Halter-trained wild horses will be available for public adoption Friday through Sunday, October 10th through 12th, at the Pauline Davis Pavilion, Tehama County Fairgrounds in Red Bluff. Animals will be available beginning at noon Friday.
The 2 and 3-year-old mares and geldings are gentle and approachable and have been trained by Bureau of Land Management wranglers to accept halters.
“These horses are ready to continue their training for pleasure riding, work or competition,” said Doug Satica, manager of the BLM’s wild horse and burro corrals near Susanville. “They are certified healthy, and have been vaccinated against equine diseases including West Nile virus.”
The adoption fee is $125, and horses will be adopted on a first-come, first served basis. BLM wranglers will halter and load adopted horses into stock trailers.
To qualify, an adopter must be at least 18 and a resident of the United States.
Adopted animals must be kept in a corral that offers at least 400 square feet per animal and is surrounded by a six-foot fence built of pipe or boards. The space is required until the animal can be easily captured. A two-sided, roofed shelter is required.
Title to adopted animals initially remains with the federal government. Adopters receive title after providing a year of good care.
The animals coming to Red Bluff were gathered from public land ranges in the BLM’s ongoing work to manage wild populations in balance with other range users and available rangeland food and water.
The adoption event is part of ‘Wilderness Treasures Rendezvous – Celebrating 50 Golden Years,’ an observance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Free to the public, the event will feature exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, live music, films, an art fair and much more.
Celebration hosts include the Forest Service, BLM, Back Country Horsemen of California, Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Sierra Club, Pacific Crest Trail Association, California Wilderness Coalition and others.
Adoption information is available from the BLM Litchfield Corrals, (530) 254-6575. Complete wilderness celebration information is available at https://www.facebook.com/NorCalWilderness50thCelebration.
