"For Adoption: Icons of the American West"

"Wild Horses Are, by Definition, Wild and Free, Right? They Live on the Open Range, They Fight Nothing But the Elements and the Occasional Cougar, They Gallop Through Film and Literature as the Romantic Symbol of the Untamed American West.

They're Legendary and, Since 1971, They Have Been Protected on Public Lands in 10 Western States. But What Advocates Call Mismanagement Has Led To 33,000 Wild Horses in Federal Captivity, and Their Numbers Are Steadily Growing, Thanks To Continual Roundups.

Desperate To Be Rid of Them, the Government Will Offer Wild Horses and Burros for Adoption on Saturday at Sites Across the Country, Including Northern Virginia. the Event Coincides With a Rally on Capitol Hill for Increased Protection and Better Management of Wild Horses, and With a Meeting in Arlington of the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, Which Is Considering Alternatives for Dealing With the Excess Animals.

Whoa. Did Someone Just Say 'slaughter '?"

Diane Tennant Reports for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot September 22, 2009.