How to adopt a Wild Mustang

The wild Mustangs are descended from Indian ponies and horses that escaped from early western cowboys and settlers. They are great trail horses and well adapted to desert and mountain life. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management hold auctions to adopt wild Mustang horses rounded up in the plains on the Utah Nevada border. Since 1971 the BLM has done studies and approved an appropriate herd level that the land will support. To avoid starvation by overgrazing or wildfire, excess horses are rounded up and sold at auction to help bring down herd numbers. There are about 37,000 wild horses in 10 western states. A number believed to be about 10,000 too high. These horses when broken in are some of the best saddle horses around. This article will show you how to adopt a wild Mustang.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. First you need to apply for the auction and prove you meet the requirements to be a good horse owner. That includes owning or having access to property zoned for animals.

2. You must have a corral of 400 square feet minimum per animal. This is about 20 x 20. You must have a proper vehicle to transport. The Mustang must be able to turn around. This means no single horse trailers and no divided double trailers. You also need shelter. This can be a 3 sided shed connected to the corral or a stall box attached to the corral. The corral cannot be barbed wire or electric fence. Wood or steel pole are fine as well as woven wire fencing. It has to be 6 feet high for adult Mustangs and 5 feet high for foals, yearlings and burros.

3. From the BLM web site you can find auctions. Attend one in Gunnison, Utah, Delta, Utah, or Palomino Valley, Nevada. If you win an auction you must be prepared to transport the horse and pay the adoption fee plus the bid amount. They accept cash, check, Visa or Master Card.

[sonni57]

on 11/17/2009 Good article on wild mustangs.

[kristara]

on 11/15/2009 Great info on adopting wild horses! 5*