“There does seem to be something about the
outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man”―Winston Churchill
Dear Readers,
I
have been researching programs at various correctional facilities across the
nation, where inmates are afforded the opportunity to work with rescued horses.
In these programs they learn skills that could translate into career opportunities
once they are paroled.
More importantly, upon further reflection, one finds that the relationships
built are more than just learning to stand quietly, on the horse’s part, or
picking up a hoof, on the inmates’ part. They learn interrelationship skills,
including patience and respect.
Inmates
and the horses, both of whom need each other, and more importantly, both are in
need of a second chance. I am waiting for a return call from a representative
of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Once I talk with them I will relate
a very nice story, one of many, I understand, that has come from the programs
they’ve been involved in.
For
now I wanted to comment on the program being run in Arizona, between Arizona
Correctional Facilities (ACI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Check
out this website… http://www.aci.az.gov/WildHorseProgram.html
When
you’ve finished there, check out this one; http://www.nmautah.org/wild.htm where
you will find a bit of the history of wild horses in the United States. I know
a little about the terrible round-ups of the 60’s. There was an old cowboy in
the area where I rode my horse, and he and his group of buddies would head off
to the round-ups. They figured they could bring back trailer loads of free
horses, break them and sell them for a profit.
They didn’t have in mind spending months, gentling these wild critters. What
they did do, was herd the horses out of the trailer into a round corral with a
snubbing post set in the middle. They would rope em, snub em up, tie a leg up,
blindfold em, throw a saddle on, and one of the cowboys would climb aboard. They’d
then cut the snub rope, let the horse stand there shaking, with the blindfold
in place and a leg tied up. If the horse still hadn’t busted in two or flipped,
the cowboy would pull the blindfold. At that point if the horse wasn’t upside
down in the dirt, the rider would pull the slip knot on the rope holding up a
hind leg.
That’s
when the party started. Bucking and kicking, mouth open, tongue out, bellowing
his rage, the mustang would do everything he could to unload the hated weight
on his back.
It
wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t nice, but it was real. It was like walking back in
time a hundred years. Laws were passed and times changed. Now the BLM keeps a
close watch on the herds. They make sure the numbers are kept at a level in
harmony with their surroundings.
With
this program, the excess horses are brought to the correctional facility rather
than being euthanized and it is a wonderful opportunity for both the inmates
and the wild horses. A second chance, if you will.
This
program is nothing like what went on in the sixties, sometimes it takes weeks,
even months for the inmate handler’s to gentle these horses enough to work with
them. What has come of this is that some of the horses that graduate are being
used by the Border Patrol in areas that a horse is better suited than a car or
truck. The mustangs are use to this harsh environment and prove perfect for the
need they are fulfilling.
I
think the whole program is awesome. Whoever thought of it in the first place
deserves to have credit for it sung far and wide. Anybody who knows more about
this program, feel free to contact me.
Once I hear back from the TRF, I will fill you in on their version of
cons and horses.
Take care,
Shelley Riley
