monitoring herd health and range conditions
• Fertility control, including technologies such as the Automatic Darter
• Habitat improvement and restoration when possible
• Adaptive management during drought conditions
• Small-scale, low-stress bait trap removals when necessary
• Partnerships that ensure removed horses have humane placement opportunities

Balance is not passive. It requires work.
The goal is not simply more horses or fewer horses. The goal is healthy horses living on healthy land for generations to come.
Healthy Horses. Healthy Habitat. A Sustainable Future for Both.

Because protecting wild horses also means protecting the land they depend on.

— National Mustang Association 🐎🌾
This version better reflects NMA's long-standing position: fertility control, habitat stewardship, and targeted low-stress bait trapping when necessary, rather than relying solely on either no management or large-scale removals.

05/27/2026

Thank you Bonfire Custom Rustic for the donation of this large metal decorative piece for our fundraiser in September.

This piece was hand cut with a plasma cutter replicating an antique 4' circular saw blade. Little horses were then plasma cut out of the blade. The entire blade was then grinded down and heat colored with a torch.

05/21/2026

Our ambassador Marvel visited the 3rd graders at Mancos Elementary in Mancos, Colorado. Many of the students had never met a Mustang before and were surprised by how calm, gentle, and sweet he was.

One of our NMA volunteers explained different wild horse removal methods and shared that Marvel was removed using low-stress, behavior-based bait trapping with no negative human interaction during the process.

Just like people, horses are sensitive and can be deeply affected by stressful or traumatic experiences. Those experiences can stay with them for the rest of their lives. By taking the time to remove wild horses using calm, humane methods that minimize fear and stress, we help create horses that are more trusting, adaptable, and successful in their transition to domestic life.

Moments like these help connect the next generation to the importance of humane wild horse management and stewardship.

05/19/2026

Ending Horse Slaughter in Canada - Another Step Forward

We have received confirmation that the Bouvry Exports slaughter plant in Fort Macleod, Alberta, is permanently closed. The facility is no longer accepting horses for slaughter! This news comes after months of speculation, with horse rescuers reporting empty pens and very little activity at the plant.

The news was further confirmed by a prolific kill buyer, who stated today that horses will likely now be trucked to Viandes Richelieu (a division of Bouvry Exports) for slaughter in Quebec.

We celebrate the closure of Bouvry Exports but realize that there is still work to be done! Horses across Canada and from the U.S. will continue to be transported to Quebec for slaughter. This industry, as well as the live exports of draft horses to Japan for slaughter, must end completely.

We thank horse advocates for their work in bringing one chapter of this horrific industry to a close. Well done!
Now let's place the issue of horse slaughter where it really belongs - within the troubled pages of history books. Let's end this industry in Canada.

05/12/2026

💙 Forever Home Needed for Two Special Mustangs 💙

The National Mustang Association is helping find a loving forever home for two bonded mustang geldings who must stay together.
Their owner, Gail, is currently battling cancer and wants peace of mind knowing her boys will be safe, loved, and protected for the rest of their lives. This is an incredibly difficult decision, and these horses are deeply loved.

🐴 Irish – 15 years old
• Mustang from the Cañon City, Colorado facility
• Previously used as a pack horse
• Calm demeanor
• Has been lightly ridden at the walk and trot
• Good with his front feet
• Loads easily

🐴 Rayo – 13 years old
• Mustang from Nevada (Dry Hills area)
• Good with all four feet
• Has been ridden a few times in the past
• Takes a little extra patience to load

✔️ Both are geldings
✔️ Have been with their owner for 7 years
✔️ Must stay together
✔️ Adoption fee required to approved home
✔️ Looking for a safe, loving forever home

These boys deserve a soft landing with someone who will cherish and protect them for the rest of their lives. Because their owner cares deeply about their future, they will only be placed in a carefully selected home committed to keeping them safe and together.

If you may be interested in providing Irish and Rayo with a forever home, please reach out to the National Mustang Association.

Please share to help us find the right home for these two deserving mustangs. They are located in SW Colorado.

05/08/2026

Handcrafted Breastcollar Donation – Created by Nihla McCabe

The National Mustang Association is honored to receive a beautifully handcrafted breastcollar donated by local artisan Nihla McCabe for our September fundraiser benefiting the NMA - Douglas Family Wild Horse Transition and Training Center.

This piece represents more than craftsmanship—it reflects the spirit of the American West and the deep connection between horses and the people who care for them. Handmade with attention to detail and western tradition, this breastcollar is both functional and artistic, making it a meaningful addition to any tack collection.

Donations like this directly support NMA’s mission to provide humane handling, transition, training, and placement opportunities for wild horses in need. As a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, every auction item helps us continue building a future where wild horses are treated with dignity and given a safe landing.

We are incredibly grateful to Nihla McCabe for supporting wild horses and helping make this event possible.

04/26/2026

Important Update for NMA Mustang Registry Members

As many of you have heard, Etalon Diagnostics has ceased operations and entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC). This means Etalon is no longer processing tests, and their business is being liquidated by an assignee.

Because the NMA registry is built on Etalon’s genetic testing, we want to reassure our members that:

All previously submitted Etalon results remain valid within NMA

Your horses’ registered genetic data is secure and unaffected

We are actively evaluating alternative testing partners to ensure continuity moving forward

We will share updates as soon as new testing pathways are finalized. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this unexpected industry change.

If you have Etalon reports stored in your personal account, we strongly recommend downloading them while access is still available.

Etalon Genetics is reported to have ceased operations April 15, 2026, with an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors process underway and an Oct. 1, 2026 claims deadline listed in a circulating creditor notice. Here’s what the notice says and what clients should watch for next.

04/26/2026

We need your help.

The Douglas Family Wild Horse Transition and Training Facility is the next step in giving wild horses a real chance—but before we can open our gates, we need to bring in water and electricity.

The National Mustang Association is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, and everything we’ve accomplished has only been possible because of people like you.

Since 2021, we’ve helped 60 wild horses find safe homes.
With this facility, we’ll be able to help so many more—horses that would otherwise end up in the sale pipeline with an uncertain future.

But we can’t do it alone.

If you’re able to give, share, or help in any way, it truly makes a difference. Every step we take gets us closer to opening our gates and giving these horses the future they deserve.

Please consider being part of their second chance.

founder: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AYYPDAHR4KCDS partner: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/JY6SYLH8WKCJW guardian: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7D22C4B4QYNDA supporter: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/F3ER4CB7PDGRW
friend: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/SCHGDQ87RBN76

04/24/2026

Thanks to an anonymous donator we have a 15.5" Outwest custom saddle made with a ropers horn and an extra wide bar.

This saddle will be at our September fundraiser in Durango Colorado, will be auctioned off at our live auction.