Mustang Auction brings amazing summer to a close for trainer

The BLM, in conjunction with 4-H, sponsors a set of 4-H projects to those willing to take on the challenge of training wild mustangs removed from BLM land and auctioning them at the Eastern Idaho State Fair.  

The BLM/Mustang program is for 4H youth 14 and up. They are able to obtain a yearling mustang to train for 90 days. The object is to gentle and train the mustang to be able to complete an in-hand trail course at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. The Mustangs are then up for auction/adoption the next day. The money from the auction goes back to the club with the $25 adoption fee going back to the BLM. In many clubs, the money goes back to the trainer.

The mustangs are brought by the BLM to a designated area to be picked up. This year, only 8 kids were able to view them and compile a list ordered from first pick to last. As their names were drawn they all choose their mustangs, which were then brought home to begin the 90 days training. Training started slowly with getting used to the 4H member. Feeding, watering, and just hanging out closer and closer to the mustang until they can get the first touch. Once that is done things start moving a little faster, touching, then haltering. Once the trainer is able to catch the mustang and start moving it around in a controlled space then they start introducing new objects and more obstacles.  

Over the course of a 90 days that can seem like both an eternity and a blink of an eye, the trainers become intensely familiar with their horses, and often create lifelong bonds.  It is a whirlwind of emotion, hard work, and friendship.  And for those looking to go on in working with horses, it is an irreplaceable training regimen.   

With only a small number of trainers accepting the challenge, their skill levels were certainly impressive.  

Sophia O’Dell and Omen

Omen is the name of the Sorrel Gelding trained by Sophia O’Dell with the Bancroft Trail Blazers 4-H Club in Caribou County.

“Hi, my name is Sophia O’Dell, this is my first year in the mustang challenge.  I walked into this challenge without knowing what I was getting myself into.  This horse is something special.  His number s 7666 and he was nicknamed Diablo on pick up day.  After a few days with him, it was clear that he was no devil—as cool as the name Diablo is, it just didn’t match him.  Everyone told me he was a bad omen but no matter what I did with this horse all I could see was the good.  That’s where his name came from.  Meet Omen.

Omen is a character, that’s for sure.  He LOVES his attention and was rarely scared of anything I threw his way (literally and figuratively).  Which is both a blessing and a curse.  One of my biggest struggles was his friendliness.  He always wanted to be right there with me, and it made it hard to lunge him, but after a while he started to pick it up.  That’s another thing about Omen.  He is so smart.  When we first got him, he had a halter with a lead rope attached and he never freaked out when he stepped on his lead rope.  Not only that, but it took less than 10 minutes for him to understand pressure and release.  

He is alos such a silly horse.  He is always picking things up with his mouth and proudly showing them to me.  Hats, water bottles, ropes, you name it and I’m sure Omen would pick it up.  He also loves to share.  While working with this horse, he would always manage to get the biggest mouthful of dirt and wipe it on my arms.  Working with him was truly something.  When it comes to my high-energy weirdness or the fact that I am still learning, he has had so much patience with me.  There have been times when I had no clue what I was doing, and he was just rolling with it trying his best to understand what in the world was going on.  He has been such an amazing first horse for me to work with.

Finally, I can’t express the number of ugly tears I am going to cry for this horse.  I went into this challenge completely forgetting that I would have to give up such a loving horse.  I am not lying when I say I would take a bullet for him.  I hope his new owners feel the same way!  I am really going to miss Omen so much.  From his amazing personality to his weird little perks, he truly is a horse I will never forget.”

 While the story hasn’t reached its end, we can at least report that Omen will not be too far out of reach, as he was purchased by Brody Gibson, who lives in Soda Springs.  As the new owner, Brody and his family seemed to have the same excitement for Omen that Sophia had hoped the new owners would.  Congratulations to Sophia for undertaking and succeeding at such a demanding project!