Seventeen wild horses and burros find new homes at satellite adoption in southern California

The sun is bright, and the air is warm on the first morning of the two-day wild horse and burro satellite adoption, held on May 9-10 at the Industry Hills Expo Center in Industry, California. The temporary metal corrals are filled with 20 wild horses and 10 burros, ready to find new homes. All 30 animals were transported from the BLM’s Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals, located about three hours northeast of the event. 

Wild horse and burro adoptions are typically available by appointment Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Ridgecrest Corrals in Trona, California. The facility holds more than 1,000 animals and supports wild horse and burro management across California, Nevada and Arizona. 

Satellite adoptions help reach adopters outside the area. This event marked the BLM’s second satellite adoption in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who promoted the event, helped with set up and secured the venue at Industry Hills Expo Center.  

The morning is busy with several interested adopters circling the corrals, looking for just the right animal. Nestled under a large tree, Andres Gonzalez, BLM administrative assistant for the Ridgecrest Corrals, sits behind a table organized with a computer monitor, clipboards, brochures and adoption applications. 

It is his first satellite adoption, but he is well-prepared. A welcome/information table covered in a black wild horse and burro program cloth, offers brochures, bilingual flyers with adoption requirements, stickers, posters and pamphlets for visitors.  

Meanwhile, BLM Wranglers Benito Beasgarcia and Ryan Greenwalt circle the corrals, checking the animals’ food and water, talking with visitors, answering questions, and of course, wrangling the wild horses and burros.  

Once an adopter selects an animal and their application is approved, Beasgarcia and Greenwalt use plastic flags to gently separate the selected animal, guide it into a pen, then through a narrow chute and into an open trailer. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes and highlights Beasgarcia's and Greenwalt's skill and experience with the animals.  

Gonzalez, Beasgarcia, and Greenwalt make up a small but mighty team, responsible for transporting the animals and equipment from Ridgecrest, setting up and tearing down the temporary corrals, handling paperwork and ensuring both animal and public safety throughout the event.

The BLM’s goal is to place animals into good private homes. Of the 30 animals available for adoption and sale, 17 animals - 12 wild horses and five burros – found new homes at the event. The remaining animals were transported back to the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals where they remain available for adoption.

On the last day of the event, the words of an adopter, who was fond of a large burro, could be heard: “I just want him to find a good home.” And, he did.