Learn About
Our MLP Program
Protecting, preserving, and sustaining the wild American mustang.
Vision
Our vision is a population of wild American mustangs, secure in their rightful place as living emblems of American freedom and benefiting from safe environments and humane and natural care.
MLP Mustangs
Mustang Leadership Partners is home to fourteen mustangs, a number that varies as we adopt new horses and welcome foals on the farm. Four of our mustangs are Kiger mustangs, a rare and sought-after breed first discovered at a round-up in Betty’s Butte, Oregon, in 1977. Kiger mustangs possess traits very similar to the ancient Spanish horses introduced to North America by the Spanish conquistadors who invaded Mexico in the early 1500s. Now a breed with its own registry, Kiger mustangs are popular horses, boasting sound feet, good minds, boldness, and sturdy endurance. Most of the Mustang Leadership Partners mustangs were adopted from the Bureau of Land Management. All of our Kigers are registered with the Kiger Mesteño Association, an organization that has been registering Kiger mustangs for over 20 years. Mustang Leadership Partners is the permanent home for some of our mustangs. Others are sold after an intensive placement process to “adoptive” families or individuals who can provide appropriate care and a nurturing environment.
Our Training Philosophy
Wild American mustangs and performance horses at Mustang Leadership Partners benefit from dedicated, world-renowned trainers who are influenced by classical dressage training methods and natural horsemanship philosophies. Sometimes described as “ballet on horseback,” classical dressage provides the foundation for a horse to execute any other technique, and it gives the horse the necessary focus, strength, athleticism, balance, grace, and poise required to advance in any discipline. Because mustangs naturally have all of these qualities, they are very easily trained to accept all of the requirements of a dressage education. Classical dressage does not limit itself to specific methods, but uses many different techniques from around the world to develop a relationship between horse and rider that is built on natural communication and trust.
From Our Trainers
"When working with mustangs it is imperative to earn their trust. They are sensitive animals that form strong bonds with their people. However, because they are wild, gaining trust can sometimes be a long road. Once you earn the trust of a Mustang, they form a partnership with you. Their intelligence, athleticism and curiosity make them highly trainable animals to work with. Once you have them on your team they will try their hearts out for you"
- Michelle Adams
"A good basic foundation of training can open doors for horses and owners alike; I implement the training methodology of John Lyons when teaching horses the basics of life. I view my method of training horses as being pavlovian in nature, teaching horses to find the answer to the questions the rider is asking. This is done using pressure and release. I see dressage as a progression of this basic training with the questions from the rider becoming more complex, the answers given by the horse being delivered with greater speed, accuracy and skill"
-Shannon Betts
