Wild horses grazing in sagebrush with rimrock hills in the Oregon high desert.

BLM HMA’s and USFS WHT’s: Where are the Best Horses Found?

ByKeeper of the Quiet Miles
Share Me

The BLM and USFS both make mustang horses available for the public to buy or adopt. These horses are labeled according to the HMA (Herd Management Area—a BLM designation) or WHT (Wild Horse Territory—the USFS equivalent) where they were rounded up. There are a lot of prejudices, mostly in favor of certain HMA’s (HMA will be used to describe both BLM and USFS wild horse areas for ease and clarity of terminology), but also occasionally against certain HMA’s. For example, horses from Devil’s Garden (USFS) and Kiger (BLM) are in high demand among adopters. Devil’s Garden horses are believed to be very brave (not skittish) and generally taller than average, with some specimens exceeding 16 hands. Kiger horses are in demand because they are the herd that is best known for horses that most closely resemble the original Iberian horses that were the earliest progenitors of the American Mustang breed. Other popular HMA’s are South Steens, Sand Wash Basin, Pancake, Onaqui, and many others.

On rare occasion you’ll find someone who hates horses from one HMA or another. Generally, that can be traced back to a bad experience with a specific horse from that HMA. I’m not going to discuss those individualist prejudices because I feel that they are neither representative of the horses or necessarily true as relates to that horse. It’s possible that it was simply a mismatch, and that horse would do better with a different human, while the human will do better with a different horse (even perhaps from the same HMA).

I have adopted two mustangs from the USFS–one a black Devil’s Garden mare, and the other a black McGavin Peak gelding. This blog post will follow them from the day they arrive (in about 3-5 weeks, depending on the weather) until the end of our trip from Atlantic to Pacific, back to Atlantic again, an even beyond. If you would like to live a similar adventure, or just have a wonderful horse for trail riding in your neighborhood, follow along to learn how I gentle and train my horses (there will eventually be four), and how their journey progresses.

The list below, with relevant comments from both the BLM and USFS, as well as knowledge gained from various Facebook Mustang horse groups, is not complete by any means, and is intended only as an introduction for newcomers to the mustang ownership scene. Study the list, ask questions, join Facebook groups, and search the internet to learn more about these magnificent American treasures. Then get your setup ready, and go to the BLM and USFS websites and follow directions to get your adoption applications filled out. Then wait for a horse that strikes your fancy to come up for adoption (or sell, but that’s a different section on the application), and get ready to welcome a new member into your equine family! But remember to always put the horse first. These are magnificent, intelligent, amazing creatures, and they deserve to be cared for and loved.

Note: The information provided below is from the BLM and USFS websites, where little or no information is included, it is generally because the BLM and USFS didn’t include relevant comments. In a couple of places, I added a tidbit or two from personal experience, or comments made by others that I deemed of interest and relevant. The numbers in parenthesis are the number of horses approved to live on that management area without endangering the lives of the horses, other wildlife, or the ecosystem. For more information or to do your own research, please visit the BLM or USFS. I have linked a few of the HMA’s and WHT’s, but you can visit most of them virtually through the links here.

Arizona HMA’s

California HMA’s

Colorado HMA’s

  • Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Area HMA — horses (90-150) Wild horses at this HMA display a wide variety of colors, including palominos, paints, grays, blacks, bays, sorrels, roans, and a few appaloosas. Many introductions of wild horses from other herds have taken place over the years, providing a good genetic diversity. At least one curly was also introduced, so some curly-coated horses and foals can be expected. Band sizes range from 2 to 10, and high public visitation means that the wild horses are less skittish than some, creating great photo opportunities.
  • Piceance-East Douglas Area HMA — horses (135-235)
  • Sand Wash Basin HMA — horses (163-362) Some Iberian, Arabian, and gaited ancestry. Picasso, of the most famous and photogenic of all wild horses is from Sand Wash Basin. These horses are frequently photographed due to the ease of access to large portions of their terratory.
  • Spring Creek Basin HMA — horses (50-80)

Idaho HMA’s

Montana/Dakotas HMA’s

  • Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range HMA—horses (no count) Smaller, with more primitive (Iberian) breeding and colors. (Technically a Wild Horse Range, managed primarily for the horses.)

Nevada HMA’s

New Mexico HMA’s

Oregon HMA’s

  • Beaty Butte HMA—horses (100-250) Horses average 14-16 hands.
  • Cold Springs HMA—horses (75-150) Horses average 14.2-16 hands.
  • Coyote Lake/Alvord Tule Springs HMA—horses (198-390) Horses average 14.2-15.2 hands and are primarily light racing and riding types, with some gaited types.
  • Hog Creek HMA—horses (30-50) Horses average 14.2-15.2.
  • Jackies Butte HMA—horses (75-150) Horses average 14.2-16 hands, and are generally of Thoroughbred type with occasional appaloosas from a stallion released in the 1990’s.
  • Kiger HMA—horses (51-82) Demand is high for horses from this HMA due to the preponderance of ancient Spanish influence. Many have dun, grulla, or buckskin coloration, often with primitive markings (which were formerly called zebra markings). Size is on the smaller end of the scale, generally between 13-15 hands. Horses from this HMA are in such high demand that they are rehomed via competitive auction and often go into the multiple thousands of dollars.
  • Liggett Table HMA—horses (10-15) Horses are descended from rodeo stock and are very uniform in color (red, aka chestnut and sorrel), and size (15 hands), and above average conformation.
  • Murderer’s Creek HMA—horses (50-140) Horses average 13.3-15.1 hands. They are genetically isolated from other herds and are a mix of light racing, riding and Iberian breeds, and are rumored to settle down quickly after capture.
  • Paisley Desert HMA—horses (60-150) Horses average 14-16 hands and many are gaited.
  • Palomino Butte HMA—horses (32-64) Horses average 15-16 hands, and are managed for red and red variants such as palomino, buckskin, red dun, sorrel, and bay. There are occasional appaloosas, which are there according to legend because an appaloosa mare was released in the area some years back.
  • Pokegama HMA—horses (30-50) Horses average 14-15 hands.
  • Riddle Mountain HMA—horses (33-56) Horses average 13-15 hands and are periodically switched between Riddle Mountain and Kiger (and vice versa) to maintain genetic diversity.
  • Sand Springs HMA—horses (100-200) Horses average 14.2-15.2 hands and are maintained for pinto and buckskin colors, although other colors are present.
  • Sheepshead/Heath Creek HMA—horses (161-302) Horses average 14.3-15.3 hands and are sometimes gaited.
  • South Steens HMA—horses (159-304) Horses average 14-16 hands and are managed for pinto coloration with above average conformation, but other colors are also present. This is one of the more popular HMAs among adopters, in part due to the color, but also due to the fact that part of the range lies along well-travelled routes, which allows ample photo opportunities. Shaman, another of the most famous and photogenic of all wild horses is from South Steens.
  • Stinkingwater HMA—horses (40-80) Horses average 14.2-16 hands.
  • Three Fingers HMA—horses (75-150) Horses average 15 hands and some are gaited.
  • Warm Springs HMA—horses (111-202) Horses average 14.2-15.2 and are generally heavily built. Herd occasionally produces an appaloosa.

Utah HMA’s

  • Bible Spring HMA—horses (30-60) No longer managed as a stand-alone HMA, but rather as a part of the Bible Spring Complex, which also includes the Four Mile and Tilly Creek HMAs.
  • Canyonlands HMA—apparently only burros, although a very interesting herd if you’re in the market for burros. Some are as tall as 15 hands and come in pinto, striped, speckled and spotted colors. If you’re looking for a burro, this might be your best option.
  • Cedar Mountain HMA—horses (190-390) Horses are small to average in size in this area, although the BLM doesn’t quote height, just weight, which ranges from 750-1000 pounds.
  • Chloride Canyon HMA—horses (15-30)
  • Choke Cherry HMA—horses (24-30)
  • Confusion HMA—horses (70-115) Horses in this HMA tend to be larger and heavier than in other Utah HMAs, but the BLM doesn’t specify further.
  • Conger HMA—horses (40-80) Horses average 13-14 hands and are managed to maintain black, roan, palomino, pinto dun, and occasionally appaloosa coloration.
  • Four Mile HMA—horses (30-60)
  • Frisco HMA—horses (30-60)
  • King Top Mountains HMA—horses (20-40) Horses average 13-14 hands and are predominately dark colors.
  • Mount Elinor HMA—horses (15-25)
  • Muddy Creek HMA—horses (75-125) Horses are average in size, ranging from 700-1000 pounds.
  • North Hills HMA—horses (12-36) This HMA is managed in conjunction with the USFS’s Dixie National Forest and Pine Valley Ranger District’s North Hills Wild Horse Territory. Collectively they are called the North Hills Wild Horse Management Plan Area (WHMPA).
  • Onaqui Mountain HMA—horses (121-210) One of the popular HMAs with adopters, Onaqui horses are average in size due to the frequent introduction of stock from other HMAs. Herd size is also aggressively regulated through the yearly use of birth control vaccinations on 25-50% of mares.
  • Range Creek HMA—horses (75-125) Horses range in size from 700-1000 pounds and are of stout, compact conformation.
  • Sinbad HMA—burros only
  • Sulphur HMA—horses (165-250) Horses are known for short back to one fewer lumbar vertebra than most horses. They are also known for ears that curve in and often touch at the tips. Primary colors are dun and grulla with primitive markings.
  • Swasey Mountains HMA—horses (60-100) Horses are 14-14.2 hands on average and are often lighter in color than average for other HMAs.
  • Tilly Creek HMA—horses (20-50) Horses are generally small from this HMA.

Wyoming HMA’s

BLM Summary

Nevada has the most HMAs; Wyoming has the largest herds, on average; Oregon has the highest number of popular HMAs, as well as the most sought-after ones. Arizona has mostly burros and rarely rounds up and provides horses for adoption.

USFS Wild Horse and Burro Territories

The USFS doesn’t break their WHT (wild horse territory) and WBT (wild burro territory) areas down by state in the same way the BLM does with their HMA’s, but here’s the list from their website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wild-horse-burro/territories/index.shtml

  • Big Bear—burros only. California.
  • Big Creek—horses (13-25) Utah. Horses are known for large size and refined conformation.
  • Big Summit—horses (55-65) Oregon. This is the only population of wild horses managed entirely by the USFS.
  • Black Mountain—horses (20) California. Horses in this area are known for good size and conformation.
  • Brushy Mountain—horses (0) California. Due to the broken aspect of this area, no horses are currently maintained there.
  • Burro—burros only. Nevada
  • Butler Basin—horses (60-100) Nevada.
  • Caja del Rio—horses (appropriate level not established) New Mexico. Very Quarter Horse-like in size and conformation.
  • Cherry Spring—horses (58) Nevada. Horses in this area are large: 14.2-17 hands.
  • Devil’s Garden—horses (402) California. Wide variety of sizes, from 13.2-16.2 hands. Bay is the predominant color, but blacks, roans, grays, and buckskins occur frequently, and sorrel and palomino are also found occasionally. These horses are very popular with the public and are generally well-known for their intelligence, hardiness, and relatively easy-going temperaments. As with any population, there are some that are flightier. This herd is often combined with the McGavin Peak herd during collection and adoption.
  • Dobbin Summit—horses (none listed) Nevada.
  • Ellsworth—horses (none listed) Nevada.
  • Jarita—horses (20-70) New Mexico.
  • Jicarilla—horses (50-105) New Mexico.
  • Kelly Creek—horses (none listed) Nevada. Bay, brown, and sorrels are common.
  • Little Fishlake—horses (132) Nevada. Bay, brown, and sorrels are common.
  • McGavin Peak—horses (0) California. Due to the broken aspect of this area, no horses are currently maintained there. Those that are holdovers are being rounded up and adopted out or moved to Devil’s Garden.
  • Monitor—horses (none listed) Nevada. Quarter and mixed draft and racing breeds are the primary influences.
  • Monte Cristo—horses (none listed) Nevada. Curlys are common in this herd area, and horses are generally between 13-15 hands.
  • Murderer’s Creek—horses (50-140) Oregon. Nicknames “Timber horses” because they live in (relatively) lush timbered areas. Averaging 13-15 hands, the main herds are generally black, bay, and brown. The western herds tend toward dun, gray, and sorrel.
  • North Hills—horses (none listed) Utah.
  • Northumberland—horses (none listed) Nevada.
  • Paradise Peak—horses (none listed) Nevada. Horses in this WHT are said to be of “true wild horse type”, perhaps similar to the BLM’s Kiger herd in Oregon.
  • Powell Mountain—horses (29 horses) Nevada. Predominately bays with many gaited horses.
  • Shoshone—horses (none listed) Nevada.
  • Three Sisters—horses (15 horses) California.
  • Tierney—horses (none listed) Nevada.
  • Toiyabe—horses (no wild horses currently in this area) Nevada.
  • Toquima—horses (30-50) Nevada. Most horses are gray, brown, bay, sorrel, and occasionally buckskin or roan.
  • White Mountain—horses (75) California/Nevada. Mostly bays and chestnuts (or sorrels).

The USFS provides noticeably less information that the BLM.

Other Conservation and Legal Issues with Wild Horses

In addition to the BLM and USFS, there are horses in at least two* National Parks, and currently there is a big fuss on the internet about the NPS’s plans to remove all wild horses from one of them: Teddy Roosevelt National Park. As of yet, there isn’t any certainty about what will happen to those horses. Apparently, they aren’t covered under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which is panicking people who want them left to run wild in the park, or at least to be sold or adopted in the same manner that the BLM and USFS does with their horses. The fear is that these horses will be sold to “knackers” – people who will quickly haul them to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. If you are interested in or concerned about the situation, check the links below:

                                 ***

Let us know which HMA (or WHT) you would like to adopt from, and why. What does your ideal mustang look like? What would you name him or her?

*The wild horses on Chincoteague Island are divided into two “herds”, although that’s a misnomer since there are many herds within each group. There is a fence across the island, and the northern (Maryland) group of horses are owned by the National Park Service, while the southern (Virginia) group are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, which holds auctions to keep the herd size at a sustainable level. There may be other herds that I am unaware of. If you know of any, please comment below.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *