Ever dreamed of having a wild horse to tame as your very own? Maybe you need a caring, trustworthy burro to work on the farm? Residents and farmers in northeast Georgia will have an opportunity to take advantgage of an offer from a federal group this month.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will host a wild horse and burro placement event, offering a limited number of excess animals gathered from western rangelands, between January 23 and January 25, at the Chicopee Woods Ag Center in Gainesville. Around 140 animals, including online corral pick-ups and adoptable animals, are expected to be at the event, which will be open to the public January 23-24 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and January 25 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. BLM staff will be onsite to provide more information and assist with the adoption application process.
Southeastern States Acting District Manager Shayne Banks says in a release from the BLM that, “The BLM has placed over 300,000 wild horses and burros into private care since 1971. This is an opportunity to provide a good home to one of America’s Living Legends.”
To qualify to adopt a wild horse, the BLM says:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse.
- Homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water, and shelter.
- Corral fence must meet height requirements:
- Adult horses - 6 feet
- Yearlings - 5 feet
- Burros – 4.5 feet
- Trailers must be stock type, covered, with swing gates and sturdy walls/floors.
A note from the BLM: It is unlikely burros will be offered at this event. Burros can experience serious health issues including death from transport and/or relocation in the winter months due to extreme temperature and climatic change.
The BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program allows adopters to receive $1,000 when they receive title to their animals after successfully caring for the horse for one year. To learn more about BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program, visit https://www.blm.gov/whb.
