Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro in Southern Illinois and Get a Free Halter
The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) will hold a Wild Horse and Burro Adoption at the Wild Horse and Burro Holding Facility in Ewing, IL, on April 27-28, 2007.
The adoption will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28, on a first-come, first-served basis. All adopters at this event will receive a free halter. The facility is located 30 minutes from Mt. Vernon, IL, just east of I-57 exit 77.
Yearlings and horses up to eight years old will be available for this event. These horses are noted for their endurance, sure-footedness, and intelligence. All animals have been examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated, dewormed, and blood-tested prior to being offered for adoption to good homes
Since the Adopt-A-Wild Horse and Burro Program began in 1973, over 216,000 animals have been adopted nationwide. Gentled wild horses in the Midwest are used for trail riding, dressage, western events, and other disciplines.
Prospective adopters must have sturdy corrals, at least six feet high for horses and five feet high for burros and yearlings, shelter, transportation, and the means of caring for the animals. The adoption order will be determined by a first-come, first-served method, with an adoption fee of $125 per animal.
Adopters must provide their own stock-type, step-up trailer. BLM staff will sort, halter, and load animals onto the adopters’ trailers.
Applications to adopt may be screened in advance by mail or fax and will be reviewed in person starting Friday, April 27. Call early to be pre-approved before attending to avoid waiting in the lines.
For applications, facility and trailer requirements, or other information about this event, contact the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States at 800-370-3936 or visit the Web site at: www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov. Adopters’ applications must be approved by a Wild Horse and Burro Specialist prior to being eligible to adopt.
The facility is located five miles east of Ewing, IL, at 22295 Sheep Farm Rd. Directions to the facility are: From Interstate 57, take exit 77 east (S.R. 154), turn north on State Route 37 and go one mile, turn east (right) on Ewing Rd., go eight miles (three miles past the town of Ewing), and turn north (left) onto Sheep Farm Rd. Go 1 1/2 miles; the facility is at the intersection of Sheep Farm Rd. and Bobtail Rd.
The BLM manages more land–258 million surface acres–than any other federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.
The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical and cultural resources on the public lands.
