For Release: Oct. 17, 2005
Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332
CA-N-06-1

BLM CORRALS RE-OPEN; EXCELLENT SELECTION OF HORSES FOR ADOPTION

The Bureau of Land Management's Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corral facility near Susanville has re-opened to the public, following completion of maintenance work and construction of a new hay storage barn.

BLM officials said the selection of wild horses available for public adoption is the best in the past several years. Anyone interested in viewing the animals can tour the corrals from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Anyone interested in adopting can make an individual appointment to return and adopt an animal.

"With late summer gathers completed, we have about 1,000 wild horses in the corrals," said Corral Manager KC Pasero. "We're completing health assessments, de-worming and vaccinations, and the first animals should be ready for adoption by early October. We will have weanling colts and fillies available later in October."

Horses up for adoption range in age from under a year to about 5 years old, Pasero said. There is a good selection of color, including roans, buckskins, palominos and a few paints. Animals are from the Devil's Garden, Fox Hog and Coppersmith herd management areas of northeast California, all of which are known for producing good-sized wild horses.

The BLM periodically gathers wild horses from herd management areas to maintain wild populations at levels the rangelands can support in balance with other users including wildlife and permitted livestock. After health certifications and vaccinations for West Nile virus, rabies and common equine diseases, they are offered for public adoption for $125 each. Initially, adopted horses remain the property of the federal government, but after providing a year of good care, adopters can receive title.

To qualify adopters must be at least 18 and be able to provide facilities that meet BLM requirements. Newly adopted horses and burros must be kept in corrals with at least 400 square feet of space per animal (20 feet by 20 feet), surrounded by a fence built of pipe or boards. Six-foot fences are required for adult horses.

Horses under 18 months old can be kept in corrals with five-foot fences, and four-and-a-half-foot fences are allowed for burros. Adopters must provide a two-sided, roofed shelter to provide protection from extreme weather.

"Adopted animals should be kept in this corral until they can be approached, handled, haltered and led," Pasero explained. "Non-gentled animals should not be placed in large, open pastures.

"Wild horses are strong, loyal, intelligent and highly trainable," Pasero said. "Adopters enjoy them for pleasure riding and trail riding, back country packing, ranch work and competition, such as endurance riding."

Wild horses and burros are protected by a federal law, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law recognizes the animals as "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west," and requires the BLM to manage the wild herds.

There are about 32,000 wild horses and burros roaming on public rangelands in the western states. More than 205,000 animals have been placed in private care since the BLM's Adopt a Horse or Burro Program began in the early 1970s.

For more adoption information, contact the Litchfield Corrals at (530) 254-6575.

-BLM-

_______________________________________
Eagle Lake Field Office 2950 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130