BLM Arizona Featured Partnership

Florence Wild Horse and Burro Training and Holding Facility

In 2012, BLM Arizona and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI) formed a partnership creating the Wild Horse Inmate Program (WHIP), located at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence.

The inmate training program, one of only six in the nation, fosters a positive bond between the inmates and animals. The program not only ensures that the horses and burros are cared for, trained, and placed in good homes, but it also serves as a unique rehabilitation opportunity for inmates, who develop patience and learn responsibility.

The training facility gentles about 35 horses and six burros at any given time. Inmates learn how to tame wild horses and train them into dependable saddle horses. Likewise, wild burros are gentled and trained as pets to pack and pull wagons/carts.

The Florence wild horses and burros have found homes with a diverse range of adopters. From law enforcement agencies such as U.S. Border Patrol, to ranchers, to first time owners looking for a pet, there are many friendships to be gained from these horses and burros. Adoptions are held on a weekly basis at the Florence Wildhorse and Burro Training and Holding Facility.