Questions and Answers regarding the BLM’s New Sale Authority
for Wild Horses and Burros

Why is the BLM selling these horses and burros?

A: The Department of the Interior’s Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Appropriation Act (PL 108-447, Division E, Title 1, Section 142), which amended the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (PL 92-195), requires the BLM to sell gathered wild horses and burros that are more that 10 years of age or have been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least three times.

What is the BLM’s timeline to implement the new authority?

A: The sale of animals is ongoing.

Will there be any restrictions on who can buy the animals?

A: Congress placed no limitations or restrictions on who can purchase these animals. The BLM’s emphasis is to find good homes for the animals.

What will the BLM do with those animals that are saleable but remain unsold?

A: The BLM will continue to care for those animals until they are sold and the BLM will make every attempt to offer the animals for sale until they are sold.

How many animals can I buy?

A: Initially the BLM will be seeking offers through negotiated sales of groups of animals to organizations or individuals that can provide good homes. Negotiated sales can be for any number of animals that are available for sale in our facilities.

What information do I need to provide to the BLM if I am interested in purchasing animals?

A: You will need to provide your name, address, daytime phone number, group affiliation (if any), and the number of animals you are interested in purchasing.

How do I let the BLM know that I am interested in purchasing animals?

A: You can call 1-800-710-7597 or e-mail your request to wildhorse@blm.gov.

What is the price to buy one of these horses or burros?

A: Prices will be determined on a case-by-case basis for negotiated sales.

How will animals be sold?

A: Initially, sales will be made by contacting the above phone number and e-mail address. Animals are not being sold at public auctions.

What is a short-term vs. a long-term holding facility?

A: When wild horses and burros are removed from the public lands, they are transported to BLM corrals or short-term holding facilities. There the animals receive a veterinarian inspection, are freeze branded, vaccinated, and de-wormed. The animals are then sent to adoption events or to long-term facilities. To reduce costs of holding excess animals and to provide for a more open pasture type setting for the horses, the BLM over the last several years has been contracting for private pastures to hold wild horses removed from the range. These areas, called long-term holding facilities, are large open pastures where the animals may roam in a more natural setting.

If you would like to see pictures of our short-term holding facilities, please visit this Web page.
If you would like to see pictures of our long-term holding facilities, please visit this Web page.

Is the BLM vaccinating and de-worming the saleable horses removed from long-term holding?

A: No. The horses were vaccinated and de-wormed prior to their placement into long-term holding, but have not been treated since that time.

Will the BLM continue to have long-term holding facilities?

A: Yes. For the foreseeable future, there will still be a need to hold animals at lower cost in an open pasture setting rather than corral setting. It may also be more expensive to close a facility and move horses than it would be to leave it open with fewer animals, because of contract pricing arrangements. As the BLM achieves appropriate management levels of wild horses and burros on public lands, there will be less need for placing animals in long-term holding.

What criteria will qualify a wild horse or burro for sale?

A: A wild horse or burro will become saleable once it is more than 10 years of age or has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least three times.

Will the sale animals be marked differently than adopted animals?

A: Yes. All animals removed from the range, including those offered for adoption, will continue to be freezemarked with a unique number on the left side of the neck using the angle numeric system. In addition to the standard identification freezemark, all sale-eligible animals will be freezemarked with a three-inch symbol on the left side of the neck to distinguish between sold and adopted animals.

What is the sale price for a mare/foal pair?

A: Mare-foal pairs will not be available for sale as a single unit. Because the foal does not meet the sale criteria, it will be available through the adoption process.

How do I buy a single horse or burro?

A: If you are interested in buying a single horse or burro, contact the BLM at 1-800-710-7597 or via e-mail at wildhorse@blm.gov. Please include your name, address, daytime phone number, and group affiliation (if any).

Can I come back and buy more horses?

A: Yes. It is possible to make additional purchases; however, these must be negotiated by contacting the BLM at 1-800-710-7597 or via e-mail at wildhorse@blm.gov.

Are there any restrictions on what I can do with the horse/burros that I buy?

A: Congress placed no limitations or restrictions on the animals purchased. The animals will be classified as private property upon purchase. Our emphasis is to find good homes for the animals.

Can rodeo contractors buy these horses for bucking stock?

A: Rodeo contractors will be allowed to make proposals. These proposals will be evaluated with all other proposals received by BLM.

What constitutes three or more adoptions?

A: An animal is considered to have been to three or more adoptions when it has been offered for adoption at three separate adoption events (satellite or national Internet adoption) and not successfully adopted.

How will animals be tracked to determine the three unsuccessful adoptions?

A: The BLM will use the database within its tracking system database to track the animals that have been offered at each adoption event.

How will BLM transfer ownership?

A: Upon approval and completion of each sale, the purchaser will be provided with a bill of sale.

Will animals that are more than 10 years of age be removed from the range and sold?

A: Older animals may need to be removed from the range in order to achieve the appropriate management level and a healthy, balanced age and sex structure. However, the first priority is to remove younger-age animals that can be placed in the adoption program.