To protect the health of wild horses and rangelands, the Bureau of Land Management will start an emergency wild horse gather Monday on the West Douglas Herd Area about 20 miles south of Rangely in Rio Blanco County. The BLM plans to remove the entire estimated population of 450 wild horses from the herd area, on state and private land. The extreme drought conditions have limited forage production and water resources for wild horses, and the nearby Oil Springs Fire has also created problems for the herd since itâs burned critical summer habitat and limited access to water sources. âThis emergency gather will prevent further deteriorating body condition of the wild horses in the area due to limited food and water,â said White River Field Office Manager Bill Mills. âThe removal of excess wild horses over the next few weeks will protect the rangelands and reduce impacts to sensitive animal species and adjoining private properties.â