Extreme Mustang Makeover

The Mustang Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), created the Extreme Mustang Makeover program in order to recognize and highlight the value of Mustangs through a national training competition. Several Extreme Mustang Makeover events are held across the country each year, which provides an opportunity for thousands of individuals to learn about the breed. Competitors have just 100 days to train a wild Mustang for the competition, which requires a significant time commitment and sincere dedication to protecting and sustaining the breed. The Extreme Mustang Makeover program gives the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts and showcases 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 each Extreme Mustang Makeover event, the participating Mustangs are available for adoption by competitive bid. Through these events the Mustang Heritage Foundation offers the public a special opportunity to adopt a true Living Legend. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s Extreme Mustang Makeover program.

Mustang Leadership Partners has adopted mustangs through past Extreme Mustang Makeover events and has trained a Mustang for one of the competitions. In October 2008, a group of students from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) attended the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to watch the MLP’s wild Mustang “Charlie” and his trainer, Ed Dabney, compete against over 90 other Mustangs. The students were introduced to Charlie the first day he arrived at Carter Farms as he embarked on a 100-day transformation from wild horse to a trained and poised competitor. Though Charlie didn’t take home a prize, he competed well and—best of all—found a new, loving home in Alabama. The students had an opportunity to visit with Charlie and his trainer and see, first hand, the power of the human-horse connection. At that same competition, MLP adopted another Mustang, Cooper, who is in training to become one of the MLP Mustangs that works regularly with CGLA girls.