Lethal measures off table for controlling wild horse herds

The Trump administration will not pursue lethal measures such as euthanasia or selling horses for slaughter to deal with what officials say is an ecological and fiscal crisis caused by too many wild horses on rangelands in the U.S. West.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management Acting Director Casey Hammond told the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board on Thursday that those options are not on the table.

The agency is preparing a report requested by Congress on potential solutions for the wild horse problem.

Federal officials say the nearly 90,000 wild horses in 10 Western states are more than three times appropriate levels. Officials estimate that up to 18,000 foals are born each year.

Another 50,000 wild horses are being held in corrals at a cost of $50 million annually.