Least Resistance Training Concepts
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Wild Horse Mentors

The Lucky Horse
Rehabilitation Project


Meet Lucky.

Lucky was born a wild-free roaming horse, a living symbol of the old west. Unfortunately Lucky was born in a very hostile area of Nevada... where wild horses are chased to exhaustion by hooligans on all terrain vehicles... or shot... as many as 34 at one time, including pregnant mares and foals.

Just an adolescent, Lucky turned up one day by himself on a state highway with no family or band to protect him. While he had learned to fear humans, he had no understanding of automobiles. State authorities and the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association captured him and placed him in safeconfinement.

Note Lucky's guarded body language;
ears erect, high arched neck, tight
muscles in his neck and jaw
Lucky could not be safely returned to the wild. As with so many horses like him, he was processed for adoption, hopefully to caring humans. But Lucky had been so traumatized by humans in the wild that he would panic and hurt himself if approached by a human in a pen. He was a special needs horse that required special handling.
Learning that a human touch can be comforting
It took a great deal of work but Lucky now lives a happy, domestic life. He has been adopted by a caring volunteer. Eventually his traumatic beginning will be more of a shadow as he spends more time in a safe and caring environment.

There are many horses like Lucky. Some have been abused in the wild. Some have been neglected by adopters who were not prepared to care for a wild horse. Some were abused by trainers who didn't know how to handle wild horses or who didn't care. The end results are usually the same... a horse with great anxiety and little self confidence who is often a danger to himself and others.

Visiting with some of the
project's volunteers
Fortunately horses are social animals. They can be rehabilitated and they can learn to trust humans. The volunteers of Least Resistance Training Concepts have so far been successful in every case, helping these horses get through difficult times so that they can spend their lives in the hands of caring people.

But the horses keep coming.

Lucky today with adopter, Betty Retzer

Click hereto see what happened.


  THE PROJECT

Least Resistance Training Concepts is an all-volunteer organization from the top down. It provides training information to wild horse adopters. It hosts a nationwide corps of Wild Horse Mentors who go out and help wild horse adopters. It also gets directly involved with some of the worst of the"hard luck" cases, like Lucky.

In order to more safely rehabilitate these horses, and to also provide an environment where volunteers can learn the more advanced skills involved with gentling and caring for abused wild horses, we have initiated the Lucky Horse Rehabilitation Project.

"River" was adopted at a public
wild horse adoption. His adopter
unfortunately sent him to an abusive
trainer who blew his mind. Here he
is learning to overcome his fear of
having his feet handled.
This project consists of specially constructed holding pens, a training corral, a "safe squeeze" (to provide veterinary care) and panels for unloading, loading and moving horses. The new pen system accommodates four special needs horses at one time in addition to our regular holding pens.

The project's budget covers the costs of the pens, related equipment and monthly costs such as "board and care" and required veterinary expenses.

Since prevention and intervention are more cost effective than rescue and rehabilitation, we will utilize every opportunity to use this project as ateaching tool for the volunteer mentors. As the mentors become more skilled, they will be better able to prevent such tragic situations like these from occurring.

"Dahlia" was a rescue with physical
and emotional scars from abuse. Here she
has overcome a mortal fear of ropes.

Finally, this project is not designed to accumulate equine dependents that will generate expenses forever. It is designed to rehabilitate and desensitize these horses so that they can comfortably live in the care of private adopters.

This is an all-volunteer project. It operates with a small amount of grant money. The volunteers raise the rest of the money needed for operating expenses themselves.

The Lucky Horse Rehabilitation Project is an ambitious but very needed project. Private contributions help maintain its success and allow the volunteers to conduct advanced rescue and rehabilitation activities in several states.

"Sally" was adopted at a public wild
horse adoption. Her adopter was not
prepared to care for a wild horse. She was
wild, starved and had horribly overgrown
hooves. She was recovered by one volunteer
and given Foster Care by another who
eventually adopted her.

Project Activities
(Meet the Animals)

Comstock Wild Horse Adoption Project

Project Scrap Book

How You Can Help!

LRTC Main Index

What is a Wild Horse Mentor?

Volunteers can adapt and overcome!
Here's Sally as she looks today.

A number of mares, foals, yearlings and geldings are available for adoption.

Click Here for a list.

Another Horse in the House?

See the story about Heidi the Orphan


Least Resistance Training Concepts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational corporation based in Knightsen, California, with volunteers in thirty one states.
Picking out names with Bruce

Contact Us

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