MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- The Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard on Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, picked up their recently adopted mustangs Saturday at a correctional facility in Carson City, Nev.
The Marines drove to the Warm Springs Correctional Facility to work with the horses and their inmate trainers before bringing them back to the base stables. While there, they also participated in the opening ceremony for a horse auction, which took place Saturday. During the ceremony, the horses were officially handed over to the Marines by their trainers.
"The work those men did with these horses is outstanding," said Staff Sgt. Cody Sepulvida, assistant staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the base stables.
The three palominos, named Okinawa, Iwo Jima and Desert Storm, were hand-picked in February to replace Montezuma, Marianas and Peking, the three oldest horses currently at the stables, by the MCMCG because of their calm temperament and similar color to the younger horses which will stay, said Gunnery Sgt. Ivan Collazo-Sanchez, staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the base stables.
"We are very happy with the quality of these horses," said Collazo-Sanchez. "To think that only five months ago these horses had very limited contact with humans is astounding."
Though they were trained every day for the past four months, the horses' work isn't over yet, said Collazo-Sanchez. It's only beginning. Now that they can be ridden, the color guard Marines will continue their training as well as work with the horses on choreography and slowly get the horses used to working with the loud noises of parades, rodeos and other events.
Those horses which are being retired will live at the base stables until homes are found for them.