The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Wyoming Honor Farm will host a wild horse and burro adoption and gentling clinic May 16-17 in Riverton, Wyo. Photos of some of the horses available for adoption can now be seen online.
On Friday, May 16, the Honor Farm will offer a free clinic to discuss the gentling program, followed by a preview of the horses. The clinic will feature demonstrations by Honor Farm Training Supervisor Jeff Martin focusing on catching a horse, advance and retreat, picking up feet, and beginning to ride. The gentling clinic runs from 1-3:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
On Saturday, May 17, the gates will open at 7:30 a.m., with the competitive bidding beginning at 10:30 a.m. All halter and saddle-started horses offered for adoption have been trailered and have had their feet handled. Applications for adoption will be accepted on both Friday and Saturday. A covered four-horse trailer with a swing gate is required to adopt.
The BLM and the Honor Farm have worked together for 26 years to train and adopt wild horses. The Honor Farm has found that the wild horse training program contributes to inmate rehabilitation success.
All inmates of the Honor Farm are given productive, meaningful work and some spend long days working with wild horses gathered from Wyoming public lands, readying them for adoption. The horses and trainers progress from round pen work, to halter work, then into the saddling and rider acceptance process. This ensures that the horses are not saddled or ridden before the necessary ground work has been completed.
Training Supervisor Jeff Martin sees the results of the wild horse training program firsthand. “Some of these guys have never had anything to care about before,” Martin said. “The horses keep them honest. I get to see positive changes in horses and men every day.”
Lunch concessions will be available at the adoption. The Wyoming Honor Farm is located one mile north of Riverton. Take US-26 to Honor Farm Road. For more information visit http://blm.gov/hvld or call 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826). For more information about the Honor Farm visit http://corrections.wy.gov/institutions/whf/index.html.
Please remember that firearms, alcohol, drugs and dogs are not allowed onsite at any time. Cell phones, cameras, video equipment and tobacco products must be kept locked in one’s vehicle while onsite. In order to maintain a positive environment for visitors, a reasonable clothing standard must be adhered to. Shorts and form-fitting clothing are prohibited.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.
