Adoption, Sale, and Gather Statistics
Federal protection and a lack of natural predators have resulted in significant increases in wild horse and burro herd populations. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) monitors rangeland conditions and wild horse and burro herds to determine the number of animals, including livestock, wildlife and public users, the land can support. Each year, the BLM gathers excess wild horses and burros from areas where vegetation and water could become scarce if too many animals use the area.
These excess animals are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro program. After properly caring for the mustang or burro for one year, adopter's are eligible to receive title, or ownership, from the Federal government. While the BLM faces a constant challenge in adopting enough animals to maintain healthy herds and public rangelands, the adoption program is a popular one. In fact, the BLM has placed more than 220,000 wild horses and burros into private care since the adoption program began in 1971.
Adoption Statistics Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (Oct. 1, 2008 - Sept. 30, 2009)
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
Holding Facility Statistics
Mustang and Burro Sales - FY 09 Reports
Under a December 2004 amendment to the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, animals that are more than 10 years of age and those that have been unsuccessfully offered for adoption 3 times are eligible for sale. When an animal is sold, title of ownership for the animal passes immediately from the Federal government to the buyer. However, buyers are required to sign a statement that they will not sell the mustang or burro to people known as "kill buyers" or transport the animal(s) across northern or southern borders where slaughter facilities still exist.
Proceeds from the sale of eligible animals are used for the BLM's wild horse and burro adoption program as directed by Congress under the amendment. Animals that have been passed over after 3 adoptions are in BLM short term holding facilities and offered for sale through the facility. Mustangs 10 years of age and older are transported to long-term contracted pasture facilities where they roam freely on thousands of acres. Mustangs and burros that have not been successfully adopted, regardless of age, are offered to the public for sale. If you are interested in purchasing a wild horse or burro, please e-mail wildhorse@blm.gov.
FY 2009 - as of April 28, 2009
| Mustangs Sold | 434 |
| Burros Sold | 15 |
| Grand Total Mustangs and Burros Sold | 449 |
Gathers and Removals Statistics
Sand Wash HMA, CO - 10/17/08 - 10/25/08
Devils Garden HMA, CA - 11/17/08 - 11/18/08
Sulphur HMA, UT - 11/12/08 - 11/22/08
Cedar Mountain HMA, UT - 12/08/08 - 12/18/08
Sheepshead/Heath Creek HMA, OR - 11/3/08 - 11/23/08
Coyote Lake/Alvord - Tule Springs HMA, OR - 11/5/08 - 11/17/08
Callaghan Complex HMA, NV - 12/12/08 - 1/22/09
(Callaghan Complex includes Callaghan, Bald Mountain, Rocky Hills, and South Shoshone HMAs)
Buffalo Hills HMA, NV - 1/15/09-1/30-09
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