Adopt a Wild Mustang
Every year thousands of wild horses and burros are adopted through the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program. There are Wild Horse and Burro State Programs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Eastern States, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. If you qualify to adopt a wild horse or burro, after caring for the animal for one year you will be eligible to receive title, or ownership from the Federal Government. Qualifications include: you must be at least 18 years of age, have no prior conviction for inhumane treatment of animals or for violations of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, demonstrate that you have adequate feed, water, and facilities to provide humane care for the number of animals requested; and, show that you can provide a home for the adopted animal in the United States.
These wild horses and burros are descendants of animals released by or escaped from Spanish explorers, ranchers, miners, U.S.Calvary, or Native Americans. These unbranded, free-roaming animals are managed and protected by the Department of the Interior’s BLM and the Department of Agriculture’s USFS. Estimations from the BLM are that 29,000 wild horses and burros are roaming the BLM managed rangelands. The herd sizes double about every 4 years, so thousands must be removed each year to control herd sizes.
The minimum or base adoption fee for each animal is $125.00. Most adoptions use competitive bidding to establish the adoption fee, but the average fee still stays around $125.00. Though the cost of the animal is minimal, remember to consider the overall cost in caring for a wild horse or burro. Some added costs would be feed/hay bills, veterinary care including vaccinations and worming, shoeing, teeth floating, tack etc... Stalls and corrals must meet BLM requirements.
A freezemark is applied to the left side of each animals' neck for identification. The mark contains the registering organization (U.S. Government), year of birth, and registration number.
If you are interested in adopting a wild horse or burro, visit the website of the Bureau Of Land Management for more information. Adopting a wild horse or burro can be a very rewarding experience. It will take lots of time and patience, but in the end it will be worth it.