The News Is Out!

My good friend Dyan found and sent me this for this blog, Sage and Steven's Scrapbook:
( sorry about the broken text, I cut and pasted...looks fine in the preview....if someone knows how to fix this, please email me! calysgal24@comcast.net Thank You!)

Great weekend for the USWHBABy Michael YodiceThe US Wild Horse and Burro Association shot out of the gate SaturdayMay 2nd and never looked back. Our trainers, working as Bureau of LandManagement volunteers through the “Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro” fosterprogram, are responsible for a 100% Mustang adoption. The adoption washeld at Ricks Saddle Shop Cream Ridge New Jersey Equestrian Super Store.Ten of the twelve Mustangs available for adoption found homes. (More onthe other 2 in a moment). We are extremely proud of our trainers, andhonored, as this was the VERY FIRST BLM gentled Mustang mini adoption.The mini adoptions are a pilot program established by the BLM to offergentled Mustangs and Burros via their volunteer trainers, to potentialadopters who may not have the facilities, or the knowledge of wild equinebehavior to take on a wild horse or burro. The mini adoption program alsohelps keep costs down for the BLM.
BLM volunteer trainers Robin Rivello, Kim Dore, Reid Totten, MeganPrint, Cliff Crowl, and Kristen King, travelled to Lexington Virginia tochoose their prospective Mustangs at an adoption held at the Virginia HorseCenter the weekend of March 14th. They had only 48 days to gentle, train,and prepare their horses for the Ricks event. The numbers tell the tale. Theyall did a great job. All the trainers held demonstrations for the publicthroughout the day.
Steve Meyer, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist, from the BLM EasternStates Milwaukee Field Office was at the adoption to approve the adopter’sapplications.
Scott Swanson, External Affairs for the Wild Horse and Burro Program outof the Springfield Virginia office was also at the adoption. It was hiscoordination and guidance that enabled this adoption to take place.
The USWHBA also had a display table with sale items to support theorganization, and free items provided by the BLM for the promotion of the“Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro” program. The USWHBA also had a cookoutserving hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks. Ricks provided thegrill. Purina Mills also donated 5 bags of feed to each adopter and their newMustang.
The following day, Sunday May 3rd, The USWHBA was at the “NewJersey Horse Expo” held at the Hunterdon County Fair Grounds in RingoesN.J. Once again we had our display table set up promoting the organizationand the BLM, along with 6 pens for our animals. We brought 4 mascots (3Mustangs and 1 Burro), and the 2 Mustangs that did not get adopted atRicks. Steve Meyer and Scott Swanson were also there.
Our Vice President, Hans Shull, rode Robin Rivello’s Mustang Skye inthe parade of breeds. Hans is also a member of the Single Action ShootingSociety (SASS) and participates in Cowboy Mounted Shooting events andcompetitions on his Mustang gelding Vinny. Hans, dressed in his vintagecowboy outfit, gave an afternoon demonstration, also with Skye, on how toprepare and train your horse for the sights and sounds (gun fire), that are partof the SASS events.
But the highlight of the Expo for us all was when the final 2 Mustangsavailable were adopted. It was an unbelievable feeling. We had achieved100% at the very first mini adoption. It is pretty amazing considering ourorganization was conceived in August 2008, and established in October2008. As stated earlier, we are truly honored to be part of this groundbreaking program with the BLM. Our directors, trainers, and memberswould like to thank the BLM for the faith and trust they have put in us.
The USWHBA would like to thank the following.Ricks Saddle ShopThe Bureau of Land Management, Wild Horse and Burro ProgramPurina MillsThe Hunterdon County Chamber of CommerceThe Hunterdon County Volunteer CommitteeThe BLM Mustang TrainersAnd most of all, the Mustang adoptersSincerely,The Directors and Members of the US Wild Horse and Burro AssociationP.S. To all of the adopters from this weekend, the USWHBA would like tostart a monthly spotlight page showing you and your horse together, as youprogress through the years. Please send us your photos so we can show offyour horses.

Whoo Hoo! GO! USWHBA