“Mustangs are misunderstood,” said Dr. Sarah Ralston, associate professor of Animal Science at Rutgers and associate director of teaching with the Equine Science Center. “They have tremendous athletic potential and can be very well-behaved. The students and I are eager to prove this at the preview to get more people interested in buying them, both at the auction and from other sources. They are a national heritage that needs public support and appreciation.”

     The 2009-2010 YHTRP also includes four yearling and four 2 year-old draft crosses from the 2008-2009 YHTRP. All 12 young horses will be available for inspection and shown individually in hand and at liberty during the Preview. The horses can also be viewed during the Rutgers Ag Field Day Horse Show on Saturday, April 24th starting at 10AM in the same location. They will all be sold at the 11th Annual Young Horse Auction to be held on Sunday, April 25, with bidder registration and preview starting at 11:00 am at the Red Barn and the auction beginning at 1:00 pm, at the Round House on College Farm Road. Potential bidders are strongly encouraged to pre-register and preview the horses before the day of the auction.

     Throughout the school year, Dr. Ralston also incorporated the mustangs into her research program, comparing their behavior and growth to that of the draft crosses. The four mustangs, RU Rambling Rose, RU Canella, RU Casanova, and RU Marley, have shown comparable performance in all areas to the other young horses. To learn more, please visit http://younghorse.rutgers.edu or contact Dr. Sarah Ralston at 732-932-9404 or ralston@aesop.rutgers.edu.

     For more information about the Equine Science Center, please visit www.esc.rutgers.edu or call 732-932-9419.