BLM to offer inmate-trained horses for adoption

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, will offer five saddle-trained wild horses for adoption in a virtual event via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m.

Those with approved BLM adoption applications can view the horses in person at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility, 12500 Bruceville Road, Elk Grove on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Winning bidders will pick up their horses at the Elk Grove location on Saturday, Sept. 13 at times to be arranged.

Anyone interested in bidding on the horses must first complete a BLM adoption application available online and then email it to Amy Dumas, manager of the BLM-California Wild Horse and Burro Program, at [email protected]. After approval, applicants will receive registration information and a bidder number for the Teams event. For personal security purposes, the BLM advises against listing Social Security numbers or driver's license numbers on the application. A BLM representative will contact applicants via phone for that required information.

In addition to qualified adopters, the public is invited to observe the adoption virtually. To qualify as an adopter, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have facilities that meet the BLM's requirements. Title to the animals remains with the federal government for one year, after which adopters can apply for title. Detailed information about adopter qualifications and facility requirements can be found online.

The BLM and Sacramento County Sheriff's Office have been partners in this program since 2013. Inmates at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility train mustangs to saddle, providing adopters with a solid foundation on which to build additional training. Details and photos of available horses are available at: https://www.blm.gov/californiaR3Cwildhorseadoption.

The BLM is responsible under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act for protecting and managing wild horses and burros on public lands. The agency periodically removes animals from the range when populations exceed levels established to allow wild horse and burro herds to thrive in balance with other range users, including wildlife and permitted livestock. These animals are then available for adoption at events throughout the country.

To learn more about the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program, please visit: https://www.blm.gov/whb.