# BLM Mustang adoption



## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

Has anyone ever done it?

My first horse was a BLM mustang who was my babysitter. Its been 20+ years since he passed away, and I've always wanted to honor him by adopting a mustang. Buck was the hands down, most trustworthy horse I have ever met.

If you've done it, how did it go? Any advice you'd give? What would you do differently?


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

I don't know anyone who's adopted one directly from the BLM, but my friend adopted one out of the Nevada State Prison training program. These are young horses, "green broke" by the inmates. He was IIRC about 3 when she got him, which was about 5 years ago. He's become a very strong & well-mannered horse (except for trying to get more than his share of treats & brushing), one that she'll trail-ride anywhere.

However, she does have a good bit of experience working with & training horses. So it depends on your experience, the age of the horse, etc.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

Cool that you'd like to adopt a Stang, Draftrider! They're so wonderful! _The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary_ in S Dakota has a few dvd's by their trainer, & maybe you could talk with him as well. I took care of winter feed for one Stang there a couple of years back, so got to name him ("Noble").


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I know way, way more mustang adoption horror stories than I do success stories. The success stories have common threads: experienced horsepeople with a suitable facility that wanted the experience of starting totally from scratch. The horror stories all have common threads too: Inexperienced people (who had either "rode all the time as a kid" or had taken some riding lessons) who didn't know what they were getting into, didn't have adequate help and didn't have the correct facilities. 

That said; you've had one before, and I assume you've had previous experience breaking from scratch and socializing an unhandled horse, so if the idea appeals to you, I say go for it. 

I got to the point where I really preferred starting completely unhandled horses because 1.) nobody else had made mistakes and screwed them up 2.) I knew exactly what they knew and had done and exactly what they didn't. 

I do want to add one more caveat though - 

You will probably end up with as much or more money in the mustang when you've produced a finished horse than it would take to buy a finished horse right now. But I'm guessing that you're interested in this because you want the experience, so that may not matter as much to you. 

Good luck!


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I would consider Maddie to have been a wild horse- she was totally unhandled when I got her. Born on range, her first experience with people was me, loading her into a trailer with a series of panels and gates. 

I do have facilities for an unhandled horse. I've been reading though that many mustangs in holding facilities DO get handled. I may even get one that has more handling than Maddie did.

I am not concerned about the money- sure the initial adoption of 125$ or so is nothing, I can get free horses all day off Craigslist around here. I just want the experience mainly. =) Hoping beyond hope I'll find another Buck too perhaps.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

I have always wanted to adopt a mustang. I just don't have the money right now, nor do I have the facility for it anymore due to our theraputic riding program that is growing extremely large. I'm definately going to think about it whenever my fiance' and I get our own place and whatnot.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

My former BO adopted 4 out of greediness (because they were very cheap, like $125 2 of them, and 2 for $25). Unfortunately having no experience with horses plus using a "trainer" (to whom I wouldn't even trust to brush my horses) gave a very bad result: 1 smart beast looking to get rid of you when possible, 1 completely unrespectful to everyone baby, and 2 mental wrecks (one from previous "adoption", one because of an accident). 

I've seen couple VERY well trained mustangs in the barn I used to trail ride in. I mean they were amazing horses. So it all depends on how you deal with them and train them (which is true for any horse anyway).


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

My family adopted from the Oregon herd for years when my Grandpa was still alive and able to break horses.

Basically it was a lottery system. You drew numbers and the got to choose the best of the horses. You had to have a stock trailer (no two horse) and there were other requirements as far as what kind of corral etc you had to have when you brought the horse back.

Sometimes we got lucky and got early draws and sometimes not so lucky and the horses that were left weren't worth getting.

My Grandpa trained them then sold them to the Forest Service for riding and pack horses.


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## payette (Jun 3, 2010)

If you are prepared (and it sounds like you are) I would definitely reccomend it. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have 2 that I trained. I didn't exactly adopt them from the BLM so much as buy them off adopters that realized they had bitten off much more than they could chew from a really spicy pepper. LOL. Dobe was completely unhandled when I brought him home but now, he is one of the better horses we have. I can get on him and do almost anything and though he still has his moments of hyperreactivity to outside stimuli, it is completely controllable. Koda had had a bit of handling by the time I got him though he still didn't know anything. He wouldn't lead and someone had screwed up training him to lift his feet for the shoer. The only good thing about him was that he just wasn't terrified of people like Dobe was. Neither of them ever offered to buck during training and they made very nice horses. If you have the experience and facilities, then I say go for it. I would like to get another one someday. The only thing with them is that I have noticed they seem to have a heightened fight/flight reflex and if you push too hard, they can turn on you.


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

One thing I remember about Buck was he was absolutely fearless. He one time chased down and pummeled a bobcat that was in the horse pasture. Another time I was riding- I was probably 8 years old? and he started freaking out and stomping his front feet on the ground. I got scared and told him to stop, only to find he had stomped to death a garter snake. I thought he was just being naughty!


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

The absolutely best horse I have ever owned is a BLM Mustang. He is awesome times 10. Best trail horse ever! I can ride with friends with well bred QH's and professional training and my Mustang is never outclassed. 

But I can't take any credit for training him. I bought him off a saddle maker who actually caught him wild in Wyoming and had him trained as a roping horse. So my guy does have a lot of good training in him. 

The only thing that make hims different than any other horse I have owned is that he is more leary and suspicous of new people. Actually, when I went to try him out, he wouldn't even let me approach him. But once you earn his trust, he is just an awesome, awesome horse. I don't think I could have found a better trail horse at any price. No kidding. I paid $2000 for him and he was worth every penny. I would love to own about 5 of him, lol! :lol:

You know what's kind of strange? With every other horse, I kind of have the attitude of "I am the human, I make the decisions" but with John, its like I really trust his judgement. Like I know he wouldn't refuse to do something unless he had a legitimate concern about his safety, so if he refuses something, I take notice. Also, I have taken wrong turns in the trail, only to realize that John wanted to make the correct turn all along. So now I trust his judgement in knowing how to get home too. It's like he's the most honest, intelligent horse I have ever known. He's smart, but he's not tricky at all. He takes his job as trail horse very seriously! 

Also, other people's horses can be acting up, running past us, whatever, and he listens to ME and doesn't get herd bound. (I am sure that is just good training and not a Mustang trait, but still, not many horses hold their cool when everyone else is bouncing off the walls).

Okay, enough bragging about John. But I just had to, he gives Mustangs a good name. :mrgreen: I happen to think he's handsome too.


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## 5cuetrain (Dec 11, 2009)

Depends on the horse--as always.

A 9 Year old stud just recently gelded is not the horse to choose from the BLM. He is way to set in his ways to do much with.

If you have ever been to the auction then you know--If they run your horse into the chute--on horseback notice--and he bolts into the trailer and bounces his head off the front--moving the trailer 4 or 5 feet--most likely you have your hands full.

Take someone with experience with you to pick the right horse--right mind--right conformation etc.-- and get a fresh pair of gloves!


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