Wild Horses & Burros
Wild horses and burros are managed in California in accordance with the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. This act gave the Bureau of Land Management the responsibility to protect wild horses and burros while ensuring their populations are managed to maintain or restore a thriving ecological balance.
California’s free roaming wild horses and burros range over 7.1 million acres of public land with an additional 2.3 million acres of non-BLM land. When the appropriate management level is reached, California will maintain 1,746 horses and 453 burros. California contains 33 herd areas (HAs) with 22 herd management areas (HMAs). Herd areas are geographic areas where wild horse or burro populations were found at the passage of the Wild Horse and Burro Act in 1971. Herd management areas are areas within the herd areas where it was decided, through land use plans, to manage populations of wild horses and burros. Each herd management area was studied to determine the appropriate management level (AML), taking into consideration other natural resources such as vegetation and wildlife, and other uses such as livestock grazing and recreation.
The horse herds in California consist mostly of released Spanish stock and cavalry mounts from World War I. The average California horse is 14 to 16 hands high and weighs 800 to 1100 pounds. Historical data shows that burro herds come from abandoned or escaped mining stock. The wild burros average 11 to 12 hands high and weigh 500 to 600 pounds.
When herd sizes exceed the appropriate management level, animals are gathered and offered for adoption. Other factors may come into play when gathers are required, such as drought, lack of forage, public nuisance or wildfires.
California is a leader among the Bureau of Land Management’s 12 western states with over 400 animals adopted annually. Satellite adoptions are held throughout California along with adoptions at the states two holding facilities. On average 1,200 compliance inspections are conducted annually by employees and volunteers.
News and other information:
Trainer wins Extreme Mustang Makeover in tie-breaker
Santa Maria, Calif. horse trainer Katherine Cumberland and her mustang, Wendy, took top honors in the Western States Extreme Mustang Makeover competition held Saturday evening, June 13, 2009, in Sacramento. The pair narrowly edged out Action, Calif. trainer Joel Sheridan and his mount, Lilly Bet, in a 90-second "mustang smackdown," held after the two trainers tied in the competition of the top 11 trainer-mustang contestants. | Co-champions named at Norco Extreme Mustang Trail Challenge
Lorrie Grover of Corpus Christi, TX, riding Jessie Jane and Buzz Riebschlager of Norco, CA, riding Windy, congratulate each other after the finals on May 17, 2009. See a list of the Finalists for the Norco Extreme Mustang Trail Challenge and Extreme Mustang Challenge. |
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