Program Summary Name: California Wild Horse and Burro Volunteer Pilot Program Number of Volunteers: 250 Locations: Throughout California Contact: Tom Pogacnik, Program Manager, California BLM State Office; email: Tom_Pogacnik@blm.gov Phone: 916-978-4637 Interested? Find volunteer listings here. For more information, select this link

Ginny Freeman and one of her favorite burros.

California volunteers use sophisticated training methods that rely on building trust.

When California Assistant State Director Jim Abbott introduced Ginny Freeman at BLM's 2006 "Making A Difference" National Volunteer Award ceremony earlier this year, he described her as "an individual who has served along with her husband Dave for over 20 years supporting the Wild Horse and Burro Program and has helped marshal a cadre of volunteers to help the BLM adopt out these animals."

This cadre of volunteers comprises more than 250 other wild horse and burro enthusiasts who participate in a unique California BLM volunteer program.

Among other things, they participate in adoption and facility events, showcase their trained wild horses and burros as ambassadors, screen adopters, and assist with paperwork. Volunteers assist BLM by inspecting trailers and setting up corrals and panel systems.  They help BLM compliance officers by conducting inspections of untitled wild horses and burros. 

In 2005, these Wild Horse and Burro volunteers participated in completing about 2,000 inspections. Tom Pogacnik, program manager for California BLM, says the number of volunteers is growing so rapidly that they have had to reorganize the state into regions. "We're getting volunteers to serve as Hub Leaders to organize other volunteers," Pogacnik says. All participants must be trained and certified in specific areas dealing with wild horses and burros.

Volunteers do more than just work at adoption events or help conduct compliance checks; they also provide temporary holding facilities for relinquishments and repossessed animals. By taking home animals that have not been adopted at an event and then training and even halter-gentling them, volunteers greatly increase the chance of the animal being adopted at the next event.

The Adopter's Assistants program is primarily to provide assistance, encouragement and information about resources available to novice wild horse and burro adopters.  The California Adopter's Assistants provide helpful information, from information on simple things such as how to allow the animal time to adjust to its new surroundings to more complex issues such as how to move an untrained wild horse or burro from one pen to another or where to seek veterinary and farrier care in their area.

The California program was a pilot project that was organized and coordinated by the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Program with the assistance of the California Wild Horse and Burro Program Manager. The success of the project has led to planning of an expansion of the project to additional state offices.