Wild Horse And Burro Expo

The 25th annual Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Ardmore, OK

NORMAN, Okla.—The Bureau of Land Management will hold the 25th Annual Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Ardmore, Okla., on November 15-16, at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. The two-day event, featuring 80 – 85 wild horses and burros, will begin at 10 am on Friday, Nov. 15. Adoptions will be from noon-6:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 15, and from 8:00 am until noon on Saturday, Nov.16. Animals are eligible for adoption. Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information.  

On Saturday at 9:00 am, there will be a horse show featuring trained wild horses and burros. This show is open to owners of any BLM wild horse or burro. For information about participating, visit https://www.nm.blm.gov/whb_expo_reg_2019/registration_form.htm. Gentling demonstrations will take place throughout both days of the Expo.

As part of our efforts to find every horse and burro a right home, the BLM now offers up to $1,000 to adopt an untrained animal. This adoption incentive will be for every animal in Ardmore.   

The animals offered at the event are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands in the West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption and sale program is essential for achieving these important management goals. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country.

BLM staff will approve applications onsite. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years old, with no record of animal abuse. Qualified homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water, and shelter. Required is a six-foot corral fence for adult horses; five feet for yearlings; and four-and-a-half feet for burros, and all animals must be in covered, stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the short application process.

The Hardy Murphy Coliseum is at 500 Lake Murray Dr. S., Ardmore, OK 73401. For more information, call 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.