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Wild Horse Adoption set April 21-22 in Fruita

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Northwest District Office

Media Contact:

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Twenty wild horses gathered this winter from the Sand Wash Herd Management Area in northwestern Colorado will be available for adoption April 21-22 in Fruita.

The BLM is holding the adoption at Rimrock Adventures Arena, 927 Highway 340. Public viewing will be available from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on April 21, and 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on April 22. Horses will be available through a silent auction 10:30 to 11 a.m. April 22.

Interested adopters are required to have adoption paperwork completed and approved by BLM personnel before the silent auction starts to place bids on horses. For more information about adopting wild horses, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro.

The BLM worked with the Sand Wash Advocate Team and Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary this winter to gather wild horses by baiting them into corrals to help check the growth of the herd, which exceeds 600 horses. The Appropriate Management Level for the Sand Wash herd is 163-362 horses.

The BLM and SWAT identified which wild horses would be removed and made available for adoption. Of the 166 wild horses gathered at Sand Wash, 43 were removed for adoption. The remaining wild horses were released back to the range, including 14 mares treated with a contraceptive called PZP, which delays fertilization and can help slow the growth of the herd.

In addition to the adoption in Fruita, BLM and GEMS will host an adoption April 8 at the GEMS facility outside Deer Trail, Colo., for the other wild horses from the Sand Wash gather. For more information on that adoption, visit https://greatescapesanctuary.org/. 

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.