CHECOTAH, Okla. — The Bureau of Land Management estimates 88,000 horses roam the American West, but officials say there is only room for 26,000. BLM officers do their best to keep the population manageable – and their strategies benefit Oklahoma farmers, ranchers and equestrians alike.
2 News Oklahoma listened to Garrett Ford, a rancher from Vian, Oklahoma. He adopted four burros from BLM.
“We’re looking forward to giving them a good home and let them go to work for us, patrolling the pastures, and stay with us for a long time,” Ford said.
Though the opportunity exists for easy adoptions, it comes with hard work.
“They are untouched. And so someone’s adopting a wild animal,” Crystal Cowan with BLM said.
Cowan said it’s up to the purchasers to tame the animals. After one year, they can apply for a title to the animal, and become full owners.
“It’s an amazing program, for the kids to learn all about the horses, from the ground up. Teaching them how to take care and maintain and watch the kids grow with the horses,” equestrian Jeanette Sicz said.
The numbers of wild horses and burrows is staggering, but if BLM did absolutely nothing, staggering becomes impossible.
“If we did nothing, they would double in herd size, and herd numbers every four years. And triple in six years. Because if unmanaged, an animal will have a baby every year,” Cowan said.
Adoption fees are $25. BLM will set up shop inside the Checotah Round Up Club from between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 20.
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