Mustang & Burro
Adoption Support

Limited Availability for Summer 2025

I'm accepting reservations for a limited number of mustang adoptions beginning Summer 2025. I expect these opportunities to fill quickly, so I recommend securing your reservation now.

Not ready to adopt? I also offer horsemanship coaching sessions with my own horses (including mustangs) at various stages of training – an excellent way to build skills and see if adopting a mustang is right for you.

The journey of gentling and training a mustang or burro can be a profound experience that deepens your understanding of equine behavior, thoughts, feelings, and communication while revealing your own unconscious habits and opportunities to grow as a horseperson and human being – and in the process, you develop an incomparable relationship with your new partner.

It also requires special facilities, and presents challenges that can be tough to navigate on your own. With this special program, I offer my facilities and hands-on support to help you be successful in these first crucial steps.

Pricing and What’s Included

I offer this unique program at a flat rate of $2,500. It includes:

  • Selection: We'll discuss your goals and work together to find and adopt your mustang (the adoption fee is not included – you’ll pay that directly to the Bureau of Land Management).

  • Transportation: Pickup within 250 miles of Conifer, Colorado, and safe transport to my facility (additional fees for longer distances).

  • Facilities: BLM-approved 6-foot fencing and handling areas designed specifically for untamed mustangs and burros.

  • Training & Coaching: A flexible combination of training sessions (where I handle the horse) and coaching sessions (where I guide you).

  • Boarding & Care: At least 30 days at my facility with quality hay and care.

  • Guaranteed Results: The fee covers care and training until your horse achieves all of these milestones:

    • Comfortable being approached, touched, and groomed.

    • Willingly led and safely tied.

    • All four hooves can be handled.

    • Easily and comfortably loads in the trailer.

My Approach

Our peaceful mountain facility provides a calm setting where your mustang can learn to be relaxed in common domestic situations. I use gentle, low-stress techniques with an emphasis on understanding and connection, respecting these animals' wild nature while helping them transition to domestic life. This looks like:

  • Subtle exercises in noticing and managing attention.

  • Managing your own breathing and thoughts so that you provide appropriate signals.

  • Teaching the horse to yield to increasingly gentle pressure, through both subtle and pronounced movement.

  • Intentional desensitization.

  • Holding firm boundaries.

  • Safely confronting your own and your equine’s fears.

  • Appropriate use of ropes to gently and safely accustom your horse to yielding their feet.

  • Learning to respond to pressure and confinement thoughtfully, rather than in panic.

While there will inevitably be a few dramatic moments, and it will sometimes be necessary to get firm, everything we do is with a minimum of force to help the horse be comfortable with and confident in the environment and expectations we’re bringing them into.

You and I will partner throughout the process, consulting each other and making adjustments to the balance of who is leading the work as we go along. Each wild horse and burro are different, and bring unique experiences from the range and holding facilities. I tailor my approach to match both you and your equine partner as you build a partnership on a solid foundation of mutual trust, understanding, and respect.

Reservation Process

  1. Initial Consultation: Schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation using the calendar below or email me at aubrey@balance-equine.com.

  2. Securing Your Reservation: After our consultation, a $500 deposit reserves your place.

  3. Preparation: As your pickup date approaches, we'll begin detailed planning for your mustang's arrival.

Deposit & Refund Policy

To hold your reservation, I require a 50% ($1,250) deposit upfront, with the balance due on or before the pickup date for your horse or burro.

  • 100% Refundable: Up to 60 days before your scheduled pickup date

  • 50% Refundable: 30-59 days before your scheduled pickup date

  • Non-refundable: Less than 30 days before your scheduled pickup date

If you need to reschedule rather than cancel, your deposit can be applied to a future date within six months, subject to availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need horse experience to adopt a mustang?
Yes. Prior horse experience is essential – and if you aren’t already advanced in your handling skills, I will require that you commit to intensive parallel training for your mustang and yourself through full-time training and regular lessons as a prerequisite to enrolling in this program. If you don’t have enough experience to adopt a wild horse or burro yet, horsemanship coaching is a great place to get started.

How long does it take to gentle a wild horse or burro?
The timeline varies greatly depending on the individual horse and your experience level. The basic gentling milestones listed above are typically achieved within 30-90 days. My flat-rate program continues until all the milestones are met, regardless of how long it takes.

What happens after the milestones are met?
You take your horse home, or continue boarding (and optionally, working) with me. Standard boarding and training rates will apply after the initial gentling program is complete.

How do we select the right horse or burro?
I'll work with you to assess your goals and experience and identify suitable matches. We consider factors like age, size, temperament, and conformation. When possible, attending an adoption event together is ideal.

What costs are involved beyond your program fee?
You'll need to pay the BLM adoption/purchase fee (starting at $125, and going up in auction situations). After completing my program, you’ll have the same ongoing costs as you might with any other horse: Boarding or home care, feed, veterinary care, farrier services, equipment, and potentially additional training.

Where can I learn more about adopting from BLM?
This page from the Bureau of Land Management offers a wealth of links and resources. As part of this program, I will also help you work through the process and get all of your questions answered.

Let’s Talk!

Use the calendar below to book your free 30-minute phone consultation, or email me directly at
aubrey@balance-equine.com.