The Wild Horse and Burro (WHB) Program manages Bureau of Land Management land designated as Herd Areas (HA) and Herd Management Area (HMA) as well as the horses, burros, and mules that roam on BLM land. These animals are considered cultural resources by law; therefore, the BLM must manage the animals that roam as a resource.

The WHB Program also manages the data and tracks the animals on some land managed by other agencies under agreements with those agencies (e.g. Forest Service Herd Territories). Animal management includes monitoring the wild herds and their habitat, as well as removing some of the animals from the wild, caring for them, and finding responsible owners for them through adoptions and sales.

Federal lands managed for wild horses and burros are called Herd Management Areas (HMAs). All HMAs need to be contained within an originally designated Herd Area (HA). Management status can change based on changing conditions. Specific laws and regulations pertaining to the management of wild horses and burros are applied. The BLM uses the term Herd Management Area; the Forest Service uses the term Wild Horse Territory.