|
| YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IT ALONEThe majority of wild horses and burros are adopted into "do-it-yourself" homes. Over the years, the BLM Adopt-A-Horse program has had many stellar successes of people who have gentled and trained their horse by themselves, sometimes starting with no prior horse experience. I hope this will always be an option. I'm one of those people, and the experience has been beyond rewarding to me, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn horsemanship "from the ground up." However, gentling and training a wild horse isn't for everybody, and some adoptions do fail, which is very bad for the horse and a real "downer" experience for the adopter. Others are technically successful, in that the adopter keeps the horse, but the horse never reaches its potential, remaining but a pasture ornament.
The recent success of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is an object lesson in the value of professional training. In just 100 days, most of these trainers had the horses soft, connected, responsive and able to perform amazing things that one usually sees only after a few years. Contrary to many people's fears, these horses did not seem "pushed" or "rushed." They seemed relaxed with their trainer, comfortable with the tasks given them, and basically, well-trained!
Wild horses are inexpensive, precisely because they lack training. Add the right training and you have a very valuable horse that can compete with the best domestics. Since the goal is - or should be - to end up with a good, safe horse, there is a lot to be said for sending your horse out to a good trainer.
Where to find one? Most of the trainers on my Extreme Mustang Makeover page would be glad to hear from you, and these trainers are located throughout the United States. That's just a starting place. Chances are there is a good trainer right in your own neighborhood who would be willing to help you. The trainer does not have to be famous, just good! Natural horsemanship techniques work well with wild horses. The Vaquero tradition of the American West and Southwest is a Natural Horsemanship-based tradition. Many working cowboys know how to start a semi-wild green horse. There are also many successful past adopters who would be happy to share what they know to help you get started. The links below are a good place to start looking for one. Here are some more resources for general Mustang Community as well as to help you locate the right trainer or volunteer mentor:
|
