I’m all but speechless (doesn’t happen often ) and overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement about this week’s events. Somehow Mustangs bring out the best in people and the best people together, and with so many neat things coming together all at once, it’s hard to decide where to begin…
We’ve been keeping a baby announcement from you – only for a day because it’s been insanely busy – so we’ll get to that first.
Many of you might remember the story of the Colorado 5, five Mustang mares who were saved from a tragic ending, after finding themselves malnourished and traumatized in a kill pen, by Skydog Sanctuary and American Wild Horse Campaign. The two organizations came together to purchase a total of 16 branded Mustangs that day and place them with trainers for gentling and adopting out into suitable, loving homes. 5 of them came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy. We would later find out that 3 of the 5 were pregnant.
Moana, a 3yo mare from Pokegama HMA in Oregon, was one of them. Exposed to an unknown stud (or jack, we weren’t sure at the time) sometime in between being adopted and falling into the hands of a kill buyer.
Because someone is going to ask: Yes, there are kill buyers and kill pens here in the US. Yes, horse slaughter is illegal in this country. The horses get shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Yes, titled Mustangs can be sold at auction for anyone to buy, including kill buyers. No, we should not all run and give kill buyers all our money, because all they do is use it to buy more horses. It’s a very, very sad industry and a vicious cycle. Anyway, these 16 Mustangs, whose adopters failed them miserably, got a second chance at life, after quarantine and significant physical and mental rehabilitation efforts.
We had found an out of state adopter for Moana, who just recently let her guard down and embraced life with humans, when it became apparent that she was getting too close to foaling to travel. She is a young mare and on the smaller side, expecting what is likely her first foal. We are located pretty far from anywhere, at high elevation and have had a pretty rough, cold winter. Our friends at For the Love of Aria offered to foster Moana, and foal her out at their facility at lower elevation that is set up for all levels of medical care and rehabilitation.
Our timing was just right, they picked her up last weekend and yesterday morning she delivered a beautiful, healthy bay filly. Momma and baby are doing well and we’re all super excited.
Thank you to all the organizations and individuals involved in giving this young Mustang mare and her foal a chance to live and thrive – the staff members and volunteers, donors, haulers, vets, our farrier and everyone I’m forgetting in my excitement – for coming together and making the world a better place and my heart full.
