There are now so many wild horses on public land – nearly 100,000 – that they have become caught in a battle between the government, ranchers and environmentalists.

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Horses: Wild, But Not Free

Producer: Erik German
Additional Reporter: Sianne Garlick

The decades-long quest to save wild horses has run amok, creating a problem that even swooping helicopters, aging cowboys, camera-savvy activists, and millions of dollars can’t solve.

America has been fighting a war over wild horses since 1971, when Congress passed a landmark law protecting animals it called “living symbols of the historic and pioneer sprit of the West.”

The measure promised to end the widespread harassment and slaughter of mustangs and assure them a secure place on America’s public lands. But that’s not how things turned out.

What’s happened to the horses it saved?

View full episodes at PBS.org/RetroReport.

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Wild horses no cash cow: 45,000 to be killed by Bureau of Land ManagementRT
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