This learning package is designed to portray to upper elementary and junior high school students the various factors influencing the relationship of wild horses and burros to their environment in the Western United States. Protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, the thousands of protected horses and burros pose a challenge to government leaders, land managers, ranchers, and citizens as they consider methods for managing growing herds on public lands. Discussed are the role of wild horses and burros in Western history; their relationship to their ecosystem; the need for management; and management alternatives and land use decisions. The package includes a teacher's guide and activity poster. It is designed to be used with the film "Dapples and Grays, Pintos and Bays," and a children's story, "Thank You for Helping Us."