Sand Wash Basin wild horse gather and adoption

CRAIG, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management Little Snake Field Office will gather approximately 220 horses the last week of September 2005 from the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area located 31 miles west of Craig and 20 miles northwest of Maybell. The natural growth of the herd combined with the area’s ongoing drought is impacting resources, and BLM monitoring confirmed a need for the gather.

Cattoor Livestock, a long-time BLM contractor specializing in wild horse gathers, was awarded the contract to conduct the gather. Dave and Sue Cattoor grew up in Maybell and know the Sand Wash Basin and its wild horse herd. Volunteers and BLM staff will assist with the gather and subsequent adoption. Public access will be temporarily restricted in the area during gather operations for safety reasons.

Approximately 50 horses will be available for adoption from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Sand Wash Corrals located off County Rd 67 in the Sand Wash Basin HMA. Registration and viewing will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30 and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at the corrals. This is a competitive silent-bid adoption with a minimum bid of $125 per animal. Loading will begin at approximately 1 p.m. BLM requires applicants be at least 18 years old and able to provide the adopted animal with a 6-ft. high corral at least 400 sq. ft. (20 x 20) in size and constructed of pole, pipe or plank. A shelter for protection from severe weather is also required.

Individuals interested in adopting a horse can visit any BLM office to initiate the adoption procedure and will need to ensure their holding facilities meet BLM requirements. For further information, contact Valerie Dobrich, BLM wild horse specialist, at (970) 878-3839.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Media photo ops/interviews are scheduled for September 27. Space is limited & gather schedule is contingent upon weather. Media should arrive at 6:30 a.m. sharp & will be required to remain for several hours at the staging site until released by gather authorities. RSVP required to Mel Lloyd by 9/25.