Horses, Burros Available for Adoption in Los Banos

Residents of the Los Banos area will have the opportunity to add a horse or burro to their families when the Bureau of Land Management brings its Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program to the Against the Crooked Sky Horse Stables, 17982 West Cotton Road, Los Banos, on Saturday, March 20.

The BLM will offer 30 wild horses, mostly yearlings, and 10 burros for public adoption. Anyone interested can preview the animals when they arrive at about 2 p.m. on Friday, March 19.

The event gates will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.  Adoptions begin with an hour of silent bidding at 9 a.m. Saturday.  Animals not taken during bidding will be available for a $125 adoption fee.

"With summer days ahead, this is a good time to begin training an adopted mustang or burro," said Doug Satica, manager at BLM’s Litchfield wild horse and burro facility near Susanville.  "Our horses and burros are certified to be healthy and they are ready to begin training."
 
The horses are from northeast California/northwest Nevada herd management areas.  Burros (donkeys) came from Southern California deserts.
 
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.

The BLM periodically gathers horses and burros to control herd populations on ranges shared with wildlife and domestic livestock.  Herd sizes are controlled to ensure there is sufficient feed and water for all range users and to ensure that natural resources are not over-used.

There are about 37,000 wild horses and burros roaming on public rangelands in the western states.  Almost 225,000 animals have been placed in private care since the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program began in the early 1970s.

For additional information on the adoption event or wild horse management, contact the BLM toll free at 1-866-4MUSTANGS or the Litchfield Corrals at (530) 254-6575.   Information is also available online at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov.

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