HELP CELBRATE
NATIONAL WILD HORSE ADOPTION DAY!September 26, 2009. OR -
October 3 in Sacramento at the Sacramento Horsemen's Association.
Napa Mustang Days is presented in
partnership with:
NAPA VALLEY HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION
&
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT WILD HORSE & BURRO PROGRAM
and help from:
CALIFORNIA BLM VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
&
Leadership Napa
Valley
Class XXII
Mustangs 4 Us!
Wild Horse Education
BLM ADOPTION INFORMATION
FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE THE
NATIONAL BLM
WEBSITE
and
Nancy Kerson's "Mustangs 4 Us!" Website and
California BLM Adopters
Assistance
Also:
Halter-trained Mustangs for the Napa Adoption and
TIP Trainers
THE
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WILD HORSE & BURRO ADOPTION PROGRAM
Hire a TIP Trainer
Halter-Trained Mustangs Application to Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro
Frequently
Asked Questions About Becoming an Adopter
Federal protection and a lack of natural predators in most areas* require periodic roundups of wild horses and burros, in order to maintain populations within a thriving ecological balance. The Bureau of Land Management monitors rangeland conditions to determine the number of animals, including wild horses, burros, domestic livestock and wildlife, that the land can support. Populations of livestock are controlled through permits, wildlife through hunting and fishing, and wild horse & burro populations are managed through periodic gathers (round-ups) of excess animals. These excess animals are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro program. After caring for an animal for one year, adopters are eligible to receive title, or ownership, from the Federal government. The one year waiting period is for the animal's protection, to keep them out of the hands of profiteers.
*(the few areas that still support significant populations of cougars have stable populations of wild horses. But cougars have been largely eliminated in populated or stock-grazing areas)
MEET FORMERLY-WILD
HORSES & BURROS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!
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WANT TO ADOPT BUT NOT SURE
YOU CAN HANDLE A WILD ONE?
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 Mike Kerson |
 Nancy Kerson |
 Misty Evans |
 Midori Morgan |
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7 Gentled, Halter-trained Mustangs,
including these, will be available for Adoption at Napa Mustang Days! |
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BLM ADOPTION APPLICATION (click to download)
Your application must be approved before you can adopt.
Applications can be filled out and approval obtained at the adoption, but you can save time by doing it ahead.
Download and print this application and then either bring it with you to the adoption, (BLM personnel will be on hand to approve applications and issue bidder numbers on Friday after the horses are unloaded and all day on Saturday) or you may be pre-approved by submitting your application by mail or fax.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q. Who Can Adopt?
A. Anyone over the age of 18 who has never been convicted of animal abuse.
Q. What Do I Need To Become an Approved Adopter?
- Proper Housing and Fencing
You must provide a safe and secure corral with a roofed shelter that has at least two sides. Total "floor space" must be at least 400 square feet per animal. (This translates to a 20' by 20' square, but the pen does not have to be square, just 400 square feet, or more)
The pen must also be small enough to allow you to work effectively with your new animal. (In a large pasture you will never get the horse's atttention and will never be able to get close) A 20 to 40 foot square pen or a round pen about 45 - 40 feet in diameter is ideal.
If you adopt a pre-gentled horse from a BLM Volunteer or TIP Trainer, your animal only needs housing and fencing appropriate to that animal's level of gentling, which may be the same as any ordinary domestic horse. This is another advantage of the TIP program.
- What Kinds of Fencing are Acceptable?
Pipe Panels or wooden planks are recommended. Welded wire with wooden or pipe reinforcement is also okay. Woven or Strand Wire fencing that the horse or burro may become entangled in is not acceptable. Hotwire and barbed wire are not acceptable, due to the risk of both injury and escape.
- FENCING HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS:
Horses over 18 months need fencing that is 6 feet high. This is to avoid escapes. Horses under 18 months may be kept in fencing 5 feet high. Burros only need 4 1/2 feet.
- FENCING HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS:
- Shelter
- BLM requires a roofed shelter with at least two sides.
A shade tree is nice, but it does not satisfy the shelter requirement
- BLM requires a roofed shelter with at least two sides.
A shade tree is nice, but it does not satisfy the shelter requirement
- Arrange for an Approved Trailer:
Wild BLM animals must be transported in a stock trailer with
the inside dividers removed. A slant-load may also be used if the inner
dividers are removed. The trailer must not have windows or back door
openings large enough to allow the animal to try to jump out.
If you don't have such a trailer, there are often approved trailers for hire at adoptions.
- Food:
See your local vet, horse-owning friend, or feedstore employee - or consult a general horse care book or website for developing your own feeding program. BLM does not dictate feeding programs, just that the animal be fed adequately to maintain health.
- Water: Fresh, clean water must be available to the animal at all times
- Halter & Lead Rope:
You must provide your own
halter and lead rope. BLM personnel will "install" it on your new animal,
but it is your responsibility to provide it. If you prefer not to have a
halter and lead rope on your new animal, check with your local adoption agents
to see if a halter and lead rope are required. Many people like to have it,
others prefer not to use them at first.
- Health Care: Adopted horses and burros need regular vaccinations and hoof care. At your compliance check, you will be asked for health records, and hooves will be inspected.
Q. HOW DOES BLM KNOW THAT I AM FOLLOWING THE RULES?
A. In California, we have a 100% Compliance Inspection
rate. That means that someone - either a BLM employee or a trained BLM
Volunteer, WILL visit you.
This visit has two parts:
- To make sure you are housing and caring for your animal according to you Private Care and Maintenance Agreement and
- To see if you need help, or have questions or concerns. BLM wants you to be successful, and BLM volunteers and staff do want to help you - don't be afraid to ask for help!
Q. WHAT HAPPENS AT MY COMPLIANCE CHECK? WHAT IF I "FAIL"?
A. The Compliance Check is just that - a check-up. If
problems are identified, you will be given suggestions for solving them, as
well as a time frame for a return visit. BLM is not in the business of
taking animals away if at all possible, and repossession is very rare - it
only happens as a very last resort. BLM wants to work with you to solve
problems for a successful long term outcome!
So feel
free to ask for help - Most problems are best handled when they first crop
up - don't wait until you become discouraged. We have a large organization
of BLM volunteers
who can assist you. Most compliance checks are friendly occasions when you,
the adopter, get to show off your good work.
Q. I have another horse or donkey. May I put my new mustang
or burro in with
him/her?
A. Yes, But fencing
height, floor space & housing requirements must be met for the number, age, and
gentling status of all the animals in the pen. (In other words, 400 sq feet of
floor space per animal, 6 foot high fence for a wild horse over 18 months)
Talk with your veterinarian about a quarantine period before putting them
together.
It is recommended (though not required) that you have a way to
separate horses for training sessions. Training one horse at a time is much
easier and more productive. Burros, on the other hand, sometimes gentle more
quickly if they have a friend, especially if the friend is already tame.
Q. Do I Have To Gentle and Train My New Horse or Burro?
A. Gentling is not a
requirement, but proper care is. This includes regular hoof trimming and
veterinary care (vaccinations, etc). For most people, the best
way to meet these requirements is to gentle the animal and train it. If you
are capable of providing adequate care to a wild animal, you may allow it to
remain wild. Most people find this is too great a challenge, however.
Another factor to consider is Emergency Evacuation. In case of a fire or flood,
the horse who dies is usually the one that won't load into a trailer. For your
horse or burro's safety and well-being, it is best to get them trained!
Q. How Long Must My New Horse Or Burro Stay in the Gentling Pen?
A. Until it is gentled. For BLM adoption purposes, an animal is considered
gentled when you can walk up to it, halter it, and lead it. Once gentled, your
new horse or burro may be moved into any housing and fencing situation that is
acceptable for domestic horses and donkeys.
Q. WHERE CAN I FIND INFORMATION ABOUT GENTLING & TRAINING A WILD
HORSE OR BURRO?
A. Experienced trainers will be
on-site at Napa Mustang Days to demonstrate how to work with wild horses.
You may also go to www.mustangs4us.com
Choose "How to Gentle A Wild
Horse" section.
To learn more about how to gentle a wild horse or burro, we recommend these videos, which are available online, or you may call Video Mike at 707-226-9193:
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Lesley teaches natural horsemanship-type, pressure-and-release training, which she combines with intuition, compassion, and flexibility for each individual horse. She will be demonstrating her training techniques at Napa Mustang Days! |
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Kitty uses the "bamboo pole" method of gentling, that was brought to the mainstream by her grandfather, John Sharp. This method is well-suited for use with wild horses, as the horse is kept at a safe distance, which using the pole as an extension of your own arm. |
