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BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program Adoption Experiences: Lifelong Dream of Owning a Mustang Comes True

Oct 10, 2024

Carolyn Melton, an Online Corral (OLC) adopter, lives in Doswell, Virginia. She loves spending time with her family and showing off her horses to friends and family.

A woman rides on a tan horse inside of an outdoor pen with the fencing of the pen in the background and trees beyond it. — Adopter/Owner Carolyn Melton exercises Marshall, who is from the Swasey HMA in Utah. Melton adopted Marshall from the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption event in Doswell, Virginia.

After receiving your first mustang from the OLC, how has your life changed?

Carolyn Melton: I had a childhood dream to capture and tame a mustang. I have been involved with horses my entire life, but I was brand new to mustangs in 2021. I had no idea what to expect, but quickly learned they are super smart and form a bond with you like no other. The ones I have crave attention and love to learn new things. I am thankful for how easy they are to train, and I am even more thankful for what I have learned from them. They had halters on and were leading in just a few days. They quickly progressed with just about anything I threw their way. The first two I adopted were yearlings, and they knew more and were better behaved than most domestic yearlings.

The 3-year-old was a little harder on his back feet but came around quickly. It is so rewarding to watch them grow and learn to accept human things. The most important thing I learned from them was to wait. My training methods now are far different from my past training methods with domestic horses. I made sure my groundwork was complete before I even thought about riding; they are all unique individuals, but all can be ridden now without issue. This is a great opportunity to see the details of the listed horses, along with pictures and videos.

A woman rides a brown horse away from the camera on a green grassy field, a small pond and trees in the background. — Annie from the Paisley Desert in Oregon shows-off her beautiful gait during an outing with her Adopter/Owner Carolyn Melton. Carolyn adopted Annie as a yearling from the BLM Online Corral then picked her up from Doswell, Virginia in 2021

It's a big advantage to see how the horses move and behave in an open area. Sometimes at events, you can't really see how they move. You can sort by criteria that are important to you and choose your horse. You can set an amount you are willing to bid and leave it at that. When you are bidding on a horse, you are updated if you are outbid and can raise your bid at any time. The horses can be sent to a location near you, so transport is not so expensive. There is also no risk involved. If you decide you don't want the horse when you go to pick it up, you can select a different horse at the event.

BLM: How has your experience been with the Wild Horse and Burro program?

Melton: Excellent!

I had the good fortune of connecting with [Online Corral Lead] Travis Tolbert as soon as I started looking into adopting a mustang. He answered all my questions as well as explained the adoption process.

3 horses are seen grazing in a green pasture. — Look who’s enjoying their plant-based diet. (Left to right) Mustangs Annie, Conner, and Marshall graze in their field near Doswell, Virginia.

Everything went smooth as silk from the time I completed my application through the pickup, titling, and adoption incentive. I did not hesitate to call him with any questions since he is so patient and thorough. Along the way, I also spoke with Kayce at the Burns facility. Again, Kayce was extremely polite, helpful, and patient. I also had the pleasure of meeting [Wild Horse and Burro Coordinator] Dominique Wood at the adoption event to pick up my Online Corral horse. While I was there, I decided to adopt an additional horse. Dominique walked me through revising my application to be approved for the second horse. She was extremely helpful and responsive. Everyone I met involved with the Wild Horse and Burro program has been polite and helpful. You can clearly see they are determined to get the horses into good homes.

How did you hear about the program?

Melton: In April 2021, I flew out to my sister’s house in Colorado. Our mother, who instilled a deep love of horses in all of us, was in poor health, and I went to say goodbye. My mom lived with my sister. While I was there, my sister was telling me about all the mustangs that needed homes and told me about the Online Corral. She was planning to adopt a couple of them. On my flight home, my mom laid it on my heart to give a mustang a home. It was all made so simple due to the positive, polite, and respectful BLM employees who helped me through. I share the information about the Online Corral with anyone I meet who is looking for a horse. I've never had a single regret about adding a few horses to my family.