Our Youth Training Initiative: Wild Horse Wonders and T.A.M.E. have joined forces to support Sale Authority Mustangs – essentially, unprotected Mustangs – in a program known as The Wild Horse Course, supporting students in the Drop Out Retrieval Program at the Vista Charter School located in Montrose, Colorado.

The Wild Horse Course is a vital initiative aimed at preventing both young participants and Mustangs from falling through the cracks of a system that often lacks adequate support for their unique needs.

The Wild Horse Course

Support for Mustangs:

1. Protection: By training Sale Authority Mustangs, the program plays a pivotal role in protecting Mustangs that face uncertain futures. We have partnered with the Bloomfield, New Mexico Mustang Holding Facility to acquire Sale Authority Mustangs, in other words, Unprotected Mustangs, to sponsor this program. These horses will be gentled through The Wild Horse Course and then go on to under saddle training with one of our other Training Partners and be available for adoption in the future!

2. Advocacy: By engaging young minds in the training and care of Mustangs, we hope to raise awareness about the importance of their conservation.

3. Training and Care: The program ensures that these Mustangs receive the beginning gentling training and attention they need, preventing them from becoming casualties of an unsupportive system. Through this program the horses are given a chance to thrive in our domestic world.

Support for Youth:

Vista Charter School in Montrose, CO believes in an individualized, anytime, anywhere approach to education. Vista originally functioned as the districts Drop Out Retrieval Program and is still helping High School students, up to the age of 21, receive their High School Diploma. The students selected for The Wild Horse Course come voluntarily, but with high recommendation from the Guidance Counselor, who believes they will greatly benefit from the social - emotional work tied to working with these wild horses.

1. Empowerment: This program empowers young individuals by giving them a purpose and teaching them essential life skills. The youth face challenges within the current system, and our program provides a supportive environment where they can develop confidence and resilience.

2. Education: Through the program, participants gain valuable knowledge about horsemanship, conservation, and personal development. This education equips them with skills that are not always readily available within traditional educational systems.

3. Mentorship: The program offers mentorship from Konnie Fries, experienced Mustang Trainer and Masters in Psychology, who, through her own life path, can understand the specific challenges that these young people may have encountered.

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In essence, The Wild Horse Course serves as a bridge, filling the gaps in our system by providing the support, education, and advocacy that both youth and Mustangs desperately need. By doing so, it helps prevent these individuals from being lost within a system that often overlooks their unique requirements and potential contributions to society.