What: Mustang Adoption; Where: Simpsons Event Center, Monroe, NC; When: August 14-16, 2025
It’s that time of year again: the mustangs are coming to Monroe, North Carolina. About 150 wild horses and burros will be offered at an placement event at the Simpson Event Center in Monroe on August 14-16. The horses (about 130 in all) have been gathered from herds in Oregon, California and Nevada while the donkeys (about 20) will come from the Black Mountain herd in Arizona. This is a Bureau of Land Management official adoption event.
“The BLM has placed over 300,000 wild horses and burros into private care since 1971,” said Shayne Banks, the BLM acting Southeastern States district manager. “This is an opportunity to provide a good home to one of America’s Living Legends.”
The horses will be essentially unhandled and all are untrained, but most have been kept in holding areas for long enough that they are accustomed to people, and some have been born in captivity. Organizers expect a wide variety of colors, and mustangs themselves come in a range of sizes and types.
While many are curious and friendly, all of these equines will require a significant investment of time, patience and skill to become reliable partners. It is a challenge that can be well worth the effort, according to people who have adopted before, and not just because of the connection to our Western heritage or the satisfaction of providing a good home to a horse in need. Once tamed and trained, the mustangs themselves are often quality horses with the ability to excel in a variety equestrian sports, including Western activities as well as such English sports as eventing and dressage.
Click here for a list of the animals coming to Monroe.
The adoption event runs for three days. Horses and burros will be available for inspection and adoption August 14-15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and August 16 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. BLM staff will be onsite to provide more information and assist with the adoption application process: Simpson Event Center; 307 Cultivation Circle; Monroe, NC 28112
To qualify to adopt a wild horse:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse.
- Homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water, and shelter.
- Corral fence must meet height requirements: Adult horses – 6 feet, Yearlings – 5 feet, Burros – 4.5 feet
- Trailers must be stock type, covered, with swing gates and sturdy walls/floors.
BLM staff will be on hand to load horses into trailers.
To learn more about BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program, visit https://www.blm.gov/whb.
Event Coordinator
Hunter Paffrath
