MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Land Management have signed a five-year agreement to continue the wild horse and burro program at Hutchinson Correctional Facility.
The partnership, which began in 2001, provides care and training for wild horses and burros gathered by the BLM from public lands. Facility staff and incarcerated residents work with the animals to prepare them for adoption and placement in private care.
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The agreement allows the corrections department to maintain between 350 and 400 horses at the facility.
“This program does more than prepare the horses for adoption,” Kansas Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda said. “This partnership allows our residents to gain significant rehabilitation, educational, and vocational opportunities that will serve them well as they return to our communities.”
The program provides halter and saddle training to help prepare wild horses for private ownership while giving participating residents opportunities to develop skills.
The next wild horse and burro adoption event at the facility is scheduled for Oct. 2-3.
A preview begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, featuring 20 saddle-started horses and two halter-started horses. Organizers also list 60 untrained animals and untrained burros available for adoption.
Gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, with adoptions beginning at 10 a.m.