The Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) is expanding its Storefront Training and Adoption Program in hopes of offering more gentled mustangs and burros to the public through a national trainer base, an effort to support its mission of increasing the adoption of America’s excess mustangs and burros.
The Bureau of Land Management currently estimates 58,000 wild horses and burros roam public rangelands in the 10 Western states. Another 47,000 plus animals have been gathered from those lands and have been placed in off-range corrals and pastures, costing taxpayers an estimated $49 million to care for each year. Through a partnership with the BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program, the Mustang Heritage Foundation works to place the excess animals into private homes through innovative training and gentling programs, including the Extreme Mustang Makeover. The nonprofit group has placed over 6,300 mustangs into adoptive homes since 2007.
MHF is looking for additional individuals who are able to train and gentle 10 or more wild mustangs and burros at any one time and that have the necessary facilities, including 6-ft fences, to safely house the animals. The Storefront Program is open to trainers nationwide. Participation and approval is accomplished through an application process that reviews horse training history and skills.
Approved horsemen and women will be expected to halter train each horse or burro, while teaching trailer loading and unloading, and preparing the animal for future farrier work. After the training requirements are met, the participant is responsible for finding an adopter for the gentled animal, which is available to the public for $125.
Storefront trainers will receive $1,000 for each horse and burro placed into an adoptive home. Other opportunities through the program include serving as a temporary holding and pick up location for other Trainer Incentive Program (TIP) and Storefront trainers and adopters.
To learn more about the Storefront opportunity, visit http://www.