Head out to the wild horse and burro event in Poteau, Oklahoma
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NORMAN, Okla. — The Bureau of Land Management will hold a wild horse and burro event in Poteau, Okla., June 12-13 at the LeFlore County Fairgrounds. The two-day event, featuring 90 wild horses and burros, will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 12. Adoptions will be held from noon-6 p.m. on Friday, June 12, and from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, June 13. Animals are eligible for adoption. Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information.
We continue to follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to ensure public and employee spaces are safe and clean for adopters, visitors and employees.
As part of our efforts to find every horse and burro a good home, the BLM now offers up to $1,000 to adopt an untrained animal. This incentive, which has contributed to a 91% increase in the number of animals adopted in the first year of the Adoption Incentive Program, will be offered for every animal in Pauls Valley.
The animals offered at the event 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 and sale program is essential for achieving these important management goals. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country.
BLM staff will approve applications onsite. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years old, with no record of animal abuse. Qualified homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water and shelter. A six-foot corral fence is required for adult horses; five feet for yearlings; and four-and-a-half feet for burros. 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.
The LeFlore County Fairgrounds is located south of Poteau on Highway 271, approximately 1.5 miles south of the intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 271. For more information, call 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.
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.