You bet! May 7th and 8th at the Midland County Fairgrounds, the Bureau of Land Management adoption of wild horses and burros takes place. Volunteers are needed to help during bidding, mark off pen cards, and take money in the office. You can check with the Volunteer Center of MIdland County for details or call the BLM directly at 866 4MUSTANGS.
I’ve worked this event for two years and it’s a far cry from the usual volunteer activity. However, it’s one of the more rewarding programs I’ve been involved with because the end result is a happy animal and a pleased owner. The process that adopters must go through is rigorous because no animal will be adopted out without proof of the proper facilities. In addition, the animal doesn’t belong to the adopter until a veterinarian declares the animal healthy and secure a year after the adoption. The government can take back an animal at any point during that time.
The animals come from western states where the population in the wild is about 37,000 horses and burros. Since the population can double in 4 years and the land can’t sustain that population, the need to control the herds through adoption evolved. The BLM has auctions throughout the US and has developed a program that solves the population issue while providing quality animals to riders, farmers, and ranchers.
Our own team member, Carolyn, has two adoptees on her farm: Doc and Elvis. Carolyn reports, “They are
protective by nature and will keep coyotes and other predators away from the newborn calves. They also make noise if strangers come into their territory. Todd used them to break 4-H club calves for the fair. If you tie a stubborn calf to a donkey, the donkey will win since they are more stubborn and the calf will learn that it has to be led. It also learns not to fight the rope halter or head butt or kick because the donkey will kick back.” (Clarification: burro is Spanish for donkey.)
If you want to spend a morning doing something unique, volunteer to help at this event. The horses and burros aren’t the sleek, clean equines you may be used to seeing. They’re desert and mountain meadow dwellers that haven’t known a curry comb. They’re rambunctious and you’ll hear a lot of neighing and snorting.
Watch the wranglers gently separate animals from the herd by wiggling a plastic shopping bag tied to a stick. Who knew? Then the animals are bid on and put into holding pens. The final step is loading the animal(s) into the trailers of the buyers. This is the end of one journey and the beginning of another for these wild horses and burros. You can be part of it!
