Colorado is the first state in the U.S. to declare a month dedicated to the conservation of wild horse herds.
The State’s executive order was signed by Democratic Governor Jared Polis, making March officially Horse Protection Month. This news came prior to National Horse Protection Day which fell on March 1. “It celebrates the work being done to manage wild horses more effectively in Colorado so people can enjoy them for years to come,” said Scott Wilson, spokesman for American Wild Horse Conservation of Colorado.
According to KKCO, an ABC news affiliate, the welcome announcement arrives none too soon following a series of controversial helicopter roundups by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as a lethal equine flu outbreak in the state in 2022. Government officials feel wild horses are in greater need due to such ongoing issues and conflict with how the BLM manages wild horses, which many advocates call inhumane.