BLM schedules wild horse and burro event in Poteau, Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a two-day wild horse and burro event in Poteau, Okla., April 11-12, at the Phil Gardenhire Memorial Rodeo Arena in Poteau, Okla. The two-day event, featuring 100 wild horses and burros, will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11. Adoptions will be held from noon-6 p.m. on April 11, and from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, April 12. Animals are eligible for adoption. Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information.

Animals offered at the event are adult and yearling horses along with burros that once roamed free on public lands in the west. BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range 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, BLM has placed more than 280,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country.

BLM staff will approve applications onsite. To qualify to adopt, applicants must be at least 18 years old, with no record of animal abuse. Qualified homes must have a minimum of four hundred 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 application process.

The Phil Gardenhire Memorial Rodeo Arena is located south of Poteau on Highway 271, approximately 1.5 miles south of intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 271. For more information, call 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.