Mustang Heritage Foundation
 | |
| Formation | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)3 non-profit |
| Purpose | Promoting welfare of American mustangs and burros |
| Headquarters | Round Rock, Texas |
Region served | United States |
Chair | Gary Holt |
| Website | mustangheritagefoundation |
The Mustang Heritage Foundation, is an American organization dedicated to supporting the welfare of feral horses (mustangs) and donkeys (burros). The organization works closely with the US Bureau of Land Management to support its efforts.
History
[edit]The Wild Horse and Burro Program was created in 1971 by the Bureau of Land Management, part of the United States Department of the Interior. Its purpose was to manage the herds of feral horses and donkeys roaming lands in the Western US. This involved controlling the sizes of the herds so that they do not tax the natural resources too much and endanger themselves or other animals. Ideally the BLM tries to have the mustangs and burros it removes from the wild adopted privately. This has become more challenging as the years have passed.[1]
In 2001, the Mustang Heritage Foundation was established aiming to help the BLM find homes for mustangs and burros collected from the wild and to minimize the amount of time these animals have to remain in holding facilities. The organization has facilitated the adoption of thousands of animals.
In 2007, the MHF held its first Extreme Mustang Makeover event in Fort Worth. The Foundation arranged for 100 horse trainers to spend 100 days training 100 mustangs fresh from the wild. During the event, the trainers competed for prizes to demonstrate how domesticated their horses were and how ready for real-world use. The wildly successful event has since been held annually and similar events are now held across the country to promote interest in mustangs.[2]
Extreme Mustang Makeover
[edit]
The signature creation of the Mustangs Heritage Foundation has been the Extreme Mustang Makeover. Talented trainers from around the country compete to train newly acquired mustangs from the BLM in 100 days and showcase their skills in arena competitions. The showcased horses are then auctioned for adoption. Not only this, but other untrained horses from the BLM are made available at the same time.[3]
Starting from one event in 2007 this concept has blossomed into multiple events across the country, some directly sponsored by the MHF and some sponsored by other organizations. In 2024, there was:
- Mustang Magic, Forth Worth, TX - Jan 19-21
- Mustang Heritage Spectacular, Franklin, TN - Jun 11
- Meeker Mustang Makeover, Seeker, CO - Aug 24
- Fort Worth Mustang Show, Fort Worth TX - Sep 6-7
- EMM New Jersey, Logan Township, NJ - Oct 20-24
- EMM, Glen Rose, TX - Dec 6-7
See also
[edit]- Free-roaming horse management in North America
- List of Bureau of Land Management Herd Management Areas
- Mustang Challenge
- Mustang Classic
References
[edit]- ^ "About the Program". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ "What we do". Mustang Heritage Foundation. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ "The Mustang Heritage Foundation Celebrates 10 Years of Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth". Colorado Horse Source. November 14, 2016.