Adopting may take a little horse sense

As the sun sets over the Las Vegas Valley, 16-year-old Ethan Tattum kicks up dust at the Atwood Stables as he rides Mijo, his 4-year-old mustang, in the small arena.

The recently brushed palomino mustang, galloping at a steady pace among the other horses at the stables near Cheyenne Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard, is quite a change from the same horse in his earlier days in the wild.

"Oh, he was a hairball," David Tattum, Ethan's father, said.

Mijo, Spanish for "my son," was adopted as a foal from the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Adoption program. Mijo not only is a trained mustang, but has competed in the National Wild Horse Association's Mustang and Burro Show that is held every October at Horseman's Park behind Sam's Town.

"He's won all sorts of ribbons and a couple of trophies," said Ethan, looking like a true cowboy in his leather chaps and cowboy hat.

More than 165,000 horses have been adopted since the BLM began its program 25 years ago. The bureau wanted manage the overabundance of wild horses foraging for limited food and water in Nevada's range lands.

A foal and mother usually cost $250 a pair. Stallions and mares usually cost $125 each.

The horses, collected from herds mainly in Northern Nevada, have been inoculated, vaccinated and freeze-marked or tagged, but are not trained.

People adopt horses for different reasons such as riding or as pets, the elder Tattum said. There are more than 1,000 people in Las Vegas who own former wild horses.

George Condon, a member and former president of the National Wild Horse Association, prefers mustangs.

"They're the best backyard horses," Condon said. "They're a much better trail horse, much more sure-footed. A wild horse knows where he is going on the trails in the desert. They are much more durable and their feeding habits are more flexible since they have survived in the wild."

But those hoping to adopt a horse need to keep in mind that they are bringing home a wild horse. Brenda Cloud, vocational and educational instructor for the Cooperative Extension, said adopters should be prepared for the task involved with owning a wild horse.

"Many people who adopt a wild horse do so for a romantic notion rather than looking at the practical aspects such as knowledge and means to care for it," Cloud said. "A wild horse is not a puppy."

Cloud said the Cooperative Extension offers a "Back to Basics of Horsemanship" class. The six-week course usually runs twice a year, depending on demand, and costs between $30 and $50.

"Potential adopters sometimes learn from the class that they don't want the horse because of the work and upkeep involved," she said.

Ethan said success with a wild horse depends entirely on the attitude of the person who adopts it.

"The animals have never been touched by people before," he said. "It could be a month or only day before you can handle it. You just need to know that they are truly afraid of you. Most people who adopt mustangs know what they're doing."

"But we also get a lot of success with first-timers," Tattum said. "If there's a complaint at all, it's that people don't know what they're getting into. With a wild horse, it just takes a little bit more time to build up confidence and trust."

"I spent every day with Mijo," Ethan said.

Another option is to hire a trainer to gentle the horse.

Condon, who has adopted three horses and gentled 17, charges new owners $100 a month for three months to train the horses. He keeps the horse and works with it daily.

"It's a whole process of getting them used to people. If they have a good relationship with the first person (they encounter), they will accept other people just as easy," Condon said.

Some trainers may charge up to $550 a month.

Those hoping to adopt a wild horse must have pre-approved facilities, including a 400-square-foot pen and a trailer to transport the animals. Those who choose studs may have the animal gelded at no charge. Potential adopters are screened for any connections to inhumane treatment of animals and informed of the commitment involved.

Owners can expect to spend $80 to $100 a month on shoeing, feed and veterinarian costs for each horse, Tattum said.

Gary McFadden, BLM horse specialist for Las Vegas, said 80 percent of the horses put up for adoption go to Eastern buyers and 90 percent go to families.

Maxine Shane, BLM spokeswoman, said the bureau prefers that the horses be adopted in Nevada because transporting them takes its toll.

Out-of-state adoption also makes it more difficult to monitor the horse. Each horse remains federal property for the first year after adoption. After that, the owner can apply for a title if they have a signed statement from a veterinarian or representative from the Wild Horse Association stating that the horse has been treated well.

"That's our way of knowing that we've found good homes," Shane said. "After a year, you have put in a lot of time and money toward that animal."

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