The numbers of wild horses and burros available for adoption have recently almost doubled. Grasshopper infestations, severe drought, and devastating wildfires have depleted forage and water supplies on the rangelands, forcing BLM to gather imperiled wild horses and burros so they can survive. This comes as BLM also looks ahead to planned annual gathers requiring the agency to place an average of 6,500 animals into good homes over the course of the next year. Planned gathers allow BLM to make progress toward achieving its mandate to establish and maintain healthy herd areas and ecologically balanced public lands in the West.

Wild horses are best known for their sure-footedness, strength, and endurance. With patience and dedication to training, wild horses have become champions in dressage, barrel racing, jumping, endurance racing, and pleasure riding. Wild burros, easily gentled regardless of age, particularly shine as guard animals.

Individuals over the age of 18 years may apply to BLM to adopt wild horses and burros. Applicants must meet specific requirements for the placement and care of the animals they adopt, and pay a minimum adoption fee of $125 per animal. Before each animal is offered for adoption, BLM provides equine vaccinations, Coggins testing, and a veterinary examination. All wild horses and burros are also freeze-marked for identification. Adopters immediately take possession of their animal, provide care and feeding for at least one year, and then may apply for legal title from BLM to transfer ownership of the animal to them.

Anyone interested in adopting wild horses and burros may request information and an adoption application by calling BLM toll-free at 1-866-4-MUSTANGS, or visit www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov on the Internet. Information provided will include corral and other program requirements, a schedule of adoption event locations throughout the United States, and a listing of facilities individuals can visit to adopt animals.

BLM manages more land – 264 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau also administers 700 million acres of on-shore, sub-surface minerals throughout the nation. BLM preserves open space by managing the public lands for multiple uses, including wild horses and burros, outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, and mining, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources found on the public lands.