Wild Horses, Trainers Prepare for Annual Competition

(KLIX) – Wild horses will be picked up by their new owners this Friday and Saturday in Ada County in reparation for an upcoming training and competition program involving the mustangs.

Now in its third year, the Mustang Trainer Incentive Program (TIP) Challenge involves both youth and adults who adopt the animals for training and then showcase them in competition and awareness programs, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The TIP Challenge is a segment of the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Trainer Incentive Program, which aims to place mustangs and burros in adoptive homes.

The benefits are obvious for both horse and trainer: the horses get a home, and owners get more experience training and helping to save wild mustangs.

More and more trainers have participated each year since the competition began three years ago, according to the BLM. A record 67 competitors are scheduled this year. Also, a burro division has been added because of the high demand.

The 2019 Mustang Mania TIP Challenge is planned for July 6-7 in Nampa.