Once upon a time there were millions of wild mustang horses roaming the Western plains. Today there are fewer than 50,000 wild horses roaming. Despite government regulations designed to protect them, due to limited resources, their numbers continue to decline.

In 1971 the Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress to preserve wild mustangs, but it has had little effect. Despite the fact that these horses have survived through hundreds of years of harsh winter, having a very high birth rate, and few natural predators, their numbers continue to decline.

Unfortunately, the numbers grew too fast for the land to support them. There is only so much government land to support these horses and that is why, at certain times surplus animals are rounded up and adopted. The cost to adopt a wild mustang horse is $125 at a government auction.

Sadly up to 25% of these mustangs never find homes and are put in government sanctuaries in Kansas and Oklahoma. Only after not being adopted through five rounds of auctions, they are put in government sanctuaries. These government sanctuaries are full of older horses and are often overcrowded due to limited resources.

Fortunately there is at least one private sanctuary that is capable of caring for surplus horses. It is located in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and called Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. It is now home to over 400 wild horses.

It is very expensive running this private sanctuary every year. Some money is brought in by tourists, numbering 11,000 every year. Another way they keep the costs low is with the help of dozens of volunteers, and the sales of colts.

An American icon, the Wild Mustang horse is starting to go away, but thanks to some private sanctuaries, and volunteers, many of there horses are finding homes. There are many ways for you to help preserve these horses, the first step is educating yourself about the problem.