Get to know the Colorado youth group training wild mustangs for adoption

On a recent Sunday in northern Colorado, a group of 10- to 15-year-old girls gathered at a barn to learn about handling wild horses. The girls are part of a youth training program with the Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy Group in Wellington, a nonprofit organization that focuses on finding homes for once free-roaming mustangs that have been removed from the range. The goal of the program is to train these horses as riding horses so they can be adopted into loving homes.

The day started with a question-and-answer session and important safety tips from trainer Cayla Stone. One of the key safety tips emphasized was never allowing a horse to put its butt towards a person. The girls, eager to learn, responded emphatically with a resounding „No.“

Mustangs are iconic symbols of the American West, but the U.S. government faces challenges in managing their populations. Colorado officials are exploring alternatives to federal government helicopter roundups to thin the state’s herds. In the meantime, many horses are left in pens with nowhere to go. This is where Wild Rose and its youth training program step in to make a difference.

Since its inception in 2018, Wild Rose has successfully found homes for approximately 70 horses. Ruth Rose, one of the organization’s founders and a veterinary oncologist at Colorado State University, recognized the need for more training programs to help these horses transition from the range to domestic life. Building trust between the horses and humans is crucial for their success in adoption.

Each youth trainer in the program is assigned a specific horse and has three months to teach them essential skills such as standing still while being groomed and loading into a trailer calmly. The trainers do not ride the horses but lay the groundwork for future riding. At the end of the summer, a competition is held at CSU’s campus where the youth trainers showcase their horses‘ progress by navigating obstacles commonly found on a trail ride.

The girls at the training session in Wellington are not new to working with mustangs. Many of them have prior experience and some even have their own mustangs. Ellie Bruckert, a 15-year-old participant, shared her journey with mustangs, highlighting the unique bond formed with each horse. Patience and trust-building are key components of working with these wild animals, as emphasized by 14-year-old Dagny Brault.

Aside from their work with the mustangs, the girls have typical summer plans such as mountain biking, playing sports, and swimming. However, the mustangs hold a special place in their hearts, with Coral Rose expressing her love for the wild horses‘ sweet nature and the opportunity to help them transition to being ridden.

In conclusion, the youth training program at Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy Group provides a valuable opportunity for young girls to learn about and work with wild horses. Through patience, trust-building, and dedication, these girls are making a difference in the lives of these majestic animals, ensuring they have a chance at a happy and fulfilling future.