Drifter and Sandman
NPS Photos

Wild Horses from inmate training program to be utilized in the park

May 7, 2018 - Yosemite National Park has adopted two mustangs that were trained in the Sacramento Sheriff's Wild Horse Program to assist Park Rangers perform a variety of duties. The six year old geldings, Drifter and Sandman, arrived in the park in early April after four months of training by inmates at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove, CA. The horses will join the approximately one hundred horses and mules that the park has and will be integrated into park operations such as traffic management, search and rescue, and the Mounted Patrol.  

(Left) Justin Fey and Drifter

These horses were adopted through a partnership program between the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management to find homes for the more than 46,000 wild horses currently in holding facilities. The program consists of inmates, most of whom have no experience with horses, working on training the horses in a 120-day program. The inmates feed and care for the horses, sensitize them to people and activities, and eventually saddle them and begin to ride them. Once the horses are deemed ready for adoption, public auctions are conducted to find permanent homes for the horses. Yosemite National Park adopted two horses, Drifter and Sandman, in April. Park Rangers are continuing their training in Yosemite National Park with the intent of integrating them into park operations.

"This is a unique and exciting opportunity to have these wild horses working with us here in the park," stated Justin Fey, Yosemite National Park Ranger and Mounted Patrol Program Manager. "These horses are serving as natural ambassadors for wild mustangs and for Yosemite National Park. We are excited to get these horses ready to help us in a variety of functions.”

This adoption marks the first time Yosemite National Park has used wild horses and they are doing well adapting to their new surroundings. Training for the horses includes working with Park Rangers and becoming more comfortable in the park environment which includes trails, asphalt, park visitors, bicycles, parking lots, and vehicular traffic. When they are ready, these horses will help Park Rangers perform a variety of duties. 


Justin Fey, Drifter, and Sandman
Source: NPS