Using sample data for 183 herdsmen in the Nagqu region of Tibet on the Tibetan Plateau, a ‘double-hurdle’ model was used to explore the impact of various capital endowment factors on herders’ decisions to reduce livestock numbers. It was found that: 1) In the sample area, pastoral households have a high willingness to reduce livestock: 61.40% of herdsmen are willing to reduce livestock numbers, and of the herdsmen who are willing to reduce livestock, 67.16% are willing to reduce the number of livestock to 30% or less of the current breeding numbers. 2) Considering economic capital, the animal husbandry income and the value of real estate owned have a significant positive correlation with herdsmens’ willingness to reduce livestock, while family loans, government subsidies and the number of livestock owned have a significant negative association with the herdsman’s willingness to reduce livestock numbers. For those herdsmen willing to reduce livestock numbers, household loans, household savings, and fixed assets have a significant inhibitory effect on the herdsmens’ livestock reduction. 3) With respect to cultural capital, the level of education has a significant effect on the herdsmens’ willingness to reduce livestock numbers. 4) With respect to social capital, institutional trust and social networking have a significant positive promotional effect on the willingness to reduce livestock numbers, while the interpersonal network has a significant inhibitory effect on the willingness to reduce livestock numbers. Where herdsmen are willing to reduce livestock numbers, moral restraint has a significant inhibitory effect on herders’ reduction of livestock numbers.