Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Heading to Hays, KS August 5-7!

Moore, OK--The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption in Hays, KS August 5-7, 2010.  The three-day event will be held at the Fort Hays State University Indoor Arena and will feature over 60 spectacular mustangs and 10 burros. 

Adoption Schedule
Adoption begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 5th and will be first-come-first-serve and end at 6 p.m.   Adoption continues on Friday, August 6th, at 8 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. Gates open for adoption again on Saturday, August 7th, from 8 a.m. - Noon.

Adoption Qualifications 
Application approval is required and can be done on site.  To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years with no record of animal abuse.  Adopters must have a minimum 400 square foot (20 X 20) per animal with access to shelter.   A 6 foot tall corral is required for adult horses and a 5 foot tall corral for yearlings.  All horses must be loaded in covered stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors.  BLM staff will be on hand to assist adopters through the short application process, to answer any questions, and load horses.

Adoption Fees
The adoption fee is $125.  We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards. 

$500 Adoption Incentive
An adoption incentive program will be offered at the Hays adoption.  In this program, BLM pays a $500 care and feeding allowance to adopters of horses 4 years and older.  Younger or trained horses are not eligible for this incentive.  The allowance is paid in full after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s).  All standard adoption conditions and fees apply.  A limited number of eligible horses will be available for this incentive in Rosenberg. 
  
Wild horses – iconic symbols of America’s western heritage – are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild make them ideal for work or recreation.  Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 225,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.   The BLM periodically removes excess horses from the range to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources.  The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals. 
     
For more information, call toll-free 866-4-MUSTANGS (866.468.7826) or visit www.blm.gov.
 
Directions to the Fort Hays State University Indoor Arena: Exit HWY 70 at mile marker 157.  Arena is ½ mile North on West side of road.