It just started to warm up and now the bugs are out…

Please welcome to the party:

Dragonfly, 4yo buckskin Mustang mare facility born to a Stewart Creek WY Mustang mare

Lightning Bug, 3yo sorrel Mustang gelding from Antelope Hills, WY

Butterfly, 5yo palomino Mustang mare from Twin Peaks, CA

Firefly, 2yo buckskin Mustang filly facility born to a Bible Springs UT Mustang mare

They’ve been with us for a week and a half now. Dragonfly, Lightning Bug and Firefly were haltered and leading, getting brushed, moving hips and shoulders and backing up after 2 sessions, leading into a bigger area and tying by the 3rd. Butterfly is making me work for it.

The buckskin mares will stay with us for a bit. Lightning Bug and Butterfly will be available to approved homes through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy once gentled.

If you’re interested in adopting, a great place to start is by filling out the adoption application on our website.

Four other lovely wildies that are coming available are already listed under the adoptable horses tab.

If you’re joining us for retreats or learning opportunities this spring and summer, you’ll likely meet these guys.

Thank you so much for your continued support for our nonprofit organization! We love seeing these guys settle and go on to amazing homes and fun adventures from here.

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Many thanks to Tay Martin for helping me unload and sort and to Michelle Moreland for going to the holding facility with me!

#horses#mustang#spring#adventure#bugs#excited#joy#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

This winter has been an interesting time. We’ve been wildly busy gentling wild horses, getting adopted horses ready to go home and planning for summer.

I got a new German passport (that took a year), applied for the American one (it’s almost here) and got my counseling licence after jumping through all the hoops.

We picked up two loads of lovely Mustangs to gentle at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . You’ve seen Rock, Amber, Ruby and Topaz. You haven’t seen the newest additions yet.

Social media turned weird – not solely my opinion – and that’s not something I do well. I was bullied as a kid for being a nerd and instead of fighting back I thought if I just put my head down and ignored them, they’d quit.

I thought we were all just there to learn. I still think we’re all just here to learn. That means struggling and laughing and trying again, the occasional hard won lesson and missed class.

I know that words can hurt worse than hands and I try to be mindful with mine. So instead of engaging, I took a step back and made myself my winter project.

,

A client of mine – who was much older and wiser than me – back when I was still riding for people once said to me “You need to take care of #1 or you’ll step in #2.”

I’ve always remembered that. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. This past winter I made time for 8h of sleep for the first time in over 20 years.

Starting right after highschool I went to college and worked two jobs. In my free time I trained dogs, horses, ballroom danced, travelled and spent time with family and friends.

The concept of rest went by the wayside, I slept when I had time. Sometimes 5 hours, other times not at all. Many times falling asleep right where I sat, exhausted.

So these past several months, I’ve been sleeping more, and enjoying my little world for what it is, not through the lens of a post or a reel in the making.

I’ve been amazed at how much less time I have in a day when I’m sleeping a whole 1/3 of it. That took some getting used to.

I’ve been thinking about choices and dreams, friendships and plans. I’ve been watching the horses play and enjoying the dogs’ steadfast company.

A month ago Denali gave me a scare. I took him to the vet with severe back pain. I didn’t know if I’d bring him home that day. After rest and pain meds, he’s happy as ever and we have a plan for future flare-ups.

The here and now, good horses, friends, dogs, cats and sunsets will always be more important than pointless arguments. Life is short and we can control what we focus on.

In other news, look how well Spur was doing on his second ever big outing. Can you hear the cricket roll? And we’re launching retreats this year to share our mountains and Mustangs with you. Care to join us? Reach out!

#mustang#horses#sunset#mountains#winter#joy#wildtowilling#makingmountainmustangmemories

This boy found his person even before we posted him. I received a call from a previous adopter, originally inquiring about Doc, and telling me that her daughter was looking for a horse.

Once I heard what the search criteria were, I suggested Cinch. The now 4yo palomino Mustang gelding from Little Colorado, WY is easy going and has no great ambitions to be an athlete. He is, however, a big fan of cuddles and not working too hard.

Cinch is honest and forgiving, and only needs a bit of assertiveness to stay on a good path. He’s generally easy to get along with, friendly to all other beings and learns most things by simply doing them. He’s brave enough to make a lovely trail horse and agreeable enough to make the progress smooth.

Lots of driving and coordinating went into making this match come together. I’m always impressed when our adopters drive or fly in from states away to meet their prospective new equine partner at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy .

Sometimes that’s not possible and we do our best to accommodate those situations with videos and lots of conversations before the horse goes home.

Thank you to Brice Bebout for hauling this boy and another gelding north! Cinch is now living his best life in Idaho with Echo (remember Echo? ) and we’re so excited for him and his new family!

Enjoy these pictures of Cinch looking fabulous in on of our Rowdy’s Ropes training halters with matching lead.

We have several gorgeous wildies coming available for adoption and being posted on our website this week

Always feel free to reach out if you’re looking, we might just have, or be able to find and gentle, just the right Mustang for you!

#mustang#horse#palomino#mountains#joy#love#adoption#winter#makingmountainmustangmemories

March 17th isn’t just St. Patrick’s Day, it’s also Lacy’s birthday. My best girl and Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy ‘s first Ambassador Mustang turned 10 years old on 3/17/25

In most cases and for obvious reasons, a Mustang’s date of birth isn’t known. Lacy however was born at the Cañon City holding facility to a Divide Basin WY Mustang mare who had been gathered pregnant the previous fall. That’s how we know – and get to celebrate – her actual birthday.

If you’ve been following along for long enough, you know that she was down with pasture injuries much of her 8th year.

We owe the fact that she’s not only still with us to reach double digits, but also happy as a clam and her fire breathing self under saddle to her resilience and an entire village of people who supported her and me through many difficult, uncertain months.

Lacy celebrated by eating alfalfa with the big boys, 4yo WY Mustang geldings Rock and Spur. We’d like to celebrate her, thank our community and share Mustangs with even more people going forward by officially announcing something that’s been quietly in the works for some time:

We’ll be offering retreads for the first time in 2025

In collaboration with Wild Spirit Mountain Lodge , we’d like to invite you to join us in Guffey, CO for our Mountains, Mustangs and Mental Health retreat series:

The Power of the Pause: 4/28 – 5/1 // 7/14 – 7/17

The Art of Gentle Change: 5/12 – 5/15 // 7/28 – 7/31

Take the Reins 6/16 – 6/19 // 8/11 – 8/14

* Each retreat is offered twice to give you options

* They can be standalone retreats or you can choose to

join us for two or all three of them

* They are EMPOWERMENT RETREATS FOR WOMEN,

with a maximum of 6 participants per retreat. All

interactions with horses will be on the ground.

* The focus is on personal development and building

a supportive community. The Mustangs will be

involved in a meaningful, safe and respectful way

* No previous horse experience required

* Facilitated by a trained mental health professional:

Yep, that’s me. Stefanie Schaefer, M.S., LPC (Licensed

Professional Counselor)

* The best part: Proceeds go towards supporting our

program, so you’ll be helping Mustangs while investing

in yourself!

For more information and to reserve your spot, send an email to retreats@wildhorseoutreach.org or call/text 719-377-8587. We look forward to meeting you!

It would mean the world to us and the wildies in our care if you shared this with people you think would benefit from/like to know about this. Thank you so much!

#mustang#joy#mountains#growth#community#support#adventure#support#horses#love#birthday

The last and possibly spiciest of our Devil’s Garden Mustangs from last year has found her person: DG Aerin, facility born at the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals to a mare gathered from U.S. Forest Service-Modoc National Forest in California.

She’s grown into a tall, elegant, spirited powerhouse of a filly who is going to bring her human so much joy and potentially the occasional headache.

We were so happy to see this match come together. Aerin is staying in Colorado and we’re excited for updates as she and her owner explore our beautiful state and more of the Mountain West together.

Happy trails to you little spitfire from your friends at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

The biggest thank you to you all for making these happy beginnings possible!

#Mustang#success#horses#joy#newbeginnings

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

February (10th I think) marked the princess’ 8th gotcha day anniversary and 8 years of gentling Mustangs for me.

I’ll never forget seeing the spicy, lanky filly dart around the round pen at Great Escape Mustang Collaborative ‘s Deertrail location, just sorted out of a group of other TIP horses (remember the Trainer Incentive Program?) by Stephanie Linsley and Petra Kadrnozkova who over the years would become my friends.

I don’t know who was more nervous that day, Lacy or I. She hurt herself on the trailer ride home and I felt terrible.

She was opinionated but sane then, just as she is now. I’m glad the rearing and throwing herself down have stopped. All the big feelings are still there, and still being expressed.

A few months later, when I was ground driving her down the road, I noticed she was moving funny and I couldn’t keep up. I showed my findings to Ruby Keary who determined the sassy little dun mare was, in fact, gaited.

I waffled around on whether or not to keep her for the longest time. Finally, thanks to the pressure from my late friend Anne E Cole , Lacy became a TIP fail and stayed.

I started packing her that year and during the following winter we slowly started riding. I may or may not have put the first rides on her by myself in a 20ac pasture in the dark. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

I’ve always been obsessed with dragons. Living in Germany, I’d drag one home from every visit to the UK. Sparkly baby dragons in all colors. As it turns out, the old, scenic little towns there have the best gift shops.

Stratford-upon-Avon for example is not only Shakespeare’s birthplace, it’s also a great place for a teenager to go dragon shopping. A few years later I brought home a pink Loch Ness monster sitting on a grey rock from a trip to Scotland.

When the movie How to Train your Dragon came out, I must have watched it 4 times, dreaming of taming and riding my own dragon.

In Lacy I’ve found my very own Toothless. She’s fierce and she all but actually flies. In one picture, notice the “smoke” coming out of her nostrils Here’s to the next 8 years little lady!

#love#mountains#adventure#anniversary#winter#horses#joy#makingmountainmustangmemories

“Hop on ’em already!” is what I often hear as soon as I get a horse halfway gentle. It’s what I see others do even in light of what I consider obvious warning signs.

And you know what? I respect that. You do you. Anyone who can get a horse going under saddle is doing a brave thing and is working to create a safer horse by giving them a better education

There are people who love starting colts or who compete for a living. I’m not one of those people and I’m not ashamed of it. At pushing 40 my desire to prove a point has all but vanished. I don’t like riding colts. The only thing I like less is riding horses I didn’t start.

Is that because I’m somehow better than other trainers? Nope. But I’m thorough. I know what’s important to me as I establish a horse’s foundation, and I like knowing what a horse is made of.

What does that mean? I want to know what a horse does under pressure, how it learns, how quickly it calms down after getting upset and how upset it gets to begin with.

That way I’m not getting surprised by and patching up holes because somebody else put a Swiss cheese foundation on the animal.

The best way I can do that is by starting them from scratch. In my case that begins with the very first touch and handling of a wild horse.

That’s also why Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is so successful in pairing adopters with suitable horses. We get to know our Mustangs intimately, we learn who they are. By asking our adopters who they are as horsemen and -women, we can help both find a great match.

When I keep one long enough to start under saddle, I like to get them comfortable, competent and confident at 3 things beyond the basics: Pony, pack and ground drive.

A horse that handles and ties well, picks and holds up all 4 feet, and is relaxed, attentive and responsive for all of the above, is safe and fun to start, ride and bring further along, even and especially for those of us who ride for joy and do other work for a living.

Here’s coming 4yo Little Colorado WY Mustang gelding Rock ground driving out in the open for the first time. He’s still not a mule and still not available. We do, however, have others that are.

Feel free to reach out with questions, if you’re interested in adopting a gentled Mustang or looking for remote coaching to bring your own (non-)wildie along towards becoming a safe, happy and enjoyable partner.

#BLMmustang#wildhorses#learning#training#horses#horsetraining#mountains#joy#sunset#winter#fun#adventure#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’ve always struggled to define who I am. I grew up firmly planted in the ‘in-between’.

In between blue and white collar worlds. In between a failing communist regime and a country trying to redefine itself.

In between big, gentle old-style Warmbloods, naughty ponies, draft horses used for logging living in tie stands or stalls and going out to work or pasture during the day, and emerging access to Quarter Horses and gaited breeds, natural horsemanship methods, and horses living in groups outside in larger spaces.

The in-between can be beautiful. It can also be confusing and a lot to hold space for. And it’s ever-changing.

As a kid I’d go from helping farmers cut hay, driving ancient tractors after school at 13yo, to the opera with grandpa in the same day. From riding horses all day in the wind to ballroom dancing at night. From a foul-mouthed scruffy country kid to a polite student with good grades.

I’m still all of that. And I can operate a chainsaw now.

Over the past several years I discovered Mustangs, built Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , pursued a master’s degree, got divorced, learned horse packing and quietly worked towards licensure in counseling while gentling many a Mustang and meeting some great people.

Mental health is one of those fields where you don’t graduate and hang out your shingle. You are on the hook for several more years and lots and lots of hours of supervision and supervised practice, get to take more tests and apply to the state for them to turn you loose on your own.

Well, they finally turned me loose last Thursday. I got the most unceremonious email with a PDF attachment, telling me I’m now a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and my license number. I just gave up my A number (alien number, on my Greencard) last year. I quite like this trade.

I’ve never fully identified as a “horse trainer” or “Mustang trainer”. I’ve also kept the shrink stuff on the down low because I didn’t feel “real” without being fully licensed, even though I’ve been practicing for years.

I’m a bit intimidated and a lot excited for this new in-between. In between mountains, Mustangs and mental health is a pretty cool place to be. I hope you stick around and join me for this new chapter

#wildhorses#horses#mountains#sunset#happy#adventure#makingmountainmustangmemories

Remember the little bay filly in Oklahoma, born in holding to a High Rock, NV Mustang mare that needed both a soft landing and training that I posted about a few weeks ago?

We have an update that couldn’t be better

The story was that she had been adopted, not handled much and wasn’t going to get big enough for her adopters. The original plan was to raise enough funds to have her hauled to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , vetted, put some more weight on her and gentle her with the goal of finding her a great home.

We had just done our first fundraiser for her (thank you to those who donated, liked, shared! ) when I saw a comment on a Facebook post from someone who was training and rehabbing Mustangs in Oklahoma.

I went to her Facebook profile and discovered that we were Facebook friends and had messaged briefly about Mustangs some years back.

I reached out and explained the situation. My belief is that resources should be used wisely and to the greatest possible benefit for the horses.

We talked about our horse and Mustang experience. It was nearly identical. Laura quickly agreed to take on the filly and do exactly what we had planned for her, without the expense and stress of the long haul since she lives only about an hour from where the filly was.

Long story short, Valentine’s owner dropped her off last Saturday. The little lady is coming right along thanks to Laura’s dedication and experience, and is making the most adorable friends

We’ve sent the donations we received help Valentine to Laura to help with the initial feed costs. We are ever so grateful to everyone involved, including our followers, the filly’s owner, Laura and her family, and the Mustang family as a whole, who made this connection and outcome possible

Follow Newberry Farm for updates on how Valentine is doing and/or if you need a well trained super cute Ponystang in your life! Valentine will be available to a wonderful, suitable, approved home later on.

Photos used with permission, PC Newberry Farm.

#BLMmustang#wildhorse#bettertogether#grateful#WorkingTogetherWorks#adoptresponsibly#hope

I recently got the question “How do the Mustangs do in the winter?”

We’ve had about a week of pretty severe cold (a normal part of high elevation Colorado winter), with daytime highs well below freezing for several consecutive days and the lows being… pretty low.

The horses do great. The training horses have 24/7 forage and a windbreak. The Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassadors and their friends are out in pasture with trees for shelter. Everyone is in good weight and has thick, fuzzy winter coats.

The pastured wildies will dig for grass in true Mustang fashion. That works so well that sometimes they’re not all that excited when the hay arrives.

Unless it’s alfalfa, which is what I’ve been feeding Rock and Lacy. She tends to get ulcers and he needed to gain weight. They’re all about the alfalfa.

Feeding alfalfa to horses in Germany was a big no no. That was cattle feed and could have killed a horse. Here, and even in Hungary, it’s common as part of their diet as needed. Different soils I guess?

Humans in that kind of weather don’t fare as well. Wearing 5 layers, heated socks, rechargeable hand warmers, thick winter boots, all but the eyes covered under fleece and wool and some tear and waterproof outer layers.

It takes much longer to do simple chores, like keeping unfrozen water in front of the animals, the house warm and pipes from freezing. Water hoses freeze fast and the spigot needs extra TLC.

The dogs? They take it all in stride, they just don’t want to stand still or their paws get cold.

The cats expect bedside feeding because they only go outside if absolutely necessary when it’s that cold and snowy.

Winter at its coldest is beautiful, and oh so cozy when the chores are done and a fire in the stove is doing its best to heat the house. You feel wildly alive while working outside and just as wildly tired at night. It’s a test and a workout, a time to focus on doing what’s necessary, then listen to our bodies and let them rest and recharge.

A benefit of those cold snaps is that 38 degrees for a daytime high (F, that’s 3 °C) now sounds like beach weather.

Because I not-so-secretly love classical music, here’s some Johannes Brahms to go with the wildies dancing in a real life snow globe

#winter#RockyMountains#horses#snow#cold

#adventure#makingmountainmustangmemories