Before we go back to regularly scheduled programming, here’s a look behind the scenes.
I haven’t been posting much lately outside of announcing upcoming workshops. We have some other exciting announcements coming up and I have literally dozens of awesome pictures taken by our wonderful volunteers waiting to make their appearance on social media.
Horses have been getting worked, spring is finally here and I’m thrilled about our growing support network, partnerships and community of great people who all come together to help mustangs.
At the end of the day I do this work because I love horses, I love Mustangs and I love sharing that love with others, be that through teaching, pairing them up with a once wild horse of their own or sharing photos and creating content. Right now the two horses I’ve dedicated the most time, effort, emotions, training and learning to over the past 6 years are not ok and – I’m not going to lie – that’s hard.
Lacy, 8yo, the first BLM Mustang I ever gentled and my go-to riding partner for the past 3 years, has been down with a partial ligament tear in her left hock since January. The vet said then that she may or may not ever recover. Her rehab has been a daily, time-consuming task. The support we’ve received from friends volunteering their time to help her has been incredibly humbling. She’s moving much better on that leg and we got cleared for light riding sooner than I’d expected. The princess is as fiery and feisty as ever and has been thrilled to get back to work. However, there’s now something going on in her left front that’s causing her to take wrong steps and trip every so often and I’m not so patiently waiting for her next vet appointment to hopefully figure out what that is all about. To make matters more interesting, Lacy colicked last weekend. It was mild and she pulled through, but was it ever scary.
DG Littlefoot, 6yo, has been battling some mystery illness for well over a year now. He is the horse that caused me to fall in love with Devil’s Garden Mustangs. He’s the kindest horse I’ve ever known and despite being a normal, goofy youngster he was a horse that by the time he was 4yo anyone could ride (lightly), pack, skid logs with and enjoy being around. He was so safe and and friendly that he left our herd to be a trail horse for a friend who needed a horse like him.
Except that’s not what happened. Littlefoot has been struggling on and off and at the vet more than on the trail since early 2022. He is currently at CSU in hopes of finally finding some definitive answers. The short version is that more than likely he is not coming home. He has sternal osteomyelitis and some still unexplained other issue. His current quality of life is low and chances of survival slim. Unless something changes drastically, he will be euthanized within the next few days.
These horses are as close to … well… kids as I have and it’s hard being cheerful all the time when I don’t know if either of them is going to make it. I handle a lot of things with relative ease (I got kicked in the chest last year, that was a cakewalk compared to this). Animals not doing well is not one of them.
I’m done whining now but I figured I’d let you know that if I’m not posting, this is probably a big part of it. If you have a horse in training with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy you can rest assured they are getting worked and you’re always welcome to check in. Here are some pictures from happier times with these two still so young Mustangs I gentled and started. Lacy was my first pack horse, with Littlefoot following in her footsteps when Blanca needed to step back from long rides. I like to pack horses for a season before I ride them and that’s served me – and them – well. Lacy is the dun, Littlefoot the bay.
