Published: April 29, 2008 09:09 pm            

Woods students train wild mustangs in preparation for adoption

Horses were rescued from Wyoming, Florida and Montana

ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS — The equine training and handling class at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College is gentling and training a special group of horses in preparation for adoption.

The horses that are being trained are wild mustangs that were rescued through the Bureau of Land Management’s Save the Mustang program.

Last year, the Woods became the first college to join with BLM to provide training for wild mustangs, and the college is excited to continue the program this year.

Angie McMillin, one of the equine instructors at the Woods, says the training program provides significant benefits for the students and the horses.

“This experience gives our students hands-on experience with animals that have never been exposed to any of the daily activities of captivity,” McMillin said. “The students are learning to read their horses through body language, which is essential to any type of training.

“This training also makes the mustangs much more adoptable,” McMillin continued. “These colts are well on their way to furthering their training.”

Federal protection and a lack of natural predators have resulted in a thriving wild horse population that increases every year. The mustangs at the Woods were rescued from Wyoming, Florida and Montana, and they were selectively gathered from public lands, administered by the BLM, where the mustang populations have exceeded the carrying capacity of the land.

The horses arrived on campus during the weekend of March 7, and since that time, the students have been training them to stand quietly while tied; pick up all four feet; and to walk, trot and canter while being led by the student. Students have placed halters on the horses and loaded them into trailers.

Anne Bennett, a sophomore from Evansville, has been working with Morgyn Purdy, a freshman from Morgantown, to train a horse named John Wayne. Bennett says the highlight of the experience has been bonding with the horse and seeing him progress.

“I didn’t really know anything about mustangs before I started [the training and handling class], but I had some ideas on how they would be,” Bennett said. “Everyone’s seen it in the movies or in a rodeo — a bucking mustang who is dangerous and scared — I guess that’s kind of what I thought it would be like.

“Because we got yearlings, I think a lot of the horse’s potential fear turned into curiosity,” Bennett continued. “Sure, we had our share of bucks, but it was just all part of the mustangs’ adjusting to their new environment and testing its limits. Honestly, I’ve been surprised at how well the training has worked — these little mustangs are like sponges, waiting to take in anything you expose them to.”

Mustangs are well known for their inherent traits of intelligence, loyalty, stamina, sure-footedness and soundness. For nearly 35 years, adopted mustangs have found their way into the hearts of thousands of recreational riders and show arenas in both Western and English specialties, dressage competition, endurance rides as well as ranch work.

John Wayne and the other mustangs at the college have certainly found their way into the hearts of those who are working with them.

“I don’t know of anyone in the class who doesn’t have a soft spot for their mustang,” Bennett said. “Working with them every day, it’s almost impossible not to fall in love a little.”

Purdy agrees.

“I have grown very, very attached to my horse, and if I was in the situation to adopt him, I wouldn’t even think twice about it,” she said. “These are smart and very willing horses. They have lots of common sense and would make wonderful horses.”

The Woods is currently accepting bids for the seven mustangs that are being trained. All the mustangs available for adoption are yearlings, and bidding begins at $125. The college will keep most of the bid proceeds, with $25 per horse going back to the BLM.

To qualify to adopt a mustang, adopters must be at least age 18, have the ability and financial means to care for a mustang, and have corrals that meet BLM specifications. Bidding will remain open until Monday. Notification of adoption approval will be made before April 26, and horses must be picked up from the college between April 26 and April 28.

        

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