NORMAN, Okla. — The Bureau of Land Management will hold a wild horse and burro event in Idabel, Okla., Aug. 28-29 at the Idabel Rodeo Arena. The two-day event, featuring 140 wild horses and burros, will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 28. Five saddle-trained wild horses will also be available for adoption. Adoptions will be held from noon-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, and from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 29. Animals are eligible for adoption. Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information.
In addition to the 140 untrained animals, five green broke saddle-trained animals will be offered for adoption. Each of these five horses have had approximately 30 days of saddle training through the Hutchinson Correctional Facility will need daily training and handling from an experienced rider.
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 Idabel.
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 Idabel Rodeo Arena is located at 1001 NW 9th Street, in Idabel. For more information, call toll-free 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. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.
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