Horses looking for a home

If you’ve ever thought about adopting a horse, this summer may be the perfect time to take one home.

A handful of horses and one burro were up for adoption Saturday at the Intermountain Equifest in Blackfoot. The horses were brought in by the Bureau of Land Management from the Wyoming Salt Wells.

“I’m 100 percent for adoption,” said Erica Liebe, a horse enthusiast.

For Liebe, horses are her passion. Liebe said when her 16-year-old son was born premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, equine therapy helped him recover.

“Just seeing how it can change the confidence in a person; the bonding you get with a horse is not like any other bonding … maybe besides a bond between a mother and a child, but I think it’s pretty close,” said Liebe.

Both Liebe and her son fell in love with horses from then on. The family now owns four mustangs: Shadow, JB, Thunder and Sally, all of them were adopted. Erica, her husband and her oldest son were in Blackfoot looking at the horses available for adoption today, and encourage others to think about adoption as well.

“We’re offering a “buddy” horse. So, if you adopt one horse and you see another you’d like to have, you can adopt it for $25,” said Del Clark, BLM adoption lead. “You could walk away with two horses for $150.”

“Everybody to each their own on what they pick, but I’m a Mustang fan,” said Liebe. “I always wanted a Ford Mustang but now I’ve switched. I’ve got a real horse-powered Mustang … works much better.”

Although Saturday’s adoption in Blackfoot is over, another one will be held in Rexburg August 16-18.

30 wild horses and 10 burros will be ready for new homes. Organizers said adoption is first come, first served.