Wild horses, burros get new homes at adoption event in Jackson

While some think there's something majestic about a mustang, others consider them the mutts of the horse world.

Unlike most domestic horses with long pedigrees, American wild horses, or mustangs, are a mix of breeds. They're descended from horses once held by Native Americans, Spanish explorers, ranchers or miners, said Martha Malik, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Program.

Eleven were adopted Saturday during a wild horse and burro adoption event at Flickerwood Arena in Jackson. One mustang went into the horse version of foster care, and seven burros were adopted.

"There's no other bond like the one between a person and a mustang," said Jessi Huston, 15, of O'Fallon, Mo., who volunteered at Saturday's adoption event. "It's just a special bond you don't have with any other domestic horse."

Huston competed in a national 90-day training competition called Extreme Mustang Makeover with a horse she adopted through the Bureau of Land Management's program. She worked with her horse, named Valero, three times a day using a training method called gentling. Unlike some aggressive methods used to break a horse, gentling uses a series of tender touches to train the horse. Huston's work earned her fourth place out of 14 horses in last year's Makeover competition.

Wild brown jack burros stand in a pen Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 at the Wild Horse and Burro adoption event at Flickerwood Arena in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

"Once you gain their trust, you can do anything with them," she said.

Huston has helped out at five wild horse adoption events, showing off her horse and encouraging others to adopt a wild horse just like she did.

"They are great animals, and just like all animals, they need homes," she said.

The Bureau of Land Management removes thousands of animals from public lands each year in an effort to control herd sizes.

"Their herd sizes double every four years because they have no natural predators," Malik said.

The cost to adopt a wild horse is $125 for animals up to 3 years old and $25 for animals age 3 and older.

Along with those who were serious about taking a horse or burro home, many more people came to Flickerwood just to view the 23 horses and 10 burros on display Friday and Saturday.

Danel Reese, 10, of Farmington, Mo., recently researched mustangs for a 4-H project so she was excited about the opportunity to see some for herself. She was a little nervous as she pet 7-year-old mustang Blackjack on the nose. Blackjack's owner Jerry Woodson of Perryville, Mo., adopted him at a Bureau of Land Management wild horse adoption in 2006 at Flickerwood. Saturday he had him saddled up to how him off.

"I think they make great trail riding horses," he said. "Mine has a slow trot that makes him easy to ride and he has a lot of stamina. He can really go."

Demonstrations on gentling, riding and equestrian vaulting -- essentially gymnastics on horseback -- took place throughout the day.

Shari Smith-Mead of Irondale, Mo., said her mustangs like vaulting because the animals enjoy doing different things.

"Yes, you can have them as pasture ornaments, but they like to interact," said Smith-Mead, who has adopted three mustangs and two burros.

mmiller@semissourian.com

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3027 Larch Lane, Jackson, Mo.