By staff reports
To encourage more people to adopt a wild horse, the Bureau of Land Management is offering an incentive of up to $1,000.
The goal of the program is to reduce the BLM’s recurring costs to care for unadopted and untrained wild horses and burros while helping the BLM to confront a growing overpopulation of wild horses and burros on public rangelands, according to the BLM. Wild horses available for adoption have been removed from overpopulated herds roaming western public lands.
The Adoption Incentive Program allows qualified adopters to receive up to $1,000 when adopting an eligible wild horse. Under this program, adopters are eligible to receive $500 within 60 days of adoption of an untrained wild horse and $500 within 60 days of titling the animal. A $25 fee applies at the time of adoption.
The incentive is available for all untrained animals that are eligible for adoption, including animals at BLM facilities, off-site events and on the online corral at blm.gov.
The Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility offers untrained horses for adoption by appointment only. Those interested can contact the facility at 307-352-0292.
The BLM will also be hosting four wild horse adoption events throughout Wyoming in June. Adoption events include:
— June 4–5 at Wheatland Corrals: approximately 50 wild horses will be available at the new off-range corral’s first public adoption. View the horses from from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 4. The adoption begins at 8 a.m. on June 5.
— June 5 at Wind River Wild Horse Ranch: approximately 20 wild horses will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the public off-range pasture near Lander. Take a free wagon tour to view the wild horses until 2 p.m.
— June 12 at Deerwood Ranch: approximately 20 horses and five burros will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the public off-range pasture near Centennial. Free tours and tractor-pulled wagon rides to view the wild horses will be offered every half hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nicki Creasey, a Training Incentive Program trainer, will be available for questions about handling and training burros.
— June 24–26 at Lovell: horses and burros will be available at both the Pryor Mountain Mustang Center and the Britton Springs Facility near Lovell. The adoption begins at 8 a.m. all three days.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law on Dec. 15, 1971. To mark this anniversary, the BLM is hosting a series of events around the country highlighting the value of wild horses and burros as enduring symbols of our national heritage. Learn more at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/50th-anniversary.
For more information about the events and locations, visit blm.gov/whb or contact the national information center at 866-468-7826 or wildhorse@blm.gov.
