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Wild Horse HMA Guides by State

Wild Horse HMA Guides by State

These Wild Horse HMA Guides are your trailhead into America’s wild horse country. Each state guide brings together maps, basic HMA/WHT info, and practical notes for visitors and potential adopters—plus travel tips, seasonal considerations, and what the country actually feels like under your boots (or in the saddle).

As the Fading Hoofbeats ride takes shape, I’ll keep updating these guides with on-the-ground experience, fresh photos, and lessons learned along the way.

New here to the whole project? Start with the main overview here:
https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/start-here/

What these guides are (and what they are not)

These guides are built for real humans planning real visits. They’re meant to help you understand where wild horses live, how access works, and how to plan responsibly.

They are not a promise you’ll see horses on demand. Wild horses are wild. Sometimes the win is simply being in wild country without disturbing anything.

A few terms you’ll see (plain English)

  • HMA (Herd Management Area): a BLM-managed area where wild horses are managed.
  • WHT (Wild Horse Territory): a USFS-managed wild horse area.
  • Seasonal access: roads, snow, mud, heat, fire, and closures change what’s realistic.
  • Respectful viewing: watching in a way that doesn’t cost the horses their peace.

What each state guide usually includes

Depending on the area, you’ll typically find:

  • Where the HMAs/WHTs are located (and how to start orienting yourself)
  • Access notes (roads, seasons, closures, common pitfalls)
  • What to bring (water, layers, navigation, realistic expectations)
  • Viewing ethics (distance, no feeding, no chasing, no pressure)
  • Adoption notes and reputable “next steps” resources
  • Extra context: famous horses, local history, and organizations to follow

How to use these guides (the fastest path)

  1. Pick a state you can realistically travel to.
  2. Read the access and seasonal notes before you fall in love with a plan.
  3. Plan for “no guarantees” and give yourself time.
  4. If you want adoption info, use the guide’s resources and take your time—good matches are worth patience.
  5. If you find an update (a gate changed, a road washed out, a closure went up), send it my way so the guide stays useful.

A quick note on respectful viewing

Wild horses are wild. Please give them space, never feed them, and avoid crowding, chasing, or separating bands.

If the horses change what they’re doing because of you, you’re too close.

Browse HMA Guides by state

Other wild horse and pony herds (not HMAs)

Not all free-roaming horses and ponies live in BLM or USFS Herd Management Areas. Some are managed by the National Park Service, live on barrier islands, or run in pockets of the Appalachians.

I’m gathering them here as bonus guides for folks who love wild places and wild hooves, but I’ll keep them clearly separate from the official HMA/WHT system.

  • Guide to the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (coming soon)
  • Guide to the Assateague Island ponies (coming soon)
  • Guide to other known free-roaming herds in the USA (coming soon)

Contribute to the guides

If you’ve visited any of these HMAs/WHTs, I’d love to weave your experience into the guides. You’re welcome to send photos, short stories, and local tips, as well as corrections when things change on the ground.

By submitting a photo, you’re confirming you have the right to share it and are happy for me to use it on the Fading Hoofbeats website and related materials, with credit given whenever possible.

Want the deeper story thread, too?

If you’re here for the heart of it—the trust work, the long miles, and why we keep showing up—start here:
https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/start-here/

And if you want the conservation thread that runs alongside the guides:
https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/roots-along-the-quiet-miles/

Helpful official resources

BLM Adoption and Sales Program: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoptions-and-sales/adoption

BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program (official)