This episode of the MacNeil/Lehrer report focuses on the controversy surrounding the Bureau of Land Management's "Adopt a Horse" program, a measure to control wild horse population issues in the western United States following the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The episode addresses how cattle ranchers and other grazing animals must compete with an increasing population of wild horses for land and resources, due to recent drought conditions and overgrazing in states like Nevada. Though successful in relocating a number of animals, the program has received a considerable amount of backlash from wild horse protection supporters and is struggling to find enough qualified civilians willing to adopt. Guests include representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Cattlemen's Association, and the National Wildlife Federation, as well as the media.
