TheBureau of Land Management (BLM) has elected to temporarily close a wild horse and burro holding facility that wild horse advocates alleged constituted an unhealthy environment for animals. This decision came after a BLM investigation determined it would be nearly infeasible to improve the muddy conditions at the center of the complaints.

In April the wild horse advocacy group The Cloud Foundation released written and video reports prepared by advocate Lisa Friday alleging that the animals at the Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center in Herriman, Utah, were being kept in muddy, urine-soaked pens, and that some horses experienced difficulty moving through the muck.

Subsequently, BLM personnel, the Utah state veterinarian, and a veterinarian from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reviewed the Herriman facility. In their report the review team concluded that muddy conditions were an ongoing problem at the facility and advised the BLM to consult an agricultural engineer about ways to mitigate the problem.

Agency Spokesman Mitch Snow said the decision to close the facility was based on review results