A feeling of the Old West settles over the Santa Clara County
Fairgrounds in San Jose Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17
A feeling of the Old West settles over the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17, when the U. S. Bureau of Land Management offers 80 wild horses and 20 wild burros for public adoption.
Animals will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Adopters will choose from mares, geldings and yearlings. The horses range in age from under two to about five years, and are in excellent health. Additionally, BLM will offer 10 halter-trained yearlings.
“The animals have been wormed, received vaccinations and boosters, and have a clean Coggins test,” said Mindy Odom, a BLM wild horse and burro specialist. “The animals were gathered last fall from herd areas along the California-Nevada border northeast of Susanville, including the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area. Twin Peaks is known for producing good-sized wild horses, and many can be expected to grow to 15 hands or larger.”
Adopters may preview the animals when they arrive at the fairgrounds at about 2 p.m. today.
Adoption event gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday, and silent bidding runs from 9-10 a.m. Animals not selected during silent bidding will be offered for $125 each on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Silent bidding gives everyone a chance to adopt the animals of their choice,” Odom said. “An added feature at the San Jose event will be our “Adopt a Buddy offer. Adopters who take an animal during the silent bidding portion of the event will qualify to adopt a second animal for the reduced fee of $25.”
The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds are located at 344 Tully Road.
Adopters must be at least 18, and have no convictions for inhumane treatment of animals. They must have the ability and financial means to care for a wild horse or burro. BLM staff members will interview all prospective adopters to be sure they meet the BLM adoption requirements.
Newly adopted horses and burros must be kept in corrals with at least 400 square-feet of space per animal (20 feet by 20 feet), surrounded by a fence built of pipe or boards. Six-foot fences are required for adult horses. Horses under 18 months old can be kept in corrals with five-foot fences, and four-and-a-half-foot fences are allowed for burros. Adopters must provide a two-sided shelter, with a roof, to provide protection from extreme weather.
Adopted animals must be taken from the fairgrounds by 3 p.m. Sunday.
Title to adopted wild horses and burros remains with the federal government for one year. After providing a year of good care, adopters can receive title. The BLM, or a designated representative, will check on the condition of the animals during the one-year adoption period.
Wild horses and burros are protected by a federal law, the Wild and Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act. The law recognizes the animals as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west,” and requires the BLM to manage the wild herds. The agency periodically gathers horses and burros to control herd populations on ranges shared with wildlife and domestic livestock. Herd sizes are controlled to ensure there is sufficient feed and water for all range users.
More information on the adoption is available by calling toll free, 1-866-4MUSTANGS, or on the World Wide Web at www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov.
