Mustang Mission

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) frequently states that wild equines are overpopulated, and many believe it without question.  The BLM's claims are correct and based on science, right?  Maybe not.  Let's dig into this deeper - you may be surprised at what we find. First, it is necessary to note that the BLM's leadership is very much against wild horses and burros.  Why?  Because many ranchers in the livestock industry hate wild horses and burros since they compete for the forage on the range.  Ranchers have a lot of power and influence in the BLM's decision making.  Not to mention that nearly every member of the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board is for livestock and against wild horses; this is obvious by their statements and votes during board meetings. The BLM's method for population counts is not efficient.  The Double Observer Method is conducted over several days as the BLM counts wild horses and burros from ...

I've wanted to write a blog post of my favorite horse "things" for a while, mainly to have an available list when people ask me what I use.  I thought it would be an interesting topic, so here it is!  First, I'll take you out for the horse's morning feeding! Feed & Treats About 1/4 of what I feed my horses is from Triple Crown.  The rest is Standlee's Alfalfa & Timothy Pellets .  When I train them, I use DuMOR's Alfalfa Pellets for treats since they are larger and easier to hand feed.  I use Alfalfa Pellets for training instead of bagged treats or apples and carrots because they're a low-value reinforcer (not as high in sugar = not as desirable)! My favorite treats are Standlee's Apple Berry Cookie Cubes .  My horses love them!  The only time I use these treats in training is when I ride Alamo (because they are more reinforcing).  Since they are more reinforcing, I only use them because I have taught Alamo manners around food.  I als...

There is something about the west that strikes everyone—the vast landscape, untamed plains, ancient Indian camps, and wild horses and burros.  While all of these aspects have captivated the hearts of Americans for decades, mustangs are widely renowned for their beauty, strong family ties, and the freedom they greatly cherish.  But when we dig deeper, a question may arise, “Why do we really have wild horses and burros?”  When Hernan Cortez came to the new world in 1519 1 , he brought with him gorgeous Spanish horses.  Their descendants are what we now know today as the American Mustang.  Burros were later transported to America in the 1500’s 2 on another Spanish boat.  As the years went by, they began to be used by the Native Americans, and later by cowboys exploring the west.  These hardy animals were prized for their strength and intelligence.  It was then, as the west became settled, that the wild horses and burros became known as the western i...

Throughout the West, wild horse and burro herds are racing towards extinction.  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with other government agencies, seem intent on driving them out of their rangelands and imprisoning them in holding pens – funded with our tax dollars. Although advocates all over America are working for these animals’ freedom, the BLM finally released their overdue Report to Congress last year, which the senate passed.  This new plan outlines the removal of 220,000 mustangs and burros in the next twenty years.  There are already 50,000+ mustangs and burros in holding pens. In this plan, the BLM will reach the “Appropriate” Management Level (AML) of 26,715 wild horses and burros on 26.9 million acres of land.  This means that each wild equine remaining in the wild would be expected to cover and use about 1,000+ acres. At the Paul’s Valley Off-Range Corral in Oklahoma, wild horses and burros are housed in a private pasture until their adoption.  Su...

Below is a story about a wild horse, Renegade, that was rescued from a livestock feedlot.  Feedlots are a common place for slaughter buyers to visit (while looking for horses to purchase), so Renegade was in danger of going to slaughter.  Unfortunately, this story is very common for Sales Authority mustangs, even mustangs that have been adopted (due to the Adoption Incentive Program ).  That's why Mustang Mission is dedicated to rescuing  mustangs and burros in these situations. Please click on the images below to read the story!