12/21/2025
This page will serve as a location to find research-backed information regarding training and mustang adoption education, but it would be inauthentic if I did not also provide my own opinion on a lot of the subjects we will be discussing. The idea for this project is to better improve the lives of our mustangs as they exit their previous life of freedom and join domestic homes. This is an incredibly impactful lifestyle change, and thus, our job as their adopters is to provide them a life even more exceptional and worthwhile.
For those who are opposed to gathers and the thousands of horses sitting in holding across the country, particularly out west, I hear you, I see you, and I understand where you are coming from. I believe a lot of the “they should remain wild” crowd and the mustang adopters share a similar mentality. We want our horses to be happy. Unfortunately we live in an imperfect world. Humans have taken over, and unfortunately, many species suffer the consequences.
I believe gathers are important, as outlined in a post from last week. I will always stand for that. But there are of course nuances in the way things are done that I certainly do not agree with. Many may be unfamiliar, but I grew up in the saddlebred industry. I am an ex-saddle seat rider, and when I learned how the industry treats its horses, I turned a full 180, now training with minimal pressure techniques and an emphasis on positive reinforcement. Most people argue I am “too gentle” with my horses, and quite frankly, that's the best compliment you could give me. I care so deeply about mental well being in horses, I feel the anger when seeing incredibly harmful and dominant based training well praised online, or worse, awarded at large scale competitions. This compassion for the horses does not stop when it comes to the mustangs, but frankly, it's a really difficult road that these horses are on.
One of the most commonly argued topics is holding pens. Oftentimes crammed with horses, and although their needs are met in regards to their feed access, water, friends, and sometimes (not always), shelter. I don’t view holding pens as paradise, especially knowing where these horses came from. But I view them the same as I do a shelter full of dogs and cats. It's heartbreaking to see, but I’m grateful shelters exist. It is also the reason it is so important to adopt, so that the cage (or corral with our horses), can then be occupied by the next in need animal. That is my goal, and the message I am trying to portray to those willing to be open minded.
A life in the wild is not a paradise. Horses don’t always have access to the forage they need. And many of them live in fear. I see this so often when a new untouched horse comes in. Anxious, tense, a stomach with potential ulcers, twitchy, unable to relax, another visual that never gets easier. As I work with them, I watch this tension fade. After a few months, they are completely transformed. They are relaxed, body and muscles are loose, their personality begins to break through, and you can visually see their entire being take a deep breath and relax. A life of fear is no life to be lived. If us humans seek comfort and relaxation, wouldn’t we want the same for our horses? I truly believe mustang gentling is the best service we can provide to them, and that alone, is why I will never stop fighting for their adoption and training, when done in a compassionate and empathetic manner.
