The herds double in size about every four years and with a limited food source, the round-up and auction helps the horses and animals survive, said Steve Meyer, supervisory wild horse and burro specialist for the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.
“Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil that we do,” Meyer said. “We gather the birth rate every year to make it manageable for that range to sustain itself and make sure that we have food for everything that’s out there.”
Debbie Long drove from Canal Winchester for a preview event Friday. Since she moved to her homestead, she said she’s fallen in love with mustangs.
“We started with one, and he was lonely, so I started adopting mustangs. Now I have seven,” she said.
While it takes training and patience to break the animals, she said each horse is one-of-a-kind. She’s also fond of the burros, which are always sweet in nature.
“They’re all real adaptable, and they become real good pets, you might say,” she said. “You’re not taking the wildness out of ‘em, you’re just giving them a home.”
Most adoption applicants will be approved the day of the sale. Applicants must have a minimum 20-foot by 20-foot corral of 6-foot high fencing made of wood or metal poles to be approved on the adoption application. Fees start at $25 for a burro, and all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The only thing that we ask is that you give these animals a good home. They deserve it,” he said.
Gates open at 8 a.m., and the event lasts until 5 p.m. For more information, visit blm.gov.
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