Meet Athena: the 5-year-old halter-started mare available for adoption from the Wheatland Corral

Meet Athena, a five-year-old pinto mare available for adoption at the Wheatland Off-Range Corral’s (ORC) upcoming adoption even happening April 19. Athena is one of 29 wild horses to be offered for adoption at the Wheatland ORC’s first in-person event of 2024.

While each animals brings its own uniqueness in physical attributes and demeanor, what sets Athena apart is her backstory and training foundation.

Athena was born at the BLM Rock Springs Holding Facility in 2019 from a mare gathered from the Green Mountain Herd Management Area in central Wyoming. After she was weaned and prepped for adoption (freeze marked, dewormed, and Coggins tested) she traveled to the Mantle Training Facility in Wheatland, Wyo., in February 2020. She was then adopted from the Mantles as a halter-trained horse in May 2021.

During routine compliance checks conducted by BLM staff, it was found that Athena’s original adopter had failed to title her before giving her away. Luckily for Athena, staff were able to work with the original adopter to track her down. Through discussion with the original adopter and the person she had been given to, it was decided that it would be in Athena’s best interest to be repossessed. Her journey brought her back to Wheatland, where she has since been cared for by the Wheatland ORC.

Upon arrival to the Wheatland ORC, Athena was dewormed, vaccinated, and had hooves trimmed. Considering her previous training and demeanor, the staff at Wheatland took her on as an additional project to their normal day-to-day work. Wild horse and burro specialist Mike North and Kirren Seiler, wild horse program assistant, began working with Athena shortly after her arrival.

Seiler had this to say about Athena:

“When starting to work with Athena, we wanted to evaluate what she knew and where we needed to start. She was nervous and distracted with her new surroundings and strange people, but she was never mean. After working with her for a few weeks, it was evident that she had a good foundation and just needed a restart with consistency. She is learning to respect personal space, is very responsive on the lead, has started meeting us at the gate, and follows us back to the gate after un-haltering. She walks right in the trailer but can get nervous once inside; however, she’s learning to quiet down and walk straight or back out nicely. She can get distracted easily and fidgets but is willing to learn and settles down the more she’s worked with. Overall, she is a very sweet and willing mare and will make a great horse for someone that gives her consistent training – makes her think and focus on a task.”

Due to her training, Athena does not qualify for the Adoption Incentive Program. However, the Wheatland ORC will have 29 other nice animals available for adoption at the facility’s adoption event happening from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 19. The live competitive auction starts at 9 a.m.

“We hope that potential adopters will come out to Wheatland to see all the great animals we have to offer, and that Athena finds the right fit with a new adopter,” says facility manager JJ Nolan. “She still has a way to go, but she has a solid foundation under her hooves thanks to the training by the Mantles, as well as Mike and Kirren.”

To learn more about our Adoption Incentive Program, go to https://go.usa.gov/xmBgm. To learn more about our sales authority program, please visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales/sales-program.