Paul McGuire

[email protected]

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption in Kaufman , Texas , October 25-26, 2014. The two-day event at the Golden Curls Ranch, held in conjunction with the first ever “Mustang Celebration” horse show, will feature dozens of spectacular animals. These are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands out West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and protect other rangeland resources. The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals. This event is free and open to the public.
Adoption Schedule
Saturday, October 25 – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 – 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Adoption Qualifications
Application approval is required and can be done 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 and to load animals.
Adoption Fees
All animals will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis for the minimum adoption fee of $125 (set by law).
$500 Adoption Incentive
BLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of horses at least four years old. The allowance is paid in full 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. This incentive is designed to find homes for older horses that might otherwise be destined for long-term pastures, where they’d live out the remainder of their natural lives at taxpayer expense.
For more information, call toll-free 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov/nm/whb. For more information about “Mustang Celebration,” visit www.goldencurlsranch.com.

Directions (7480 County Road 4095): From U.S. Hwy 175 in Kaufman, go south on Texas Hwy 34 about 4.5 miles to CR 4094, then right about 1.5 miles to CR 4095, then right to facility. Look for signs.

Wild horses and burros – iconic symbols of America ’s western heritage – are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild that make them ideal for work or recreation. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 230,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.