Battle Creek and Kalamazoo area residents who have the capability to care for a wild horse or burro will get a chance to adopt or purchase one or more next month.  The U.S. Government Bureau of Land Management is staging one of its popular adoption events at a farm in Cassopolis.  That’s a little over an hour's drive from Battle Creek, not far from Niles.

The Red Horse Ranch there is the host site. It has hosted BLM Wild Horse adoptions in the past and has proven to be a biog draw for interested people from Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.

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Like any unknown animal, there’s always a chance involved. But many people who have adopted the wild horses and burros from similar events have had great success. Different horse breeds will be available. The government has been staging these adoption events for a long time. It is one way the Bureau of Land Management helps keep the wild horses and burros alive as their open range territories continue to shrink. And extreme drought conditions in western states are making it harder for open lands to
support the free-roaming herds.

Next month’s adoption event is set for May 14th and 15th at the Red Horse Ranch. You need to have an accepted appointment time in order to attend.

The Bureau does not announce or describe the horses and burros it brings to these events but typically there is a nice selection and many do get adopted.  The bureau has some specific criteria that adoptees or people who want to purchase must be able to meet and verify. One of the most important is that people agree not to resell the animals or turn them over to someone else to care for. You are well-advised to complete the screening documents in advance of showing up for your appointment time and have all required documents in hand when you arrive.

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