News.bytesNews.bytes Extra, issue 391

Volunteer halter project horses adopted at Angel's Camp

Precursor to National Wild Horse Adoption Day

Seven horses and four burros were adopted at the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro adoption July 11 in Angel’s Camp. (text continues below)

Two children watch the mustangs in their holding pens
Two young horse lovers check out the mustangs

Included in those adopted were halter project horses that had some initial training done by volunteers. MareLynn, Linda Stine’s halter project; Andy, Colleen Dewitt’s; and Black Beauty, Becky Delaney’s; were all adopted.

Wild horse program volunteers around central California are working on halter projects in preparation for National Wild Horse Adoption Day on Dept. 26. An event is planned for the Sacramento area in conjunction with Adoption day, with details to be announced.

Groups supporting National Wild Horse Adoption Day, in addition to BLM, are Wild Horses 4 Ever, the American Horse Protection Association, the Mustang Heritage Foundation, and the Humane Society of the United States. The groups are working together to educate Americans about wild-horse-management issues while promoting the adoption of wild horses through adoption events, training programs, and motivational experiences.

State BLM offices, wild horse groups, rescue centers, and volunteers will be engaged in activities leading up to and on Sept. 26 to promote awareness of the need to provide new homes for wild horses and burros. For more information on events or how to volunteer, go to nationalwildhorseadoptionday.org. At BLM, please call Sally Spencer at (202) 452-5196 or send her an e-mail (Sally_Spencer@blm.gov).

More than 36,000 wild horses and burros roam BLM-managed lands across the West. To ensure that the number of animals does not exceed the land’s capacity to support them, BLM removes several thousand horses and burros from Western rangelands each year. It works to place as many animals as possible into private care through public adoptions across the United States. Since 1971, more than 220,000 wild horses and burros have been adopted.

Volunteer Becky Delaney shows her halter project mustang to two potential adopters.
Volunteer Becky Delaney shows her halter project mustang to potential adopters.

Two horses nuzzling each other during mutual grooming
Two mustang geldings do some serious mutual grooming at the adoption.

A volunteer astride her mustang talks with 3 people
Volunteer Linda Stine shows her mustang, that she is riding after 90 days.

- Dave Christy, BLM-California Central District, 7/13/09


BLM-California News.bytes, issue 391