Lander Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
Wild Horse Adoption May 20-21 at Wyoming Honor Farm
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Wyoming Honor Farm will host a wild horse adoption and gentling clinic May 20-21 in Riverton, Wyo. Photos of some of the horses available for adoption can be seen at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/honorfarm.html.
On Friday, May 20, the Honor Farm will offer a free clinic to discuss the gentling program, followed by a preview of the horses. The clinic will feature demonstrations focusing on catching a horse, advance and retreat, picking up feet, and beginning to ride. The gentling clinic runs from 1:00-3:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
On Saturday, May 21, the gates will open at 7:30 a.m., with the competitive bidding beginning at 10:30 a.m. Approximately 35 halter and saddle-started horses will be available for adoption.
The BLM and the Honor Farm have worked together for 23 years to train and adopt wild horses. The Honor Farm has found that the wild horse training program plays a big part in inmate rehabilitation.
All inmates of the Honor Farm are given productive, meaningful work and some spend long days working with wild horses gathered from Wyoming public lands, readying them for adoption. The horses and trainers progress from round pen work, to halter work, then into the saddling and rider acceptance process. This ensures that the horses are not saddled or ridden before the necessary ground work has been completed.
Honor Farm Horse Supervisor Jeff Martin sees the results of the wild horse training program firsthand. “Some of these guys have never had anything to care about before,” Martin said. “The horses keep them honest. I get to see positive changes in horses and men every day.”
All horses offered for adoption have been trailered and have had their feet handled. Applications for adoption will be accepted on both Friday and Saturday. A covered four-horse trailer with a swing gate is required to adopt.
Please remember that firearms, alcohol, drugs and dogs are not allowed onsite at any time. Cell phones, cameras, video equipment and tobacco products must be kept locked in one's vehicle while onsite. In order to maintain a positive environment for visitors, a reasonable clothing standard must be adhered to. Shorts and clothing that is unduly suggestive, form fitting, or exposes an undue amount of flesh are prohibited.
Lunch concessions will be available onsite. The Wyoming Honor Farm is located one mile north of Riverton. Take US-26 to Honor Farm Road. For more information, visit www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/honorfarm.html or call 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826). For more information about the Honor Farm, visit corrections.wy.gov/institutions/whf/index.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Lander Field Office 1335 Main Street Lander, WY 82520