Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #244 Burro Week : Lorton Yearling

"First Snow"
Lorton  Adoption Jack Colt From California
6 by 9 inches Watercolor
by Linda L MartinArtist
$125.00
You can purchase this  painting through this link:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/89078041/lorton-adoption-blm-burro-original

 This little BLM Burro was actually from California. Well his mother was. And he was born in the pens. While most of the horses at the Lorton, Virginia Adoption,  this past October 8th, went back to long term holding in Nebraska, This little burro was adopted as  the male companion for three domestic jennies, or so I was told. Many people were disturbed by the low adoption rate at Lorton this past autumn.

I wasn't surprised. At first I thought it was the economy. Then as I thought about it the rough economy didn't really make so much sense to me, as Northern Virginia is still the area of the highest employment rate in the country and the highest standard of living in spite of job market stagnation.

Then I discovered that many places that use to host advertising of the event in past years had not even been given a press release which would have equated with free advertising for the event. I was told by one BLM employee that the event generally adopted out 90 mustangs and burros at a time,  in many of their past successful weekend event.

Its true that some of the low adoption rates may  have been due to the economy but the fact that the normal advertising that had saturated the region in successful years past was missing may have accounted for most of the low numbers.  I would love to see volunteer's with experience in marketing and advertising  help  partner with mustang educators and not only get the word out about these adoption events but also provide support to help sustain these adoptions.