SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100
Categories: Horse News

Billionaire???s Wife Steps Up to Save Wild Horses

Days after the Bureau of Land Management announced it was struggling to manage its wild horse program, a billionaire’s wife stepped up to the plate. Madeleine Pickens, wife of Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, says she plans to create a massive refuge for about 30,000 wild horses and burros to avoid having the BLM euthanize or sell the animals for slaughter. Her plan includes buying 1 million acres for the horses, although a site has yet to be announced pending negotiations. The BLM has publicly stated it is on board with the Pickens plan and fully supports her efforts. Mrs. Pickens said she plans to make the refuge accessible to the public and that no horse will be turned down from the program.



About 33,000 wild horses and burros roam the open range in 10 Western states; that’s an excess of about 6,000 horses according to the BLM. An additional 33,000 horses that have been gathered from public rangelands are currently awaiting adoption, although the sluggish economy has left these animals lingering in holding pens across the country. The cost of keeping the wild horses in these holding facilities has caused the BLM to consider exporting the animals for slaughter or euthanizing them.



“We have mismanaged the horse situation and I will fix that,” Mrs. Pickens told The Dallas Morning News. “Everyone is on board with it. They want this project to happen.

“You shouldn’t be coming to this country to see Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck,” Mrs. Pickens continued in her comments to The Dallas Morning News. “We are more than that. We are a country that was formed on horseback and we should enjoy it, not slaughter it.”

View Comments

  • This is fantastic! Finally someone who can help alot has stepped up to the plate! I may not be an American, but I still care what happens to these horses. What they have proposed to do before this kind lady intervened is not right. Thank you sooo much for this!!

  • I absolutely love this! Thank you so much!!!!! Mrs.Pickens, you are a miracle!!! ^_^ I am so relieved and grateful to you for doing what needs to be done!!! And I know that the horses will be ever more grateful to you. Finally, someone who steps up to the plate to care. It's really great to know this... Again, thank you. This made my day. And I'm so happy about it. =D

  • God bless Mrs. Pickens!!!!!!!!!! It's so great to have such wonderful and generous people how there that really, really care about our wild horses. After all, they are also "an American treasure".

  • I'm so glad there are people in the world still that care about something bigger than themselves. Especially when they are granted with wealth!
    This is just so wonderful!

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you Mrs. Pickens. Your generosity and thoughtfulness for these majestic animals will ensure their survival for our children and our children's children. This is a part of our heritage that should be preserved, not destroyed because it's too expensive or too inconvenient to keep alive.

  • God Bless you, Mrs. Pickens! What a wonderful way to preserve our heritage and some of God's most magnificent creatures.

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you Mrs. Pickens! It takes a very special person to do such a wonderful and selfless deed. I am happy that these beautiful animals will continue to roam free. God Bless Mrs. Pickens.

  • Wow,thats great and finaly someone who knows what to do with their money.thanks so much Mrs. and Mr.Pickens for doing something great like this.

  • That's great! Finally, someone is taking the initiative, and taking the burden off the government. These horses are being saved, and that's what we've been hoping and praying for.

Recent Posts

Adopting a Companion Horse

When you think of the term “companion horse,” one that is versatile with the ability to fill a variety of…

26 mins ago

Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparedness with Horses

Each year, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms force thousands across the country to evacuate their homes. When preparing for a…

3 days ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Xanthus

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

4 days ago

Equine Affaire Massachusetts 2024: Four Days Just Isn’t Enough!

The crisp New England autumn air was filled with excitement as Equine Affaire returned to the Eastern States Exposition in…

5 days ago

A Royal Wrap: 2024 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Synopsis

Things have gone quiet now in Toronto at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds on the waterfront of Lake Ontario after…

5 days ago

Vet Adventures: Lady Catherine de Bourgh

It was late on a Saturday when the photo popped up on my phone. It was a laceration at the…

6 days ago