Have you ever wondered what makes a wild curly horse so distinctive? In this episode, I revisit my first experiences with the curly horses of Salt Wells Creek and share how discovering this rare lineage changed the way I understood the diversity within America's wild horse herds. These horses carry traits that set them apart from others on the range, and encountering them for the first time revealed just how unique this population truly is.

As I revisit this story, I also share why these horses are now at risk. Salt Wells Creek is one of the herds slated for full removal under the new land use plan, and curlies were notably absent from public adoptions after the most recent roundup. I hope this episode encourages you to learn more about what is happening to these unique horses and to take action to help protect the wild curly herds that remain.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/63

If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses

Have you wondered what is happening with America's wild horses as 2025 comes to a close? In this episode, I share a clear look at where things stand today. After more than twenty years of observing these herds, the gap between what the law intended and how wild horses are managed has never felt more evident.

I also break down the political forces shaping the future of these herds, including how appropriate management levels are set, what the most recent government funding does and does not protect, and why Project 2025 continues to cast uncertainty over the years ahead. In this moment of reflection, I return to why these horses matter and share an excerpt from my first book, Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses. This episode offers both an honest look at the challenges ahead and a reminder of what we are fighting to protect.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/62

If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses

What can you do to help stop our horses in this country from going to slaughter? Horses from every discipline, age, and background are being shipped for slaughter every year. In 2024 alone, 20,000 horses were killed. Many people do not realize how easily a Thoroughbred, a child's lesson pony, a show horse, or even a mustang can be sold at auction and bought by kill buyers.

In this episode, I talk with filmmaker and advocate Ashley Avis, creator of Black Beauty and Wild Beauty, about her newest project: The Lost Horses, a national campaign designed to help finally pass the SAFE Act. Ashley shares how her work documenting wild horse roundups led her into the undercover world of Texas auctions, where she witnessed the brutality of the slaughter pipeline firsthand. Her team is now using cinematic storytelling, celebrity-voiced PSAs, and coordinated outreach to bring widespread attention to this issue.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/61

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to connect with wild horses? In this episode, I take you with me on my September journey through Salt Wells Creek and the Red Desert Complex in Wyoming. With the roundup postponed for another season, I was able to spend time among wild horse families who remain free, witnessing their strength, their relationships, and the quiet power that defines life in the high desert.

Throughout this trip, I spent mornings watching families gather near water, stallions keeping watch over their bands, and bachelor groups moving together across the landscape. Their movements, their social bonds, and their ability to endure challenges are powerful reminders of what's at stake in keeping these herds wild.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/60

What happens to wild horses after a roundup, and how has it changed over the years? In this episode, I revisit the topic of wild horse holding facilities to examine how horses are cared for after being removed from public lands. From my earliest observations to the present, the situation has worsened, and the challenges facing these horses are more urgent than ever.

I share what I've learned about holding facilities across Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho, highlighting high-level issues such as overcrowding, disease outbreaks, and the risks to mares and foals. This episode also explores solutions. I outline steps to stop helicopter roundups, increase accountability, and return wild horses to public lands where they belong.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/59

Have you ever wondered where the fight to save wild horses is headed? In this episode, I take you on a journey that began 21 years ago, when I first discovered that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was planning to remove most of the wild horses from Adobe Town, a herd I had grown to love. Through 22 roundups across five states, I've photographed and shared the painful reality of the BLM's actions.

The recent 10th Circuit Court victory gave us hope, ruling that the BLM's plan to eliminate three Wyoming herds was illegal. But the fight is far from over. This week, our group filed a lawsuit that resulted in a victory: the BLM has delayed its scheduled roundup, temporarily protecting nearly 3,000 wild horses. Tune in to hear the actions that need to be taken to protect these wild horses and ensure their long-term survival on our public lands.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/58

What does it really take to zero out a wild horse herd? In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the Adobe Town roundup, where the BLM captured far more wild horses than they should have, pushing this herd dangerously close to being wiped out. Though their target was met, the process that led to this moment was far from transparent or humane.

I spent five days observing the roundup, witnessing heartbreaking moments. While the roundup is now over, the real damage is done. The BLM has not confirmed whether they will conduct a post-roundup count, and with horses being sent to facilities where public access is restricted, the fate of these horses remains uncertain. The future of these wild horses hangs in the balance, and we have to keep fighting to make sure they are protected.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/57

What does it mean to win in court while wild horse roundups continue on the ground? In this episode, I share the emotional highs and lows of a pivotal week in the fight to protect Adobe Town's wild horses. Just as the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in our favor—finding the BLM acted arbitrarily in its plan to zero out nearly 2 million acres of wild horse habitat—the helicopters were already in the air, continuing their work.

I take you behind the scenes at the Adobe Town roundup. You'll hear what I witnessed on the range: stallions trying desperately to stay with their families, foals calling for their mothers, and the heartbreaking reality of horses who will likely never return to the wild. This episode is a reminder that while we've made progress in the courtroom, the struggle to protect these wild horses continues.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/56

Have you ever felt your heart breaking in slow motion? That's what it's been like spending time with the Salt Wells Creek wild horses this year, knowing what's coming. In this episode, I share stories from my final trip to see these incredible horses before the Bureau of Land Management plans to begin a massive roundup that may zero out the herd completely.

Salt Wells Creek is home to one of the last remaining populations of wild Curlies in Wyoming. I take you with me to high meadows and quiet waterholes, where stallions protect their families, foals play in the sun, and a surprise encounter with an abandoned filly sparks an attempt to intervene. This episode is a tribute to their spirit and a reminder of what we stand to lose—and why we must keep showing up.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/55

What will the future hold for our wild horses with the prospect of Project 2025 looming over our country? The 2026 White House budget request represents an unprecedented threat, removing protections that have safeguarded wild horses from slaughter since 2017. Meanwhile, the BLM plans to eliminate entire herds in Wyoming, despite legal appeals still pending.

Project 2025 calls for the "humane disposal" of these animals, and this budget appears to follow that path. With over 10,000 additional horses scheduled for removal before 2026, holding facilities will be overwhelmed, setting the stage for mass euthanasia behind closed doors. Now is the time to call your representatives and tell them wild horses must remain protected.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/54