The idea of saving a wild horse or burro from slaughter inspires smiles in the hearts of horse lovers everywhere. If you have the space and the resources, it is a most worthy cause.
Adopting a wild animal is not a matter to take lightly, a wild animal is a wild animal, no matter how beautiful or cute they appear. However, for a seasoned horse person even a wild horse is a lovely one.
Where Can You Adopt?
The Adopt a horse program is run by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and they have locations in:
Burns, OR
Litchfield, CA
Ridgecrest, CA
Canon City, CO
Wheatland, WY
Rock Springs, WY
Elm Creek, NE
Palomino Valley, NV
Salt Lake City, UT
Ewing, IL
Paul’s Valley, OK
Each location has their own gallery of horses and burros that are available for adoption, here is their auction schedule, if you are interested you can find the location closest to you.
How it Works
Of course with any part of the Government, there are requirements and red tape. But the restrictions are few and logical and frankly there needs to be guidelines.
To adopt from the program there are a whole page of guidelines. Beyond the personal rules, such as having the means to pay for the adopted horses care and not to have prior animal abuse convictions, they will also inspect these areas:
Corral – with restrictions on size, fence height, and fencing material.
Shelter – with restrictions on placement and size.
Transportation – with restrictions on the type of trailer and loading gates.
Payment – they accept cash, check, money order, Visa or MasterCard.
Halter – Buyer must provide their own halter
If you pass all of the requirements, then all you have to do is sign up on the website to be eligible. At which point a $125 deposit is required in order to start placing bids. Not a high price to pay for a potentially amazing animal.
Rewarding Experience
This option may not be for everyone (read: don’t adopt a wild horse for your child or a novice), but for someone with experience it can be a rewarding experience.
We have all heard the horror stories about the fate of wild horses and burros in America. This is a Government project, which means there is bureaucracy involved, however animals are also involved, animals who need a brighter future.