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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption event in Mercedes, Texas, January 6-7, 2017.  The two-day event at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds will feature dozens of outstanding animals.  The event will take place from noon - 6:00pm on Friday, January 6, and 8:00am – 10:00am on Saturday, January 7.  The BLM will offer all animals on a first-come, first-served basis for the minimum adoption fee of $125 (set by law).

In addition to the adoption event, the Rio Grande Valley Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol will be giving gentling demonstrations beginning at 1:00 pm on Friday, January 6.  “This is a great opportunity for the public to see firsthand what these horses are capable of.  These horses have a job patrolling our borders, and we are proud that the Border Patrol uses our horses,” said Pat Williams BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Manager. 

The horses offered for adoption 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 program is essential for achieving these important management goals.  Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.

BLM staff will approve applications on-site.  To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18, with no record of animal abuse.  Adopters must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with free 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 adopters through the short application process.

The BLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of horses that are at least four years old.  The BLM pays the allowance after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s).  All standard adoption conditions and fees apply.  A limited number of eligible horses will be available.  Younger horses, burros, and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive.  The BLM designed this incentive to find homes for older horses that might otherwise be destined for long-term pastures, where they would live out the remainder of their natural lives at taxpayer expense.

The Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showgrounds is located at 1000 North Texas Ave. (on U.S. HWY 83 in Mercedes, take the Texas Ave. exit, and go north approximately 2 blocks to facility).  For more information, call toll-free 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.