My Wild Horse Story: Becky and Miata

By Becky McPheters
Nampa, Idaho

I am just the average person who loves her horses. I do not consider myself a trainer because I am always learning. I started working with mustangs in 1998 when I got my first 9-month-old from Idaho’s Challis herd management area. I had no clue what I was doing but I was bound and determined to do it. Codi turned out to be an awesome trail horse! Then the adventures started to happened. 

I first competed in an Extreme Mustang Makeover in 2009 with a yearling and became totally hooked. I then competed in an EMM in 2010 with a 5-year-old mare and that is where this story starts.

The mare I drew was a 2004 model from the Jackies Butte herd in Oregon. She was underweight but that was not going to stop me. I named her Miata. We prepared like everyone else. When we went to show we placed 11th. I purchased her back and decided to create the group Idaho Mustang Club to promote and educate the public about how wonderful these mustangs are. I have also been a Trainer Incentive Program trainer with the Mustang Heritage Foundation since 2008. I average training 8-12 TIP mustangs or burros a year.

Idaho Mustang Club has now been around for 11 years and going strong. The group does trail rides, parades, show and tell, open houses, and we work with BLM to promote the breed. Miata is my mascot that does it all. She was diagnosed with Cushings in 2017 and is under well managed care, but she still goes with me to all my events to help promote adopting mustangs and burros. My passion is for sure the mustangs and burros!