OklahomaHorses Magazine July 2021

July/August 2021 • OklahomaHorses 19 COMMITTED TO PHENOMENAL SERVICE JOY JONES 405.287.7702 joy_jones@radiantbenefits.com HUNTER NIXON 281.788.7896 hunter_nixon@radiantbenefits.com • Individual and Group Health Insurance • Dental and Vision • Catastrophic Event • Accidental Injury and Hospitalization Plans petition, the Zimmermans say that they focus on doing a lot of groundwork in the round pen and also work on desensitizing the horses as much as possible. “Getting a mustang to trust you is the main challenge,” said Matt. “They sometimes get a bad rap, but you can’t cut corners with them.” The mustangs have a tendency to be wary of people, so Matt recommends getting your hands on them as quickly as possible. But once you do, he says, “they’re just another horse.” Erika Hunter, a trainer from Arizona who’s part of MHF’s Trainer Incentive Program (TIP), will also be participating in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in OKC. After going to “just look” at the mustangs at an auction in 2013, Erika ended up taking two of them home. Hunter trained both horses and competed in her first EMM in Septem- ber of that year. “I was absolutely hooked!” said Hunter. “I have now trained for 11 EMMs in five states.” For the OKC competition, Hunter picked a 7-year-old gray mare from Silver King, Nevada. “I loved her look and athletic ability. I had heard Silver Kings were tough to break through to, but once you did, they were out- standing performance horses,” said Hunter. Hunter relayed that her favorite part of the Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions is the support that trainers have for their fellow competitors. “It doesn’t matter how you do in the arena—everyone congratulates you and helps you,” said Hunter. About the Mustang Heritage Foundation Founded in 2001, the Mustang Heritage Foundation aims to decrease the number of wild horses and burros in holding facilities by increasing the number of successful adoptions and placements into private care. MHF also strives to reposition wild horses among the most influential audience in the equine industry: horse trainers. Extreme Mustang Makeover events and the Trainer Incentive Program were developed in accor- dance with this idea. Since its inception, Mustang Heritage Foundation has placed more than 16,000 mustangs and burros into private care, saving the U.S. government more than $131 million each year. The organization’s goal remains focused on creating and managing innovative programs and events, including those that engage both veterans and youth with America’s wild horses. All of the Extreme Mustang Makeover classes in OKC are free to the public, with the exception of the Freestyle finals, which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14. Specta- tors can also participate in several oppor- tunities to meet competing mustangs and their trainers and attend the MHF Open Show free of charge. You can find a com- plete schedule and purchase tickets to the freestyle event on the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s website, mustangheritage- foundation.org . Erika Hunter with her Silver King mustang