Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary to Open June 4

Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary to Open June 4

WYOMING — The grand opening of the Bureau of Land Management’s third wild horse eco-sanctuary will be held on Saturday, June 4, at the Double D Ranch, located seven miles north of Lander, Wyoming.

The Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary is a public-private partnership between the BLM and the Double D Ranch, owned by Dwayne and Denise Oldham. The 900-acre ranch provides natural and healthy habitat for up to 150 excess wild horses removed from public rangelands.

Grand opening festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. and are free to the public. Speakers from the eco-sanctuary, the BLM and the Wind River Visitors Council will kick-off the event. Attendees can view the wild horses while taking a wagon ride around the ranch. Displays that interpret Native American culture and the historic role of the horse are featured in the eco-sanctuary visitor center. Lunch will be available for purchase.

Advertisement - Story continues below...

“The opening of this eco-sanctuary is another step forward that moves us closer to our goal of more effective and efficient stewardship of wild horses,” said BLM Wyoming State Director Mary Jo Rugwell. “The BLM Lander Field Office works closely with the Oldhams to ensure that proper care is provided for the wild horses and we all look forward to a long, successful partnership with the Double D Ranch.”

The Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary will offer tours to see the horses and other educational opportunities from May through September each year. Reservations are recommended.

Wild horse eco-sanctuaries help the BLM care for excess wild horses that have been removed from overpopulated herds roaming Western public rangelands. The current estimated on-range wild horse and burro population (as of March 1, 2016) is 67,027, a 15 percent increase over the 2015 estimate of 58,150. That means the current West-wide on-range population exceeds the appropriate management level by more than 40,000. The eco-sanctuaries provide opportunities for people to learn more about the complexities of the wild horse and burro program, and to experience a piece of our shared American heritage.

The Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary is the second BLM-private eco-sanctuary to be located in Wyoming; the 4,000-acre Deerwood Ranch near Centennial, Wyoming, holds up to 300 horses. A third eco-sanctuary, the Mowdy Ranch, holds 153 horses on 1,280 acres and is located 12 miles northeast of Coalgate, Oklahoma.

To learn more about the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, visit this link or call 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826).