Written by or for St. George News September 11, 2017
DELTA — The Bureau of Land Management and the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility will host an open house adoption Sept. 23 featuring wild horses gathered from the Cedar Mountain and Sulphur herd management areas in western Utah.
Approximately 180 horses, featuring Cedar Mountain weanlings and Sulphur yearling horses, will be available for adoption from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I encourage anyone that is interested in adopting a beautifully colored weanling to come visit the facility,” Heath Weber, Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility manager, said. “This is one of the nicest bunch of young horses we’ve had at the facility in a long time.”
Facility gates will open at 9 a.m., with viewing until 10 a.m. Competitive bidding will begin at 10 a.m. All remaining animals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at 11 a.m. For qualified adopters, the adoption fee begins at $125, then Adopt-a-Buddy for $25.
To adopt a wild horse, individuals must be 18 years of age, never convicted of animal abuse or cruelty and have the proper boarding facilities. Adopters must ensure that appropriate transportation is available; no animal will be permitted to load into an unsafe trailer. Adopted horses are required to be taken home on the day of adoption.
More information on requirements can be found here.
The public is welcome to view the horses prior to adoption, Monday through Friday, 9-4 p.m. It is recommended that adopters have their application approved before the adoption day to expedite the process, but this is not required. Walk-ups are welcome.
For those wanting more information about the adoption or to make an appointment, call the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility at 435-253-1651 or 435-201-3834.
The BLM manages and protects wild horses and burros under the authority of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, as amended. This law authorizes the BLM to remove excess wild horses and burros from the range to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands.
Currently, more than 47,000 off-range horses and burros are fed and cared for in either off-range corrals or off-range pastures at a cost of $49 million a year, which accounts for 65 percent of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program budget. Each horse or burro placed into private care saves the taxpayer nearly $50,000 in care costs over the life of the animal.
To learn more about the wild horse and burro program or to obtain an adoption application, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website.
Event details
- What: BLM wild horse open house adoption event.
- When: Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility, 600 N. 400 West, Delta.
- To learn more about the wild horse and burro program or to obtain an adoption application, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website.
