Revised:  02/08/2010

A New Era for the Young Horse Research and Teaching Program

Dr. Sarah Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN

     For the past ten years, the Young Horse Teaching and Research program has focused upon the unique nutritional and behavioral needs of draft cross weanlings and yearlings from ranches collecting pregnant mare urine in North Dakota and Canada. Up to this year the Program worked with foals registered by the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC) to better understand this increasingly popular type of horse on which there was little scientific information. These horses are now well-recognized as valuable equine animals, commanding high prices even as weanlings, and a great deal has been learned about their nutritional needs and behavior. Because NAERIC horses now have well-established markets in a variety of disciplines, they are no longer "at risk" for finding good homes and athletic careers.

     However, thousands of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustangs are removed from public ranges annually to prevent overgrazing. These horses are in need of help and good homes. While obviously not the same as the larger, heavier draft-crosses, they too can be wonderful equine athletes, excelling in a wide variety of disciplines. Unfortunately, the general public’s perception is that mustangs are "wild," difficult to handle and not very useful. We hope to help change that perception.

     This year we are "re-inventing" the Young Horse Teaching and Research program. We will select four yearling BLM mustangs to incorporate into our research. These four horses will be compared in both training and growth performance to the 4 unhandled weanlings we will receive from our known bloodlines in North Dakota and the 4 draft cross yearlings left over from the 2009 program.

     We anticipate that the mustangs will not be too different to train than our unhandled NAERIC weanlings. By selecting yearlings based on the conformation and behavior criteria we have established over the years, we expect to produce very attractive, well behaved young horses with tremendous athletic potential by the end of the school year for the Annual Young Horse Auction on April 25, 2010. Watch for their progress on the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program website.

     Dr. Sarah Ralston would like to extend her deepest gratitude to the following sponsors of the 2009-2010 program:

Horse Sponsors

Joanna Barnish (RU Casanova)

Carla Prentiss (RU Genesis)

Liz Durkin (RU Genesis, RU Marley)

Stone Fence Percherons: Mrs. Patty Greek Demond (RU Firedance)

Dr. and Mrs. William Meyer (RU Honky Tonk)

The Tack Shelter, Inc. (RU Honky Tonk)

Colts Neck Trail Riders (RU Firedance's weanling brother)

Nancy Connolly (unspecified mustang)

Carol O'Scanlon (RU Firedance)

Julie Richards (RU Firedance)

Sandra Denarski and Johnson & Johnson (RU Shivna, RU the Good Witch, RU Pardner)

Dr. and Mrs Bauer (RU Brisa, RU Marley, RU Canella)

Bureau of Land Management

Student Trip Sponsors

Joe Zawada

Lenore Carasia

Sandra Denarski and Johnson & Johnson

General Program Support

Dr. and Mrs Bill Bauer

Margrit McCrane/McCrane Foundation

Idleacres, Cokato, MN

Nutrena-Cargill, Mankato, MN

Robin Rivello, US Wild Horse and Burro Association

Bureau of Land Management Save the Mustang Fund