Adoption Program
When a wild horse is offered for adoption from this herd, it probably hasn’t been more than a month since it was roaming free in Oak Creek Canyon. Therefore, they are not very accustomed to people, but with kindness and patience, they can be gentled and trained for many uses as well as years of enjoyment. These excess wild horses will be or have been removed from the ranch property rangeland to protect and maintain the health and welfare of the wild horse herd and its habitat. This adoption program balances the horses’ number with other wildlife and resources. These animals are offered for adoption to interested parties who have the desire to own and train a horse from this very special herd.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages wild horses and burros on public lands in accordance with the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. This Act gave the BLM the responsibility to protect wild horses and burros, while ensuring their populations are managed to maintain or restore a thriving ecological balance. The Oak Creek Wild Horses are not managed by the BLM, as they are on privately owned land. They were not gathered from nor lured to this private land from a BLM Herd Management Area. Thus the BLM has no jurisdiction in the management of this herd.
When horses are captured, we place them up for sale (adoption). While we are not a registered non-profit organization, we do charge a very nominal adoption fee to defray the cost of gathering and feeding them as we try to locate new homes for excess horses. Adopters are responsible for all costs following the adoption including the recapture of escaped animals.
TERMS OF SALE / ADOPTION:
The following terms apply to all wild horses adopted under this Private Care and Maintenance Program:
- Adopters are financially responsible for providing proper care.
- Adopters are responsible for all costs following the adoption.
- Adopters are responsible for any personal injury, property damage, or death caused by animals in their care, for pursuing animals that escape or stray, and for costs of recapture.
- Adoption fee is non-refundable. All adoptions are final.
- Once the horse is loaded in an appropriate trailer on ranch property, all responsibility lies solely with the adopter. If you have questions about the types of "appropriate" trailers, contact us beforehand.
- Each adopter will be required to sign a “Hold Harmless Agreement”.
- We will be asking for personal references.
- We are considering micro-chipping the horses in the near future.
