Wild Horses Lives Matter | Our Year in Review **If you donate- what your donations go to.

As I look back on 2026, I realize just how much I have accomplished this year. Thousands of miles traveled, countless hours in the field, late nights researching government records, public rallies, heartbreaking moments, and battles that are far from over.

Wild Horses Lives Matter may be a small nonprofit, but that has never stopped me from showing up.

I want to share some of what I have been working on this year because so much of it happens behind the scenes. This work goes far beyond sharing photographs and videos on social media.

🐎 ON THE GROUND — ROUNDUP OBSERVATION

This year, I traveled throughout Nevada to observe and document wild horse roundups, including:

Jakes Fire Emergency Gather
Moriah Emergency Gather
Callaghan Complex Roundup
Jackson Mountains Roundup
North Complex Roundup
In total I have observed more than 24,000 Wild Horses removed from the range

We documented helicopter operations, horse conditions, handling practices, injuries, deaths, and the challenges the public continues to face when trying to observe these federally funded operations.

I witnessed the Blue Wing Mare being kicked in the face

The Foal Break its leg the 1st day of the Pancake roundup and mares break their necks in traps ect.

Not every roundup is the same. I have witnessed situations where emergency removals were necessary because horses lacked adequate forage and water. I believe it is just as important to report those conditions honestly as it is to document questionable handling and management practices.

My purpose has always been to be present, document what I witness, ask questions, and bring transparency to the public.

🔎 FOIA INVESTIGATIONS — FOLLOWING THE HORSES

Some of our most important work happens long after the helicopters stop flying.

This year, we submitted several Freedom of Information Act requests involving wild horses suspected of entering the slaughter pipeline.

One investigation involved approximately 80 horses reportedly transported through Bowie Livestock and exported to Mexico in December 2025.

Our FOIA request to USDA-APHIS resulted in the agency identifying 72 pages of responsive records, with 58 pages released in full and 14 partially released.

I have continued examining transportation records, health certificates, microchips, freezebrands, and the movement of horses through holding facilities, livestock sales, and export channels.

I am working to determine where these horses originated, who owned them, and whether any can be traced back to federal holding or BLM sales.

There are still unanswered questions, and I will continue following the records.

📋 181 DEATHS IDENTIFIED IN BLM HORSE RECORDS

One of my most troubling findings came from reviewing 2,534 individual horse records in a BLM Gathered Animals report.

Our analysis identified:

181 horses recorded as deceased.
149 deaths recorded in holding facilities.
54 deaths categorized as acute fractures or serious spinal or head injuries.
24 deaths recorded under foaling complications.
11 deaths associated with gelding complications.
73 deceased horses without a freezemark/temporary ID or microchip number displayed in the report.

These records involved horses gathered in 2023 and 2024, with deaths recorded through June 2026.

The records also listed 241 horses as sold and another 798 eligible for sale.

These numbers do not tell us everything about how each horse died or where every sold horse ultimately went. But they raise questions that deserve answers.

The public sees the numbers removed during a roundup. What they rarely see is what happens to those horses months or even years later.

Our responsibility to these horses should not end when they disappear behind the fences of a holding facility.

🐎🧬 CARTER RESERVOIR HMA — GENETIC VIABILITY

I also requested DNA records concerning the Carter Reservoir HMA.

Genetic diversity is critical to the long-term survival of wild horse populations, particularly in herds managed at low numbers.

I want to understand what genetic information is being used in management decisions and whether those decisions adequately protect the future viability of these herds.

Wild horse management should not be based on population numbers alone without considering the genetic health of the horses left behind.

❤️ HELPING WILD HORSES FIND HOMES

While much of our work focuses on keeping wild horses on the range, we have also helped horses already in holding find adopters.

This is something I am especially grateful to be part of.

I will always believe wild horses deserve the opportunity to live free on the lands they have called home for generations. But once they are removed, we cannot simply turn our backs on them.

Helping connect these horses with people willing to give them a safe, loving home is another important part of our mission.

Their lives matter just as much behind a holding fence as they do running free.

💚 KEEP WASHOE WILD — THE VIRGINIA RANGE FENCING BATTLE

One of our largest efforts this year has been fighting the proposed fencing affecting Virginia Range horses around Washoe Lake.

I have organized three public rallies, brought hundreds of concerned citizens together, helped raise awareness of a petition supported by thousands of people, and continued bringing our concerns before public officials.

I have spoken out about the potential loss of access to water, forage, and historic habitat, along with the safety concerns associated with pushing horses toward other roadways.

I have also advocated for alternatives that address public safety without relying on long stretches of exclusion fencing.

One of my biggest concerns has been the lack of public participation in the decision-making process.

These horses are part of Nevada's history. They deserve thoughtful management, and the public deserves a voice.

This fight is not over.

⚖️ ADVOCATING FOR BETTER WILD HORSE MANAGEMENT

Throughout the year, I Have continued researching and speaking out about:

Outdated Appropriate Management Levels and genetic viability.
Fertility control and proposed sterilization procedures.
Livestock grazing and the allocation of forage and water on public lands.
Humane treatment and accountability during roundups.
Holding facility conditions, adoption, and sales practices.
Federal protections and public transparency.
Public Speaking

I encouraged public participation and helped people understand the importance of public comments and government accountability.

I do not believe that simply removing more horses year after year is a long-term solution.

📢 EDUCATION & PUBLIC AWARENESS

Through photographs, videos, daily roundup reports, educational posts, research, and community outreach, I have continued working to give the public a better understanding of what America's wild horses are facing.

I believe an informed public is one of the most powerful tools these horses have.

People cannot speak up about something they do not know is happening.

❤️ WHAT PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS SEE

Behind all these accomplishments are the hours that nobody sees.

The long drives to remote locations with very little sleep. Standing in freezing temperatures or extreme heat. Watching horses lose their freedom. Spending the evenings researching records because something doesn't add up.

Writing reports, answering questions, following up on FOIA requests, organizing rallies, helping with adoptions, and trying to find the resources to do it all again.

Much of this work is done while also working a regular job, using evenings, weekends, and personal resources to keep showing up.

We are not a large organization with a big staff or endless funding.

And I will admit, there have been days when I have felt exhausted, discouraged, and wondered if I am making a difference.

But then I think about the horses I have helped find homes, the questions we have raised, the people who have stood beside me, and the growing number of voices speaking up for wild horses.

And I know this work matters.

❤️ WHY I DO WHAT I DO — A PROMISE I MADE

There is a reason I continue to do this work, even on the days when I feel exhausted, discouraged, and heartbroken.

I made a promise to a beautiful wild mare that I would always be a voice for wild horses.

I watched her strength as she was pursued by a helicopter, captured, loaded into a semi-truck, and transported hours away to a short-term holding facility. All while carrying a foal.

I watched what she endured, and I have never forgotten her.

I can't begin to imagine the emotional pain these wild ones experience. The fear, the exhaustion, the confusion of being chased from the only home they have ever known, separated from their families, and transported to a place so unfamiliar.

I often wonder what goes through their minds. Do they understand what is happening? Do they wonder where their families have gone? Do they ever stop looking for the freedom they once knew?

Watching her strength through all of it changed something in me.

I made her a promise that day. I would never look away, and I would always be a voice for wild horses.

That promise is why I stand at roundups, why I spend countless hours researching records, why I ask difficult questions, and why I continue fighting for horses I may never see again.

It's not about recognition. It's not about building a large organization.

It's about a promise I made to one beautiful mare, a promise that has grown into a commitment to every wild horse whose life is forever changed by removal.

Some days this work breaks my heart. But walking away would mean breaking that promise.

And that is one promise I intend to keep.

TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US — THANK YOU.

Whether you donated, attended a rally, shared our reports, signed a petition, submitted a public comment, helped a horse find a home, or simply encouraged us to keep going, you have been part of this journey.

Every contribution matters.

I am proud of what Wild Horses Lives Matter has accomplished in 2026, but I also know how much more needs to be done.

Our mission has never been about simply opposing roundups. It is about protecting wild horses on the range, demanding humane treatment and accountability during removals, following their journey through holding, and helping protect their future through adoption.

I started this organization because I believed these horses deserved a voice. After everything I have witnessed over the years, that belief has only grown stronger.

We will continue showing up. We will continue asking questions. We will continue following the records wherever they lead.

And we will continue standing up for America's wild horses, whether they are running free on our public lands or standing behind the fences of a holding facility.

Their lives matter. Their freedom matters. Their future matters.

Thank you for standing with Wild Horses Lives Matter.

Monica Ross
Founder, Wild Horses Lives Matter
www.wild-horses-lives-matter.org

#WildHorsesLivesMatter #KeepWildHorsesWild #WildHorseAdvocacy #TransparencyMatters #KeepWashoeWild

2026 - a year of Standing up for America’s Wild Horses