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Hello. My name is Careen Hammock and I was chosen to participate this year in the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover held in Fort Worth, Texas in September. I was one of 200 horse trainers chosen nationwide to participate in this honorable event. The Extreme Mustang Makeover was created by the Mustang Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to highlight the value of the mustang horse through competition showcasing their trainability, versatility and beauty. Let me give you some background information about the BLM, Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Extreme Mustang Makeover.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for managing 258 million acres of public lands, located mostly in the West. Wild horses and burros roaming public rangelands are managed in a manner consistent with the BLM’s overall multiple-use mission, as set forth in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 216,000 horses and burros into private care through adoptions. For more information, visit the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program.
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Taz with the BLM prior to pickup in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
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The American Mustang is more accurately termed the “feral horse”. Feral horses (mustangs) are those whose ancestors were domestic horses that were freed or escaped from early explorers, native tribes, ranches, cavalry, etc. to become roaming herds all across the United States. The first domestic horses in America arrived with Columbus on his second voyage. During the early Spanish exploration years, horses came over with each voyage. The Spanish explorers were supplied these horses from breeding farms in the West Indies. It is not well documented on how or when the first horses were either stolen or escaped from the Spaniards, but it is estimated that by the 1800’s there were 2 to 5 million head of feral horses, mostly in the Southwest. See Extreme Mustang Makeover Media >
Throughout the history of the feral horse, the government devised ways to reduce the numbers of free-roaming horses to appease the cattle-ranchers vying for the grazing land, and to keep the herds from over-populating thus starving to death due to lack of grazing land. For more information please go to: Extreme Mustang Makeover FAQ.
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Wild Mustang "Taz" his first week in Texas |
The Mustang Heritage Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) public, charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating successful adoptions for America’s excess mustangs and burros. Founded in 2001, its mission is to help promote the Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Program and increase the number of successful adoptions. The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is to increase the adoption of mustangs across the country. For more info, go to the Mustang Heritage Foundation web site.
With 100 days to tame wild to mild, 200 trainers from across America will gentle 200 Wild Nevada Mustangs and compete for $50,000 in the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Mustang Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the BLM, created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event in order to recognize and highlight the value of Mustangs through a national training competition. This event gives the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts. The purpose of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is to showcase the beauty, versatility and trainability of the rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West, where they are protected by the BLM under Federal law.
At the conclusion of the Extreme Mustang Makeover the participating Mustangs are available for adoption by competitive bid. Through these events the foundation offers the public a special opportunity to adopt a true Living Legend.
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2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover Overview:
In keeping with the mission of the Foundation, the Extreme Mustang Makeover will occur at the John Justin Arena in Ft. Worth, TX, September 18-21, 2008. The goal of the event is to promote adoption through showcasing Mustangs' value and trainability through competition.
200 wild Mustangs from Nevada will be brought to the Bureau of Land Management's facilities in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma and Palomino Valley, Nevada. Additional pick-up locations may be added east of the Mississippi. The 200 Mustangs will be as uniform in size, age as possible. Mustangs will be between 3-4 years of age with current vaccinations and hooves trimmed.
200 approved horse trainers will be selected and the Mustangs will be pre-assigned to the trainer by computer draw prior to pick-up so that appropriate health papers may be created for trainers' home states. Trainers must meet all requirements listed below for hauling and stabling their Mustang. The trainers will then take the Mustang to their training facility where they will have until September 18, 2008 to return to Ft. Worth, Texas for the Extreme Mustang Makeover. At that time the trainers will compete in three areas - conditioning, citizenship (ground work) and riding the "Horse Course" (trail riding with obstacles). A panel of accomplished judges will determine winners. $50,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.
For a list of the rule, requirements and divisions please visit the Extreme Mustang Makeover web site, Applications and then Rules and Requirements.
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The countdown started on Saturday June 14, 2008 when I arrived in Pauls Valley Oklahoma at 8:30 AM to see what horse had been drawn for me, load him up and take him home. He is a 3 year old bay gelding. He has a star on his forehead and 2 white back socks. We arrived home and unloaded him about 3:30 Saturday afternoon and I got my first really good look at what I was about to spend the next 97 days with. It took 2 weeks before he got a name and somehow he got stuck with “Taz”.
Please call me with any questions or if you would like to come out and see Taz. I can be reached on my cell at (361) 701-3123.
I also want to say “Thank You” to my sponsors; C Bar 4 Ranch (Alice, Texas); and the Texas Corriente Cattle Association.
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Taz, August 3rd, 2008 |
Update: August 27, 2008
I entered into this competition with a lot of trepidation. I did not have the opportunity to see last year’s event and was not sure what I was walking into. When I found out that I was one of the 200 trainers across the nation chosen, I was ecstatic. This is such a wonderful opportunity to participate in an honorable event showcasing these amazing horses. From the day I found out till the day I left for Oklahoma to pick up my mustang was 1 month; and it was a long month. I could not wait to get up to Oklahoma to see what I was going to be spending the next 100 days with. Saturday June 14, 2008 when I had him home and in a stall reality kicked in and I realized what a commitment I had made. This was going to take a very long time. These mustangs come from the rangelands in Nevada and have never been handled. They are all 3 to 4 years old and would rather not be anywhere near a human.
I currently have less than a month to go till the competition in Fort Worth. The time has flown by and we have both overcome many obstacles. “Taz” is now a well mannered horse that is very broke, gentle, easy to handle and be around, and is a great horse to ride or work off of. With less than a month to go, our training is at its peak and we are just focusing on conditioning exercises and keeping him going. I am very excited to be heading up to Fort Worth in September and meeting with all the other trainers and seeing their progress with their mustangs. It will be a very exciting event. Personally, I have put in a lot of work to get where I am at today with Taz. I also work for State Farm Insurance here in College Station during the day, so my training time was evenings and weekends. I put a lot of time into this horse and it has definitely paid off. From day 1 to current is an amazing transition.
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