Wow, congratulations! You've made a great decision in getting a mustang.
I adopted a yearling filly last year and it has been a wonderful experience. This is my second mustang and I truly believe I will never buy another domesticated horse again. Mustangs just have so much heart and so much try in them, as long as you don't abuse thier trust...you'll see. Here are my suggestions:
1. Good choice buying a yearling. Much easier to handle and gentle, especially if you have not started many horses. Also a word of warning, if you have never started a horse before, a mustang is not a good one to start with. You need some experience in training horses to work successfully with these animals. Even then, it can be a challenge.
2. I don't know what method you were going to do for the adoption, but I do not recommend the local auctions the BLM holds...they have a very limited selection. Much better to go to your local BLM facility if you can and pick out one at your leisure. You won't end up in a bidding war that way either. I got a really nice filly, but I paid almost $600 for her because my husband got in a bidding war with someone else over her. I also don't recommend the internet auctions because you can't observe the animal before you buy. Definately observe the animal first. Try not to get the shyest horse, nor the most dominant, but one that falls in between, that seems interested in humans, but gets along with the other horses in the pen well.
3. The person who said don't put them in a stall at first is 1000% CORRECT. They will tell you for a yearling that 5 ft high fencing is ok, DON"T BELIEVE IT. My filly tried to scale my 5 ft fencing, ended up cutting her chest and then in a panic reared up in her large covered stall and gashed open her nose on the roofing panels. I recommend putting them in at least a 6ft tall round pen and leaving them there for a few days during the initial adjustment and handling period.
4. I disagree about leaving the lead rope and halter on. It provides an opportunity for the horse to injure itself. It also creates mistrust with the animal. If you use natural techniques in smaller area, you won't need it anyway. I much prefer to have them in a round pen with no cover for the first few days. if you only have a larger area, you will have to leave it on at first. Don't worry about the animal settling in past the first day. Spend as much time with the horse as you can in those critical first days - practically live with the horse. It will develop a strong bond that will serve you well when you start the training process.
5. First order of business is touching the animal. If possible, just hang out in the pen with them and let them come to you. Pet them all over (go slowly if they resist your touch) and find all the spots they love to have scratched. Once you can touch and pet them all over, then bring out the grooming tools and do the same all over. Always show the tools to the horse and let them sniff them before using them on the animal. Once you have this accomplished, it is pretty easy to slide a rope all over them, which is your next step. Once they are used to the rope, you can then use the rope to start leading them around, getting them used to having thier feet picked up (use rope loosely around leg to lift leg at first), or make a makeshift halter. I use a thin lead rope for this, also called a catch rope. It is the lead rope with a loop at one end that they sell for baby horses. Once they tolerate my makeshift halter, I start using a regular full size lead, and then move on to a regular rope halter.
6. Insist on respect from the animal right from the start. Set your ground rules firmly and stick to them. Don't let the animal invade your space, try to bite you (they will!) or do anything disrespectful. You don't need a harsh reprimand, I use an abrupt "shhhh" sound and it works really well. This is an animal that has the potential to become very dangerous if not taught the rules early. I was never harsh with my filly, but I would use the "shhhh" sound when she would try to bite, and I would move into her abruptly if she tried to invade my space. I call my filly my velcro horse, because she follows me wherever I go...but it easily could have turned into her trying to knock me over, or bite at my clothes, if I had not set the rules early on. Don't be harsh, just be firm.
7. Get the horse moving on the ground for you right away. The first thing I taught my filly was to respond to the pressure points that you would normally hit with your leg to make them move under saddle, but i did it with my hands on the ground. That way I could get her to pivot on her front or back end, or move away from me at will. It also helped train the animal to respect my space.
8. I highly recommend employing natural horsemanship techniques with your mustang. But always keep an open mind in your training - do what works for the horse. I had started horses using Clinton Anderson's techniques before, but I had to radically change the approach I used with my mustang. The thing to remember about a mustang is to NEVER abuse the trust with the animal. I cannot stress this enough. A mustang that you take your time with will give back to you 1000%, but one that you have pushed into a panic, or abused the trust with, can be a very dangerous animal. One thing I found is that you have to break down everything you teach into the tiniest steps. Domestic horses learn things pretty easily and it makes us a little lazy in our training. Mustangs have no clue why we want to lead them around, hang things all over them, or what the heck lungeing is.
I won't go over what the BLM requires, because people have done a great job of giving you that information in other posts.
Well, that's my advice...I hope it helps.
A couple other pointers...
Mustangs have naturally great feet. Please don't shoe them. Horse boots can be used for really rough riding over rocks and such, but otherwise, your mustang's feet are naturally built to be tough.
Spend as much time training on the ground as possible. Don't ride the horse until it is three and fully developed. The time you spent on the ground will really pay off once you do have them under saddle.
Support Mustang conservation. Get involved and learn about mustangs in the wild. Although I support the BLM adoption process, and in fact, I am a BLM volunteer, I also do not believe they do an adequate job in managing the wild herds of mustangs. All too often too many are taken off the range in favor of cattle being able to graze the land instead...often reducing the gene pool of the wild herd to a dangerously low level. They use anti-conception drugs that often make the mares and fillies permanently unable to concieve. Mustangs are a part of our natural history, and to not protect them in my opinion, is the same as burning an American flag. Never the less, I support the adoption program, because I fear, that the mustang will soon fade into history, and I would rather see them preserved in private collections, than nowhere at all.
To the person who said to geld your horse because we don't need any mustangs breeding...shame on you. I do recommend gelding, only because a wild stud can only be gentled by an extremely experienced handler. If we don't start raising mustangs in private collections, I fear we will soon not have them at all.
Good luck to you.
dmmalpert@hotmail.com