thanks for watching. on "america tonight" - the weekend edition. the state of execution. struggles to find death drugs. botched executions and in a state that puts more convicts to death than any other - doubts the system can be fixed. also ahead. the fix - addicts looking for a way out find what they and neuroscientists say is a miracle - but it's also an illegal drug. we investigate ibogay.

could addiction rely on a root. >> i saw people completely detoxed, look like human being, ready to change their life. making babies behind borters, international -- borders. international surrogacy and parents that lost tens of thousands. and the risky business of spending money for nothing. >> there's no guarantees. it's not babies are us. it's not you pay the money and you walk away with a child. good evening. thanks for joining us. we begin with what is a controversial issue - the death

penalty. sparked by the botched execution of a convicted michael okwu killer -- oklahoma kill are, support for the death penalty has been dwindling, long before clayton d. lockett writhed and struggled. no more is it more popular than texas, but there there are growing doubt. chris brewery with a closer look at the crime and punishment. >> reporter: this scope outside the old prison in downtown huntsville has become a familiar ritual. far too familiar for the small group gathering to protest an impending execution. this evening the life of another texas prisoner is scheduled to end. >> there's a cross. it seems the state of texas thinks that is blessed by god. executing people is blessed by

god. >> reporter: reverend has been coming to executions in huntsville for two years, on this day he and a friend drove more than four hours to bear witness. >> it's a long drive, almost four hours. a lot of time to pray, and today i remember praying over and over again, that god might intervene. >> reporter: robert campbell was convicted in 1991's abduction and murder of a houston woman, shooting her in a field and leaving her to die. the death row here is busy - 515 executions since 1976 when capital punishment was reinstated. jason clark is with the texas department of criminal justice. >> the jury saw the photos, heard the testimony, weighed the evidence and convicted this

individual and sentenced them to death. i remember that have beening systems were involved -- have a have beening tems were involved -- vick tips were involved, and oftentimes it puts it in perspect mfiive. in huntsville it does not cause a stir. this is a company town. the biggest tourist attraction is a museum dedicated to the peepal system -- penal system. here alongside the cells and newspaper headlines about bonny and clyde sits the electric chair. the museum's director is jim willett. >> we passed the 500th number of doing lethal injections in the stat of texas. we have never had a problem. i'm going to assume we'll know what we are doing and operate

the same which. >> reporter: willett supervised 89 executions. >> i didn't like dealing with them. i tried to do it, my part in it the best that i could. it's the unusualness of it all. you have a fellow laying on a gurney that is perfectly healthy. in a little bit that fellow will be dead. >> reporter: willett is not the only former texas official who is reflecting back on his days enforcing the death penalty. >> reporter: would you say that now you are softer on the death penalty than you were when you were governor? >> i think i'm wiser. >> mark was governor in 1983. he served five years as the attorney-general. >> are you convinced that incident people have been put it death in texas? >> yes. if you do it the way we do it now, you ought to abolish it. >> reporter: white strongly

supported the death penalty. as governor he oversaw 19. he believes the local process is so broken, innocent are too easily condemned. in an article for a split coe, he called it a cries -- split coe, he -- politico he called it a crisis. >> in your article that says one in 25 people may be executed incorrectly. is that number powerful? >> no. one in any number that you put in the nominator - it doesn't matter what it is. one is one too many. >> reporter: nationwide 3,000 inmates sit on death row. the study by the national academy of science suggests 120 of them are likely to be innocent. how long were you on death row? >> i was on death row 12.5 years. >> few know more about that that

anthony grace, accused of killing six people by the man that committed the murders. a texas jury sentenced him to death in 1994. >> reporter: what was daily life like in death row? >> i tell people whatever you think hell is for you, i lived it 365 days a year. >> reporter: how difficult was it for you to spend 18 years there, knowing you had not committed the crime? >> it was really difficult. every day i had a threat of being executed happening over my head. it was not a walk in the park. it was very, very hard. so many times i wanted to give up. >> reporter: instead of giving up graves insisted he was incident. after a new trial was ordered a team of prosecutors didn't go forward, they dismissed the charges. in 2010, 18 and one half years after his arrest he walked out of prison a free man. >> reporter: what does the story

of anthony graves say? >> it says that we shouldn't practice the death penalty. that is all it says. you took a man from his home, who was with his family who had alibi witnesses, who was in another up to, who didn't know the people he was accused of murdering, and you put him on death row. >> a map... . >> like former governor white believes, ipp adequate legal rption and racial -- league representation and racial bias. >> can we live with making mistakes? >> reporter: recent bungled executions in oklahoma and i ohio also fuel it. including that of clayton d. lockett, a convicted killer, dying of a heart attack 43

minutes after the lethal injcked drugs -- injection drugs failed to kill him. a new drug combination was tried, they had never used it before - because pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to supplies drugs for execution. >> some call it a botched execution. it wasn't a botched execution - it was cruel and inhumane treatment. the s.p.c.a. does a better job than in oklahoma and other states. >> in putting animals to death. >> that's right. michael okwu has a 3-drug -- oklahoma has a 3-drug protocol. ours calls for a loathal dose of pinto basha toll. we used it since 2012 and carried out many executions. >> reporter: campbell's lawyers used it to seek a halt to his

execution. that did not work. an argument that he is mentally incompetent did. with two hours to go, campbell's life was spared. the grim work in the walls is scheduled to go on. next in line, manual, convicted of killing a low-level drug dealer on orders from a crime boss. he's planning to make the 4 hour drive to huntsville. >> when that execution takes place, i'll stand on the corn praying that will be the -- corner praying it will be the last time i stand on the corner. until the execution stops, i'll stand on the corner. coming up next on the programme - the mysterious miracle drug from a west african nation that promises a cure for all addicts. a dose of ibocay is next.

the wildfire season out west got off to an early start as thousands in southern california were forced to flee their homes, it's known to choke many rivers dry in the south-west. an historic agreement between the united states and mexico is attempting to change that. here is lori jane gliha. [ singing ] . >> reporter: when sections of the river dried up elders sang this song and prayed for it to come back. >> the river is life to us. it gives life to everything. water water we can't survive. >> dale phillips is the vice chairman of this nation. they lived along the colorado river delta for centuries, faming and fishing have been -- farming and fishing have been the moons of survival. >> reporter: tell me how the river has changed since you were

a child? >> there's no water. all you see is dead vegetation. there's no animals like it used to be. there's no life, it's dead. when it's dead, we are dead, our souls are dead. >> reporter: people here endured many hardships. the loss of the river is difficult. now, this surgeon. water, the pulse flow, is lifting phillips' spirits and is headed towards the colorado river delta, an arid stretch of fresh water in the yates. what did you do when you saw the big flow of water for the first time? >> i don't want to use the word sad, but you feel like crying, but it's happiness and joy. i was trying to be manly not to show it. you feel like yelling and screaming.

the water is there. >> this is a dam, the last on the colorado river. these gates here, basically, stop the river from flowing into the river flood plain, the delta, colorado. >> reporter: conservationist has been working to revive the wetland for a decade. he took us to a river, where it usually die, and told us about the judgement of life when the gates opened. >> it was amazing. we were waiting downstream. the gates oped. the water -- opened, the water rushed out. >> the rushing water is part of a pulse flow experiment, a controlled release flowing from the dam to the gulf of california, it's meant to flood the delta and give mother nature a boost. >> look at this.

i was walking here last october. now i have to swim. >> reporter: yes. >> it's amazing to see water is here. >> reporter: for conservationist, this has been the high point of his career. the pulse flow is designed to mimic a spring flood where the river banks overflow, but on a smaller scale. over time the flow of water seeps back into the ground. over eight weeks the pulse flow releases 1% of water that used to be here. that is enough to revive the delta's eco system. >> you can see the trees, the willow - what we have seen is seeds of cotton wood and willow are falling into wet soil. as they fall they find the perfect continues to germinate

and grow. >> reporter: more trees mean more birds. hundreds need the wetlands to rest and refuel as they migrate across the barren desert every year. the main target of the pulse flow has been the environment, it has excited local communities, like this tribe. [ sings ] . >> reporter: for phillips, the pulse flow seems like an answer to their prayers. what happened when you found out the pulse flow would happen. a tribal member said "i didn't thing you guys could do it, but you did, someone listened." >> reporter: he said the return of the river was bitter sweet. >> there was a little happy possess, lifting our spirits, our soul. at the same time it was dangling

a carrot in front of you. you can never get the carrot. what did they do for us? well, nothing really. we are still the same. >> reporter: on the mexican side of the border many members live in poverty. the river is back for now, but it's not here to stay. they have to travel for hours to the mouth of the gulf of california for the fish they need to live on. we made that journey and arrived at a vast dry landscape. when it's high tide fishermen push the bots out to sea -- boats out to sea. this is where the river meets the ocean, the point where salt and pressure water collides, resulting in productive ecosystems. it rarely happens since the delta went dry. they are holding out hope. >> for me, for the water to reach the lower portion of the river.

if the water gets to that point, we'll reconnect the river again with the ocean. although it will not restore the tribe, the temporary pulse will revive the delta. >> the pulse flow is an exercise. we will learn a lot and have to learn a lot. >> reporter: throughout the course of the fellow teams have been measuring water levels, counting birds and other mammals that returned to the area and checking how many new frees germ nate. the ruts are promising. >> it's an example of how we over-used nature. it's the most controlled in the world. what we are doing here - it tells a story of how we can change the relationship with nature, how we restore it. and having the connection of the river with delta, with the sea, i guess it brption hope that -- brings hope that we change the

relationships of human nature. and if the wetland can come back to life. vision of the delta, that's lori jane gliha. the pulse flow ended. researchers report that they have found the water extended down the channel, all the way to the gulf of california. a drain on communities across the nation is heroin. and op yet drugs. treatment is tough. addicts are turning outside the border for a controversial treatment. adam may reports on ibogaine and why it is not available in this country. >> my life was trying to find drugs. you are messed up. you look like you are going to die. >> reporter: for paul, cannes can is more than a trip to

paradise. how long have you been using drugs? >> 12 years. >> how many times did you go through rehab. >> four times. >> most young me come to cannes can for wild nights. paul flew from missouri to try a mystical cure for drug adduction. >> how did you end up here in cancun? . i was sick of having to use every waking moment to find drugs. sick of it. i was able to see the damage that it did to my family. the last time they saw me high - sorry - >> reporter: do you feel you could have died, your as diction was strong? >> absolutely. i had seven friend die. >> reporter: desperate to kick his aticketive habit he looked

online for hep. he came across clear sky recovery, the operators claiming they can end the addiction on drugs, using ibogaine. >> i thought it would be a miracle. >> i had a little homework. i said if i told you if happened to me 11 years from now, would you listen more. >> reporter: irene does the ipp talk, but she is a walking advertisement. she was prescribed opiates, and developed an adduction. >> one morning i drove the children to school. i was in the fast leap. the kid screamed, "mum", and i almost hit the wall. i was a slave to the pills. i couldn't think of anything but getting the pills.

>> reporter: she heard about ibogaine from a friend. was it successful? >> yes. >> reporter: how many years have you been clean? >> november will be 11. >> reporter: what is ibogaine. it's a hall use gen coming from the root of a west african drug. it's been used in healing ceremonies by some tribes. deborah machine is a top neuroscientist, and approached by ibogaine in the early '90s. when you heard about this substance from africa, you must have been skeptical. >> i didn't believe it, how could a mohlual have an -- molecule have an affect on alcohol, nicotine, opiates. >> reporter: what did you do? >> i wanted to see it with my

own eyes. >> reporter: she travelled to the area. >> i saw people detoxed, look like new human beings, no signs of withdrawal and ready to change their life. and i thought "what does this teach us about the brain?" i need to know with money from private donors, she submitted a proposal to the f.d.a. to collect data on ibogaine. the drug administration approved the proposals for clinical trials more than 20 years ago, back in 1993 in miami. a team administered the legal dose of gaip to a -- ibogaine to a patient in the u.s. funding dried up and the trials from forced to shut down. >> i was devastated, really. we had nowhere to go. and we had f.d.a. permission to proceed. >> reporter: undeterred dr mash

took her trials offshore, opening a research center on the island of st. cutts. >> we dedoxed over 3 -- detoxed over 300 patients. the gaip de -- ibogaine detox was 98% flentive to open -- effective to open yacht withdrawal. i couldn't believe it, my colleagues couldn't believe it. we watched it. >> reporter: dr nash was so impressed she trained another doctor to administer the drug. >> we free more than 700. >> reporter: more than 700. he's the medical director in cannes can. >> i'm an emergency fizz ip -- physician, i practice in the emergency room. >> and you come here for a few hours. >> reporter: the doctor treated more than 700 addicts and

believes that ibogaine could help people like paul. the patients receive a test dose, then a full dose, and soon... >> it hit me in probably 30 minutes. there was buzzing in my ears, i knew i was in an adventure. >> reporter: we caught up with paul after he came down from the ibogaine trip. >> the gain is about intro speption. the visions are what is inside you. you see parts of your life - some good, some bad. for me it was like, you know, stop, you'll be six feet under. >> reporter: how do you feel right now? >> amazing. doctors say it's not a cure. i know it's not. you have to work at not being an adebt. right now -- being an addict. right now it's a miracle drug. ibogaine works by changing the brain's chemical wiring to break the cycle of addiction.

>> you take a person that's been on drugs and alcohol for a decade, hitting it hard. the brain has neuroadapted. you can't delay gratification. what it seems to do for the person is engage the frontal lobe, important. it couped of puts the -- kind of puts the brakes on compulsive behaviour. they are willing to say maybe i need to go to meetings and be in treating. dr mash says ibogaine is not a cure. >> it brings about like a reset. >> reporter: like hitting it on the computer. >> it's amazing to say this, the reset button has been hit. we are wary about treating crystal meth, but we treated patients with good results. >> reporter: really. >> yes. >> reporter: it may not be a magical cure, for paul, this is

a miracle. >> when i look apt pt o and -- at the o and see the boats -- ocean and see the boats and the island, i think about the possibilities. and i couldn't say that last tuesday before i came down. interesting reporting from adam there in mexico. looking ahead to tomorrow on "america tonight". . >> what would happen if no one vaccinated their kids? >> i think we would be a lot healthier. >> you do. > because all the other kuds are getting vak -- kids are getting vaccinated. if our numbers drop in orange county, we'll see increases in cases of measles. >> to vak sippate or not to vaccinate. a tough question for parents. how will the decision not to vaccinate look at other

families, michael okwu takes a look tomorrow on "america tonight". next - outsourcing baby making. for would-be parents, an investment in the future. part of our baby-making series is unvestment in the future.

is us up next.

the dream of having a baby is hard to resist. dealing with the costs financial and emotional are high. in the special series making babies, we look at the outsourcing of baby making through international surrogacy.

it's less expensive outside the united states. there are risks. one company is under federal investigation now for making false promises of a baby delivery to dozens of would-be parents. an investigation into the case from "america tonight"'s mother's day. >> reporter: cancun mexico - sufb -- surf, sun and surrogacy. >> it was a disaster. the whole process unravelled completely. >> crash and burn. >> reporter: jonah and chris wanted children since they started dating in college. finally a few months ago a new mexico couple thought they found a solution in cancun. it is a destination for americans seeking surrogacy. they went south of border to

visit an agency baby hospital. >> you could see the caribbean. we put our wishes out into the universe there. >> reporter: planet hospital helped them select an egg donor, arrange a visit to a director, and promise a mexican surrogate mother to carry their child at a fraction of the cost of surrogacy. >> prices were more affordable doing surrogacy in mexico. >> reporter: what did you expect for the bill? >> 45,000. >> that was everything. >> it seemed okay. >> reporter: you didn't see red flags initially. >> hint sight is 20/20. there were some red flags. rftenlts it turned out starting a family in paradise was a nightmare. >> the clin iing pulled out -- clinic pulled out. we had to switch clinics and we

ended up with a u.s. egg donor who was homophobic and basically left us in the lurch. >> reporter: after sending planet hospital tens of thousands, the company failed to deliver. >> we lost over $20,000 from planet hospital trying to do surrogacy in mexico. it was devastating. >> you put so much funny and emotion into the process, and you are so close, so close and then it explodes. >> reporter: who do you guys blame for the problems? >> rudy rooup axe. he was the captain at the helm that went into the ooes berg. >> rudy was the c.e.o. of planet hospital. it turns out headquarters is a po box in a strip mall near los angeles. "america tonight" exchanged numerous emails with the californian businessman trying to arrange an on-camera interview. in the end he declined, citing

scheduling conflicts. >> he was the master of diplomacy making you feel warm and fuzzy about planet hospital. >> jonathan is a d.c. trial lawyer and a father burnt. he sent more than $30,000 to planet hospital and rudy. now he is fighting back. >> i'll put an end to this. it was my goal put an end to planet hospital. there's nothing i hadn't seen in this crazy world. this was a first. i had they are seen the level of victimisation, where you take someone's dreams of hopes and dreams of childhood that is imperative and private and steal their money and provide nothing in return. i never saw that level of fraud. >> reporter: daly launched an investigation, stunned to discover 40 couples like him. people left with a pile of

bills, and to babies. >> they came from australia, england, canada and, of course, the united states. his fraud knew no international boundaries. all wrote to me saying that he took their money and stopped communicating. >> reporter: do you think there should be an investigation into rudy? >> absolutely, yes. >> hands down. >> i would be happy to see him go to gaol. >> chris and jonah may get their wish. >> hell hath no fury like a trial lawyer scorned. >> daly pressed for a federal investigation, and according to him, it's well under way. >> i contacted the fbi in san diego, a grand jury has been empanelled. i was served a grand jury subpoena and responded with documentation that it requested. a spacks person for the u.s. forny's office neither confirmed nor denied the existence of a

grand jury looking into planet hospital. although he wouldn't sit down, rudy tells "america tonight" in part: he goes tonne write: -- on to write: what advice would you have for people that are considering this? >> well, i guess my advice to anyone considering mexico right now is just wait. it's still relatively new. with the kind of money and the emotional investment that it takes to work on doing surrogacy, don't be the first people. >> even after everything that they have been through, chris

and jonah are determined to make the family grow. so they are trying again. this time hiring an american surrogate and a watchful lawyer. >> my mum is chomping at the bit to become a grandma, she's "when is my grapd kid coming -- grandkid coming along." my mum is eager. >> it's time, we want kids. we want to have that experience. we want the little kids to love, and to raise and for our mums to spoil. >> yes, for our mums to spoil. >> reporter: coming up, despite the uncertainty, more and more desperate couples are heading to mexico. it's a different kind of match-making. "america tonight" goes along for the eye-opening process and discovers a surprising twist. >> more than 30 couples claim they have lost around a million dollars when they worked with planet hospital. both of you were involvement with that organization. why should anyone trust you with

a surrogacy? discovers a surpri. a surrogacy? a surrogacy?

before the break we saw how international surrogacy can go horribly wrong. "america tonight"'s adam may continues his investigation with

a story of at least 40 couples scammed by an international surrogacy agency. rfferent at first glance it may look like a reality dating show. >> hello. >> how are you? >> i'm doing good. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: one after another the mexican women, dressed to the nines, are trying to impression. >> what do you like to do for fun? >> how long have you been modelling for? >> what kind of work do you do? >> reporter: but carr mine and jody from miami are not looking for romance. the gay couple is shopping for an egg donor. they'll pay $2500 for a crack at one of these women'sing. >> with its turquoise waters and soft as sugar batches, cannes can has been an international tourist hot spot.

now americans like jody and carr mine come here for another reason - seeking surrogacy at the fraction of the going rate of the u.s. >> reporter: how do you describe your experience so far trying to have a baby? >> emotional. a roller-coaster ride. >> reporter: a failure. >> a failure. >> gut wrenching. >> in the two years since the florida couple got married, starting a family is a top priority. mexico is the last hope for fatherhood. it's the latest frontier in international surrogacy. new agencies are all over the internet. many advertise surf, sun and surrogates at a bargain price. >> we are a hands-on programme. we walk the clients through the process from start to baby. >> reporter: jeff moss and lily frost raumped surrogacy beyond

borders. >> in the u.s. you lock at spending $ -- look at suspending $100,000, here the level case is $47,000. >> reporter: why is it more affordable in mexico than the u.s.? >> it's the cost of living. it's a lot less. we do it for the same quality and less money. >> in a country where the average salary is $1,000 a month, bearing a child for a foreign couple is an attractive economic option for mexican women. and an enticing business opportunity for this couple, which seeks to match u.s. couples with egg donors and surrogates in mexico. >> reporter: this is a clinic that you guys use. >> yes, one of two. >> reporter: inside the clinic the doctors shows where she harvests the session and

traverse to willing surrogates. like cindy and selena. they have been lected by surrogacy beyond borders to live in this villa, inside a gated community in cannes can. it's the next stop for carr mine and jody. having met their egg donors, they are being introduced to potential surrogates. selena and cindy are single mothers. they'll live here for nine months. neither has a genetic collection, since the egg comes from someone else, and both will receive 13,000 for renting their wombs. why have you decided to be a surrogate for an american couple? >> i didn't know there were so many couples that couldn't have a baby. >> reporter: the 27-year-old

says she needs money to pay off her student loans and raise her own child, cam illa. >> translation: i'm in charm of raising her myself and i'm concerned about her future and education. >> beautiful, nice apartment. >> reporter: carr mine and jody were impressed by what they saw. >> it's clean, organised. the women are happy. >> reporter: they are still cautious. this is not the first time they have gone international in search of a child. the last time left them with a bill and crushed hopes. >> a lot of money out and no baby. >> reporter: how much money? >> between the expenses of travelling, it's about $50,000 by the time it was done. >> reporter: you lost 50,000 working with planet hospital? >> correct. >> reporter: that's right, planet hospital. the same surrogacy agency they used last year is under federal investigation. according to documents seen by

"america tonight." up to 40 couples didn't get babies, losing hundreds of thousands. with a surprising twist jeff and lily, who are running the new agency in cannes can, had close ties to planet hospital. more than 30 couples claimed they had lost around a million when they worked with planet hospital. both of you were involved with that organization. why should anyone trust you with the surrogacy? >> i think we have learnt from the mistakes of planet hospital. we have put together an ethical programme that the parents involved through the whole process. >> the lawyer is another disappointed client of planet hospital. he remembers moss's role at the agency. >> i describe him as a cfo. chief financial officer. he solicited the wire at a time when he knew or should have known the pragues was offer. i -- operation was over, i have

an issue with that. >> reporter: a lawyer in washington dc says because you were hands on when asking for the money, you were complicit. >> i guess you are referring to jonathan? . >> reporter: yes. >> i solicited money. when he cam on board things were fine with the company. there was a bit of rockiness, but from what i was told things would move forward. i didn't have concerns. >> reporter: rudy was the c.e.o. of planet hospital. these two claim they are victims of planet hospital. did you not sow the operation falling apart before your eyes? >> rudy made bad business decisions, but at the end of the day he prevailed, and worked things occupant. i saw things -- things out. i saw things getting rocky, i gave him the benefit of the doubt because it worked out in the past. >> reporter: if you google your

names the connection to planet hospital shows up. >> we are starting out of the running blocks with a 500 pound weight on our blocks. >> reporter: despite its connection carr mine and jody are considering moving forward, a testament to how many they are want a baby. >> one thing is they said it would be an open surrogacy meaning come on down, meet the girls, meet the egg donors. we'll let you know where your money is going, it's in an escrow account. come down if you want to. we could skype, call them. everything is totally opened so jody and carr mine - will they get a baby? >> it's our hope. that's the thing with surrogacy. there's no guarantees. it's not babies are us. it's not you pay this money and walk away nine months later with a child.

i would love to say yes, send us this money and you'll get a baby. that's nout how it is. >> reporter: surrogacy is not that clean. >> no. >> our investigation from "america tonight"'s adam may. looking ahead - fighting fathers >> state-sanctioned kidnapping. it's devastating. it's stealing of children who have homes and fathers fighting for them. >> reporter: did she want the baby? >> i think for the first couple of weeks she did. after that it was - this was a huge change in how she was acting and she started discussing some really strange things, and that was adoption. what happiness when one parent doesn't agree. adam may looks at utah's controversial adoption law. that story tuesday on "america tonight". ahead in our final thoughts of this hour - finding a home on the range. an american treasure, taming the

call of the wild. the wild west and wildlife story next.

finally from us this hour - a century ago several million wild mustangs roam the plains. today 30,000 run free. now, there are many efforts to protect the animals, but it takes a gentle touch and a true american treasure.

[ ♪ music ] >>. >> i'm 24. i'm a horse trainer. i get wild horses in from the b.l.m. that have never seen a human, really. the b.l.m. stand for bureau of land management. they have a wild horse programme, and they capture the wild horses and bring them in to the core articles and take care of them. it's breed management so they are not overgrazing the land or starving to death. they are out there to prefer the wild mustang. this is about how they act. they bounce around and they settle in and realise that it's

not so bad. they can't get away. i adopted my first wild horse when i was 12 years old in southern california, and had a fondness for the breed. my little horse did anything i asked her. jump over 4-foot logs. you name it, she could do it. when the whitehorse is brought into the b.l.m. they don't have any more forehands, they lost all of them and are looking for a new herd. so the very first day i do a lot of approach and retreat and show that i'm not trying to go in

there and be the predator. i want them to be my friend. when i develop the friendship, that's when the trust and friendship comes in. they are looking for interaction and someone to comfort them. soon they look to you. you release the pressure every time they put their eye on you and go "hey, who are you? what is going on here." from there they give to pressure. the first touch is always the - you know, it gives you the warm fuzzies deal. you reach your hand out there, and they reach their neck out and elongate the body. that is the first connection. and that feels good, every horse that i had that first touch with. they go yes, this horse trusts

me to this point and i'm not forcing it. what this horse does is - we'll put the saddle on him. we'll move around and get him to come to me. it's called joining up. see how god control of the hind that i have. he faces up. if i walk here, they face up. >> the wild horse remembers every step along the way. the old cowboy way where you lay them down, hogtie them and throw the saddle on them. it's based off of fear. the horse is terrified. i think if you use that trust and respect as your main focus of your training, you have a willing partner. it's going want to try its hardest for you. i move the saddle up and down. that's part of the processing

throwing the saddle up there. just another baby step. you don't want it back. we did the right ground work to let them accept the saddle. you know, this was my dream. i believe in being happy with life. i know so many people who are miserable doing their jobs. you have one shot at life. why be miserable to do it. live life. maybe you are not making the most money in the world. isn't happiness a lot better than being miserable and making money. an american treasured life.

that's it for us here on "america tonight". remember, if you would like to comment on the stories you have seen - log on to the website - aljazeera.com/americatonight and join the conversation at twitter or facebook. goodnight. see you next time.

this is al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton in new york. let's get you caught up on the top stories this hour. record flooding stretching across three countries, homes under water, lives swept away. tens of thousands evacuated. the struggle for those in south-east europe. explosion, gunfire and smoke. libya's political chaos turns violent. who is in control? what is expected next? stopping the flames.