FAQs
Adopter FAQ
I am interested in adopting a MYWY animal. What steps should I take?
During the summer a list of animals that will be available at the auction will be listed here on the website and shared in the Facebook group. If possible, reach out directly to the trainer of the animal and arrange a visit to get to know the animal and the trainer better. Then see our How To Adopt Page for all the details.
How can I qualify to adopt a wild horse or burro?
To adopt a wild horse or burro, you must:
be at least 18 years of age (Parents or guardians may adopt a wild horse or burro and allow younger family members to care for the animal.);
have no prior conviction for inhumane treatment of animals or for violations of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act;
demonstrate that you have adequate feed, water, and facilities to provide humane care for the number of animals requested; and,
show that you can provide a home for the adopted animal in the United States. See detailed adoption requirements here.
What facilities must I have to adopt a wild horse or burro?
You must provide a minimum of 400 square feet (20 feet x 20 feet) for each animal adopted. Horses less than 18 months of age should be kept in corrals with fences 5 feet high. Fences must be at least 4.5 feet high for ungentled burros and 6 feet high for ungentled horses more than 18 months of age. You should not release an ungentled animal into a large open area, such as a pasture, since you may not be able to recapture the animal for training or to provide veterinary care. However, once the animal is gentled, you may release it into a pasture or similar area. All MYWY animals are gentled animals which will NOT require six foot fencing. However, it is highly recommended that a horse be placed into a smaller corral initially until it becomes used to the new surroundings and new adopter.
The acceptable corral must be sturdy and constructed out of poles, pipes, or planks (minimum 1.5 inch thickness) without dangerous protrusions. Barbed wire, large-mesh woven, stranded and electric materials are unacceptable for fencing.
Posts should be a minimum of 6 inches in diameter and spaced no farther than 8 feet apart. Horizontal rails should be 3-inch minimum diameter poles or planks at least 2 feet x 8 feet. If you use poles, there should be a minimum of five horizontal rails, and when you use 2" x 8" planks, there should be at least four rails. No space between rails should exceed 12". You should fasten all rails to the inside of the post with either heavy nails or lag screws.
You must provide shelter from inclement weather and temperature extremes for your adopted wild horse or burro. Shelters must be a two-sided structure with a roof, well-drained, adequately ventilated, and accessible to the animal(s). The two sides need to block the prevailing winds and need to protect the major part of the bodies of the horse or burro. Tarps are not acceptable. Contact your administering BLM office for shelter requirements in your area.
How do I adopt a wild horse or burro from MYWY?
Great question! See our How to Adopt Page for all the details.
Do I need to attend the final event in order to bid on an animal?
While we encourage you to attend in person, some horses are available through the Buy It Now Program. In addition, phone-in bids are allowed during the auction.
How much do the animals typically sell for?
There is no easy way to answer this question, as sales prices can vary dramatically based on the amount of interest in a given animal, current economy and various personal reasons. Through the years, prices have varied from the minimum bid to $10,000. We can never predict what someone is willing to pay for an animal with which they have fallen in love. We are not comfortable quoting prices due to the unpredictability of the market in any given year.
How do I pay for my animal?
You will be directed to a payment table to finish signing the necessary BLM paperwork and will pay MYWY with cash, check, money order or a credit card. All credit card transactions will be assessed a 4% handling/processing fee at the time of payment. This fee will be on the total amount of the sale plus the stall fee.
How do I retrieve my animal if I am awarded the bid?
Come prepared. Bring your truck and trailer to the event in Enumclaw ready to take your new animal home. This is especially true if you live a distance from the fair grounds. The competitor may have prior commitments and may not be able to bring the horse/burro to you. If you do not own a horse trailer, please make arrangements before arriving ~ just in case. It is now your responsibility to care for and transport the animal as the new adopter. It is also a good idea to have a water bucket and hay available as well for a potential overnight stay.
Can I leave my animal at the event facility for a few days to go get my truck and trailer?
Unfortunately you cannot. The facility is a busy place with events coming in one right after another. All of the MYWY animals must be removed with stalls stripped and cleaned by NOON on the day following the auction. These arrangements must be made ahead of time with the competitor that was training the animal.
Why do I have to pay for the stall ?
As soon as you are awarded the winning bid on the horse or burro, you are now the person responsible for all of the care and payment of any incurred fees such as the overnight stall (typically this is Saturday night to Sunday morning). This fee will be collected at the same time payment is made for your horse or burro.
What if I am late in removing my animal and do not return before noon?
It is a huge inconvenience for the MYWY Board and volunteers that stay behind to make sure all animals are being fed, watered and are retrieved by their rightful adopters. Please be respectful and honoring their time by being on time. In addition, MYWY is charged $200/hour that horses are there past noon. This cost will need to be passed on to the new adopter.
What is this program all about?
This is a program where selected competitors adopt a mustang or burro that has not previously been handled. They are required to gentle and train their new equine friend for 120+ days to return to a final showcasing. The only horses allowed to be ridden are those in the mounted division which are at least three years old (3). Anyone in an in-hand division found to have backed their horse during the time it is in their care will be disqualified. At the end of their training timeframe, the horse/burro and the competitor return to a designated event arena for a final competition to show the public what they have both learned over their time together.
Where do the horses come from?
All horses in our program come from the short term holding facility in Hines/Burns, Oregon. They have been gathered from several wild horse herds in the south eastern Oregon area.
Will I know the herd my horse came from?
Yes, all competitors will be given documentation of the herds from which their horse was gathered and a map showing where the herd is located in the state of Oregon.
How do you get titled?
After a year’s time, a BLM representative or volunteer will come and do a site inspection of the horse and make sure all is well. At the end of that inspection, they will sign off on your horse. You will mail the paperwork back to the BLM. You will receive title by mail a short time after they receive the papers from you.
Trainer FAQ
I’ve never trained a Mustang before. Where do I begin?
First off, don’t worry. Many of our trainers trained their first mustang through the MYWY program. Each competitor may have their own different methods. They will need to show and prove themselves trustworthy to the animal in most instances by going slow and steady. They are not like domestic horses. They have only had to do one thing in life and that is to survive. They are very good at doing just that. The board and other competitors are always available for questions and assistance.
How do I get a halter on a wild horse if I can’t get near them?
All horses have the option of being haltered with a drag rope at the time of pick up. Halter and drag (lead rope) should be provided by the competitor. This will greatly facilitate the gentling process allowing you to gain trust and accessibility. This halter and lead should remain on the horse until you are certain you can remove it and put it back on safely.
How many hours a day do I have to work with my horse?
It is recommended that you work in 20-30 minute intervals. Maybe 20-30 minutes in the morning and another 20-30 minutes in the afternoon if time allows or you can even add in another 20-30 minutes somewhere during the day. Their retention is better in shorter time frames and the more time you spend with them the more they learn to trust you.
How long does it take for me to be able to touch my Mustang/Burro?
Each equine is different but depending on your skill sets, that will determine the time for you. Most are curious (some are genuinely fearful) with those being generally easier to experience that “first touch” with than a fearful mustang/burro. Some are able to touch their horses in a matter of hours and others in days or a couple of weeks. Taking it slow and gentle is the best approach. Mustangs do not like to be “cowboy-ed”
What if I am a youth and my parents don’t support me?
If they give you their permission but tell you that you are your own, it will definitely make it a little more difficult to not have them for emotional stability and general overall support. Parents are great sounding blocks and we encourage them to assist in the emotional support of your project. If you have another adult in your life you can use as a sounding block it helps as well. In addition, there are great mentors in the other competitors and they are always willing to help and encourage along with full support of the MYWY board.
What if I don’t have any show clothes for the final competition?
Show clothes are not required nor will you be judged on whether or not you are wearing them. You are required to have on clean clothes (jeans and a shirt) and look presentable to the public. You must also wear an acceptable boot for horses and not flip-flops or tennis shoes.
What if my horse gets sick or injured while I have it?
When you have the Mustang/burro in your care, all equine related costs are your responsibility including but not limited to feed, farrier and veterinary expenses. You will also need to de-worm your equine partner to assist in ensuring it stays in good health.
How do I know what division in which to apply?
We base our age divisions on your age for pick up and the majority of the gentling/training process. As an example ~ if animals are picked up on April 1st and your birthday falls on April 15th that will change your age division we will bump you up to that division. If your birthday is more than thirty (30) days after pick up you will stay in the younger division. We do reserve the right to combine divisions when there are not enough competitors to make a division financially responsible
What happens to the horse at the end of the training season?
You return to a designated location for a final competition and then should you choose to not keep your horse, it will go up for adoption through a public bidding process. Our process may change from time to time and we will announce that as soon as the process is cast in concrete for any one year. No competitor “HAS” to sell their horse or enter it in the auction. It is personal choice and a family decision.
What if I decide to keep my horse - do I still have to go to the final competition?
Yes you do. All animals must return to the final competition regardless of whether or not they are going up for public adoption or will be kept by the competitor unless the animal or the competitor is injured/sick. A Dr. or Veterinarian’s note will be required.
Where does the money go when the horses are adopted?
Minimum bid is currently $500. 100% of the auction funds are paid to the individual competitors within 10 business days of the final competition.
How do I apply for this program?
Applications come out once a year. They are always out by mid to the end of January but can be released any time prior depending on the competiton format for any specific year.. Applications need to be returned to the event coordinator by the date designated on the application. Applications must be complete and contain all requested supplemental items. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the competition.
If I submit an application am I guaranteed participation?
No. This is a selection process and competitors will be selected upon the completeness of the application, their personal equine experience, references, if required and the essay portions of the application.
When will I find out if I was selected?
A notification date will be posted in the application and all successfully selected applicants will receive notification via email by that date unless MYWY elects to do an invitation only process. If that is the case, the competitor must let us know far in advance they would like to complete for the upcoming year by sending an email to theboard.mywy@gmail.com They will then receive information on how to apply for the coming years’ program.
Can I compete with more than one horse or burro at a time for the competition?
If the animals are available through the BLM, we have allowed for a 2nd horse or burro to be selected after all competitors have been assigned an animal.
I heard that the competitors receive some money just for competing. Is this true?
All funds are allocated to different portions of the event with competitors receiving a stipend of $200 for the first animal, $100 for a second animal and no dollars for any animals exceeding a second. These stipends are a small amount to assist in offsetting some of the feed/care costs incurred with their horse/burro for the training time the animal is in your possession. To qualify to receive this stipend you must return to the final competition with your animal and it must be in good health and passing the vet check with a body conditioning score of not less than three (3) on the Henneke Scale. Any competitor dropping from competition, returning their animal before the final competition (for a reason other than injury/health) or not abiding by the necessary stipulations will not receive the any portion of stipend money.
Is the stipend part of the auction sale money?
No. This is completely separate from the auction sale money. You will receive this money in addition to the sale money.
What if my horse does not sell at the auction?
If the adopter is unable to keep their Mustang/Burro after the competition, and the animal is not auctioned or does not receive an auction bid, it is the responsibility of the original adopter to find a new adopter for the animal. NO ANIMAL IS TO BE LEFT BEHIND BY A COMPETITOR/ADOPTER IN A STALL OR ON THE SHOW GROUNDS IFA NEW ADOPTER IS NOT PRESENT.
Can I take my horse/burro home and advertise it for sale for whatever price I want?
You are not supposed to do this. The title of the horse still belongs to the BLM and you are limited by the $125 transfer fee until you have possession of the horse for over a year and title has been transferred to your name (parent’s name if competitor is a youth). However, some people to ask for a training fee. We have no control over those types of re-assignments.
How do you get title?
After a year’s time, a BLM representative or volunteer will come and do a site inspection of the horse and make sure all is well. At the end of that inspection, they will sign off on your horse. You will mail the paperwork back to the BLM. You will receive title by mail a short time after they receive the papers from you.
General FAQ
Why does the BLM offer wild horses and burros for adoption?
The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 gave the Department of the Interior’s BLM and the Department of Agriculture’s USFS the authority to manage, protect, and control wild horses and burros on the nation’s public rangelands to ensure healthy herds and healthy rangelands.
Federal protection and a lack of natural predators have resulted in thriving wild horse and burro populations that grow in number each year. The BLM monitors rangelands and wild horse and burro herds to determine the number of animals, including livestock and wildlife, that the land can support. Each year, the BLM gathers excess wild horses and burros from areas where vegetation and water could become scarce if too many animals use the area.
These excess animals are offered for adoption to qualified people through the BLM’s Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro program. After caring for an animal for one year, the adopter is eligible to receive title, or ownership, from the Federal Government. While the challenges to adopting enough animals, is greater than ever, the program is a popular one. In fact, the BLM placed more than 207,000 wild horses and burros into private care from 1973 through Fiscal Year 2005.
What are wild horses and burros like?
Every wild horse or burro is different. They come in all shapes and sizes, and each animal has its own personality. They are of no particular breed, although some exhibit characteristics associated with certain breeds. A typical wild horse stands about 13 to 15 hands high (52- 60 inches) and weighs about 700 to 1,000 pounds. Wild burros average 11 hands high (44 inches) and weigh about 500 pounds. Because the BLM only recently removed them from public lands, wild horses and burros put up for adoption are not accustomed to people. As an adopter, your challenge will be to develop a trusting relationship with your wild horse or burro.
What is the purpose of this program?
The primary purpose of this program is to assist in bringing an awareness of the wild bred Mustang to the general public as to their versatility, resilience and adaptability to domestic life. Since they have not previously had human exposure, they become very bonded to their competitor and will do just about anything asked of them. Our secondary purpose is to assist the young competitors in gaining responsibility, self-respect, self-esteem and self-confidence not only in the areas of training a horse but in the areas of life that will be expected of them as they grow and become a part of the everyday world. The skills, lessons and responsibilities learned during this process transfer to all areas of life. We have seen the proud humbled and the insecure become self-confident.