After nearly seven years of U.S. government service, former wild mustang Bob, age 10, is settling into a well-deserved retirement at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas.

Prior to his adoption in 2011 by the U.S. Border Patrol, Bob had been gathered from a herd management area by the Bureau of Land Management and entered the Mustangs on the Move program with the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was placed at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility where offenders trained him and prepared him for adoption.

Mustangs on the Move began at HCF in 2001 and helps alleviate the over-population of wild horses on federal lands in the western United States. When left unchecked, the horses can multiply to the extent that the land would not sustain their numbers, resulting in starvation and other problems. 

According to U.S. officials, Bob holds the record for the longest active service for a U.S. Border Patrol horse. His records note that he was known as “dependable and safe,” often paired with the newest agents because he was so easy to work with.

Bob’s success is due in part to the great training that his offender was able to provide him. Not only did the horse receive training to prepare him for his government work, the offender who helped train him was able to receive skills that would help him in his future. These work opportunities make it easier for offenders to reintegrate back into their community and become productive members of society.