I said we have some happy news to share, so here we are:

Maverick – yearling bay roan Bordo Atravesado NM Mustang gelding – has been adopted. He will be here for a bit of continuing education while his adopter gets settled into their new home.

Ragnar – 5yo bay Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding – is pending adoption. He will be here for some additional training towards packing.

Lieutenant – 4yo brown Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding – is spoken for. Once he completes gentling requirements he also will be here for some additional packing education.

We’re so thankful for all of you:

Everyone who follows along, shares and engages with our posts to help the Mustangs we gentle at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy find homes, and to get the word out about how cool once wild horses can be as riding and adventure partners.

Everyone who supports our 501(c)3 nonprofit organization financially or with their time. You’re making a huge difference in the lives of these horses and are allowing us to continue helping Mustangs find incredible homes.

Everyone who has us train their Mustang for them, either from unhandled or further along. Thank you for your dedication to setting your wildies up for success.

Our adopters and our repeat off… errrr… adopters. Thank you for opening your homes to wild horses and continuing their training journey to make sure they are safe and set for life.

We now have enough WHOA alumni “out there” that not a week, sometimes not a day, goes by that we don’t get or see updates on our adopters’ adventures with their Mustangs. We have adopters all over the country and several now who have either adopted two or adopted one and then a second (and third). That makes our hearts sing and keeps us going, on the hard, cold, sad, muddy and scorching hot days too.

If you’re reading this, we’re thankful for you. And we hope you’re paying it forward by finding something to be thankful for as well! If it’s a person, tell them, if it’s an animal, show them and if it’s anything else, take good care of it & we hope it brings you so much joy

We’re busy gentling more amazing Mustangs, so if you’re looking, don’t hesitate to reach out! PMs or emails are best!

I’ve never needed emotional support Mustangs (and sunsets) more than these past few days.

I’ve been making short solo rides – as opposed to ponying – with each of them a priority lately, an exercise in courage and confidence for everyone.

Life is so fragile. From that perspective, being outside with three of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs on a winter evening, with cold hands and clothes drenched from hauling water to a dry pasture, feels more like a beautiful gift than a daunting chore.

We’re going to try happy again tomorrow, as we do indeed have some happy news to share.

For now I’m grateful for good friends, hay in the barn (thanks guys!), fuzzy wild horses, loyal dogs, cuddly cats and mountains that glow in the first and last light.

I mean, isn’t she gorgeous?

Valkyrie aka Val is a yearling Mustang filly from Bordo Atravesado NM. She’s bay with ND1, meaning she has some dun characteristics like frosting and – when she’s not growing a winter coat – countershading in place of an actual dorsal stripe. We last measured her at 13.2hh. She string tests to 14.3hh.

Valkyrie is leggy and gritty, built to navigate rough terrain all day long. Her HMA seems to produce some tough, athletic horses and she is no exception.

Endurance? Checking cattle and miles of fence? Enjoying long rides just for the heck of it? She’s your girl.

Val is easy to catch and handle, curious and brave. Yes she has opinions. I love an honest, expressive horse and she is that.

She’s also consistent, very trainable and remains manageable even during baby moments.

Valkyrie knows all age appropriate groundwork:

She’s good to catch, groom, spray and trim (feet that is. She was a rock star for her first farrier visit). She leads and lunges, sends and leads over obstacles, moves hips and shoulders and backs.

Valkyrie does well on walks out in the open, is good with dogs and loads and unloads calmly. She’s fine being handled by new people.

She is suitable for a first time Mustang adopter with prior horse experience.

Valkyrie is currently located at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Guffey, CO. We can help arrange hauling within the lower 48.

If you’re interested in adding this promising youngster to your herd, please PM or email us at

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

I hope you enjoy her pictures as much as I do! Choosing the best ones was hard!

I had 44 favorite pictures, then 32, and finally narrowed it down to these 20. I just love how much her personality shines through!

“Personality pics” towards the end, we try to be professional around here

Please help us help her find her person! It makes all the difference for our wildies looking for homes when you share, comment on and like these posts. Thank you, as always, for your support!

I’m turning 40 today. While I didn’t ever consider being here, it sure beats the alternative.

I’ve (mostly) enjoyed this – statistically – first half of my life and I’m grateful for all I’ve learned, the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been.

These pictures are from a ride this fall with my friend Sarah Dean Art, an incredible painter and dedicated horsewoman.

We got connected over an art project 2 years ago and have met up for several fun mountain rides together since. That’s the beauty of the internet.

I’m the kind of friend where you really don’t need any other problems. “Hey do you mind riding a 4yo? If you don’t, you can ride Rock. Oh and I’m not telling you where we’re going but bring layers, water and snacks.”

That’s pretty close to how I advertised this day ride to Sarah. Maybe not everyone’s idea of a good time. It is mine.

It was a fantastic day, and a long one. The Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs did amazing, the dogs had fun, and we enjoyed stunning fall colors and a high mountain lake.

Here’s to the next 40, full of great people, good dogs, cute cats, amazing once wild horses, wild adventures and wild country!

I’ve always loved listening to and reading stories. I still do. I also love that now I’m “old” enough to have and create my own

Thank you for being along for the ride!

*Birthday fundraiser update: We’re only 4 days in and we’ve already raised enough to cover an entire load of hay (200 bales). Well over twice the amount I asked for! That’ll feed the Mustangs we’re gentling (19 of them currently, not counting client horses or the Ambassadors) for 2 weeks. Thank you so much, you guys are amazing and I so appreciate the birthday love!*

Horses pictured:

Lacy – 10yo dun Divide Basin WY Mustang mare

Rock – 4yo pangare bay Little Colorado WY Mustang gelding

Spur – 4yo bay roan Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding

Doggos:

Denali – German Shepherd, $20, Humane Society

Ranger – German Shepherd, free, Facebook

Not pictured:

Countless hours of training, trying, messing up, getting help, showing up again and slowly getting better

You may have seen a sneak peek at these boys in Sunday’s post. Here they are for “reel”.

Please welcome:

Commander – 4yo sorrel Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding.

Sergeant – 4yo bay Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding.

Lieutenant – 4yo brown Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding.

Captain – 4yo sorrel Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding.

They are with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling through the Forever Branded Partnership program.

We will be formally introducing each of these boys in the coming weeks. They are currently gentling them and we just love them.

Commander is small but mighty, brave and curious, opinionated and a riot to be around.

Kind and friendly Sergeant won’t be available until after his first farrier visit with CK Hoof Care CBT, APF-I

Handsome Lieutenant is progressing well. He is spoken for and we’re so excited for his future!

Captain is reserved yet has tons of try and is making steady progress, working to catch up with the rest of the boys in the gentling process.

Watch for updates and pictures of these super cool geldings in our stories!

Thank you for following along, feel free to share this video and thank you again for all your love for our still ongoing birthday fundraiser that’ll buy hay for these 4 and their 15 friends as we work to prepare them for wonderful homes!

Please PM or email us if you’re curious about adopting.

We’re a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. We can help arrange hauling in and out of state.

Adopters will have the option to adopt or purchase. If purchased, the horse can travel outside of the country. We get inquiries from wonderful potential adopters in Canada and Europe for example, this is important information for them.

Thank you Tay Martin for selecting horses with me that day and for giving everyone a pep talk on the way out of the trailer!

On behalf of all the Mustangs at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , I want to say thank you to all of you who have contributed to, shared, commented and liked the birthday fundraiser I posted yesterday.

We raised more than the fundraising goal in 4 hours, I was and still am speechless. Those of you who have met me know that doesn’t happen often.

I’m feeling the love and more importantly, the horses are too.

Thanks to you we’ve already raised enough to cover almost 2 weeks worth of hay for the wildies, which is exactly and exclusively where these funds will be going.

That’s a big chunk and a huge relief. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity, kindness and support.

We will leave the fundraiser pinned to the top of our feed for those of you who want to add more hay to the next load on behalf of this here Mustang gentler turning 40.

I wanted to show you some of the cute faces you’re supporting, even before their official welcome to school video drops this week.

Please say hi to our friends Sergeant (bay), Lieutenant (brown – doesn’t he look stunning in pink?!), Commander (sorrel) and Captain (sorrel with flaxen mane and tail). All 4yo Wyoming Mustang geldings.

They all sat in holding in Cañon for several years because they’re “boring” colors. We don’t find them boring at all and we’re so glad they’re here.

They are part of Forever Branded ‘s Partnership program aimed at bringing the often overlooked, “plain” (ummm, what?) colored horses into amazing homes.

Thank you Tay Martin for tackling this wild horse adventure with me, even and especially with 20 Mustangs going into winter, and for letting me borrow your brand new hot pink Rowdy’s Ropes set for Lieutenant, even though I inevitably dropped the then immaculately shiny lead rope on the ground.

Many thanks also to Barry Sewell with @Montana Rio Buckaroo Hats for keeping the sun, wind, rain and snow off of me with a quality hat that stays on no matter what.

It truly takes a village and I’m so grateful for you all!

If anyone ever tells you that you pack like a girl, just know that it’s a compliment.

When we spend time in the backcountry with the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs, we take all the time in the world to stop and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells out there.

Frost on the grass before the morning sun touches it, even in July. The sound of nothing but leaves in the wind and horses grazing. The smell of fresh coffee wafting through camp in the early morning.

Our small, simple camp has everything we need. Tents to hide and read and keep ourselves, the dogs and our clothes dry in. Solar lamps to read under at night.

A water filter station, bear bag tree (away from camp), cooking area, highlines for the horses and a tack and gear spot where a tarp covers saddles, pads, brushes, nose bags, saws, axe, camp chairs and more.

Snacks and books, hot tea and milk for coffee and hot chocolate. Fruit flavored electrolyte packets and lots of hand and toe warmers. We like to be comfortable, happy, healthy and organized out there.

Besides riding and exploring there’s lots of play time with the dogs, watching the Mustangs graze and making sure they all get their feed and supplements so they can stay strong and healthy too. Do they get spoiled a little extra out there? Probably. They deserve it.

This year was Tay Martin ‘s second packing season and my 8th I think. I caught the bug all those years back. Come to find out it’s chronic and contagious.

Before you get started, you should know that it’s addicting, not cheap and you’ll get sucked in deeper every year. At some point on each trip, Taylor proclaims “That’s it, I’m staying, just leave me here.”

Yeah, it’ll do that to you too. And then you’re homesick for the mountains 350 days a year.

Packing is dangerous, uncomfortable, cold, wet, and every little thing out there is hard work.

It’s also freedom, peace, beauty, vulnerability, growth, connection, wonder, laughter, rest, being where your feet are and feeling acutely alive.

It’s my favorite thing in the world, and I’m so grateful to get to experience and share it with good friends, good horses and good dogs.

Maverick is a bay roan yearling Mustang gelding from Bordo Atravesado NM. We recently measured him at 13.1hh. He string tests to 14.2hh.

This guy is built like a QH. He’s quicker on his feet and cattier than most Mustangs I’ve seen. We believe he’d do great working cows some day.

Maverick is sane yet sensitive and athletic. He wears a mare face (see last photo) 80% of the time. You will feel judged and likely are being judged when you’re around him.

He’s good to catch and halter, gets along well with other horses and dogs, he leads, loads, ties well, stands to be sprayed, lunges, backs, moves his hips and shoulders and will lead or send over obstacles.

Maverick is good with his feet and has his first trim coming up. He’s not spooky. Mav loves going on walks and seeing the world.

He’s located at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Guffey, CO. We can help arrange hauling anywhere in the lower 48.

His ideal home is horse savvy, able and willing to work with an athlete that’s always watching. You’ll want to put in the time to prove to Maverick that you’re worth respecting and trusting.

Letting him sit, feeding him cookies all week and going on a 2h trail ride every 3rd Sunday would not be doing him justice and I don’t think he or his adopter would be happy.

Maverick would benefit from age appropriate continued handling and training and one day a job where he can use both his mind and body, be that working cattle on the range or in a pen, or navigating challenging mountain trails with his human partner.

We have Rowdy’s Ropes to thank for the training halter and rope and Karyn Miller for the Knotty Horse detangler she keeps us stocked up with.

You can help us help him if you comment on, like and share this post. Thank you, as always, for your support!

Please PM us if you’re interested in adopting or send an email to i n f o @ w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

I was smitten with Rock the first time I saw him at the BLM holding facility in Cañon City, and beyond excited for the opportunity to bring him home.

My plan was to turn him into a solid working partner, find him the best home possible, and with his adoption fee buy a semi load of hay for the other Mustangs in training at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

So much for my plans.

I’ll be forever grateful to Tay Martin and Cassie Krzeczowski for insisting, sometimes aggressively so, that Rock stay here. I protested, a lot, for a long time. “We don’t need a horse that big, he takes up a spot and a half in the trailer, and it’s too hard to pack a horse this tall. Besides, it’d be stupid to keep him because of what he’s worth.”

That’s all true. And yet, there’s more to it. Rock is a friend to everyone. He’s happy to meet neighbors, clients and adopters, is good with the students when I take him to school, he’s a spectacular pack horse once you hoist the load up there, he’ll pull anything, and I couldn’t ask for a better-minded 4yo.

Riding a 4yo is like riding a 6yo one minute and a 2yo the next. Even at his wiggliest, most baby-brained, this big boy is manageable, sane and kind. He loves covering country, he’s done 3 pack trips with us this summer and he’s always game when I need him to carry a friend.

Between his impressive exterior and his puppy dog personality, Rock is an inspiration and he sticks in people’s minds. That makes him worth everything as an Ambassador Mustang, advocating for his kind wherever he goes. He’s our Rock, in more ways than one.

This past weekend he was the best boy for a sunny fall mountain ride with Eduardo Garcia who would now also like a Rock. Truth be told, who wouldn’t!?

Enjoy the pictures of Eduardo with both Rock and Spur.

Spur is, well, different, and very selectively friendly. His biggest sign of affection is hiding behind someone, and he thought Eduardo was a wonderful shield.

These guys did what our Ambassador Mustangs are for… Helping people make lasting memories, open their hearts to Mustangs, and inspiring them to get involved in helping and advocating for wild horses.

Wrapping up the weekend with good news is the best, especially when it’s about the struggle bus wildies making headway towards getting along in our world

Wiley, 2yo buckskin White Mountain WY Mustang gelding, has proven that while he’s not “easy”, he’s trainable and retains lessons well. He leads great, crosses obstacles, lunges, sends and is learning to pick up his feet without the leg rope.

He didn’t bat an eye at the surcingle, weirdly enjoys wearing a bridle (he was trying to get the cheek piece in his mouth first and needed to be redirected, then was very content to calmly pack the bit), he ties great and hobbles without issue.

Topaz, 4yo dun Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding who’s been with us for, like, ever (over a year now, trying to make it through kindergarten while everyone else was graduating elementary school, ooof), had his first trim.

He was a champ for his first ever “big kid” trim with CK Hoof Care CBT, APF-I , even when we ran out of daylight and she trimmed his hind feet with a headlamp, and despite frequent and rather vocal interruptions when Rock repeatedly decided to try and modify the paint job on her truck. It’s never boring living with wild horses.

The home search for these two will be slow and methodical. Big and colorful gets attention. What’s more important is a good fit. That’s going to be harder to do. We may have someone for Wiley once he’s ready. Stay tuned for an “available for adoption” post on Topaz after Cassie puts the finishing touches on his feet late next week.

We couldn’t do this without your help. Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Guffey, CO. We help wild horses and their humans be safe and happy, long-term, by carefully matching Mustangs with suitable adopters and by supporting owners and adopters of Mustangs on their gentling journey and beyond.

Each of these big boys eats an entire bale of hay a day. To the tune of $13+/bale. If you feel moved to skip Starbucks one morning and feed a wild horse breakfast instead, you’ll find ways to do so in the comments. Feel free to earmark your contribution for Wiley or Topaz, or both. We appreciate you!