Own an authentic national treasure: Bring home a trained Oregon wild horse
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LAKEVIEW, Ore. – In keeping with its belief that partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands, the Bureau of Land Management Lakeview District Office has collaborated with a local citizen group to co-sponsor a sale of trained wild horses from the Beaty Butte Herd Management Area the weekend of April 13-14.
A preview and training demonstration of the 10 horses available for adoption is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 13 and again starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 14. Competitive bidding starting at $125 per horse will begin at 2 p.m.
To qualify, adopters must be at least 18 years of age and United States residents. They must provide corrals offering at least 400 square feet per animal. The BLM requires five-foot corral fences built of pipe or boards. Learn more about BLM’s adoption criteria at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales/how-to-adopt
The Beaty Butte Wild Horse Gather, Fertility Control and Training Program is the first public–private partnership of its kind. It is designed to reduce or eliminate the number of excess horses from this herd that are never adopted and end up in BLM's off-range pastures at taxpayer expense. It uses a three-pronged strategy:
- Bait-trapping horses routinely to remove excess horses in smaller numbers;
- Training the surplus horses and offering them for sale; and
- Administering a fertility-control drug to captured mares to slow herd reproduction rates.
Currently, wild horses that have been gathered and are passed over for adoption three times are transferred to long-term holding facilities for the remainder of their lives, at an average cost of $48,000 per horse.
“It takes a lot of time and experience to train a wild horse,” said James Price, Lakeview BLM Wild Horse and Burro Specialist. “By starting them under saddle, we’re making it possible for an experienced rider to take advantage of some very high quality training.”
This event will also showcase the Beaty Butte Wild Horse Training Facility, which is central to the program’s success. To learn more about this unique partnership, go to: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/partnerships/beatys-butte-wild-horse-partnership
Directions to the training center:
- From Lakeview, Ore., take Hwy. 395 north five miles, then travel east on U.S. Hwy. 140 approximately 28 miles to Adel, Ore. Turn right at the Adel Store onto Twentymile Road and look for the signs.
- From Winnemucca, Nev., travel west on U.S. Hwy. 140 approximately 178 miles to Adel, Ore. Turn left at the Adel Store onto Twentymile Road and look for the signs.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.