Many people don’t understand Mustangs.

They think the horses which populate open ranges in southwestern states such as Nevada are too difficult, too unrestrained, too wild to be good horses.

George and Evelyn Gregory are out to prove those people wrong.

The couple have two wild horses at their ranch in rural Montague county.

They picked the horses up in Elgin about two months ago when both George and Evelyn were chosen to participate in a challenge sponsored by the Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The Mustang Challenge places wild horses with handlers throughout the United States. The handlers gentle and train the horses until they are ready to be ridden and ready to compete in an equestrian contest.

The Challenge highlights and recognizes the value of mustangs through a national training competition.

The Gregorys have trained, ridden and loved horses for years. When they learned of the plight of thousands of American Mustangs, rounded up and euthanized each year, they applied to become caretakers and trainers for horses.

Evelyn is in the Extreme Mustang Makeover’s Mission 007 Yearling edition.

Quigley — named for Tom Selleck’s character in the 1989 movie “Quigley Down Under” — is Evelyn Gregory’s yearling.

He has a fondness for people, especially Evelyn who believes she’s formed a bond with the horse.

He’s learned a lot in his time with the Gregorys, and he still has a way to go, George Gregory said.

“Mustangs have a reputation for being untrainable,” he said.

Quigley arrived in Saint Jo trembling and frightened. He was every inch a wild horse.

Hours of conditioning taught Quigley not to fear Evelyn. She began by patting him gently and gradually earned his trust.

The Gregorys did not shield either of their Mustangs from sudden sounds or potentially frightening sights.

“You have to show the horse that sound and action are just part of life,” Evelyn said.

Now Quigley seems attached to his handler.

“He almost thinks I’m ‘Momma,’” she said.

The bond between Evelyn and her Mustang is so strong, Evelyn said she decided early on not to place Quigley up for adoption at the end of his training period.

Yearlings such as Quigley are eligible for adoption by their Mustang Makeover handlers. Evelyn plans to adopt Quigley.

“I’ve already decided. I’m keeping him,” she said.

The older horses such as George’s horse, Rika, are set to be auctioned to the highest bidder.

Bidders and those who adopt Mustangs through the program must meet certain criteria.

They must have no record for animal cruelty offenses. They must have adequate space to care for their Mustangs. They must provide references.

Trainers range from kids 18 or under to individuals in their 60s.

George said he believes he was chosen because he is a mature equestrian with years of nature horsemanship experience.

“If I can do this at 67, I know the younger ones can,” he said. “We want to get the word out about Mustangs. The whole idea is publicity. We want people to know that these horses are very trainable and can become good riding horses. If we can do that, there will be more adoptions.”

George said many of the couple’s friends plan to attend the competition in September.

The 2008 event is set to feature 200 American Mustangs and their trainers competing for a purse of $50,000. An additional $20,000 is up for grabs in the yearling competition.

Afterwards, the older horses, like Rika will be auctioned.

George said some of his friends plan to bid on Rika.

“I’ll probably bid, too,” he said, but he isn’t optimistic about his chances of walking away with Rika.

Last year, the top selling horse went for around $50,000, Evelyn said.

Most sell for between $1,200 and $4,000 — a reasonable price for a horse, she noted.

At competition, scheduled for Sept. 18-20 at Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, the yearlings are required to demonstrate “in hand” skills. They must be led by a rope. They must go over obstacles and allow themselves to be loaded into a trailer.

George Gregory said it isn’t unusual for a horse to avoid being placed in a trailer.

“A lot of them don’t like the trailer. They see the trailer and they think it’s a big, scary thing that wants to eat them,” he said.

After some conditioning, both Rika and Quigley load willingly into the trailer.

The horses should show good conditioning and demonstrate that they have been well cared for.

Tethered to a pole outside the couple’s home, Quigley was slightly jittery.

Now and then he nudged Evelyn like a polite but persistent child.

The colt seemed to relish a brief caress from a young girl who was visiting the Gregory’s ranch and was unaffected by the sounds and movement of those around him.

He looks docile, calm and content. Just like an ordinary domestic horse.

But Mustangs are not just like ordinary horses. They are wild animals.

In the wild, they learn to run when they are afraid and to lash out when they are threatened.

Mustangs can be dangerous, George said.

“It’s scary at first. It gives you an apprehensive feeling to be near them. You never know what he’s going to do. He could send you flying if he wanted to,” George said.

He began Rika’s training the way he would begin handling any recalcitrant horse.

“It starts with a touch. You’ve got to get that saddle on. To him, it’s like a bear on his back. He’s scared. He doesn’t know what you want him to do. His life has always been to run. At first, the gear scares him,” he said.

An early milestone for training a Mustang is getting the horse accustomed to wearing gear such as a saddle and bridle.

“I put weight on the stirrups to get him used to pressure,” George said. “At first, he didn’t know what I wanted him to do. Now, he knows I want him to move, to turn and to stop.”

Quick gestures and sudden sounds can startle any horse.

George and Evelyn know that at competition, both Rika and Quigley will see and hear a lot of activity. They hope their training allows the horses to keep their composure.

To illustrate his point, George suddenly removed his straw hat and waved it in Rika’s face.

The horse stepped backward abruptly, shaking his head and pulling away from Gregory.

He repeated the act several times.

Each time, Rika’s reaction was more subdued.

Eventually Rika will stand still when someone removes a hat, approaches him suddenly or makes an unexpected sound.

The Gregorys said they use humane methods to condition and gentle their horses.

“This horse has never been hit. You’ve got to deal with horses in a gentle way,” he said.

Rika’s training has been more challenging than Quigley’s.

“Rika was on his own longer. He had more time to run free,” Evelyn said of the 3-year old Mustang.

Both George and Evelyn grew up with horses.

Evelyn got her first horse at eight and later began training barrel racing horses.

George got his first horse when he was ten years old, and said time is the best teacher of horsemanship.

Although there is an obvious camaraderie between the pair, Evelyn and George are technically still newlyweds. They’ve been married about two years.

The couple said they met through the social networking site, Equesteriansingles.com.

Both say they recommend the site, not just for dating opportunities.

“We met a whole network of friends all over the country through the site,” George said.

The couple agree that taking on the Mustang Makeover requires kindness amd patience as well as horse handling skills.

Progress is sometimes almost imperceptible.

“At first, I could only touch (Quigley’s) face. You have to be creative with these horses and take anything they’ll give you,” Evelyn said.

Reporter Delania Trigg may be

contacted at dtrigg@ntin.net