This is a non-commercial, independent website, owned and written by Nancy Kerson, for the benefit of actual and potential adopters of BLM Mustangs and Burros and similar animals.
DVD or VHS (2-DVD or 2-VHS set) almost 3 hours of instruction!
$39.95 plus $5 shipping/handling = $44.95 total
Lesley Neuman: The First Touch Gentling Your Mustang $45.00
Lesley works with 3 wild horses at a BLM adoption, and very clearly explains what is happening, what she is doing, & what she sees in each horse as it progresses. Study this video and you can learn "pressure and release" gentling techniques to gentle your own new mustang!
Help for Burro adopters! Crystal Ward Donkey Training
All the basics of gentling, handling, and training. A MUST for new burro adopters! Good for domestic donkeys, too!
BURROS - Wild donkeys!
The BLM manages two species of wild animals: horses and burros. What's a burro? Burros are otherwise known as donkeys - same species. Donkeys come in three sizes: Mini, Standard, and Mammoth. The wild ones are mostly Standards, although some of them can be quite large.
Here's an old clip from the 1998 Vallejo BLM adoption. Ginny Freeman is giving our son, Cubby, a ride on "The Famous Aerial" - a burro who turned countless people on to burros, and who was inducted into the MHF's Hall of Fame in 2003. We didn't even know the Freemans then - we had just gone to watch the adoption.
What a thrill to see or hear wild donkeys on the range! They call to one another, using their large ears to keep track of one another as they range over widely-spaced distances.
Wild burros: left, on the Sheldon Range; Right: near Empire, NV, on old Herd Area that is no longer managed as an HMA.
Wild donkeys are incredibly intelligent. Many are descendants of donkeys used by sheepherders to protect their flocks. Although a prey species, donkeys are much more self-aware, and they know that are capable of standing up to most predators. For that reason they are quieter, less flighty than horses, and harder to motivate - they just are not impressed by ropes and whips and flags! You maybe able to tell a horse what to do just because you say so, but you have to get the donkey to want to do it. The good thing about this, is that you can develop a close bond with your donkey, similar to the relationship many people have with their dog.
Since adopting Bert and Dawn, I have learned to have great respect for the donkey's high intelligence and depth of emotional sensitivity.
SHELDON BURROS Ginny Freeman with her group of Sheldon burros
The Sheldon USFWS Preserve has wonderful burros. These are gathered occasionally and made available for adoption through private rescue groups. In 2005, Ginny and Dave Freeman's "Hole in the Head" Rescue in Artois, CA had a group of Sheldon burros. Some friends of ours, who had camped up in the Sheldon Range and had been "hooked" on the magic of seeing and hearing wild burros in the wild, adopted two of the Freeman's group.
Adjoining Sheldon is the BLM Herd Management Area, McGee Creek HMA. These burros are basically the same, with the same sturdy conformation and unusual coloration variations.
SEEING BURROS IN THE WILD
Seeing and hearing bands of wild burros is easily as thrilling as seeing wild horses.
We were amazed to see this large band of burros on our way out of the Calico Mountains!
FUN WITH BURROS
The LONGEARS CELE'BRAY-TION is an annual event in Red Bluff, California, that promotes BLM animals as well as other donkeys and mules in an atmosphere of fun and firendliness.
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The "WILD ASS WOMEN" are a group of BLM Burro Adopters who perform in parades around Nevada and California
Ginny & Dave Freeman take their burros packing in the mountains, and are frequent "ambassadors" at fairs and horse events. A burro can carry about 1/4 of its body weight. Many burros don't get big enough for a grown man to ride. But there are some that are big enough, as you can see from the photo.
Sal Rhymes riding Emma
These BLM branded burros competed at Bishop Mule Days
copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Nancy Kerson, all rights reserved - I'm happy to share, just need to be asked and have credit given where due.
Disclaimer: Horses are inherently dangerous. Use the information contained within this website at your own risk.