Of the mustangs gathered off the range, the BLM estimates that approximately 36,890 reside in long-term pastures. They roam 289,000 acres of grasslands located primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett/The Horse

The partial government shutdown has not affected the care of wild horses and burros under Bureau of Land Management (BLM) jurisdiction, a representative from that agency said.

The current partial U.S. government shutdown began Dec. 22, 2018, after Congress failed to approve the Trump administration’s request for $5 billion to pay for construction of a wall at the U.S./Mexico border. The shutdown affects about 800,000 workers in a variety of federal agencies, including the BLM. While it continues, federal workers considered essential are required to work without pay during the shutdown. Others have been placed on furlough or temporary leave.

 The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 protected mustangs and placed them under BLM jurisdiction. Currently, the BLM estimates that nearly 82,000 mustangs reside in herd management areas on rangelands in 13 western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, the Dakotas, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Wyoming. Of the mustangs gathered off the range, the BLM estimates that approximately 36,890 reside in long-term pastures. They roam 289,000 acres of grasslands located primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma