2026 Sulphur Wild Horse Gather

The wild horses in western Utah include a well‑known herd with long-established roots in the area. Some individuals retain characteristics associated with the Colonial Spanish Horse, historically linked to early Spanish explorers. Over time, the Sulphur Herd has also mixed with escaped ranch stock, resulting in a variety of traits. These may include dun and grulla coloring, distinct ear shapes, dorsal striping, bi‑colored manes and tails, striped legs, and occasional facial markings. Some horses may have a shorter back due to fewer lumbar vertebrae. Only a limited number of other wild horse herds in the United States show similar features.

The HMA contains 230,157 acres of BLM lands and 35,554 acres of Federal, State-, and privately-owned land for a total of 265,711 acres. It’s located in western Iron, Beaver, and Millard counties, approximately 50 miles west of Minersville, Utah in the Indian Peak and Mountain Home Mountain Ranges). The elevation ranges from 9,790 feet on top of Indian Peak to 6,000 feet in the valley floors.  

The Sulphur HMA supports multiple vegetation types including Aspen, Mountain Fir, Spruce-Fur, Mountain Shrub, Pinyon-Juniper (PJ), sagebrush, grasslands, and salt desert shrub. The PJ woodland type dominates the HMA and is very dense with minimal understory forage. Open areas outside the PJ canopy are dominated by big sagebrush with Indian ricegrass, wheatgrass, bluegrass, and squirreltail grass as the primary forage species.

Available water within the HMA is the limiting factor. Water is limited to isolated springs and man-made developments that supply water to permitted livestock, wildlife, and wild horses. Several springs primarily used by wild horses were dry during the summers of 2000-2004, 2007-2008, 2012-2015 and 2026, forcing animals onto winter ranges and into areas outside of the HMA traditionally unoccupied by horses. Most water sources produced less than average levels for the summer, forcing wild horses to use winter ranges throughout the summer.

Big game species that occur in the Sulphur HMA include mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk and pronghorn. All three species are year-long residents. Competition for forage between big game species and wild horses is greatest during the spring and summer months when mule deer, elk and pronghorn are feeding primarily on grasses and forbs. Additionally, forb consumption is crucial during the early spring months for does to maintain a healthy body condition while meeting the nutrient requirements of nursing fawns. Competition is reduced in fall and winter when mule deer and pronghorn shift their diets to browse (i.e. bitterbrush, sagebrush) species. Typically, elk move to wintering areas throughout the Pine and Hamlin Valleys. During periods of drought competition between wildlife and wild horses increase dramatically when less forage is available.