Facility Adoptions

Federal protection and few natural predators has resulted in thriving wild horse and burro populations that increase in number each year. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) monitors rangeland conditions and wild horse and burro herds to determine if the number of animals; including licensed livestock and wildlife the land can support. When necessary, to maintain healthy rangelands, the BLM gathers excess wild horses and burros from areas where vegetation and water will become too scarce if overpopulated.

These excess animals are offered for adoption to qualified people through the Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro Program . The BLM holds adoptions at temporary locations throughout the United States year round. For more information about scheduled adoptions in your area, please visit the BLM's National Adoption Schedule . In addition, the BLM offers the public several permanent adoption centers and facilities to visit and adopt a wild mustang or burro. You may also call the BLM's National Wild Horse and Burro toll free number at (866) 4MUSTANGS for additional information.

The BLM has wild horse training agreements with state correctional institutes in; CO, KS, NV, UT and WY.
These locations also serve as adoption centers. Additionally, many people across the United States help to train mustangs and wild burros to increase their adoptability. To learn more about all permanent adoption centers and correctional facilities,
please see the list below. To obtain information about volunteers that assist in training, please call the list of facilities below.

Serves as a regional preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered from public lands in northern California and northwestern Nevada. At maximum capacity, the facility can hold 1,000 horses. The facility supports 14 wild horse herd management areas in northeastern California and extreme northwestern Nevada. Some of the wild horses of this region trace their ancestry to horses raised on the range that were used as mounts for the U.S. Cavalry. Some herds in the region exhibit draft horse characteristics.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment only, please call (530) 254-6575. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and closed on federal holidays. Information is available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 545-4256.

Directions: Facility is located 21 miles east of Susanville, CA, on US Highway 395.

Serves as a regional preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered from public lands in Arizona, Nevada, and southern California.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment only, please call (800) 951-8720. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm and closed on federal holidays.

Directions: Facility is located four miles east of Ridgecrest, on the Randsburg-Wash Road off of Highway 178.

Colorado

Cañon City Facility, Colorado Department of Corrections

Serves as a regional preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered from public lands in Colorado and a resting point for animals gathered in the West for adoptions in the

Brian Hardin, Manager of the Department of Corrections Wild Horse Inmate Program

Manager, Brian Hardin, of the Department of Corrections Wild Horse Inmate Program.

central and eastern areas of the United States. The Colorado facility can hold up to 2,000 head of mustangs and burros at a time.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are held two Fridays per month. You must be pre-approved and schedule an appointment no later than the Tuesday prior to the Friday adoption you attend. To schedule an appointment, please call (719) 269-8539.

Directions: Facility is located two miles east of Cañon City on Highway 50.

Note: Trained wild horses are available for adoption through the Colorado Department of Corrections, Cañon City Facility. To view saddle or halter trained wild horses currently available for adoption please visit www.coloradoci.com . For more information, please call (719) 269-8539.

Idaho

Serves as a regional preparation center for wild horses gathered from public lands in southern Idaho. Horses are held at this facility intermittently. At maximum capacity, the facility can hold 200 horses. The facility supports 5 wild horse herd management areas. Some of the anceestry of wild horses in this region can be traced back to horses that were used as mounts for the U.S. Cavalry. Some herds in the region exhibit draft horse characteristics.

Adoption Details: Walk-in Adoptions are periodically available by appointment only, please call (208) 384-3454.

Directions: From Interstate 84, take Orchard exit, #52, go south on orchard 1.4 miles, keep left onto Gowen Rd .5 miles, turn right onto S Pleasant Valley Rd 4.5 miles. The corrals are located on the right (west) side of road

Note: University of Idaho 4H halter trained wild horses are also available for adoption. For more information, please call (208) 384-3454.

Kansas

Through a partnership with the Kansas Department of Corrections (and Kansas Correctional Industries), the BLM offers gentled wild horses for adoption at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. These animals are halter or saddle trained by inmates in the rehabilitation program.

Adoption Details: Adoption fees for trained wild horses range from approximately $200 to $750. Adopters must be pre-approved by the BLM to adopt a wild horse at the Hutchinson facility. To schedule an appointment at the facility, please call (620) 728-3296. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday - 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Directions: The facility is located 1/4 mile west of Hwy 61 on G Street in Hutchinson. For more information, please visit the New Mexico's Facility Site .

Mississippi

Visitation is by appointment only. Please call (888) 274-2133 for more information. The adoption application should be prepared in advance.

Directions: Piney Woods Holding Facility is located on Hwy 49 South approximately 23 miles south of Jackson, MS.

Call the Jackson, MS BLM office for more information about wild horses and burros available at the Piney Woods, MS facility (888) 274-2133.

Serves as a resting point for animals arriving from the West prior to shipping to adoption locations in the central and eastern half of the United States. Each year, approximately 3,000-5,000 wild horses and burros are sent to the facility for a short rest period between shipments to temporary adoption sites.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are held during normal business hours. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The facility is closed on federal holidays. Please call (308) 856-4498 to schedule an appointment to adopt an animal.

Directions: The facility is located seven miles north of Interstate 80 on State Highway 183 near Elm Creek.

National Wild Horse and Burro Facility at Reno/Sparks, Nevada

The National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley (PVC) is the largest BLM preparation and adoption facility in the country and serves as the primary preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered from the public lands in Nevada and other near-by states. Nevada is home to more than 50 percent of the Nation's wild horses and burros with approximately 102 herd management areas throughout the State.

Adoption Details: The majority of animals at PVC are available for adoption 6 days a week.

To schedule an appointment to adopt a wild horse or burro at PVC, please call (775) 475-2222. Appointments for viewing/adopting are limited to a maximum of one hour. The majority of animals are available for adoption, however, some are not due to the time involved in the preparation process. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and Saturday, 8 am to noon. The facility is closed on federal holidays.

Directions: The facility is located approximately 20 miles north of Reno/Sparks, Nevada. From Interstate 80, take Exit 18 (Pyramid Way/State Road 445.) PVC is north about 20 miles to Ironwood Road. Turn east on Ironwood to reach the facility.

Through a partnership with the Nevada Department of Corrections, the BLM offers gentled wild horses for adoption at the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City, Nevada. These animals are halter or saddle trained by inmates.

Adoption Details: For more information on Adopting, please call (775) 861-6625.

Pauls Valley Adoption Center

Pauls Valley
Adoption Center

The Pauls Valley facility serves as a resting point for animals arriving from the West and being shipping to adoption locations in the central and eastern United States. With 12 pastures stretching across 400 acres of land, this facility provides wild horses and burros a natural and safe environment until they are placed in new homes. The facility can hold a maximum of 600 animals, although the actual number of wild horses and burros at the site varies throughout the year. A drive-up interpretation site situated near the pastures allows visitors to view the animals as they leisurely roam and graze on the land.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are held on the second Tuesday of each month at the Pauls Valley facility, from 8 am - noon (starting in February 2009). There is a mixed group of 70-80 animals available for adoption. Please visit the New Mexico's wild horse and burro website for additional schedule information and details. You may also call the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro National Toll Free Number at 866-4MUSTANGS.

Serves as the primary preparation center for wild horses gathered in Oregon.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment, please call (541) 573-4424. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3:00 pm and closed on federal holidays.

Directions: The facility is located eight miles west of Burns on Highway 20, milepost 122.

The Delta Wild Horse & Burro facility is a short-term preparation and holding facility located in west central Utah. The facility is centrally located for receiving wild horses gathered in both Utah and Nevada. The site was built in 1976 as the primary holding facility for wild horses and burros gathered in Utah and as an overnight stop for animals being shipped to the east for adoption. The Delta location is also used as a national gelding facility and a holdover site for animals being shipped to long-term holding.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment only. Please call (435) 743-3100 for adoption information. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and closed on federal holidays.

Directions: from Main Street in Delta, turn north on 400 W, turn west on 200 N and cross the railroad tracks. Turn north on 450 W, turn east on 300 N, turn north on 400 W, turn east on 400 N and follow the road to the north for one block to the facility.

The Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah is a holding, preparation, and training facility. Adoptions and viewing are available on a limited basis due to prison security.

Viewings of animals are by appointment only from Monday through Thursday 8am to 2pm and closed on Federal and State Holidays. The primary visitation schedule is weekly on Tuesdays 10 am - 2 pm. This is necessary for security and availability of SWAT Team Security. The security team is always on-site when visitors enter the facility.

All vehicles will be stopped at the main gate for inspection to ensure everyone's safety and to look for items that are not allowed into the prison. Some items such as tobacco and pepper spray, that are not illegal, are considered contraband inside the prison. Other items not allowed include, but are not limited to, alcohol, explosive items, poisons, weapons, animals (including dogs) and, controlled substances.

Each individual 16 years of age and older will be asked to provide photo identification; either a driver license or other State identification card. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

No cameras or video cameras will be allowed within the facility unless pre-approved by the prison administrative staff.

No public visitors will be allowed at the wild horse facility when horses are being loaded or unloaded. This ensures the safety and well-being of personnel and horses and to make certain SWAT can provide on-site security without undo distractions.

All female visitors entering the facility must be wearing "appropriate dress." Because this is an all male inmate facility, no females are allowed to wear tank top shirts, short shorts, or other revealing clothing.

Adoption Details: Adoptions and viewing are available on a limited basis, by appointment only. For adoption information, contact Dona Bastian at (435) 287-7591 or email her at dbastian@blm.gov.

Directions: The Gunnison Facility is located in central Utah ¼ mile east of the town of Gunnison, Utah on Highway 89.

Wyoming

Rock Springs Corrals

Serves as the primary preparation center for wild horses gathered in Wyoming.

Adoption Details: Scheduled adoptions are held periodically at the facility. Call (307) 352-0256 for more information.

Directions: From I-80 in Rock Springs, take the Elk Street Exit, #104, and go north approximately one mile. Turn right (east) on Lionkol Road. Go east approximately one mile. The corrals are located on the left (west) side of road.

Note: Trained wild horses are also available for adoption through the Wyoming Department of Corrections, Riverton, Wyoming. For more information, please call (307) 352-0302. Trained wild horses are also available for adoption through the Mantle Wild Horse Training & Adoption Center in Wheatland, WY. For more information, please call (307) 322-5799.

For more information on scheduled adoption events at BLM facilities or at temporary adoption locations,
please call 866 4MUSTANGS or visit the National Adoption Schedule .

Adoptions at Facilities