Next weekend, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse adoption event at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, featuring 20 to 23 Colorado-born horses from local wild herds, including the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. These horses, once wild but now gentled by foster trainers like Leiah Burnham and her team, have been trained in basic handling skills such as haltering, leading, and trailer loading. The event, scheduled for March 28, will include a live auction and educational booths, offering prospective adopters a chance to take home a trained mustang, with horses available for viewing the day before.

This adoption event marks a significant step as it is the first in Colorado where all horses have been gentled by foster trainers, helping to make mustang adoption more accessible to those without prior experience. The closure of the BLM’s Cañon City holding facility has led to this being the last group of Colorado mustangs available locally, with efforts ensuring none are sent out of state. Interested adopters must meet specific requirements to provide safe, suitable homes, and the minimum adoption fee is $125. The event also features a special appearance by “Freedom” the wild horse and “Liberty” the wild burro, part of a national tour celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.