Ninth Circuit approves Nevada horse corral amid claims of inhumane treatment
January 14 2026
Winnemucca Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corral-
Ninth Circuit approves Nevada horse corral amid claims of inhumane treatment
The Ninth Circuit ruling was not an endorsement of the NevadaBLM Facility’s humanity. It merely confirmed that the Bureau of Land Management followed the absolute minimum procedures required by existing law. Courts will not intervene to set a higher standard
Winnemucca Off-Range Wild Horse & Burro Corral
Paradise Valley, Nevada
100 acres Capacity: ~4,000 wild horses & burros
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that the Bureau of Land Management** may continue funding and operating the Winnemucca Off-Range Corral despite serious allegations of inhumane conditions.
What the court said
* BLM followed the *minimum legal procedures* required under NEPA
* An Environmental Assessment + Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was deemed sufficient
* The court deferred to BLM’s judgment and standards, including its Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program
It did not rule that conditions are humane
* It did not disprove evidence of suffering
* It did not say the system works only that it is *lawful under current rules*
Friends of Animals raised concerns about:
* Lack of adequate shade and shelter
* Dusty, flood-prone pens and infrequent cleaning
* Risks to horse welfare and environmental impacts, including waste runoff
Those concerns were not evaluated on their merits; they were dismissed because courts rarely second-guess agency “expertise”.
This ruling confirms a hard truth:
Evidence of animal suffering ≠ a legal violation unless Congress says otherwise.
Courts will not raise the bar. Only Congress can.
We need to
Demand enforceable standards for shelter,
Push limits on long-term off-range confinement
Require full Environmental Impact Statements for mega-corrals
Use oversight tools: OIG complaints, GAO audits, contract compliance challenges
The Ninth Circuit didn’t say this corral is humane.
It said the law allows it.
And if the law allows cruelty then the law must change.
*Wild Horses Lives Matter*
When we protect Wild Horses, we protect public lands, public trust, and the right of future generations to inherit both.
Your Donation Fuels Advocacy, Oversight, and Accountability