Low-flying helicopters chased herds of innocent wild horses miles away from their homes and into a trap as part of a federal Bureau of Land Management roundup that resulted in 11 deaths between July 10 and 27, 2026.
Lady Freethinker’s field observer documented the heartbreaking scene at the Callaghan Complex Horse Management Area in central Nevada, where nearly 2,000 innocent horses — including 385 foals — were removed from the range and shipped to off-site holding facilities. They will spend the rest of their lives in captivity, never to be returned to the wild.
Lady Freethinker/Scott Henderson
Footage captured by LFT’s observer shows thin and exhausted horses being chased over many miles, with some seemingly unable to move faster than a walk.
Once separated from their families and packed into crowded temporary confinement pens, the horses appeared restless and bellowed loud vocalizations.
Lady Freethinker/Scott Henderson
Out of the 11 fatalities that occurred during the Callaghan roundup, the saddest was a three-year-old mare who was reported to have died from a broken neck on July 11, a day when no helicopter roundup occurred and horses who had already been contained were loaded and transported. The timeline indicates that this mare might have suffered with a broken neck overnight — or possibly had her neck broken during the loading process.
In addition to the mare, the BLM confirmed 10 additional deaths that occurred during the roundup:
- A young filly who was kicked while in a holding pen resulting in broken leg, and then killed
- A 3-month-old filly who died of colic
- A 3-month-old filly who was killed because she had a respiratory infection
- A 3-year-old mare who died from a traumatic head injury
- Two adult studs who were both killed due to blindness
- Four mares whose deaths were listed as “undiagnosed”
Unfortunately, injuries and deaths like these are all too common during wild horse gathers managed by the BLM. So far in 2026, federal helicopter roundups have killed 33 horses and burros, with more gathers scheduled. Despite their claim that helicopter roundups are humane, these fatal injuries and deaths are consistent with what LFT has documented in helicopter roundups for years.
Lady Freethinker/Scott Henderson
“America’s iconic wild horses deserve better than to be forcibly removed from everything they’ve ever known, including close-knit family groups and freedom to roam,” said Lady Freethinker Founder Nina Jackel. “It’s time for Congress to protect these horses from merciless helicopter roundups and mandate compassionate fertility control instead.”
Lady Freethinker/Scott Henderson
Helicopter roundups cause unnecessary stress, brutal injuries, and horrific deaths for wild horses. Wild horse experts from several advocacy groups have called for fertility control via darting as a safe, science-based alternative that allows horses to remain on the range while maintaining ecological balance.
Join us in urging federal officials to end deadly helicopter roundups and replace them with a safer, more cost-effective option. America’s wild horses deserve protection, and the freedom to stay in the only home they’ve ever known.
SIGN: Stop Cruel Helicopter Roundups That Are Killing Wild Horses
