Around 150 wild horses and burros will be available for adoption at the Garland County Fairgrounds next weekend, with the Bureau of Land Management bringing around 100 horses and 50 burros for the event. The event coordinator, Hunter Paffrath, noted that the area has a high demand for horseback riding, leading to the decision to return for a second year. The animals mainly come from Nevada, where the BLM manages the wild horse and burro population across 10 western states.
Paffrath mentioned that the wild horses and burros are generally untrained and have had little human interaction, but they are calm and manageable. Prospective adopters must be over 18 and have no record of animal abuse or mistreatment. The animals must be kept in enclosures of specific sizes until they are gentled or trained, with full-grown horses requiring 6-foot-tall enclosures, yearlings needing 5-foot-tall enclosures, and burros needing at least 4.5-foot-tall enclosures.
The adoption event will take place from April 24 to April 26, with a viewing period and question-and-answer session scheduled for April 21. Paffrath emphasized that the animals are available for adoption due to the need to manage populations on public lands in the West, and that the BLM holds approximately 100 adoption events across the country each year.
