National Mustang Association of Colorado - Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

The National Mustang Association of Colorado (NMACO) is committed to preserving and protecting horses in the wild and promoting conscious and humane management of wild horses. The advocacy of NMACO was essential in the successful management of the Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area (HMA) for over 20 years in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Currently, NMACO has been instrumental in the humane management of the wild horses in Mesa Verde National Park. The Park is removing all wild horses as invasive species and a threat to the antiquities the park is mandated to protect. NMACO has developed a bait trapping system for humane and low stress capture of the horses which the National Park has now been implementing since 2019. NMACO has partnered with the park to take ownership of all the wild horses to prevent them from ending up at the sale barn, with most likely a destination of Mexico slaughterhouses.

NMACO’s efforts will not end with Mesa Verde National Park. There are thousands of wild horses in Southwest Colorado that are being threatened with inhumane removal with a destination of slaughterhouses. NMACO will continue to lobby funding and do what they can to protect these majestic animals.