Shortly after one judge declined to prevent the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from gathering animals from their Nevada ranges, another judge put the July 16 roundup on hold.

On July 7 the BLM was to begin gathering approximately 1,726 animals collectively from the Triple B, Maverick-Medicine, and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMAs) and the Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory, all in Nevada. The agency said the gather is necessary to reduce herd populations so forage and water resources are sufficient to sustain the animals residing there.

On June 29 the Cloud Foundation, a Colorado-based wild horse advocacy group, along with ecologist Craig Downer and Lorna Moffat, filed a complaint claiming that the BLM failed to demonstrate that the animals threaten the thriving natural ecological balance of the ranges or that the mustangs are responsible for range areas that might exhibit some use-related impact. The complaint asked the court to halt the gather until or unless the BLM fully complies with National Environmental Policy requirements to consider all reasonable alternatives to removing the animals to reduce use impact on the ranges.

The BLM postponed the roundup until July 16, after a scheduled hearing, which took place July 14