Saturday, wild horse advocates gathered in more than 20 states, including Colorado, to demand better protections for America's mustangs.
In particular, advocates are pushing for Congress to reconsider the SAFE Act — a bill that died in committee this week that would have banned the horse slaughter pipeline.
A wild horse advocate protests on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol.
Currently, it's illegal to slaughter horses in the U.S., so advocates would like to see that loophole closed.
Sometimes, the wild horses that are adopted end up in slaughter auctions.
The advocacy group the American Wild Horse Campaign says 1,020 wild horses and burros were sold at slaughter auctions in the U.S. in the last 22 months, according to public records the organization obtained.
Public records show the BLM will spend more than $137 million dollars on its wild horse program this year. »