Oaklahoma monthly wild horse and burro adoption event

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Release Date: 12/27/11
Contacts: 866-468-7826

Pauls Valley, OK, Boasts Region’s Largest Wild Horse and Burro Facility Adoptions Held Every Second Tuesday, 8 a.m. – noon
PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma—Attentive travelers along Interstate 35 about an hour south of Oklahoma City will find an uncommon sight in this part of the country: Hundreds of wild horses grazing leisurely along the banks of the Washita River. The Garvin County seat is home to one of the largest wild horse and burro short-term holding facilities east of the Rockies. It’s not a tourist destination, as such, but the site is open to the public one day a month.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) runs the 400-acre facility as a regional hub for its national Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program. Every second Tuesday, the BLM opens the gates to allow locals an opportunity to adopt one of these “living legends.” Upcoming dates: Tuesday, January 10, 2012, and Tuesday, February 14, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

These are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands in the West.  The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals.

A mixed group of 50-plus animals is offered each month, often including burros and young horses. Yearling and weanling horses come from mares that were bred in the wild and gave birth in captivity. The young horses themselves have never lived in the wild but are eligible for adoption as if they had.

Adoption Qualifications
Application approval is required and can be done on site.  To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse. Adopters must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with free access to food, water and shelter.  A six-foot corral fence is required for adult horses and five feet for yearlings. All animals must be loaded in covered stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the short application process, answer any questions and load horses.

Adoption Fees
The standard adoption fee is $125, as set by law. If more than one person is interested in the same animal, and oral auction will be held to determine the adopter and fee.

$500 Adoption Incentive
BLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of selected horses at least four years old. The allowance is paid in full after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s). All standard adoption conditions and fees apply.  A limited number of eligible horses will be available. Younger horses, burros and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive.

Wild horses and burros – iconic symbols of America’s western heritage – are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild that make them ideal for work or recreation. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 225,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.

For more information, call toll-free 866-4-MUSTANGS (866.468.7826) or visit www.blm.gov/nm.

Directions to the Pauls Valley Adoption Center: From I-35, take Exit 74 (Kimberlin Rd.) west about one quarter mile to facility entrance.
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.
–BLM– 
Last updated: 01-03-2012