Bureau of Land Management hosting three-day wild horse adoption event
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SUSANVILLE, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with the Modoc National Forest will offer wild horses for public adoption, Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 14-16, at the BLM’s Litchfield wild horse and burro corrals near Susanville. The corrals are at 474-000 Highway 395 East.
Adopters can choose from 187 animals, including 112 horses ages 4 months to 5-years old and 75 horses over 6-years-old. The event will also feature 30 pairs of unweaned foals and their mares. All are from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory on the Modoc National Forest in northern California.
Horses will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day on a first-come, first-served basis for a $125 adoption fee. The fee is $250 for mare-foal pairs.
As stewards, the BLM and Forest Service manage wild horse and burro populations on public lands for the benefit of current and future generations. “Managing these populations at levels the land can support is part of our conservation responsibility,” said Stuart Mitchell, acting field manager, BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, Susanville.
To qualify, adopters must be at least 18 years old and United States residents. They must provide corrals offering at least 400 square feet per animal surrounded by six-foot fences built of pipe or boards. Adopters can house horses under 2-years-old in corrals surrounded by five-foot fences. The BLM requires two-sided, roofed shelters for adopted animals. Adopters receive title to their horses or burros after providing a year of good care.
The Modoc National Forest removed the horses from private and tribal lands within the herd management territory in efforts to manage populations at levels the range can support in balance with other range users and available forage and water.
The horses are healthy and ready to train. The BLM has vaccinated the animals against all common equine diseases, including West Nile virus, and provides complete health care records to adopters.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.