Getting Involved In National Wild Horse Adoption Day

Getting Involved In National
Wild Horse Adoption Day
Nearly 33,000 mustangs roam federal
lands across the West. Since 1973, more
than 220,000 wild horses and burros
have been adopted. Horses between the
ages of 1 and 6 years old are typically selected from the herds for adoption, but
a horse of any age can fit into the right
farm or ranch. For many mustang adopters, having the opportunity to work with
a horse with a storied past and an unconventional upbringing brings a
unique and special element to
their relationship. The groups
supporting National Wild
Horse Adoption Day, in addition to the BLM, include
Wild Horses 4 Ever, the
American Horse Protection Association, the Mustang Heritage Foundation
and The Humane Society
of the United States. Both
gentled and wild horses will
be made available for adoption. State BLM offices, as well
as rescue centers, wild horse groups,
and volunteers will be engaged in ac-
tivities leading up to and on September
26 to promote an understanding of and
interest in opening new homing opportunities to these magnificent animals.
For more information on events or
how to volunteer, go to nationalwildhorseadoptionday.org or contact NWHAD
at 817-559-5650.
Why Is
Adoption
Needed
Now?
How to Adopt
If you meet the adoption qualifications requirements, you can complete the Adoption Application at the adoption event and a BLM staff member will be on hand
to answer your questions and accept your application. When you adopt, the BLM
requires you to sign a Private Maintenance and Care Agreement.
Facilities Required
You must provide a minimum of 400 square feet (20 feet x 20 feet) for each animal
adopted. Until fence broken, adult horses need to be maintained in an enclosure at
least 6 feet high; horses less than 18 months old or already gentled in an enclosure at
least 5 feet high.
The acceptable corral must be sturdy and constructed out of poles, pipes, or planks
(minimum 1.5 inch thickness) without dangerous protrusions. Barbed wire, largemesh woven, stranded and electric materials are unacceptable for fencing.
You must provide shelter from inclement weather and temperature extremes for your
adopted wild horse. Shelters must be a two-sided structure with a roof, well-drained,
adequately ventilated, and accessible to the animal(s). The two sides need to block the
prevailing winds and need to protect the major part of the bodies of the horse or burro.
Along with protection and preservation comes the responsibility to keep public lands in balance. The Wild, Free Roaming
Horses and Burro Act of 1971 requires the BLM to maintain
animal levels that achieve a “thriving natural ecological balance.”
When populations of wild horses and burros along with wildlife
and livestock exceed the capacity of their habitat, land health
begins to deteriorate. When the BLM determines that the mustang population exceeds habitat capacity, the excess animals are
removed from the range and prepared for adoption to qualified
adopters. Finding homes for mustangs can be challenging, but
here is your opportunity to help. For qualified individuals, this is
a unique opportunity to care for, and eventually own, a “Living
Legend” — a symbol of American history — a wild horse.
Where Do I Find An Adoption?
This map outlines where adoptions and educational events will be held across the country. For a full list of
adoptions, their dates and locations, go to adoptawildhorse.com and click on Events and then Event Map.
Adoption Costs
The minimum or base adoption fee for
each wild horse or burro is $125. You can
adopt up to four horses at a time with BLM
approval. If, within the first six months of
adoption the animal dies or needs to be euthanized because of a preexisting serious medical condition, the BLM will provide you with
another animal. Other conditions also apply.
You are responsible for transporting the replacement animal to your home or facility.
If Adoption
Is Not An Option
l BLM Adoption Site
l NWHAD Event
l BLM Open Facility
l TIP Trainer Event
• Help promote awareness by hosting a
2009 NWHAD party
• Use the items available in “Tool Kits” at
adoptawildhorse.com to help promote
NWHAD in your home town
• “ Tell Us Your Adoption Story” under
the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption
tab on the web site so those who are
interested in adopting can read about
your special experience
• Call 1-866-4MUSTANGS to become
a Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse & Burro Program volunteer
Wild horse and humane animal advocacy groups from across the nation are joining forces for a single cause: to encourage the American public to consider and act
on the adoption of a wild horse or burro. A goal of 1,000 adoptions has been set for
the first National Wild Horse Adoption Day to be held September 26, 2009.
Take a peek inside and learn more about how you can become involved as a volunteer or even better as an adopter of this American icon, the American Mustang
Go Wild September 26!