I left for the wilderness practically right after we got back from Trinidad and haven’t had a chance to share any pictures.

We squeezed an unbelievable amount of oohs, aahs and adventure into a whirlwind 30h trip to the opening weekend of Cowgirl Artists of America ‘s art show Women’s Work at the A.R. Mitchell Memorial Museum Of Western Art in Trinidad, Colorado.

We saw incredible art work, met talented artists, enjoyed the museum and lovely gift shop. Seeing Sarah Dean Art ‘s beautiful oil paintings “Leaving a Legacy” and “Capable Hands” of our Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs, most notably the one and only Lacy alongside Tiny and DG Petrie, and forever goofy Ranger the “free on Facebook” younger of the two German Shepherds was both humbling and a bit surreal.

We’re grateful to the organizers and to Sarah for reaching out to and partnering with us and for giving Mustangs yet another platform to shine. “Capable Hands” sold that weekend, so Lacy, Tiny, Ranger, and the full moon over Pike’s Peak are going to be hanging in someone’s home soon.

For those of you who have a 2024 WHOA calendar: Look at your August picture and see if it seems at all familiar

We got up early on Saturday and decided on adventure over breakfast, knowing we’d want to make it back to the museum for the luncheon and awards ceremony.

Following a friend’s suggestion, we drove to the equally quirky and scenic mountain town of Cuchara, sat on a bench in the morning sun with iced coffee, wandered all around the tiny town and bought elk jerky for breakfast.

On the way back we made time for mountain lake wanderings and an impromptu swim, and still managed to be presentable and even punctual for the luncheon.

“Leaving a Legacy” won people’s choice award. That may be the only blue ribbon Lacy ever wins but it’s an especially cool one and she’s the best, toughest, fiercest pretty little branded mare in all the land in either case

If you enjoy artwork, beautiful scenery and horses, check out Sarah Dean’s work on social media, you won’t be disappointed!

If you’re interested, you can see all the amazing pieces through the end of September. The museum is worth a visit in either case!

Peep the branded Mustang on a boot that was also part of the show. It was neat seeing wild horses so well represented.

Also, Tay Martin rocking one of the pretty teal and cream WHOA hats. It’s my favorite color but being the dirt magnet I am, I wear the charcoal and blue one. Thank you to Western Skies Design Company for making them for us!

#BLMmustang#AmericanMustang#westernart#grateful#ridethebrand#sunset#mountains#adventure

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Last week I was on the phone with an old friend. She was my German teacher in middle school. Dorith is in her 80s now. I graduated high school 20 years ago (ouch). We go back a long time and she’s essentially my bonus grandma.

She asked what I was doing the following week. I replied “Going packing with a stranger from the internet.”

Dorith: “We’re not telling your mother, are we?”

“Correct.” I said, “Maybe afterwards.”

That’s where I’ve been these past few days, in a new to me wilderness area, with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy (Divide Basin, WY, under saddle) and Tiny (Salt Wells, WY, pack horse), German Shepherds Denali and Ranger, and Marcos Costa – the stranger from the internet – and his horses.

Marcos is an instrumental part of 4 Corners Back Country Horsemen as well as the Durango Cowboy Gathering . He wanted more packing experience. I wanted someone to pack with because going solo can get sketchy fast. A slightly awkward “I don’t know you but I guess we’re doing this” turned into a win-win situation and a new friendship.

Over the years several internet strangers have become some of my closest friends, mentors and adventure buddies.

That’s another thing Mustangs and a passion for exploring wide open spaces do for us. Connecting interesting people. Wild horses and wild places also go exceptionally well together.

Another monsoon season pack trip with the wild ones is in the books, more box hitch practice, more learning where I can improve and fine tune gear, planning, prep and routines. More making great connections and character building.

In a way the – hopefully not – dying art of horse packing needs just as much help and attention as do Mustangs and I’m beyond grateful to be involved in and continue bringing awareness to both. That’s only possible with the help of our friends and supporters.

I’m thankful for all of you. Thank you for making what we do possible through your input, questions, donations, volunteer work, the horses you adopt, the workshops and remote coaching sessions you book, the merch you order, by spreading the word through shares, likes and comments and referring your friends to us.

If you have questions, want to help us help wild horses or are interested in learning or adopting, feel free to reach out via email, phone or PM. You can also contact us through

w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#ridethebrand#horsepacking#adventure#backcountry#mountains#courage#learning#makingmountainmustangmemories

This afternoon we’re off to honor wild horses and the western way of life in a different way.

Cowgirl Artists of America ‘s art show “Women’s Work” begins tonight, “a groundbreaking exhibition that showcases the multifaceted contributions of women in shaping the American West.”

“Through the hands of female artists and makers, this exhibition brings together selected artists with women on working ranches, allowing them to gather reference materials and learn from the work of women in these spaces.”

Sarah Dean Art paired up with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy and spent a couple of days with us and the Mustangs. She brought her experiences to life in hundreds of beautiful photos and videos and finally the two incredible paintings you see in this video (video credit: Sarah Dean).

We’re happy to see our wild horses – on a personal note especially Lacy who had just returned to work last fall after we weren’t sure whether we’d lose her for most of 2023 – represented in this setting and honored to have been invited to be a part of it.

If you’re interested, check out the art show in Trinidad, Colorado at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art. It runs through September 2024.

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#art#painting#bettertogether#makingmountainmustangmemories

One of the things I found most intimidating when I first decided to become more self-reliant in backcountry riding and packing was navigation.

How to plan, safely get to where I want to go, explore, find my way back and have a way to call for help if needed.

The majority of miles Tay Martin and I put in during our July pack trip was off the beaten path. We adventured safely thanks to GPS.

Over the past couple of years I’ve asked all my backcountry loving friends – some several times, I have patient friends – what apps and devices they used, liked and suggested. I researched, downloaded and familiarized myself with different apps, even biting the bullet and paying for a subscription.

I also finally decided on a handheld device with two-way satellite communication because I’ve seen it save a life. It was a bovine life but all the same, that longhorn cow and her owner were sure glad the grouchy lady didn’t die in the pothole she’d slid into.

And yes, we did manage to do that trip with the entire Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang herd and both of the Shepherds. It was a whole lot of work, fun, excitement (mostly the good kind) and oh so worth it.

All of these photos exist thanks to various apps and devices that got 2 humans, 4 horses and 2 dogs into the backcountry and back to civilization safely. Living and exploring in the wilderness with a herd of Mustangs for a few days was a wonderful experience.

The horses are hobble trained, although for the most part the young horses followed and grazed loose on our rides. Echo was the designated pack horse for this trip. Since we packed in and set up camp the first day and did day rides from there, she was mostly free to wander and graze.

Many thanks to Phoebe Chambers who encouraged me years ago to “identify your followers” and turn them loose when traveling with multiple horses.

Observing their individual personalities and preferences and practicing in a safe setting allowed us to give Griffin (Devil’s Garden/Modoc National Forest) and Echo (Twin Peaks) the opportunity to be loose during the day while we rode or hobbled Lacy (Divide Basin) and Tiny (Salt Wells).

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildtowilling#wildhorseswillingpartners#backcountry#adventure#horsepacking#makingmountainmustangmemories

This video is too funny not to share. That was 5yo Stewart Creek WY palomino pinto Mustang gelding Doc’s second session and his first time getting the “real” halter on, over the temporary halter.

What was supposed to be a serious video on a long, warm day turned into impromptu playfulness and laughter. I think that’s important too.

The wild horses in our care need to learn all the basic skills to thrive in life with humans. They also need to learn that people are weird and that we don’t always ask them to do hard things.

Doc is a handsome, calm and gentle guy and we’re lucky to have the opportunity to get to know him and facilitate his start into a successful life with humans. He and his friends are available for adoption. You can find our available Mustangs and adoption application at

w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . org

The last video about him and his friends accidentally went a bit viral and just about shut down the system here. We’re a small team and taking care of the horses – and ourselves so we can continue to help Mustangs – takes precedence.

So if I’ve posted less frequently or taken a bit longer to respond, that’s largely why, we’ve been getting inundated with messages and comments.

That’s great, bringing awareness to Mustangs and finding them wonderful homes is what we’re here for. Thank you all for understanding that we’re also only human.

We would like to know how we can best serve our followers. Do you want to see pretty backcountry riding pictures, more videos, learn about packing or Mustang gentling? Do you have specific questions?

Let us know in the comments or via PM or email. We’ll write it down and address it as soon as we can, even if it takes a little while.

We do teach in person – at our facility or yours – and offer remote coaching, so if you need help or know someone who does, let us/them know.

Thank you all for your support and welcome to our new followers. Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Guffey, Colorado, can only continue to exist because of you guys!

All our rope tack is made to order by our friend Nancy at Rowdy’s Ropes and we wouldn’t want to buy it anywhere else.

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling

#mustanggentling#makingmountainmustangmemories

Our summer high country pack trip with the entire Ambassador Mustang herd (3 from BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program and one from Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals ) and the Shepherd boys was a fun and laughter filled, occasionally slightly unhinged adventure.

We experienced frost, dew, sun, wind, hail, rain, and thunderstorms. We camped at over 11k ft and rode above treeline daily. The young horses ran free most of the time, following and sometimes leading Lacy and Tiny. Ranger and Denali had a blast too.

Tay Martin wanted to see a moose almost as badly as I didn’t – I’m still holding a grudge from last year’s too-close-for-comfort encounter – so we compromised and she found a giant moose shed instead.

We may or may not have cooked mushrooms (not the trippy kind) in a jetboil with beef jerky as an oil source at 9.30pm.

We accidentally packed out in the dark but thanks to Colorado Pack Company LLC ‘s guidance earlier this year our box hitch held and the light but bulky load rode like a charm, moose treasure and all. Echo did wonderfully as our pack horse.

Packing isn’t rocket science but it does take grit, resilience, flexibility, some knowledge and good horses. Taylor rocked her first ever pack trip and Tiny took excellent care of her.

Spending day and night with these incredible animals was a wonderful reminder for why we do what we do: So we can help and inspire others to make their Mustang dreams come true while finding amazing homes for once wild horses.

Have questions? PM or email us! We have amazing gentled Mustangs available for adoption, we can gentle a wild horse for you, we offer various learning opportunities, workshops and remote coaching.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If you’re interested in helping us help Mustangs, please get in touch!

I’m catching up on emails and messages, requests for videos and photos over the next few days.

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildtowilling#adoptamustang#backcountry#adventure#mountains#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Tay Martin and I took all 4 of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs (pictured, look closely!) as well as both German Shepherds and headed for the high country.

It’s Taylor’s and Griffin’s (he’s supervising) first pack trip. I’m typing this on a ridge at just under 12,000ft elevation.

We’ll be back before the end of the week.

I apologize for the delay in responding to some of you. No cell service.

Thank you all for your support and understanding!

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildtowilling#wildhorseswillingpartners#backcountry#mountains#adventure#makingmountainmustangmemories

This past week the double duns, aka Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Divide Basin WY mare Lacy and Twin Peaks CA filly Echo, went on yet another mountain adventure.

Michelle Moreland and I had decided to take our trusty steeds and dogs back to a familiar trail to finish what we had set out to do earlier this year. The weather was lovely with hardly a cloud in the sky that morning. In typical monsoon fashion that was supposed to change later in the day.

We were equipped with rain coats, GPS and determination to watch the weather so as not to do anything overly stupid. Getting hit by lightning wasn’t high on our list of things to accomplish that day.

It was an area I had ridden many times before so I played tour guide until we decided to do a little exploring instead of continuing to follow the known path, which turned into hours of aaaaahs and ooooohs as we rode to the top of another ridge and then another, keeping an eye on the now much darker sky.

Looking for a way to connect the known area with our new discoveries, we navigated some steep stretches and led our horses up the worst of the loose rocks to this plateau.

As it turned out it would have taken mountain goats to get to where we had hoped to go but the view from the edge was breathtaking and so worth it.

We had just enough time to take it all in when we noticed distant thunder and turned our horses around to get to a safer spot before we would inevitably get pelted.

Mission accomplished: We had first lunch under a tree in a hail storm with lightning just a bit close for comfort, our wet disgruntled horses also seeking shelter under trees and soggy dogs hopeful for a snack or a stick to get thrown.

Second lunch was much nicer, in between storms on warm rocks surrounded by content horses enjoying lush grass and sleeping dogs drying their coats in the afternoon sun.

I’m grateful for Mustangs that are always game for adventures and reliable even when the unexpected or uncomfortable happens, loyal happy dogs and friends who love horses, dogs, wildflowers, mountains and exploring just as much as I do.

We’d love to hear about your favorite summer adventures with your horses, Mustang or domestic, in the comments!

#BLMmustangs#wildhorseswillingpartners#exploremore#adventure#friends#makingmountainmustangmemories

These photos are from the second session with Doc, Chief, Tillie and Hondo (in order). They’re also a good example of a typical Colorado monsoon season day. It’s like April, only warmer.

We’re so happy with and proud of these four. We picked them up last Friday from the Cañon City BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program .

They’re honest (How can a horse be honest – or dishonest for that matter – you ask? An “honest” horse feels comfortable letting you know how they feel, what’s too much, whether they’re scared, uncomfortable, curious, relaxed or any number of other things. The alternative is a horse that’s shut down, looks calm and then seemingly without warning has a big reaction.), calm, curious and gorgeous in equal measure.

The Wyoming pinto boys – Doc (palomino pinto) is 5yo and from Stewart Creek, Chief 4yo from Arapaho Creek – are the more outgoing horses in this group. They quickly accepted touch, halter, yielding to pressure, fly spray and grooming.

Tilly and Hondo, the Twin Peaks CA 2yos are a little more leery of humans, in the calmest and most manageable way. They are trying hard to figure out what’s asked of them and to be brave.

Both have worn the temporary halter, practiced lungeing, disengaging shoulders and hind quarters, accepted touch and started leading.

We’ll continue to keep you guys updated on their progress. I’d encourage you to watch our stories for updates also.

They are Sale Authority and available for adoption to suitable homes. They will be gentled before they go home to set them and their adopters (adoption contract through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy applies) up for success.

In the meantime, we have several incredible wildies currently looking for their adventure buddies. Feel free to email, PM, call or text us with questions.

Thank you Rowdy’s Ropes for incredible training halters and lead ropes and Tay Martin for 4 out of these 5 photos.

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#nonprofit#mustanggentling#makingmountainmustangmemories

July is a glorious time in Colorado. The grass is green, wildflowers are blooming, the horses have shed their winter coats and the humans their long underwear. It only snows until June around here…

Having two young Mustangs, 2yo Twin Peaks CA filly Echo ponied) and Devil’s Garden yearling gelding Griffin (loose), as part of our Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador herd has been a source of joy and laughter with all the baby antics.

9yo Divide Basin WY mare Lacy is used to the shenanigans, as are German Shepherds Denali and Ranger. Griffin’s new favorite game is jumping in the trailer uninvited and joining the older horses on rides.

He’s a happy and independent little guy who loves to go exploring a bit without straying too far from us. Echo is content out on the trail and unbothered by the commotion that a loose youngster and 2 dogs cause.

All the time on the trail, following the example of a seasoned mentor – Lacy or teenage Salt Wells WY gelding Tiny – is setting them up to become confident, eager and safe riding partners when the time comes.

If you’re looking to adopt, are adopting an unhandled Mustang through the Internet Auction (IA) or want help with a Mustang you already have, we can help you.

Reach out via PM, email, call or text. We also offer private workshops and lessons at your facility or ours.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based out of Guffey, Colorado. We operate nationwide and beyond.

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildtowilling#wildhorseswillingpartners#adoptamustang#nonprofit#ridethebrand#makingmountainmustangmemories