The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the federal agency responsible for managing and placing wild horses and burros under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The BLM currently manages tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in off-range holding facilities and getting animals into private, qualified care is a top priority.
Barn owners like you are a critical part of the solution. By partnering with the BLM via Forever Branded, you can host adoption events, maintain horses on-site for the public to adopt, and help place these animals into loving permanent homes.
This guide is an overview of the two main partnership tracks, facility requirements, and your next steps.
Table of Contents
Branded Adoption Center
Via Forever Branded
The BLM’s primary national partner for privately run adoption facilities is Forever Branded, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Branded Adoption Centers are privately operated facilities contracted through Forever Branded to house and offer wild horses and burros for public adoption.
What Your Facility Can Do
- Host official BLM adoption events open to the public
- Facilitate one-on-one adoptions year-round
- Participate in theBranded Bonanzatraining competition program
- Receive marketing support from the Forever Branded team
Application Requirements
- Facility capacity:Must safely house and handle a minimum of20 animalsat one time
- Semi-truck access:For direct BLM deliveries, your facility must accommodate a semi-truck and trailer and hold at least 30 animals. (Alternatively, you may pick up animals directly from a BLM holding facility.)
- Application materials: Photos and/or videos of your facilities, plus two professional references, one from your veterinarian and one from another equine professional
- Vetting process:All applicants are thoroughly vetted by both Forever Branded and BLM personnel through a rigorous interview process
- Annual review:Adoption Centers are subject to yearly review by both Forever Branded and the BLM
Forever Branded
The BLM’s primary national nonprofit partner for privately run adoption facilities: foreverbranded.org; info@foreverbranded.org
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Branded Partnerships
Trainer Track
If you are a horse trainer or want to partner with one, the Branded Partnerships program is the restarted successor to the BLM’s previous Trainer Incentive Program. It is focused on quality gentling and training of wild horses to prepare them for adoption.
Key Highlights
- Trainers work with wild horses and then offer them for adoption once ready
- Before a horse can be listed for adoption, the trainer must demonstrate viavideothat the animal can perform all required behaviors with someone other than the trainer
- Applications for Branded Partnerships are open through Forever Branded
Apply:Â Â Contact Forever Branded to begin your Branded Partnerships application.
Facility Requirements
Whether you’re applying as an Adoption Center or adopting mustangs to keep at your barn, your facility must meet BLM minimum requirements. These apply to both partnership tracks.
Corral Space
Untrained / Wild Animals: 400 sq ft per animal minimum — e.g., a 20′ × 20′ pen
Trained & Exercised Daily: 144 sq ft per animal minimum — e.g., a 12′ × 12′ stall
Fencing Height
| Animal Type | Minimum Height |
|---|---|
| Yearlings or gentled horses (any age) | 5 feet |
| Ungentled horses age 2 or older | 6 feet |
| Burros | 4.5 feet |
Fencing Materials
- Pipe panels
- Wooden posts and planks (minimum 1.5″ thick)
- V-mesh horse fencing
- 2″ × 4″ square wire fencing
No barbed wire. No electric wire. No T-posts alone. These materials do not meet BLM fencing standards under any circumstances.
Shelter Requirements: Northeast / New England States
For states including MA, ME, NH, VT, CT, RI, NY, PA, NJ, and other northeastern states: a three-sided shelter with a roof is required (i.e., a run-in shed or enclosed stall with three walls and a roof).
Water & Feed Access
The facility must provide reliable access to feed, water, and shelter at all times.
Transport
- Adopters and partners must have access to a stock or horse trailer with a rear swing gate and covered top
- Slant-load trailers are acceptable if dividers are removed
- No single-horse trailers are approved
Individual Adopter Requirements
When you host adoption events, members of the public who adopt horses must also meet BLM’s individual requirements. Being familiar with these helps you screen and prepare prospective adopters.
- Must be at least 18 years old
- No prior convictions for inhumane treatment of animals or violations of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses & Burros Act
- Must have a qualifying facility meeting BLM specifications
- Must complete theBLM Online Corral applicationand be pre-approved before adoption
- Must pay the$125 adoption fee
- Adopted animals must remain in the United States until titled – title is eligible at the1-year anniversary
✦ Adopter Application
Prospective adopters apply through the BLM Wild Horses Online Corral.
Key Contacts & Next Steps
- Contact Forever Branded to start your Branded Adoption Center or Branded Partnerships application
- Contact your regional BLM State Office to connect with your local Wild Horse & Burro coordinator
- Review facility requirements and photograph your current setup before applying
- Line up your references, you’ll need your vet and one other equine professional ready to submit reference forms
Key Resources
- Forever Brandedforeverbranded.orginfo@foreverbranded.org
- BLM Wild Horse & Burro Programblm.gov/whb
- BLM National Information Center866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826)wildhorse@blm.gov