BLM Invites the Public to Tour Wild Horse Long-Term Holding Pastures in Oklahoma

BLM Website

The Bureau of Land Management is hosting an all-day public tour of two wild horse long-term holding pastures in Hominy, Oklahoma, about an hour from Tulsa. The tour, which will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., will give the public an opportunity to observe wild horses roaming in a natural setting across thousands of acres.

The public must make reservations by May 20. Visitors will be shuttled to the pastures by the BLM from Tulsa; no personal vehicles will be allowed, as the pastures are on private property.

Lunch may be purchased during the tour for up to $10 per person. Attendees should wear casual clothes, comfortable shoes, and rain attire if needed. Cameras and video cameras are welcome.

                        

Tour date and time:
RSVP date:
RSVP phone number:
Pick up location:
    Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
No later than May 20, 1011
866-468-7826
Bureau of Land Management, Tulsa District Office
7906 E. 33rd Street, Suite 101
Tulsa, OK 74145-1352

The BLM estimates that approximately 38,400 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states, based on the latest data available.  Wild horses and burros have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years.  As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control herd sizes.

Off the range, there are 41,200 other wild horses and burros that are fed and cared for at 23 short-term corrals and 21 long-term pastures. As of April 2011, there are approximately 12,600 wild horses and burros in short-term corrals and 28,600 wild horses in long-term holding pastures in the Midwest. Animals gathered off the ranges are taken to short-term corrals to be examined by a veterinarian, receive vaccinations and a freezemark, and prepared to enter the BLM’s adoption program or be sent to long-term pastures generally if they are over the age of six.

The long-term holding contracted ranches range in size from 1,100 acres to 46,000 acres on which the wild horses are free to roam. All wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming the public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

For more information about the tour or about the program, please call 866-468-7826.


The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
--BLM--

Washington Office Division of Public Affairs   1849 C Street N.W.      Washington, DC 20240 
   
Last updated: 04-29-2011