CARSON CITY — Fifteen saddle-started horses and one burro were successfully adopted at a recent adoption event at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center. The adoption event was part of a program through the Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Department of Corrections.
The 16 animals were trained for about four months by inmates at the prison before being put up for adoption.
“We were really happy with the turnout for the adoption, it went really well and the horses and inmates showed off their talents,” said Justin Pope, NNCC Ranch Manager. “The weather was great and our visitors and adoptees were very enthusiastic!”
The horses and burro were rounded up from overpopulated herds on BLM-managed lands.
Starting bids for the animals were set at $150 and bids went as high as $6,800 for “Darrow,” a 6-year-old flaxen mane sorrel gelding from the Diamond Hills south herd management area. In all, the auction raised $62,800 for the program.
People who placed successful bids have the horses and burro under an adoption contract that requires them to properly care for the animals for one year. After that they will receive full ownership rights from the federal government.
The next saddle-trained auction event is planned for Oct. 8. More information on the program and adoptable wild horses and burros is at https://www.blm.gov/whb.
Source: BLM
