The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management–Eastern States (BLM-ES) will hold a Wild Horse and Burro Adoption at the Wild Horse and Burro Holding Facility in Ewing, Illinois, on September 7-8, 2007.

 

The adoption will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, September 7, 2007.  Remaining animals will be available for adoption Saturday, September 8, 2007, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.  The facility is located 30 minutes from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, just east of I-57 exit 77.

 

Yearlings and horses under 5 years old will be available for this event.  These horses are noted for their endurance, sure-footedness and intelligence.  All animals have been examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated, de-wormed, and blood-tested prior to being offered for adoption to good homes.

 

Since the Adopt-A-Wild Horse & Burro Program began in 1973, over 214,000 animals have been adopted nationwide. Gentled wild horses in the eastern United States are being used for trail riding, dressage, western events, and other disciplines.  They are noted for their endurance, sure-footedness and intelligence.  Burros are great companion animals and are sometimes used by farmers for predator control.

 

Some of these animals can trace their roots back to the beginning of the earliest European exploration of what are now the western regions of the United States.

 

 “Be part of America’s romantic past and imagine yourself on the back of one of these magnificent historic animals as you ride the trails or show your young, healthy horse or burro to your friends,” said Nedd.  “And you’ll help save the horses left on the range from over competition for limited food and water.”  All this, while helping to preserve America’s past through the “Living Legend” of the American wild horse or burro.

 

Prospective adopters must have sturdy corrals, at least 6 feet high for horses and 5 feet for burros and yearlings, shelter, transportation, and the means of caring for the animals.  The adoption order will be determined by a first come, first served method, with an adoption fee of $125 per animal.

 

Adopters must provide their own stock-type, step-up trailer.  BLM staff will sort, halter and load animals onto the adopters’ trailers.  Applications to adopt may be screened in advance by mail or fax or may be reviewed in person starting Friday.   Call early to be pre-approved before you come to avoid waiting in the lines.

 

The facility is located 5 miles east of Ewing, Illinois, at 22295 Sheep Farm Road.  Directions to the facility are:  From Interstate 57, take exit 77 east (S.R. 154), turn north on State Route 37 and go 1 mile, turn east (right) on Ewing Road., go 8 miles (3 miles past the town of Ewing,) and turn north (left) onto Sheep Farm Road., go 1 ½ miles, the facility is at the intersection of Sheep Farm Road and Bobtail Road. 

 

For applications, facility and trailer requirements, or other information about this event, contact the BLM-ES at 1-800-370-3936.  Adopters’ applications must be approved by a Wild Horse and Burro Specialist to be eligible to adopt.

 

The BLM manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska.  The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, and cultural resources on the public lands.