Our Ambassador Mustangs are the horses that live permanently at WHOA, and the personal horses of WHOA staff.
By sharing the process of training and beyond via our Ambassador Mustangs, we aim to encourage current and would-be adopters and owners of wild equines to deliberately choose an animal that is suitable to their needs, goals and personality in both mind and body. We demonstrate how, with appropriate training and preparation, a deliberately chosen and well cared for wild horse (or mule or burro) is most likely to become a happy, healthy and dependable partner with whom the adopter can reach high levels of individually defined success, enjoyment and partnership.
Lacy (with Tiny trying to photobomb the shot).
Lacy
The one that started it all. Lacy, otherwise known as “The Princess”.
She’s a dun, coming 11yo, Divide Basin WY Mustang mare and the first branded Mustang I ever gentled. I brought her home 9 years ago this week.
My favorite fire breathing dragon is all of 14.1 or .2hh tall and the matriarch of our little herd. Lacy is gaited and a tad high strung. She’ll do anything I ask of her, with an opinion of course.
She helps me work young horses, is my main riding horse, does parades and school visits where she patiently stands to let everyone pet her and has been going on pack trips – first as a pack horse, now a saddle horse – since she was 3.
Lacy is one heck of a mountain horse, loves moving cattle and tolerates wearing costumes for events. She’s quick on her feet and very good at keeping me humble and thinking about how I can do better.
She’ll ride in anything from a neck rope to a spade. It’s been one heck of an adventure with this spirited, selectively friendly, smart little mare.
Firefly
Firefly started out calm and cuddly – until you asked her to do anything beyond standing to be brushed and petted on.
At that point she’d go full dragon mode and I had many a moment of “how are we ever going to adopt this one out?” while fending off and trying to direct a confrontational yellow hornet.
Today Firefly is friendly, responsive and willing while still very much having confident boss mare energy. She has the most beautiful eyes and is always the first to greet people.
We were going to place her last year and then decided to hold onto her for at least another year in the event that we need Rock as a riding horse for pack trips this season, so she can fulfill the role of a pack horse.
After that we’ll reassess whether to keep her or find her a wonderful home. She should mature to 15hh and is easy-going and curious with a generally quiet demeanor.
Firefly ponies and ground drives, ties and trailers well, wears all tack, is solid in her ground work, pleasant and easy to handle. She’ll start packing prep soon. I usually wait until after their first packing season to start riding. At that point, with all other prep work done, it’s typically a non-event.
Tiny
Currently living off-site with friends of WHOA
Goose
Goose is the youngest of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs, a coming 2yo buckskin Bordo Atravesado NM Mustang filly.
I’ve been quite impressed with the youngsters we’ve gotten from that HMA. Athletic, smart and sane. We have 2 more available now and 2 coming available for adoption later this spring. Goose will be staying with us.
This year she’ll start tagging along on some off-site adventures, get introduced to ground driving, the harness, pack saddle and hobbles. She’ll take some trips into town and we’ll go on lots of walks and “ground drives” together.
With all that prep work she should be a breeze to start lightly under saddle next year. Goose is sure footed and a quiet, old soul with just the right amount of sass and opinions.
She’s also Firefly’s bestie. They enjoy being together yet separate quite well, something that’s important to me. I work with them both separately and together.