August 16-17: Wild horse and burro event in Franklin Furnace, Ohio

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is holding a wild horse and burro placement event August 16-17, 2024, offering approximately 70 excess animals gathered from western rangelands at the Ohio Horse Park, 400 Bobcat Ln, Franklin Furnace, OH 45629.

The goal of the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 is to preserve and protect wild horses and burros as integral parts of a thriving ecological system in balance with other public resource values, including wildlife, livestock grazing, mineral and energy resource development and recreational access.

The BLM’s goal is to place animals removed from overpopulated herds into good, private homes. Thanks to the help of its partners and innovative tools like the Adoption Incentive Program and the Online Corral, the BLM has doubled the rate of private care placement over the last five years compared to the previous five years.

“Choosing to adopt a wild horse or burro through the BLM means more than providing a home for an animal; it entails embracing a part of America's living heritage and actively contributing to the conservation of our nation's natural environments," said Shannon McCrory, Deputy District Manager of the Northeastern States. "Currently, over 50,000 wild horses and burros are being cared for in off-range facilities, with nearly 40,000 wild horses residing in off-range pastures.”

Adoptions and sales will be held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET on Friday, August 16, and from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 17. Appointments are preferred for adoption and sales. On both days, placements will occur in one-hour increments (five appointments per hour). Appointments can be made via email at BLM_ES_NSDO_WHB@blm.gov. The BLM requests all potential buyers and adopters to disclose their top three preferred time slots when making appointments.

The BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program was designed to help improve rangeland health in overpopulated herd management areas in the western states and to save taxpayer costs for animals held at off-range holding facilities. Through this program, qualified adopters are eligible to receive $1000 after one year of issuance of the certificate of title for an untrained wild horse or burro. The incentive is available for all untrained animals eligible for adoption with an adoption fee of $125 per animal.

Animals that are over 10 years old or younger animals who were unsuccessfully adopted out to new homes three times may be sold. BLM staff will be available to identify these animals to interested, qualified buyers. Purchasers will receive immediate ownership of the animals.

To learn more about BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program, visit https://www.blm.gov/whb.

Visit the Wild Horse and Burro Online Corral to fill out your application to adopt a horse for pre-approval.

-BLM-