Wild horses running across open land is a classic image of the old American west. But, many people might be surprised to learn that wild horses still populate the area. In fact, they do so in numbers that harm the environment. The U.S. government is trying to find more private pastures for an overpopulation of wild horses. This search takes place through May 3. The government program pays land owners to keep the horses on their pastures. However, the program has many requirements. Debbie Collins is with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program in Norman, Oklahoma. She said, “It’s not like you can do this in your backyard, or even a 2 hectare plot.” Applicants need enough land to sustain anywhere from 200 to 5,000 healthy horses. The government decides the amount of land with consideration to pasture quality. The amount of land needed could be anywhere from several hundred hectares to thousands.