Facility Adoptions

Federal protection and few natural predators have resulted in thriving wild horse and burro populations that increase each year. The BLM monitors rangelands and wild horse and burro herds to determine the number of animals, including licensed livestock and wildlife, the land can support. Each year, the BLM gathers the excess wild horses and burros from areas where vegetation and water become scarce if too many animals used the area.

These excess animals are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt-a Horse or Burro Program. The BLM holds adoptions at temporary locations throughout the United States year round. In addition, the BLM offers the public several permanent adoption centers to visit and adopt a wild horse or burro.

Currently, BLM has wild horse training agreements with state correctional institutions or private contractors in: CO, KS, NV,OK and WY. These locations also serve as adoption centers. To learn more about all permanent adoption centers, please see list below for the closest facility to you!

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Kingman Regional Wild Horse and Burro Facility serves as a regional preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered from public lands in Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern California. Wild burros comprise the majority of the animals prepared for adoption at the Kingman Facility.

With a holding capacity of 240 animals, the facility also is used to rest animals prior to shipment to other adoption sites throughout the United States.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are held at the facility on the third Saturday of each month from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information call, (928) 718-3700 in Kingman or (623) 580-5500 in Phoenix. Read more about the monthly adoption program in Arizona.

Directions: From I-40, take Highway 66N, Exit #53, and go approximately seven miles. Facility is located on left side of the road.

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 over 700 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, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm and closed on federal holidays. Summer hours are: 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. Information is available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-545-4256.

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 (760) 384-5765. 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.

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 far West for adoptions in the central and eastern portions of the United States.

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.

Note: Trained wild horses are available for adoption through the Colorado Department of Corrections, Cañon City Facility. For more information, please call (719)269-8539.

Serves as the eastern most holding/adoption center for wild horses and burros gathered from BLM lands in the West. The facility serves 31 states under the Eastern States Office jurisdiction, including all states east of and contiguous to the Mississippi River.

Adoption Details: Scheduled adoptions are held 5 times per year at the facility, and by appointment with an approved application. Please call (800) 370-3936, or visit http://www.es.blm.gov/whb/ for adoption schedules and additional information.

Directions: Facility is located 20 miles south of Mt. Vernon, Illinois. From Interstate 57, take exit 77 - St Route 154 east, turn north on State Route 37 and go 1 mile. Turn east (right) on Ewing Road, go 5 miles past the town of Ewing, turn north (left) onto Sheep Farm Rd. Continue 1 and 1/2 miles to the intersection of Sheep Farm and Bobtail Roads.

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 a rehabilitation program. Adoption fees for trained wild horses range from $200 to $750. Adopters must be pre-approved by the BLM to adopt a horse at the Hutchinson facility. To schedule an appointment at the facility, call 620-728-3296. Hours of operation: Monday-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.

Serves as a resting point for animals arriving from the West prior to shipping to adoptions 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 adoptions sites located throughout the United States.

Adoption Details: Scheduled adoptions are periodically held at the facility. In addition, please call (308) 856-4498 to schedule an appointment to adopt an animal. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and closed on federal holidays.

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

The National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley (PVC) is about 20 miles north of Sparks, Nevada, off Pyramid Highway, State Road 445. It is the BLM’s largest wild horse and burro adoption preparation center, with a capacity to hold about 2,000 wild horses and burros. The number of animals at the facility is the greatest during the Nevada gather season which begins about July each year and ends by February the following year. Gathers are only conducted during the summer, fall and winter months to avoid the spring foaling season of wild horses on the public rangelands.

The BLM purchased the 160 acre property when it was a small feedlot operation in what was then a rural area. The facility began operation in June, 1977. The original feedlot corrals are now the core for sorting, veterinarian care and small pen areas. Small pens are especially useful for separating animals from different herds in various stages of veterinary care. The large outside corrals were added in the early 1990s and primarily hold the bulk of animals that are ready to be offered for adoption.

Interpretive panels outside the main entry gates are available for viewing 24 hours a day. These panels provide the history of wild horses in the West and details on how to adopt a wild horse or burro. Visitors may also drive around the perimeter of the facility on a dirt road to view the animals currently at the facility.

To schedule an appointment to adopt an animal at PVC, please call (775) 475-2222 or e-mail Cecelia Guenaga at www.Cecelia_Guenaga@nv.blm.gov. Facility hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

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

Trained BLM wild horses and estray (state-owned horses) are available for adoption through the Nevada Department of Corrections, Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City, Nevada. For more information, and a schedule of adoption events, please visit www.nv.blm.gov/prison_horses/ or call (775) 861-6469.

Serves as a resting point for animals arriving from the West and being shipped 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 center situated near the pastures allows visitors to view the animals as they leisurely roam and graze on the land.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are held the second Tuesday of each month at the Pauls Valley facility, with a mixed group of 70-80 animals being offered. [Note: There will be no adoption at Pauls Valley in October 2007. The facility will change to a quarterly adoption schedule beginning in November 2007. Exact dates will be posted soon.]

Call the national toll-free Wild Horse & Burro Information Line at 866-4-MUSTANGS (866-468-7826) or the facility directly at 405-238-7138 for more information.

Directions: On Interstate 35, approximately 45 miles south of Oklahoma City, Exit 74, Kimberlin Road, 1/4 mile west to facility entrance. Look for signs.

Note: BLM will offer wild horses for adoption at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, James Crabtree Correctional Center in Helena, OK until August 31, 2007.

The BLM Cooperative Agreement with the James Crabtree Correctional Center will end as of Friday, August 31. At present, there are about 2 dozen horses at the facility, with varying degrees of training. These animals will remain available until August 31. After that date, they will be sent to other adoption locations throughout the United States.

It is unlikely that other animals will be accepted through the Crabtree Correctional facility, however feel free to call the facility at 580 852-3221. After August 31, please call the BLM's toll free number at 866 4 MUSTANGS.

Serves as the primary preparation center for wild horses gathered in Oregon. Oregon is home to the Kiger herd.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment, please call (541) 573-4424/4439. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3:00 pm and closed on federal holidays. For more information, please visit Burns, Oregon Wild Horse and Burro Program.

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

Serves as the primary preparation center for wild horses gathered in Utah, but also holds horses from Nevada and Idaho. Located in beautiful Butterfield Canyon and overlooking the Salt Lake Valley in Northwestern Utah, the Salt Lake Regional Wild Horse and Burro Center offers juniper tree protection for the wild horses and burros. The Horse Center was built in 1995 with the help of community volunteers. Seventy acres of land for the site was donated by the Kennecott Copper Corporation.

Adoption Details: Adoptions are by appointment only, please call (877) 224-3956. Facility hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and closed on federal holidays.

Directions: Take Exit #293(westbound) off I-15 onto the Bangerter Highway (State Road 154) and stay on this highway for approximately four to five miles. Exit off the Bangerter Highway onto 12600 South. Travel west on 12600 South for approximately five to six miles, through the town of Herriman, until you reach the intersection of Butterfield Canyon & 8400 west. Follow signs for approximately ½ mile to reach gate.

Serves as a preparation center for wild horses and burros gathered in Utah and also as a overflow holding facility for wild horses and burros from the Salt Lake Regional Wild Horse and Burro Center and National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley. Located in Delta, Utah, the facility offers a central location for transporting horses to the eastern United States. The facility was built in 1976 as the primary holding facility for wild horses and burros gathered in Utah. With the completion of the Salt Lake Regional Wild Horse and Burro Center, the Delta Facility was used to hold horses and burros gathered in Southern Utah as space became limited at the Salt Lake Center. In 2002, The BLM purchased 4 adjoining acres to the Delta Facility and in 2003 expanded its holding capacity from 100 to 300 head with the addition of the new corrals.

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

Directions: from Main Street in Delta, Utah, 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 road to the north for one block to the facility.

Adoption Details: Scheduled adoptions are held periodically at the facility. Call (307) 352-0292 for more information.

Directions: From I-80 in Rock Springs, take Elk Street Exit (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 available for adoption through the Wyoming Department of Corrections, Riverton Honor Farm in Riverton. For more information, please call (307) 352-0302. In addition, trained wild horses are available for adoption through the Mantle Wild Horse Training & Adoption Center in Wheatland, WY. For more information, please call (307) 322-5799.

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