What is the temperament of the domestic Mustang horse?
We have one domestic and four BLM adopted mustangs. You are right in the fact every individual has their own character. I have a black BLM. gelding that was very curious and great with people from day one. I also have a palimino mare mustang that was and probably always will be shy. I have a stawberry roan blm mare that is really sweet, but VERY dominating over the other horses. Our domestic, now 18 yrs old is a classic champagne who has always been very easy going and somewhat lazy. Mustangs from the wild are not all spirited. Once they figure out you are not going to eat them, they can be fantastic, level headed mounts. The black one I mentioned, I have taken on trails, through abondoned fields, and even along a busy city street recently on a mounted search and rescue. Wild mustangs are not that different than their domestic counterparts.
Should I Adopt A Wild Mustang?
Personally I would skip the online adoption and wait for a live auction. The prices at the online auctions get a little higher, and it is always better - even with a Mustang - if you can see the horse first hand before you buy it. If you can, go to a live auction and just watch. From start to finish (trailer loading). The reason I say that - well most people don't know what they are getting into until they see what the BLM officers have to go through to put a halter and lead rope on the horse and then load it into the trailer. I have seen people turn green and get sick watching their new horse(s) get haltered and loaded. Mustangs, thanks to the movies, have been portrayed in the "rebel without a cause" image. And they only need some love and a few well placed apples to make them gentle. 99% of the time that is not the case. They require a lot of work. Not just a lot of work but consistant work. They are a huge commitment. You didn't mention if you had a round pen or not - if you don't, I would get one of those first. If you have one, you will not be able to "lead" your Mustang to the round pen. You will have to run them into it to work them. So you need to contruct some chutes or place it right up to the gate of its corral. You also won't be able to lead it off the trailor, make sure you are in a situation where you can just back it up to the gate and drop it off. There are a lot of things that go into training a Mustang, but go to an adoption first and see what you are dealing with. You may change your mind. Best of Luck!
Question about BLM and Mustang adoption?
Before I further look into adopting a mustang I had one set of questions that will either allow me to continue on my way or bring this thought to a halt. I've read that electric fences are not allowed. Is this also true for purchasing a mustang from someone who has adopted over a year ago? Are there any exceptions to this rule? I just had an electric fence put in, four wires - three hot, one neutral - posts are six feet across and 5 1/2 feet tall. The fence is not real hot, it just has a tickle, I can touch it with my bare hand - however, I have two old horses that have never bothered any fencing I've put up, it doesn't need to be real hot for them (the voltage can be changed as well). Do you think this matters any/is there a way around it? The fence is really harmless, its super secure, the wire is more than tight (yes I understand that a horse can go right through a fence and there is that chance that they can get tangled in the wire if some freak thing happened). Are the fence "rules" only for a certain amount of time (or until the mustang has undergone some training)? (Could I board the mustang at a place that meets requirements for a year or slightly more and later move him onto my property? How is the best way to find out more about these things (contact BLM? is there a certain route I should take? etc.)? and lastly, What other crucial information can you tell me about BLM and Mustang adoption that isn't posted right on the various websites or you feel you should stress to me? Thank you for your help! (If you feel I should post this in a different category, please inform me and advice a category.)
What do people in other countries think about Donald Trump?
CanadaWe’re concerned for our poor neighbours to the south, while simultaneously amazed at this unbelievable spectacle:UpdateI was astounded and dismayed, but not really surprised, when I read the Calgary Sun (a right-wing and very conservative news daily). They had published a poll taken of their readers to find out which presidential candidate people supported. The poll showed 48% support for Trump, 27% support for Hillary and 25% undecided.These sad numbers should not be surprising because this is an oil-producing province and Trump, a climate change denier, said that he would give his blessing to a huge pipeline project to send Alberta oil (most of it from our Athabasca “tar-sands”, a very polluting and expensive source) to the US Gulf Coast.A presidential endorsement of this “Keystone XL Pipeline” (Barack Obama already said, “No”) is something that Alberta oil barons would dearly love to see and so Trump is their man; environment and world peace be damned I suppose, as long as the oil companies keep making money. :^(Trump’s approval rating will be much lower and Hillary’s much higher in more liberal-minded parts of Canada, such as British Columbia and Ontario (maybe in Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia too). Saskatchewan and Manitoba, prairie-land in the middle of Canada, are a mystery to me.
Why do people write stories on questions that can be answered with a couple of sentences?
Sometimes, though there is a simple/direct answer,there are additional details and/or information that will make the answer more complete, or provide a greater understanding.In other cases, analogies, examples and “stories” can help provide context, clarity or avoid ambiguity.Admittedly, some people do appear to go off at a tangent,sometimes answering a question that wasn’t asked, or traversing borderline topics that barely pertain.And then there’s responses like Tor Gausen’s - that had me in stitches :D
If you catch a wild horse can you keep it?
No. Personally I'd never want to, for 3 reasons : 1. That is illegal. If you really want an "inquisitive" foal, the BLM does various auctions throughout the year. 2. Breaking a wild horse is not like breaking a tame green or unbroken horse. You look what, 17? 18 maybe? You can't have had that much experience with horses to know about handling a wild one. The people I see bid on them at auctions are typically older people who've done it before and know what they're doing. Plus, the requirements for you to keep a wild horse are pretty strict from the BLM. 3. I'm sure not everyone feels this way but I like to keep the wild things wild. That just adds to their beauty.
How much does it cost to buy a horse in 2012/2013?
horses can range from anywhere between free and millions of dollars. The free horses can be found on sites like craigslist and usually have issues and most of the time cannot be ridden. The next level up I'd say is between $100 and $800. You can find these horses at rescues or auctions or some farms. Most of the horses at auction are in rough shape from being carriage or work horses and will be better more as a companion. There are always exceptions though and i've seen many wonderful horses come from auctions. The major downside of this is that the places are usually rough and there are a lot of abused and mistreated animals. I wouldn't suggest purchasing a horse from an auction unless you have a lot of experience or if you bring someone who does, possibly a vet or someone who has purchased many horses before. There are veterinarians on site, but they are hired by the auction and I personally would prefer to have my own there. There are a ton of rescues out there as well and buying from them is always nice because you're helping an animal in need and the money you pay goes to help their cause. The cheaper ones are obviously older or in worse condition and most likely cannot be ridden, but there are hidden gems in these places as well. There are many farms you can buy horses for around 500, for example I used to train ex-racehorses to jump at a local training facility. The owner would buy the Thoroughbreds from auction for a few hundred and once they began training they would range from as low as 1000 to 5000. So, if you were to purchase an off the track thoroughbred or another green horse (which i would NOT recommend if you don't have years of experience) it would be cheaper than a highly trained one. Unfortunately, what I would think would be the best bet for you would be to purchase an already trained horse from either a private seller or even a lesson barn. If you don't have a lot of experience you will need to spend a couple grand to get a horse that is safe for you to ride. I'd say these horses can range from anywhere from 1000-10000 depending on the seller, the breed, the age, the genetics and the abilities. There's so much that comes into play but like with anything if you do your research and shop around you will find one that suits you and your needs. Good luck!
Do all wild Mustangs have papers and brands?
I'm familiar with BLM Mustangs, as I have ridden and trained a good handful over the last 3 months at a friend's ranch in Tennessee. Every Mustang I've encountered so far, no matter how young or old, has had papers and the infamous "BLM Freeze Brand". I've never seen a Mustang without either a brand or papers... they've always had BOTH. A gal I just met last week is looking for a kid broke horse for her daughter and found a Mustang for a good price. She wanted me to go with her to check her out and I did. The horse is definitely dead broke, looks like your typical Mustang and is 9 years old. The fishy thing, she has NO papers and NO brand. The first thing I did when I saw her was look at the left side of her neck to read the brand but there was nothing to be found. The owner said "It was before they started branding/papering them"... which I think is B.S. because I've ridden an 18 year old Mustang named Cole more times than I could care to count. I'm not sure how organisations other than the BLM handle wild 'stangs, so the seller could be correct if it is from another org., but I'd like to get a few more opinions. Aren't ALL Mustangs branded/papered? Thanks a lot guys, I gotta figure this one sorted out by tomorrow so the faster I get responses the better. Thanks again!