BOISE, Idaho — The Bureau of Land Management gathered 103 wild horses from the Saylor Creek Herd Management Area south of Glenns Ferry earlier this year in July.
RELATED | BLM moves over 200 wild horses from Challis herd
The BLM's recommended herd size for the HMA is 50 on around 100,000 acres of BLM land. The BLM has multiple management strategies including fertility control. In this program they treat a mare and release a stallion back on the range to main a 50-50 split and have the a herd size of 50.
WATCH | See the wild horses from the Saylor Creek HMA
"We try and reduce the population growth rate on the range so we don’t have to do gathers every three or four years," said Chris Robbins of the BLM. "We typically have to do that when they are unchecked without fertility control."
The remaining wild horse were shipped to the Boise Wild Horse Corral where they were treated by a veterinarian and put up for adoption that began with an auction. It was expected to be a two-day event, but all the horses were adopted on Saturday. The bids started at $125 and got up over $1,000 on some horses.
"Oh, I’m so relieved, I was really nervous I wasn’t going to get him," said Ashleigh Seekell who traveled from Montana with her mother for the auction. "I’m just really happy for her that she got the one she wanted," said Kara Seekell.
The adopter go through a pre-application process and fill out the remaining paperwork on site which states that it's illegal to sell the wild horses to be slaughtered. Adopters need to be at least 18-years-old with no record of animal abuse.
The adopters also need to have the proper facilities to hold the horses including 400 square feet of corrals with six foot fencing. The horses must have access to food, water and shelter.
"We will go out and confirm those requirements within the 12-month adoption period," said Robbins. "To make sure that the facility meets what the adopter says it did and that the animal is safe."
Once the 12-month period ends adopters will have one final inspection and if they pass the BLM hands over the title. The Seekells were happy to get a three-year-old that they will train for the Branded Bonanza in Idaho and they support the BLM's efforts on wild horses.
"We feel like managing the mustangs is the best way to make sure they stay wild forever and we don't like to see them starve out in the wild," said Kara Seekell. "I think management is the best thing and finding these guys homes is really important."
