The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will offer wild horses for adoption during a two-day auction event in Grand Junction this weekend.

The 20-23 gentled horses up for adoption are trained in haltering, leading, pickup of hoofs and trailer loading, according to the event notice. A few will also have started training under the saddle.

The horses will be available for viewing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m on Friday, March 27 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds in Grand Junction. The day will include time for interested bidders to speak with foster trainers and submit adoption applications for approval from the bureau, which bidders can pick up and fill out on site.

Friday’s events will also include “education stations” for children and adults, which will include items ranging from information on the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and its requirements, to horse color and marking booths for families and virtual booths where individuals can view herd management areas through virtual goggles.

The actual live auction will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and last through 2 p.m., with an adopter meeting held before the auction at 8:30 a.m. The bidding starts at $125, according to Lynae Rogers, wild horse and burro specialist state lead for Colorado.

Eligible applicants to adopt a horse must be able to provide adequate homes, which must have 400 square feet of corral space per animal and access to food, water and shelter. The corral fence must also meet the 6-foot height requirement for adult horses or 5-foot requirement for yearlings and gentled horses.

Applicants must also be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse and have access to qualifying livestock trailers or horse trailers.

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management also announced plans to gather more than 1,000 horses in Northwest Colorado over the summer as part of its mission to reduce herd sizes across the West and achieve a sustainable wild horse population. The effort includes planned helicopter operations in East and West Douglas herd management areas in the Piceance Basin, and bait-trap operations in the Sand Wash Basin, according to prior reporting by the Steamboat Pilot & Today.