10/22/2026
The Best & The Worst Thing To Happen To Mustangs
~The Extreme Mustang Makeover~
100 days, 100 mustangs, 100 trainers
It was a creative and exciting idea. The goal was to bring attention to mustangs on a large scale to promote adoption. In order to do this, it needed to be proven mustangs are trainable, beautiful and can transition well to domestic life. This idea definitely could prove that plus had the intrigue of a challenge and competition.
The Extreme Mustang Makeover did what it set out to do.
It showed how diverse, athletic, trainable, beautiful, hardy, and special many mustangs can be. It educated much of the general public as well as the horse world on the existence and plight of the American Mustang. It went international and got people all over the world buying and importing mustangs. It also attracted trainers, especially those just entering the industry because they had the chance to really shine which they wouldn’t at bigger breed shows. This concept made a ton of trainers careers and many of them c**t starters which the industry desperately needs.
But something happened that changed the culture of the horse world and especially mustangs that is hugely detrimental and could not have been foreseen.
The expectation on mustangs to go from competing as basic under saddle as a green horse, normal for a horse with only 100 days of training, to needing to compete looking like a finished horse where no mistakes could be made. This caused a change from ethical and reasonable training practices to trainers working horses many times per day or for hours on end plus skipping essential foundation training in order to be competitive.
There is nothing wrong with being competitive. Trainers have to be in order to survive. They can only pump out so much of their own limited funds to compete without seeing some kind of return or at least break even. But as all competitions do, it got more competitive.
Despite seeing obvious signs of overworked, lame, stressed, underweight, explosions in the arena and warm up, poor outcomes once horse went to their new home - nothing was done. The show had to go on.
This expectation for mustangs to be broke for the average horse owner in 100 days blossomed. We don’t even expect that of domestic horses. But a mustang must be not only be broke but domesticated in that timeframe. It is a HUGE disservice to them. This new culture MUST be changed. TWO years minimum of consistent 3-6 days a week of work, to get an average mustang not only gentled & domesticated but also broke enough for the average horse owner. Stop expecting your mustang trainers to get them broke in 90 days.
There are always exceptions, those easy going types but they are the exception, not the rule. Even those will oftentimes surprise you and you will realize there is a hole where you didn’t know there was a hole in their training.
The Extreme Mustang Makeover is no more except for a few small organizations trying to keep it going. Many of those have changed rules to reflect a more green horse competition and give those horses more time. It still hurts the industry as a whole though with this unrealistic expectation on necessary timeframes.
Thankfully the new leadership at Mustang Heritage Foundation are making big changes. There are tons of mustang owners now thanks to the Extreme Mustang Makeover and other mustang competitions MHF started. Now they need somewhere to show those mustangs every year and goals to work towards. MHF has stepped up yet again with innovation and vision. The first ever Wild Mustang & Burro Finals is happening this week in Indiana and I am so excited for it!
Our position at IEH isn’t to compete anymore. Instead, it is to help support those potential adopters, new adopters, old adopters and struggling adopters through our education & coaching programs. Part of that education is to let our followers know about the incredible programs out there we support who are doing truly good work for the mustang and not just trying to make a buck off our government and taxpayers.
Mustang Heritage Foundation is one of those organizations doing the good work. Please consider supporting their mission. They are currently having an organization match donations so now is a great time to help out.
We wouldn’t be here without them
