Enjoy some warp (Lacy) speed moments from a gorgeous snowy solo bareback ride to one of our favorite lookout spots with the princess Sunday morning before work. Solo ride in the sense that we weren’t ponying another horse, which is rare these days.

Original audio because hooves in snow and pony snorts are music to my ears.

She was on sick leave much of last year due to an injury sustained in pasture. Cedar has one of those currently also. Tiny is turned out with Griffin. He’s the best babysitter. Lacy is helping me work the training horses. She’s handy and a wonderful training partner.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang Lacy is 9 this year, facility born to a Divide Basin WY mare, and on the…spicy side. The reason I can take her out by herself bareback in a halter on a crisp morning and gallop through the snow (keep watching) isn’t because I’m such a brave and talented rider.

Quite to the contrary. I’m on the careful side (read: a chicken) and 30 years ago when I was first starting out, my friends were literally posting the trot in circles around me by the time I finally figured it out.

I did put a strong foundation on this horse and I maintain it and build upon that. This same perfect mare was on crack or something along those lines that same night at 9pm when I decided to go ponying Gus off of her in the dark. Also bareback in a halter.

Gus is still pretty new to that, much less in the dark and with a helpful cat and two dogs underfoot, ducking under tree branches and activating motion sensors along the way.

Lacy might have liked to bite Gus or zip right out from under me. She didn’t. Only because I put money in our training bank every ride. That’s why the brakes work even when the engine is having a moment and why she’ll bend around my leg when she’d much rather launch herself instead.

All that to say that if I can gallop bareback in a halter through fresh snow on a spicy Mustang mare without feeling like I’m going to die, so can you. If that’s your thing anyway and you didn’t completely mis- or over-horse yourself.

There’s a whole lot of preparation, consistency (not consistent riding, she often sits for days, sometimes weeks at a time, but consistent rules when we do ride) and fine tuning involved, but absolutely zero magic. It’s a put in the work, reap the rewards kinda thing.

What are some of your favorite things to do with your horse?

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Only minutes before these photos were taken, Gus, 4yo 15.2hh Antelope Hills WY Mustang gelding who is with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling and finding his person, panicked when he saw me on Lacy.

Kelsey was leading him to the round pen for his first ponying session when he got bug eyed, snorty, started running backwards and rearing.

She got him far enough away so he could calm down and not be a giant safety hazard while I dismounted and went to get him.

To help Gus turn his vehement NO into a relaxed and willing YES, we broke the task – being ponied – down into small attainable steps.

Coming into the round pen to another horse and the mounting block. Seeing me on the mounting block. Seeing me on the mounting block standing above Lacy with him next to her. Once he could calmly handle that, I got on her.

Everything went perfectly. The end.

Kidding.

Instead, as soon as I sat up on Lacy, Gus took off speed trotting.

I had come prepared: A small, tall round pen to work in, a nimble little horse that could stay with him and a rope long enough so he couldn’t pull away.

Through pressure and release and carefully positioning Lacy I was able to help him settle and return to a learning frame of mind.

From there Gus quickly figured out how to walk behind, then next to, Lacy.

We ended the session with me leaning over a calm and attentive Gus from Lacy’s back.

By giving him an opportunity to work through his initial apprehension, we were able to strengthen our partnership and teach him the basics of a useful skill. We didn’t give up and leave him with a bad memory that we’d have to deal with down the road.

Setting (wild) horses up for success by making finding the answer we’re looking for easy, using a combination of tools and techniques, and putting ourselves in a position where we can follow through on our ask goes a long way towards establishing a successful partnership.

If you’re looking for help or have questions or input, feel free to comment, PM or email.

If you found this helpful or know someone who might, feel free to share!

PC: Kelsey Janosik

Training halters & ropes: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#gentling

#mustangtraining#makingmountainmustangmemories

Amidst 3rd winter (4th winter incoming this weekend) we received our long anticipated load of Devil’s Garden Mustangs from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals :

Rohan (3yo dark bay gelding), Pippin (red roan yearling gelding, Eowyn (sooty buckskin yearling filly), Elanor, Arwen, Aerin and Rosie (bay yearling fillies). Names in photos.

They’ve settled in nicely, and are spending lots of time happily napping in the sun. They’re a laid back bunch and we’re looking forward to getting to know them all better and to finding them their own humans. Tay has decided to gentle Rosie. She claims Rosie will still be available for adoption after that… Are we taking bets??

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. Our mission is to help wild horses transition from wild to willing, holding pens to loving homes. Sustainably, with compassion and competence.

If you’re interested in adopting, you can find our adoption application and our adoptable Mustangs on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

Our adoption process allows us to help you find a Mustang that’s a good fit for you, your goals, preferences and experience level. All things that matter when making a commitment to an animal that (hopefully) lives another 25+ years.

We (strongly) suggest letting your references know that someone from our team will be calling. We check all references before approving an application. If we’re able to speak to your references in a timely manner, your application can be processed quickly, increasing your chances of finding and adopting a suitable Mustang soon.

Given that it’s well past my bedtime I won’t ramble on much longer and leave you to enjoy the photos of these guys.

If you don’t already, I encourage you to watch our stories to keep up to date with what’s happening here at WHOA. I share photos, videos and updates there regularly.

For questions and if you’d like to support our work, please PM, email or call us.

If you have or know a DG (Devil’s Garden) Mustang you love, we’d love to hear about them in the comments!

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I don’t do a whole lot of woo and meant to be stuff but occasionally I make an exception. This is one of them.

2 adoption events at the Cañon City facility ago, back in February, I was surprised to find an entire pen of 2yo Twin Peaks CA fillies. I had never seen a horse from there in person, but I sure like CA Mustangs.

Among all the brown we spotted a speck of yellow and went to look. It turned out to be a beautiful, stout, tall buckskin filly that would later come home with us.

On the way to getting a closer look at her I found a neck tag on the ground in their pen. I’ve never met a wild horse tag I didn’t like, so I picked it up. #5882.

Not giving it much thought, I carried my new little treasure with me in pursuit of the pretty buckskin that always seemed to be just 3 brown horses away from getting a good visual.

What caught my eye in the process was a tall, dark faced dun with not enough mane and too big a head, that looked like a caricature of a mule. Duns are my flavor and people like them so after we had finally gotten close enough to the buckskin to decide she was built really nice and would be getting on the trailer that day, a peek at that elusive dun was in order.

The filly was having none of it, marching off looking rather inconvenienced every time we got close. I don’t mean touching kind of close, just looking distance. If a horse could have an arrogant, disgruntled look on her face, this one did.

Other than the mane, the head and that attitude, she appeared to be a nice enough horse that someone would one day appreciate. Tall, with dorsal stripe, leg barring and built to last. Nobody else paid much attention to that pen, given there was another pen full of colorful 3yo mares, all begging to be taken home. Knowing I’d only be able to fit 4 horses on that load, thanks to Gus the bus, I decided to get her tag number to remember for next time. #5882.

Fair enough, I thought. With permission I took my trophy, her old tag, home with me and we scribbled her number on a piece of paper just to be safe.

A month later we picked her up, along with 3 3yo mares. She wasn’t the prettiest one in the bunch and I really did NOT need another 2yo. A 3 or 4yo maybe, so I looked through every pen searching for one I might like to keep for me to start and came up empty, so I figured it just wasn’t meant to be this year. Until I started working with her.

Meanwhile, Lorena, now Wren, the pretty buckskin I had originally considered adding to our herd as a future Ambassador, I ended up adopting out because everything I asked of her, she readily did. For most people that would have been a green flag. Instead I was bored to tears. I did happen to have an adopter looking for something just like her.

Wren is now living her best life in MI and blossoming in every way. We get regular updates and are so happy for her and her new mom.

#5882 however doesn’t have a people pleasing bone in her. The first time I asked her to move her shoulders I got a rear. Not a panicky rear, not an I’m going to kill you rear, just an “I don’t know what you want and this is stupid” rear, delivered quietly and deliberately.

Those who have been around our Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs and Blanca when she was still around, know I like fierce, brave, opinionated, expressive, solid colored horses. Horses that keep their wits about them under pressure but that will tell you how they feel and when you’re messing up. No cheap shots, explosions or surprises but a big heart worn right on their sleeve.

Horses just like this one. I did offer her to the only person I’d have happily seen her go to. When that was a no, Lacy and I decided her big little sister is staying. They really like each other and Lacy doesn’t make new friends, especially mares, all that easily. I’ve even caught her creeping around outside Fiadh’s pen, just hanging out. Not usually her style.

There’s a photo in this post where Fiadh is looking at Lacy and it seems like she’s seeing herself in a mirror. It’s eerie and sweet at the same time.

This little lady has worn the pack saddle already, she loads like a champ and knows all the basic handling things, her first ponying session happened in the dark and last night I took her out of the pens for the first time, during her second ever ponying session, dogs following, daylight fading. Maybe some things really are meant to be and maybe the “double duns” #5882 and #1944 (Lacy) being friends is one of them. Those are also the only two tag numbers I’ve ever been able to memorize without effort.

That being said, we do have several amazing wildies looking for their humans. You can view them on w w w. w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

The 7 new Devil’s Garden Mustangs are being added ASAP. Email or PM us with questions, I promise I’ll respond as quickly as I’m able to.

Who’s ready to finally meet the adorable newcomers in tomorrow’s post???

As always, I encourage you to watch our stories if you want to keep up to date with who is here and what is happening. You can always reach out and ask us too.

Have you ever kept a horse where it seemed meant to be? How did it turn out? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Training halters and ropes: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners

#doubleduns#makingmountainmustangmemories

The stars of this post are Buddy, yearling Mustang gelding born in holding to a Triple B NV mare, and Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang gelding Tiny from Salt Wells WY who’s so quirky that he’s lucky he’s cute.

Here Buddy is asking Tiny not to hurt him and to help him feel safe. Tiny obliged, then I ponied tiny Buddy off of not so tiny Tiny.

Tiny has taught me acceptance, to appreciate him for who he is and not get hung up on what he isn’t. That has created a greater sense of peace for both of us.

Buddy just finished 30 days of kindergarten and elementary school with us. His adopter won him in the IA and then sent him here, with the goal of getting him to where a domestic baby his age would be by the time he went home, for a seamless transition into his new herd and every day life. As he gets older, Buddy will be exploring the Rocky Mountains with his human. We’re super excited for them.

If you feel like looking at all the pictures in this post, you’ll see some of what the previously unhandled little guy learned during his time here, in addition to the obvious, i.e. catch and halter, lead and load, lunge, send, cross obstacles, pick up feet and tie.

Tay suggested I should write a post normalizing asking for help. I agree, that’s super important and yes, it seems like such a taboo topic sometimes, in this world full of influencers and self proclaimed experts that’ll happily attack people from the comfort of their living room couch, in between doing laundry and watching episodes of My Little Pony.

I ask for help all the time. I have mentors in many areas in my life including working with Mustangs. I’m always reading, watching, listening to something worthwhile to learn more.

I do this every day, have for years, and there’s a whole lot more that I don’t know yet than what I do know. The beautiful thing is that today I’m much less clueless than I was a few years ago and a little less clueless than even yesterday.

Asking for help doesn’t have to mean sending your Mustang off for training. Not everyone can, wants or needs to do that.

If you do send them off, we encourage you to participate in your wild one’s education as much as possible.

If you don’t, whatever you do, please for the love of all that is holy and for the sake of your horse and your own safety, kill the monster while it’s little.

No, the monster is – hopefully – not your horse. It’s the behavior that if it increases or persists is going to be a problem. That means asking early, ideally before something becomes habituated and now your horse needs to unlearn it while it learns a safer, better, more desirable behavior.

AA teaches that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome. Applied to gentling Mustangs that means if the tools in your toolbox aren’t working for you and your horse in a certain area, it’s time to go get more/different tools!

Just like with home improvement projects, cooking, gardening, those tools may cost money. Mustangs may be relatively cheap to come by, but just like with any other hobby, animal or thing you choose to bring into your life, there is work and there are expenses associated with them.

Mustangs are only so forgiving. That’s something many of us, myself included, learned the hard way. I’ve seen plenty that were so far gone, it took months to get them turned around, and a number of them never did. Yes, pain, toxic plants, and other things that occurred in the wild or are part of a horse’s genetic makeup all play a part. But so does training, or the lack thereof.

If you have a problem, ask early.

Be discerning where and whom you ask. For example, I don’t waste my time answering people’s well meaning questions in Facebook groups anymore. Why should I ? There are 40 keyboard warriors with a Breyer horse collection already giving all sorts of questionable advice.

If you choose to ask your questions in a place like that, please use your judgement, check your sources and if it’s still not working, ask somewhere else.

Training often isn’t linear. Your (wild) horse goes through stages in their cognitive and physical development and well into maturity that causes them to behave in ways you may not have encountered before. New behaviors may emerge or they may seemingly forget things they previously knew and did well.

The need to ask for help may – and should – stretch well past the gentling process. I recently discovered Lacy’s left lead isn’t very strong, so I went and asked for help with that.

Pride. We all face that struggle. I take pride in some things and I’m not proud of others. Most importantly, I’m not too proud to ask for advice, sometimes for the seemingly silliest, most embarrassing little things. My friends can attest to that It beats struggling quietly, and so what someone now knows that I didn’t know how to sew a button back on a shirt

Asking for help keeps Mustangs safe, it keeps them off of dinner plates and out of crammed dirty feedlots and crowded semi trailers that transport them to a sad ending. No, there’s not enough sanctuary space for every Mustang that’s ever flunked out of training or its home.

The ones that have the physical and mental capability to be a safe, dependable and happy partner to a human deserve that chance, and they deserve humans that are willing to learn, to grow and to invest time and yes, sometimes money or elbow grease in exchange for learning, into that process. And a rewarding process it is.

That’s it from me for today. If you know of someone who needs to hear this, please share this post. If you have experiences you’d like to share where you asked for help or helped someone else along, I’d love to hear them in the comments.

Training halters, lead ropes and reins: Rowdy’s Ropes

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

When you live in a small mountain town where the mayor is a cat (true story) and deer graze in the school yard, magical things can happen.

Our tiny three classroom K-8 school has a counselor all of once a week. That’s me, they call me Miss Stefanie Our admin is also my neighbor. Rural living stuff. She says “Bring your horses to school anytime.”

On Thursday after our winter wonderland ride, I pulled into the school parking lot, unloaded 3 of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy (WHOA) Ambassador Mustangs and took them for a quick spin while I waited for the teachers to get their students rounded up and herded outside.

The kids were so happy to see and pet the horses. They thought it was funny that Tiny was the biggest one, and DG Griffin the yearling got so many hugs and cuddles. Lacy, who normally doesn’t have any patience for these kinds of things unless someone is really sad, has developed some kind of crowd/kid mode. She puts her head low so they can reach and lets them rub all over her face.

Outreach, getting more people involved with, informed about and interested in Mustangs, can have many forms and faces. This is definitely one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ones.

The kids that were a bit afraid at first gained confidence when they saw their friends loving on the horses and joined in. They learned about the freezebrands and that those 3 started their lives without human handling. The students shared many horsey experiences and stories with us.

We’re going to make a greater difference for wild horses if we can get more people involved, especially children. Outreach is part of what our organization does, hence the name, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to let the Mustangs advocate for themselves in front of people who may not know that they exist or what they are capable of.

WHOA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping wild horses transition from holding pens to loving homes, sustainably, with compassion and competence.

To our supporters, donors, clients, adopters and volunteers: You are who allow us to do what we do and your support is making a difference. Thank you!

Rowdy’s Ropes makes all of our rope tack for us, including the halters and lead ropes pictured here. If you’re looking for halters, lead ropes, reins, long lines and the like, that’s who we recommend!

We’re grateful to the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program (Tiny and Lacy) and Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals (Griffin) for working with us and for entrusting wild horses to us for gentling and placement into suitable, capable and committed homes.

I’d love to hear how you became involved with/interested in wild horses. Feel free to share in comments!

#wildhorseswillingpartners#bettertogether#outreach

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Yesterday we were joking about this girl’s “little black soul filled with fire”. That’s what inspired these pictures.

Rapunzel, aptly named, is a 13.2hh (current height, string tests to a whopping 13.3hh) 3yo Mustang mare, facility born to a Stewart Creek WY mare.

She looks like a tiny, colorful Andalusian and has enough personality to fill a body three times her size. She is smart, friendly and just spunky enough to remind you she’s a pony.

Those are the moments when I call her Toad. Thankfully even at her most toad-like, Rapunzel is still very manageable and quite entertaining. Correcting squirrelly green horse behavior is usually accompanied by some grunt/grumble/laugh because she’s such a ham.

She loves – and demands – attention, has guilted Tay Martin who doesn’t do ponies, especially not colorful ones, into loving her and has a rather captivating presence for something so small.

She enjoys being brushed, fussed over, worked with, taken out of her pen for adventures of any sort. Because it’s currently either winter or mud season up here, depending on the (time of) day, Rapunzel is still sporting some winter fluff and residual mud on her otherwise white legs. This too shall pass. Hopefully. At some point.

Rapunzel is big enough for a small adult or a handy youngster. She is young and needs guidance. She’s nowhere near being a kid’s pony in the sense of babysitting the grandkids and far too nice of a horse to be a pet.

We’re looking for an adopter who appreciates a (sometimes) spicy, always curious pony, and wants a colorful partner to explore the world with, ideally also outside of the arena.

She’s built really nicely and would do well and make you look good in English, Western or driving disciplines as well as on the trail. She has the energy and athleticism needed to do whatever is needed, without being hot.

She comes knowing all the basics. She’s easy to catch (as in, meets you at the gate), leads, lunges, sends, crosses obstacles including tarps and small jumps, ties, picks up her feet and loads. We’ll pony, saddle and bridle her too while she’s here. That way she’ll be ready for her human to take over and have a fun summer together.

Rapunzel is available for adoption through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , located in Guffey, CO. You can find our adoption application as well as other adoptable Mustangs on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g . The form is fillable and submittable online. For questions, please PM or email us.

Our goal is to find suitable homes for each of the wildies in our care, so that both Mustang and adopter are happy and headed towards a successful, safe partnership.

Please comment, like and share to help her get the attention and home she deserves!

Training halter: Rowdy’s Ropes

Braiding and brushing: Taylor

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners

#mustanggentling#makingmountainmustangmemories

3rd winter is here. Yesterday morning 2nd spring gave way to hoarfrost and temps in the low 30s. The forecast was a lie and our nice spring ride turned into an enchanted forest adventure.

I’d wanted to post something more serious but this was too pretty not to share, so come join us for some mid-April “sprinter” (spring-winter) fun from the comfort of hopefully somewhere warm.

The song is nice too, we certainly felt the freedom piece. Ignore the part about birds and wildflowers, those were all hiding yesterday.

We rode between 8000 and 9500ft of elevation, so instead of fog, we were inside of a cloud. A cloud that was spitting icy daggers into our faces atop the ridge

2 riders, 4 horses and 3 muddy dogs still had lots of fun. I took 3 of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs because why not. Griffin made a handsome and very sweet palomino QH friend. Lacy and Tiny did great, seemed happy to be out and about and enjoyed each other’s company.

We crossed water, patches of crunchy snow, marveled at frosted trees, imagined the mountain views we’d have if only we could see more than 40ft in either direction, and galloped through the gloomy, wet forest as fast as our steeds would go.

It was a blast, the kind where your hands are red, nose running and cheeks burning, and you feel incredibly alive.

Thank you Michelle for braving the chilly weather with me and for saying such kind things about the princess.

Warning, this video might make you dizzy. It’s at Lacy speed so buckle up and look closely at what I was trying to capture for you as the world was flying by. I love that fierce little dun Mustang mare.

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’m calling this “double dun ponying”. I mean look, the only way I know which one to ride is by the halter color

This was last night, ponying Fiadh off of Lacy for the first time. Practicing going both directions, following at my knee (that took a bit of negotiating), and then sharing space.

For those of you who have the patience to watch the entire video, I’d encourage you to pay close attention to their body language and how much Fiadh feeds off of Lacy, even down to licking and chewing right after Lacy does it.

Also how close they are standing and how much interaction there is between two mares who have never interacted without a 7 1/2ft tall fence between them.

That takes some doing because Lacy needs to be kept in check or else she’ll treat the horses I’m working like cows and bite them, not helpful. But with Lacy knowing what’s expected of her, she gives Fiadh peace and confidence.

Ponying is an excellent training tool for various reasons, and working Mustangs from horseback is something I’m working on getting even more effective with this year.

Having Lacy back under saddle (or under my butt anyway because no saddle here) has been such a wonderful gift. She’s small and not anywhere near strong enough to drag one, but in most cases there’s no need for that.

I encourage them forward and she’s nimble enough to spin around on a dime should a horse jump or run behind or in front of her.

All I need to do is steer, stay on and keep track of both horses and the buggy whip I’m using to help guide the newbie. Easy peasy, most of the time.

There’s nothing like being one with your horse, getting a job done together and enjoying it. And then resting together to absorb it all. Fiadh was the third and last wildie I ponied off of the princess last night. First were Buddy and Gus. I finally took her halter off and sent her on her way at 9.15pm. Long day and a good one.

I’m looking forward to more adventures and quiet time with the double duns.

In the meantime, Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy has several super cool Mustangs available and coming available for adoption (the 7 new DGs are coming on Saturday ), check them out on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

We gentle Mustangs for clients who want help getting their wild one to the point of being easy to handle and ready to start under saddle if they’re old enough.

We also offer coaching calls if you’re doing the training yourself and would like some pointers.

Finally, we offer private Mustang gentling clinics and demos at your facility or ours.

PM or email us if you’re interested/needing help.

Training halters and ropes: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners

#adoptamustang#makingmountainmustangmemories

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy ‘s handsome chunky boy, 10yo Devil’s Garden Mustang gelding Pumba, is looking for his person. Located in Guffey, CO.

Pumba is 14.2hh tall and equally as wide. He gets fat from thinking about eating. I’m pretty sure he gets fat from being near another horse that’s thinking about eating.

Where are our lovers of easy keepers? Those who are willing and able to manage a horse’s weight and strike a balance between quality of life (turn out, friends) and making sure this boy maintains a healthy weight.

Pumba is also positively adorable. That’s one of his superpowers. He has giant bug eyes and the most kissable snip (more like a big splotch) on his nose. He looks like an oversized, very judgemental Welsh Pony.

He’s been with us for a while. Pumba was a nervous Nelly. Kind, sane, yes, and very guarded. Also incredibly self-reliant, which is to be expected for a horse that grew to maturity on the range. Taking input from pipsqueaky humans was not anywhere on his radar.

Sending over obstacles in a calm and controlled manner for example was like trying to get my dad to read the instructions for the IKEA furniture he was putting together for his then teenage daughter. Him: “I don’t need that crap, I can do this!” (Not the word he used, also this was all said in German.) Me: “Oh boy.”

These days Pumba is much more agreeable when it comes to looking to humans for guidance. He’s discovered that different people are ok. And that being brushed and scratched is one of his favorite things.

He’s curious, good with other horses, has been trimmed, he halters and leads, loads, ties, picks up feet, and is (mostly) easy to catch.

He’s the right fit for someone who’s capable and patient. This guy was wild until he was about 8yo. And I’m going to guess he was very good at being a wild horse. Relationship building and thinking through new things takes some time for him.

If you enjoy the process of building partnership and bringing your new working partner along at a pace that works for both of you, he might just be your guy. PM or email us if you’re interested.

Please like, share and comment to help increase reach so this handsome hunk can find his person

Training halter & rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Having Lacy back in the game and bringing the next generation of riding partners along with her help, and with the help of loyal goofy dogs that come running out of the most unlikely places at some interesting times, is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

There’s little that’s more powerful in bringing a green horse along than the combination of a human and another horse/horses as their teachers.

Because the Mustangs aren’t the only ones with lots left to learn, I make it a point to invest in continuing education every year. That way I can show up better and Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy (WHOA) can help the once wild horses and their humans that cross our path more effectively.

This spring (was going to be last fall, but the weather had other ideas) we’re having Steve Mantle of Mantle Wild Horses in WY come out to work with us and our wildies as well as the Ambassador Mustangs that are riding horses.

I’m looking forward to applying what we learn to the Mustangs we gentle and to helping and teaching clients and adopters.

If you’re looking for help with your wildie, anywhere from the pre-adoption to post-title stage, we offer coaching calls as well as in person guidance at your facility or ours. If you’re looking to adopt a gentled horse and want some instruction before you take the horse home, we do that too.

You can reach out via PM, email or phone. We will get back to you ASAP.

Happy spring, enjoy some pictures of Divide Basin BLM Mustang mare Lacy, Forest Service Mustang yearling gelding DG Griffin, the Shepherds, and my friend with her cute mare and pup on a recent adventure!

Griffin is going to have seen more things – including side-by-sides and dirt bikes on this particular ride – than some horses ever do by the time he’s old enough to carry a rider. He gets age appropriate ground work to prepare him for a seamless transition to one day (years down the road ) helping me gentle Mustangs from his back.

I enjoy starting colts that way. Slow and easy. I’m not much of a bronc rider or particularly interested in some of the excitement that can come with starting young horses in a fast-paced way.

“Pony, pack and ground drive” usually makes for an uneventful introduction to riding and is something many of us can do at home without having to send a green horse off to a trainer.

Adopter/owner empowerment is a topic that’s important to me. WHOA can’t gentle and place all the Mustangs in holding, not even enough to put a dent in it. We can “only” help 50-100 wild horses a year.

What we can also do is help adopters and owners of once wild horses help themselves and their Mustang(s) for an even bigger impact.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#makingmountainmustangmemories

We’re expecting!!!

What? Devil’s Garden Mustangs!

6 adorable yearlings (5 fillies, 1 red roan gelding; all but the roan are pictured as weanlings) and 1 gorgeous 3yo dark bay gelding from our friends at the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals in California.

When? Next weekend!

We’re super excited to get to know these kiddos.

If you’re interested in adopting (we will gentle them before they go home), here’s what you should know:

We suggest you fill out an adoption application on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g ASAP.

It’s free, fillable and submittable online and it makes you an approved adopter through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy (WHOA). That way we can get a head start on reading through what you’re looking for and checking your references.

We speak with every reference (thank you Kelsey ) before making a decision on an application and that can take a little while. Our goal is to pair Mustangs and adopters in a way that both will be happy. We’re all different and so are they.

Bonus: If we don’t have your ideal match immediately, we’re happy to contact you once we find a Mustang that fits your criteria. Having an approved application and sharing what you’re looking for in a horse helps us help you as efficiently and effectively as possible.

We’re happy to schedule a phone call with you to answer further questions or talk in more detail about a horse/horses you’re interested in. You’re encouraged to come visit your potential new family member once your application has been approved.

These are Forest Service (USFS) Mustangs. They come with all of their paperwork, coggins and microchipped directly from the holding facility. The FS does not currently brand their wildies. That makes them no less authentic or any less deserving of amazing homes than branded Mustangs.

We’ve found that adopting gentled yearlings is a great option for many people who may feel intimidated by the idea of working with a mature horse. In addition, I can tell you from experience that bringing babies along adds so much joy and cuteness to your life and is an unhurried way of developing a relationship and a solid foundation with a Mustang.

So much so that I “accidentally” (sorta) kept a weanling and a yearling from last year’s load. I absolutely love watching DG Cedar and DG Griffin grow up, play, nap in the sun, explore the world and through age appropriate education become wonderful, well adjusted young horses that will make a seamless transition into more serious work when the time comes.

If you’re not looking to adopt, but you’d like to support us in helping these horses transition from holding pens to loving homes, I’m putting donation information in the comments to this post on my/WHOA’s Facebook page.

We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on your support in order to continue to help Mustangs and match them with the right adopters to ensure their long-term safety and well-being.

Location: Guffey, CO.

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This guy has been a joy to bring along, spots, quirks and all. Deets is a coming 5yo Appaloosa Mustang gelding, facility born to a Pine Nut, NV Mustang Mare. He is located in Guffey CO. Current height 14.3hh. Deets string tests to 15.2hh mature height. He is available for adoption through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy to a suitable home.

He’s an athlete with a balanced built, effortless movement and lots of heart. He enjoys jumping (obstacles, not panels) and covering ground, and interestingly enough would rather do something scared than not do it at all.

He can still be shy at first but is kind and gets along well with humans and other horses. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by or interested in bothering dogs.

Deets retains well what he learns. So far he leads, lunges, and sends over obstacles and through gates. He moves hindquarters and shoulders, loads, ties, stands for grooming and picks up all four feet.

During lungeing with the belly rope he has not shown any inclination to buck, kick or bolt, a good indicator that he’s going to take to the saddle well. Surcingle, bridle and ponying are next for this cool dude.

Deets’ tail got munched on in holding and will grow back in time. He has at least a dozen colors in his mane and tail. On the subject of eating, this boy is an easy keeper whose weight will need to be monitored. Regular work will help with that.

Because Deets is a sensitive and athletic horse, and will, in his infinite wisdom, just throw himself into a task, he is going to do best with a human who will give him a job that eventually requires movement at all gaits, who is confident and able to keep Deets’ mind engaged.

He is one of those horses who even when he’s being “bad” (i.e. showing less than desirable behavior or gets startled), he’s still really, really good but checking in with and looking to the human for guidance rather than taking matters into his own hooves is something he still needs to occasionally be reminded of.

With his coloring come the Appy eyes, so he often looks at least mildly miffed or like he’s seen a ghost. That’s something I’ve slowly gotten used to and “that’s just his face”, not an indication of incoming fireworks. It’s important to read his entire body to keep track of where is mind is at.

See our adoptable Mustangs on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

Feel free to contact us via PM or email. We are happy to answer questions over the phone if you’d like to schedule a call.

Training halter and lead rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

Vest: Outback Trading Company LTD.

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

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One of the best parts of life, and this Mustang journey, is not doing it alone. Having friends and mentors to talk to, work alongside, learn from and ride with is so important.

I feel incredibly grateful to have several horsewomen around me whom I respect and enjoy riding and spending time with. I’m also excited for several super cool learning opportunities coming up soon.

I love learning and growing, even if it’s not always pretty or comfortable. It doesn’t just benefit me, it also helps the horses that come into my life, and their humans. And I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned with others through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy ‘s learning opportunities.

Here’s to lots of trail adventuring, finding Lacy’s left lead, getting better at riding in the two rein, learning to rope, as well as packing and Mustang gentling fun this spring!

Little video of Danita and I letting our mares stretch their legs, the dogs zooming ahead and little Griffin (look closely) bringing up the rear.

Trust and respect are important components of any relationship, with two- and four-leggeds alike. They create a sense of safety from which many things are possible.

Comfort (as in feeling safe), competence and confidence are the three Cs that lead to great results in life and in our partnerships with our horses. They need to be developed on both ends of the lead rope or reins.

That journey isn’t easy but it is worth it, and because humans, like horses, are social creatures, sharing it with others makes life feel so much richer

Music: All that really matters by Teddy Swims

Peep my favorite hackamore setup by The Colorful Cowgirl

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*Original audio. Sound on for explanation (pardon the wind and my accent). Try to click on the video and watch full screen so you can read the text.*

Tay Martin gave all the new kids a spa day after I sprayed their manes and tails. I joke about my X chromosomes not being long enough for me to enjoy that kind of thing, so I’m grateful she does.

Bonus: It’s a great, low key way for new Mustangs to become acquainted with new people, also an important step in their transition towards new homes.

Eclipse, coming 3yo Mustang mare from Little Colorado WY, is a little right side shy with new things and people.

Prior to this video, she’d stand for a few seconds of detangling and then back up. As I was filming and walking Taylor through finding different approaches to ‘problems’, Eclipse finally settled into it.

That’s where it’s easy to get greedy and keep going. The magic lies in knowing when to quit (it’s that way with a lot of things in life it seems).

Even more magic lies in taking a few steps WITH the horse and then, unless you have a cuddler, giving them space to soak in what just happened.

Both the walking and the processing time help them integrate what they are learning. IF you timed your break right, chances are they’ll learn what you want them to learn.

I’m happy to have caught all of it on video. The processing and the whole different horse afterwards are pretty sweet to watch. Thank you Eclipse and Taylor for being awesome!

Is this helpful? Questions?

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is committed to helping Mustangs and their humans. We offer in person and remote coaching as well as gentling for clients. Email or PM if it sounds like that would be helpful for you and your wild one. We also have gentled Mustangs available for adoption.

*PSA for the people in the back, you know who you are; so if this shoe doesn’t fit you just don’t wear it: Smack talking, ghosting and being copy cats who don’t quote their sources and give credit to their mentors… That’s what kids do. And they get in trouble for that. Most things in life are “and” rather than “or”. Be a good human. That’s all.*

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As our snow has been turning to mud and crazy winds helped dry that some, we’ve been enjoying working with these four ladies.

Eclipse, Cinder, Rapunzel and Fiadh are doing well and I feel incredible fortunate to have them. Mustangs are individuals and some take more easily to the people thing than others. These mares make my work extra fun and have me excited for their futures.

Eclipse tends to be initially reserved but warms up quickly and is a thinker with a quiet mind. Cinder is a bit of a busy body who melts when you touch her. Rapunzel has turned from sassy pony to “pick me!” attention hog and Fiadh believes everything in her environment is there to serve her in some way.

These ladies will make wonderful partners for their humans once they find them. They have shown that they retain well what they’ve learned and are eager to participate.

Leading, lungeing, tying, body control, backing, crossing obstacles, grooming, they’ve taken it in stride. We’re practicing sending, picking up feet, loading next.

Tay Martin is looking forward to giving them a spa day so we can turn those wild, fairy stirrup donning manes into silky flowing ones. At least for a little while. That means spray bottle practice too. I don’t foresee much trouble with that.

We are accepting adoption applications on these ladies. For those of you who have submitted one already, I’ll reach out to you once we’ve spoken to all of your references. Kelsey is doing her best on that, while also having a day job and her own Mustangs.

The application is fillable and submittable online and can be found on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Guffey CO.

All horses are adopted out with training that goes beyond TIP requirements and can be tailored to the adopter’s needs. We make sure you and the horse you pick are a match, we want both parties to be happy, feel safe and be successful.

Adoption vary based on the horse. For every horse that can command a higher adoption , we have several that cannot, need more time or require special care. Adoption go directly back into our program and help us adopt, gentle and place more wildies into suitable homes.

We’d like to thank the anonymous supporter who sent Gus a bag of Vitamin E pellets. We couldn’t do this without you all.

PM or email us with questions.

Training halters by Rowdy’s Ropes

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What are we looking at here? Frosty Bob’s big butt for one. Also 2 women who decided to walk 4 Mustangs – 2 from WY and 2 from CA – and 2 Shepherds for a couple of minutes to get past a scary (to us, we both don’t love narrow trails with drop offs) section of the trail. This is us just getting to the spot where it was wide enough that we felt comfortable getting back on.

Many other people would have ridden this part. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not other people. I owe it to my horses and to myself to know when I’m going to become a burden to them. When I get scared I either freeze or get grabby on the reins. Neither helps my horse navigate a challenging trail. So I dismount and feel safer that way.

I’ve been in a spot that was so steep, wet and narrow, we ended up putting a person on each end and sending the horses one at a time because it would have been to dangerous to even lead them. It was literally a 20 yard section of a day ride. The horses did fine, and from what we could tell, the humans staying off of their backs and out of their way was the best thing for them in that moment.

It’s not for others to tell you what to do if it’s not something you’re ok with, or for you to override your judgement to impress someone. It’s ok to want to ride and not be fearless. Fear is a survival mechanism. It is important, should you choose to ride with other people, to choose those people wisely.

Compatibility is important, between you and your horse, and also the people you ride with. Expanding our comfort zones is great. We also get to be where we are at and meet ourselves there. And to surround ourselves with people who accept and respect that.

Frosty Bob is from Fifteenmile, WY and was gathered with frost bitten ears. Lacy, DG Cedar and DG Griffin are Ambassador Mustangs with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy and so much fun to go exploring with.

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This was Lorena’s (2yo Twin Peaks CA Mustang filly) first time being ponied. Lorena, now Wren, has since gone home to her adopter in Michigan. I just got an update yesterday.

Kiddo is doing well, turning into quite the ham, and from the sounds of it landed exactly where she needed to be. I’m happy for Wren and her human. Thank you to all who support Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in doing what we do. You are instrumental in making these success stories a reality.

What do I mean by “difficult” side?

When I first introduce ponying, I start with the horse I’m ponying on my right. Later I’ll practice on both sides. To make it easier on them we go clockwise first.

That keeps the newbie to the inside of the circle, meaning they don’t have to hustle to keep up and if they jump around a bit trying to figure things out, they have somewhere to go and space to do it.

Wren settled into that effortlessly, so we checked that box and went the other direction. This is a tiny round pen and being in between my riding horse and the fence makes some of the greenies feel claustrophobic. And it’s harder because they’re on the big circle and have to walk faster.

Everyone first learns to step forward at a tap behind the shoulder, something Mustang Matt taught me when he was here a couple of years ago. It’s made a huge difference. That really helps when encouraging a horse forward while ponying.

Wren took to it really nicely and was wonderful about taking feedback. Timing and feel are important so they can understand what to do. Ideally I want the ponied horse’s nose at my knee, with about a foot in each direction still being in the tolerance zone.

FYI, original audio in this video, so if you want a bit of explanation to go with it, you can listen to me ramble My camera shy self loved none of that BUT I said I was going to grow and do hard things, so here we go.

I’m carrying a 5ft buggy whip with a short lash. I like the feel and the weight of it, I can reach where I need to and there’s no long lash to get stepped on and confuse horses when it’s flopping around. I have a 6ft one too, I like them both.

Do you need to do this bareback in a halter? No. You do you. Lacy is used to it and it keeps my backside warm (see all that snow?). I also didn’t want to be tempted to dally. I spent most of last year nursing the princess back to health and I don’t want other horses tugging on her.

Questions? Your own experiences with ponying? Let’s hear them!

Want to learn how to do this? We do have learning opportunities available, both on and off site, so get in touch via email or PM.

Thank you Kelsey for filming.

I’m staying warm out there all day because Outback Trading Company LTD. makes great gear for all seasons.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#BLMmustang#wildtowilling#adoptamustang#makingmountainmustangmemories

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – Andrew Grant

Some of you know I’m a counselor in my other life. I work with kiddos and sometimes with their adults. (Un)fortunately, I’m just as feral there as I am the rest of the time.

I recently met with someone who had just taken over caregiving for some youngsters and was asking me when they should implement the expectations for living together in their household.

We’re talking very basic cleaning up after yourself and keeping your area organized type stuff. I said “Now, unless you’re planning to give them to a zoo when they’re 18!”.

I believe – and regularly need to remind myself too or life will do it for me – that we set the tone for any relationship, be that with a friend, loved one, professional relationships and our relationships with the animals that come into our life, early.

We don’t say to a partner 5 years in “You know, actually, honey, I expected you to be faithful to me” or to an employee after 2 months “It would be really nice if you showed up on time”. No. Ideally we communicate what we expect straight out of the gate to avoid confusion, resentment and unnecessary arguments down the road.

The same is true with horses. Especially Mustangs. They are smarter than your average bear and often much more in tune with their environment than many domestics who have learned to tolerate or just tune us and our shenanigans out.

Whether a horse comes into your life at 6 months or 5 years of age, unhandled or already trained, the time to explain what you expect from them is now, in a way that they can understand.

That way -hopefully – you’re not revisiting and undoing self-inflicted mess ups days, months or even years down the road. It’s much harder then, on the horse too.

I needed these 2 babies like I needed a hole in my head. I did get a hole in my head too, so why not do both. The point is though, that from the very beginning I’ve been teaching them to become the horses I want to ride and be around a few years from now, in a developmentally appropriate manner.

You pick up your feet, you stand quietly, tie without fussing, cross water, don’t eat when I’m holding you. You lead and pony on a loose rope, are nice to the dogs and ok with them running around, and don’t nibble or push on people, just to name a few.

DG Cedar and DG Griffin came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy last summer from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals . Now coming 2 and 1yo, respectively, they’re good little citizens that are a joy to explore the world with, and still have plenty of opportunities to just be babies and time to grow up both physically and mentally.

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Here’s Fiadh (pronounced Fee Ah, not like the car), 2yo Twin Peaks CA Mustang filly, confronting our curtain about its audacity to blow in her face on a particularly windy afternoon. Then she walked over to me like “Did you see that???” She’d never ‘met’ the curtain before.

I adore this filly. Not just because she looks like Lacy with a mule mane, but because this girl is a war horse in the making. She takes NO crap. Not from me, not from the curtain, not from anything. And she loves the dogs.

I tend to tell people when it comes to picking a horse “Watch their immediate reaction to something that upsets them and see if you like that.” In my experience it takes a second or two for learned behavior to (hopefully) kick in.

If you can more or less comfortably sit or deal with whatever the horse does right after she gets caught off guard, you can probably get along with her, assuming you get along with her in general.

That’s a little bit like human relationships. It’s the hard moments that make or break those too, assuming those involved enjoy each other on the good days.

I like dogs but I’m a bit of a closet crazy cat lady. I think that’s why I’m drawn to cat-like traits in Mustangs too.

Some sass, lots of opinions, a bit of mischief paired with that look of arrogance and “you realize I don’t HAVE TO do what you want, right!?”. That’s my kind of horse. The more dog-like ever-friendly pocket crawler type not so much. To each their own.

I’ve had several people gently encourage me to keep some horses that aren’t exactly my type because those would one day make nice riding horses someone else would enjoy. I’m trying.

Personally, I appreciate a horse that talks back a bit and makes me work for it. This filly does. At the holding facility she would look miffed and walk away when approached. She shows exactly how she feels and we’ve had a number of conversations about what appropriate ways to express one’s opinion look like.

She needs to be able to do that. Still, she needs to not rear or plow people over. She also needs to learn a certain level of frustration tolerance and develop the ability to think through challenges and respond to cues rather than react.

That’s part of the joy and responsibility of working with Mustangs: To help them learn, enter into two-way communication with us, and yes, in a way override their instincts and develop new ways of interacting with their environment because most of what humans ask of them goes against what any self-respecting wild horse would do. No easy feat at all. I have a lot of respect for how resilient and capable of adapting many of them are.

If you’re interested in learning more about Mustang gentling or in adopting a gentled wildie through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , send me an email or a PM.

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Today was the first day that really felt like spring, we even saw the first couple of butterflies on today’s ride and hardly any snow. I heard a hummingbird two days ago.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy, Cedar and Griffin, and the Shepherds got to explore a new area today, with lots of new sights for the little ones and plenty of weirdly shaped rocks and trees.

We met one friendly, respectful ATV driver. That was a welcome learning opportunity. No motorized vehicles where we usually go. Roads are different, there’s much more space to pass.

We started slow, visiting with other riders at the trailhead while the horses slept tied to the trailer. Throughout the ride we let the Mustangs stop to catch their breath while we enjoyed the views in between climbing up and down rocky hills,

We walked, trotted and loped, dogs in front or behind, we’d lead or follow, sometimes get out of sight. We walked our horses along the cliff because we’re both scared of heights. It was a peaceful, enjoyable ride with relaxed horses, happy humans and of course ever-cheerful dogs.

What made that ride successful, even with fresh horses – no, I didn’t speed the video up, Lacy travels like she means business – running dogs, a loose colt and Lacy being vision impaired from an injury last year, are clear expectations.

Our horses have been educated in a way that they understand what’s expected of them and what they can expect from us. That way we can count on each other. That has to do with enforceable boundaries, clear communication, consistency, patience and persistence.

I don’t like having to babysit a horse and in most situations I don’t think horses like to be babysat. If they feel safe with us, understand and have been taught to do what we’re asking, there’s no need for that.

I ask for forward motion at whatever gait. Lacy understands and kicks it into gear, on a loose rein and with pricked ears, until I ask for a different gait. When we stop, she stands quietly until she hears the cue to go on.

That’s not a dull horse (far from it, in case you haven’t met the princess), that’s a comfortable, confident, competent and therefore a content horse.

Boundaries enforced consistently and communicated effectively create a sense of safety, regardless of whether you have two legs or four. Safety, trust, respect, relaxation and joy all go hand in hand when working with horses.

Thank you Becky for a fun ride!

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Here’s Tay Martin giving Buddy, a yearling Mustang gelding who’s been at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling for a couple of weeks now, a good scratch.

It’s funny and cute and all but the reason I’m posting it is because I think it’s important to make time for low pressure activities, things the horse enjoys and for just sharing space.

Suddenly going to school is a big deal for previously unhandled horses that have never had anything asked of them. There’s much to learn and it’s easy to get caught up in teaching skills and enforcing rules.

Part of our responsibility is to also set the tone for how these once wild horses view humans. We’re not unpredictable, scary predators and we’re also not just food bringers or scratching posts. We aim to help them see us partners to whom they look for guidance.

To strike that balance, we look for what each horse enjoys and make time for some of that in our interactions, with appropriate boundaries. It helps everyone reset, lighten up and enjoy each other more.

Buddy is a good kid. He is now easy to catch, goes for long walks, loads, ties and picks up his feet. There’s still some refining to so but we’re super excited for his future.

He’ll be going home in just a few weeks. His adopter will keep up with his handling and continue to prepare him, in a developmentally appropriate manner, for life as a well-adjusted, reliable riding partner.

If you have a Mustang you’d like us to gentle or are looking to adopt, please get in touch via PM or email. Our available horses are being updated today, go check them out at

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

Training halter and rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

Music: Living the Dream by Matt Robertson Music

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A big part of backcountry riding is getting up close and personal with nature and the raw elements.

Yes, sometimes that means getting pretty darn cold or soaking wet, closer to moose than one would hope to, or a clueless horse sticks its nose into a hornet’s nest.

Most of the time though, it’s about moments like this. Getting above treeline in early October and being greeted by what I call sun snow (I much prefer that to thunder snow in this situation).

If the video looks a bit sideways, that’s because I was leaning, hard, so I wouldn’t get blown off of Tiny. It was super windy, you can see the storm blowing in over the Rockies.

These two Mustangs sure made me proud on that ride. Tiny was rock solid and thanks to hoof protection traveled eagerly and with ease. Petrie tagged along sans pack, because our gear was all still in camp.

We weren’t far from our lunch spot at this point. Can you imagine having lunch in the sun while it’s snowing at 13,000ft, overlooking all that, watching the horses graze and the dogs snooze? It was pretty darn special.

This type of riding gives me a different level of appreciation for the horses that make those trips possible and the work that goes into preparing for them.

We had some bloopers on that trip, you live and you learn. Reading, YouTube and preparation only get you so far. That’s why it’s helpful to learn from those who have been there and done that, made mistakes and found things that work.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy will be offering packing workshops again this year. We will announce them on social media and on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g

Music: Free by Ocie Elliott

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Thanks to everyone who participated in our naming fun-raiser, the four new Mustang mares are no longer “the palomino, the dun roan, the pinto and the dun”.

Instead please welcome…

Eclipse: 3yo palomino Mustang mare – with the most unusual facial coloring – from Little Colorado WY.

Cinder: 3yo dun roan Mustang mare, facility born to a Stewart Creek WY mare.

Rapunzel: 3yo tri-colored pinto Mustang mare, facility born to a Stewart Creek WY mare.

Fiadh (Irish, pronounced Fee Ah): 2yo dun Mustang filly from Twin Peaks CA.

Everyone is curious and reasonably friendly, leads, lunges, is working on body control and has been tied and brushed ( You’d never know. Mud season is my least favorite season). I’m super impressed with all four of them.

They were a little put out about the new rules and expectations the first couple of sessions.

“What do you mean give to pressure? And why would I look at you when I need to be worrying about where my friends are? You want me to do what with which part of my body?Now don’t touch me there!”

With consistency, patience and finding workarounds to explain things in ways that make sense to them, they’re starting to figure out and enjoy this people thing.

These girls will be available for adoption to suitable homes. We want you to be happy and the Mustang you adopt too.

If you’re interested in adopting, we ask that you head on over to: w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g and fill out our adoption application. That helps us match adopters with the right horse for them, and keep track of what you’re looking for if we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for yet.

You’re always welcome to PM or email us with questions.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is located in Guffey, CO. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to help wild horses transition from wild to willing, from holding pens to loving homes. Sustainably, with compassion and competence.

Thank you again to everyone who showed up, had fun, played and donated along with their name suggestions! We’re so grateful for you all and we couldn’t do what we do without you.

Late post today because Monday is my school day (counseling stuff) and I wasn’t cool enough to do this early in the morning before school. Many thanks to Tay Martin and Jennifer Martin who did the drawing of names for us

Want to help but it’s not your time to adopt, donate or volunteer? Like, comment on and share this post to help these horses find the great homes they deserve.

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I’ve decided to let naming the new Mustangs be this evening’s problem, in favor of storytime because it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

With spring in the air, green grass coming up and new (wild)life soon or already coming into the world, I’m itching to get back into the still snow covered mountains soon-ish.

During last year’s solo trips I took lots of pictures and the time to write some of our adventures down. Then I got busy and didn’t share most of them. Here’s a story about creating said new life that really made for a memorable time in the wilderness.

I’d finally made it into camp, a few hours later than I had planned. It was nearing sunset already and when you’re setting up camp by yourself for yourself and several critters – Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Mustangs Tiny and Petrie and the ever-helpful German Shepherds – it takes a while.

First order of business was hobbles on so the horses could graze, followed by unloading the pack horse, both for her relief and to access my gear. I pulled out what I would need that night, fed the dogs, and found a good spot to set up the highline.

The sun had long set and I was zooming around in the last bit of daylight, when I noticed that Tiny was staring intently into the distance.

Doing backcountry riding, you learn to watch your horse for what’s out there, especially a Mustang. I grabbed my binos and of course he was right.

Two moose, a bull and a cow, obviously rather enamored with one another. At about 100 yards distance I wasn’t exactly thrilled about our company but also not too worried about them. Yet.

I’d encountered moose there before, I just hadn’t been dumb enough to camp there during the rut. Whoops.

They weren’t worried about us. Unfortunately they were so preoccupied with making more moose, they also weren’t worried about where they were going.

It didn’t help that it was too dark to pack up and move camp, in either case not knowing where Romeo and Juliet Moose were headed and if another camp spot would have its own moose love story. I was packing heat, but not enough to stop a charging moose in its tracks if it came down to it. Also whoops.

Tiny stared until it got too dark to see them while Petrie grazed peacefully. The crashing and crunching of moose in brush came closer and closer, until they were within 30 yards of camp. I was not happy.

By that time I had finished setting up, put the horses on the highline and crawled into my tent. Needless to say I wasn’t tired and I had decided to sleep in my riding clothes and with my sleeping bag open, everything I might need within reach.

I wasn’t going to die in or have to run from a moose in the middle of the night in my pajamas, nope. Around 11pm the crunching stopped, the dogs stopped grumbling and all was quiet until 4.30 when a loud snort from one of the horses startled me awake. The Shepherds’ giant ears were on high alert.

Shining my headlight out of the tent, I didn’t see any intruders, just two highlined Mustangs wide awake, watching something in the dark meadow. I convinced the dogs to keep quiet, apparently moose strongly dislike and will attack dogs, and distracted myself with an audiobook until first daylight.

I can’t carry a tune in a bucket and when I get scared out there I usually sing German folk songs, loudly. That’s always kept moose and people away from me yet.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#horsepacking#adventure#backcountry#makingmountainmustangmemories

Lorena, 2yo Twin Peaks, CA Mustang filly, left with hauler Brice Bebout for her new home in MI a few days ago, just in the nick of time before another storm.

I’d like to thank Tay Martin for taking care of and loving the wild ones that come through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy to get ready for finding great homes,

Photographer Linnea Helander for your epic photography skills and for working horses with me when you have time,

Kelsey Janosik for meticulously reviewing adoption applications and providing feedback,

Rowdy’s Ropes for the best, prettiest custom rope tack we could ask for,

Cassie Krzeczowski for making the first trim a good experience for these kids,

Rocky Top Veterinary Service for getting our wildies ready to travel and attending to their medical needs,

our funny, pain in the neck of a brand inspector,

our land owners, reputable and experienced haulers, reliable hay providers and other service providers who make what we do possible,

the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program and Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals for working with us and the relationships we’ve built over the years,

and of course our clients, adopters, donors, volunteers and friends because we couldn’t do what we do without you!

Happy Easter to those who celebrate, a sunny spring weekend to those who don’t, and remember, tomorrow we’ll be drawing names for the new kids so if you want to support our naming fun-raiser, head to Tuesday’s post and put in your name suggestions for a small donation that goes towards the Mustangs!

Read below for what Lorena – now Wren – is up to in her new home. That’s what makes it all worth it! (Shared with permission from her adopter.)

“I love her! I was up until after midnight that first night, just being out there (doing nothing but I didn’t want to walk away, either). I find myself trying to juggle other commitments so I can go out there (the “oh, I have this meeting I have to attend, maybe I can slide out for a little bit beforehand. Oh, but what if we hit a little hiccup or I lose track of time or am right in the middle of something and I am out there longer than I have before the meeting – drat. I have to wait til after…” kinda thing – the literal conversation I had with myself this morning ).

I see some of the same things in her that I absolutely love about Radar. And some things I see I like better than when I’m working with Radar. So, first impressions: I think she’s going to be perfect! We’ll undoubtedly have some disagreements along the way (can’t expect anyone, especially a teenager, to be 100% with everything in my experience / even if it’s just a matter of “I don’t want to today” ) and everyone has off/bad days. We’ll adjust and figure out the best way to work through whatever that ends up being (even if that means making a phone call to ask questions/get advice if there’s a sticky spot we can’t get through on our own). I’m always up for learning something new in that respect,

Once she’s fully settled in and really starts to show all of her personality here (and the quirks that will go along with it, I’m sure) will be the real tell but I think this is going to be a great relationship.

***

Wren met [the farrier]. He wanted to extend his appreciation for putting so much work into getting her used to picking up her feet – and so nicely, too. He went and picked each one up after just the short introduction and she didn’t hesitate an instant

She also walked right up when I came in this afternoon. She hasn’t been hard to catch or anything, but it was just the first walk up (which just makes it special )”

#wildhorseswillingpartners#ittakesavillage#nonprofit#bettertogether#makingmountainmustangmemories

Deets and Woodrow, our 5yo NV Mustang boys, an appy and a silver bay, earned their roommate privileges yesterday.

They were in a pen together when we picked them up and are really good friends, zero drama and personalities that mesh well. We separated them for gentling when they got here and they’d been living fence to fence since.

When the 4 new Mustang mares came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy last Friday, we first kept 2 and 2 together, before separating first one pair, and yesterday the other. We tried keeping them together for their benefit and realized we really weren’t doing them any favors.

I think we can all agree that horses need the company of other horses to thrive.

In the short term however, if it’s going to take me 10min to separate horses, and another 10min for those upset horses to calm down, the one that’s with me and worried about where his friend is, and the friend that’s left behind in the pen and considering jumping, crashing or digging out (welcome to the world of unhandled Mustangs) and then however long to get something accomplished now that everyone is exhausted, we’ve found it better, and safer, for everyone involved to opt for separate bedrooms.

We’re not talking solitary confinement here. They have neighbors – we make sure everyone has neighbors they can at least peacefully tolerate, even if it’s not a deep friendship – and free choice hay, some room to move around and regular training sessions. And we’re talking temporary.

When they get here, most Mustangs have never lived by themselves. That’s a whole new experience for them and an important one if they’re going to make it in our world.

After seconds or minutes of WTH?! they usually find their food and water, make sure their neighbor is in sight and start eating.

When I pull them for sessions, they might at first still be looking for their friends but there’s no added stress from sorting horses and it’s easier for them to turn to me for interactions because, like humans, they are social creatures.

Once Mustangs are relatively easy to catch and if we have someone they get along with but not so attached to that they lose their minds, we put them together in one of our larger pens.

Husbandry – aka care – is an important factor in training any horse but there are some special considerations we need to make when working with wild horses to set everyone up for success and keep them safe.

This is not a black and white issue, the answer, as with many things, is “it depends”. We’ve kept horses together that we thought we wouldn’t and we’ve separated some we figured would be fine. I appreciate Tay Martin ‘s input and watchful eye and we decide what’s best on a case by case basis, prioritizing their safety and ours and making sure the Mustangs are mentally in a good place to learn.

How well do you learn when you’re hungry, stressed and just got forcefully separated from your best friend who’s calling of the top of their lungs for you? Exactly.

These two boys are happy this morning and the four princesses seem to accept each having their own palace for the time being.

All of these kids are available for adoption. Located in Guffey CO. Please PM or email if interested.

Thank you to all who have participated in and donated to our naming fun-raiser! There’s still time if you haven’t, so go back to Tuesday’s post and take a look.

We’re happy to hear your experiences in the comments.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#mustanggentling

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’m going to do a little myth busting here, based on my experience. Not just mine, I know. I also appreciate if your experience has been different, this isn’t about right or wrong.

These four young Mustang mares are the most recent kiddos to join our program here at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . Two are facility born, two were gathered as babies.

None were the type to just crawl into your pocket in the pens, but several of them – not the dun – would at least come up for a look and a sniff.

The 2yo dun would look inconvenienced and walk off when approached. The dun roan would look from a few feet away. Both the dun roan and the pinto will back up to the gate for butt scratches. The other 2 come up to the fence now to check you out and may sniff a hand

So you’d think they’d be super easy to gentle, right? Well, not necessarily.

They’re a little bit like cats. They’re habituated to people. What they’re not used to is having anything asked of them or being alone with a human and expected to pay attention to them.

For people-habituated yet otherwise untrained Mustangs, humans are a welcome distraction that might bring food or provide entertainment, on the horse’s terms. They’re not worried about our presence, so much so that if they’re upset and we’re in the way, we might just get flattened, not out of aggression, more in a collateral damage “I don’t actually care that you’re standing there” sort of way.

That’s these guys, to varying degrees. Am I expecting them all to turn out well and become attentive, well adjusted, willing partners for their future humans? I absolutely am.

Is it easier to gentle one that’s a little leary of people still? In my opinion it is. They tend to want to keep an eye on us and be more likely to yield to pressure rather than bulldoze through it.

We’re getting some important work done with these mares, and they’re not only learning a whole new set of skills, objects and rules, they’re also learning that two-way communication with humans is possible. And that it requires that both parties, speak AND listen, and pay attention to one another.

Feel free to share your experience with gentling more and less people-habituated wildies in comments.

Rowdy’s Ropes rope tack and Tay Martin ‘s support for the win yesterday. She worked the other kids while I did haltering, body control and touch practice sessions with these ladies.

Also, there’s still time to participate in our naming “fun-raiser” for them. See Tuesday’s post for details! We’ll draw names from your suggestions over the weekend

#wildhorseswillingpartners#makingmountainmustangmemories

This guy though… He’s a Golden Retriever puppy that accidentally ended up in a rather large horse’s body. He’s a coming 4yo Antelope Hills WY Mustang gelding. He does all the things and then some and is technically ready to find his person.

But only technically. He was gathered as a baby and doesn’t have a scratch on him. He loves people, literally everyone. But he moves funny. Not Stringhalt, maybe Shivers.

I don’t want to send him out in the world not knowing how his body is going to hold up to what’s asked of him. Per vet recommendation (thank you Patty & Jim) we’re starting him on a Vitamin E supplement and he’s learning to pony and explore the world outside of the pens so he can have turnout and more exercise. We’ll see how he does with that and go from there.

BLM has offered to take him back, which I appreciate. I think this guy enjoys doing the people thing very much though. He’d sleep on someone’s couch if he was allowed to and could fit through a human sized door (he’s huge).

Am I set on making him a permanent member of our herd? No. But if it ends up being what’s best for him, and he can pull his weight somehow, then we’ll consider it. Part of setting him up for success is getting him as healthy as possible before he leaves, if he does.

We’ve had several requests to adopt him, we’re thankful for people willing to adopt. A caveat: Gus is cool. But Gus is not for the faint of heart or people who just want to “save” him or love on him.

He’s a giant, insecure, overly friendly, sometimes easily distracted goofball of a young gelding. In the wrong hands it’ll take about 2 weeks (I’m being optimistic here) for him to become unmanageable and dangerous.

He needs love, yes. But love that looks like exercise, boundaries, someone who exudes calm confidence, provides exposure, stimulation, consistency and lots of reinforcing good and redirecting not so desirable behavior. Constantly, because he has baby brain.

When this 15.2hh hunk of a Mustang says: “Ew, scary!”, “I don’t like that!” or “Oh look!”, that hits differently than when a smaller one does that. He has to duck to get in my trailer and he has (small) dinner plates for feet.

He’s been saddled, bridled, ponied and taken for walks. So if we can get him physically right, the right adopter is going to have a lot of fun with this guy. Pictures of him climbing a 4ft snow pile just because he thought it was fun. That’s Gus, aka Gus the bus.

If you’re supporting Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , thank you. Making sure these horses end up in the right home, not the first one willing to cough up the $, is a big part of what we do. We do have other Mustangs available for adoption and are bringing more in later this spring.

PM or email us if you want to help, need help gentling a wild one or want to learn how, or are looking to adopt.

Training halter and lead rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#nonprofit#mustanggentling#makingmountainmustangmemories

We’re a few days into having these 4 lovely ladies here, it’s currently 3rd winter here, headed into 2nd spring, so everything is snowy and soggy.

The new “kids” are eating, drinking and doing well. We’re starting to give them nicknames and some of them I really would prefer didn’t stick so we’re asking for your help in naming them.

To do that let’s have a little fun with a naming fundraiser! Here’s why: There’s no incentive program for any of this right now.

What that means is that any wild horse we bring out of holding for gentling and rehoming, we adopt and assume all risks and costs until they are successfully reassigned. Nonprofit organization or not, we need to buy hay, pay our farrier and vet and make sure we can continue to operate, help Mustangs and educate humans.

How it works: We’re asking for a $5 donation per name suggestion. If you want to suggest a name for several horses or the same name for the same horse 3 times or 5 different names for 3 different horses, do the math.

Comment names below

We’ll put all the name suggestions in a hat and draw, for each horse, then announce their names.

Tag numbers, colors “Toad” (don’t ask), “Lacy Junior/L2” “Barbie” (guess which ones) are all unsustainable ways to move forward, so please help us out.

You can donate via this post, for those who prefer other ways, I’ll put additional info in comments. For questions or if you want to send a check instead, send us a PM or email.

They are all mares, the dun filly is 2yo and from Twin Peaks CA, the dun roan, palomino and the pinto pony are 3yo from WY (dun roan and pinto are facility born to Stewart Creek WY mares, the palomino is from Little Colorado WY).

All will eventually be available for adoption, some possibly later with additional training. Located in Guffey CO.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, registered with the IRS and the state of Colorado. Donations are tax deductible.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#letsdothis#bettertogether#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

This pretty seal bay mare is one of the kindest horses we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. She’s also DG Griffin’s dam.

Minerva, or Ms Kitty as she was known at the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals , is a 5yo Devil’s Garden Mustang mare standing between 13.3 and 14hh tall.

She’s good to catch and halter, ties, leads and loads, picks up feet and just had her first trim.

She’s nicely built, a beautiful mover and athletic without being “hot”. She would make an amazing riding partner for a small adult or an experienced young person. Maybe driving or packing could be in her future too.

Minerva is shy and a bit introverted. She would benefit from an adopter who is willing to make her a priority and build a partnership, without making her a “one person horse” (unless you’re also a vet, farrier, body worker, and never get sick or go on vacation).

Introducing a shy horse to different people is part of helping them come out of their shell and building their confidence so they can feel good about themselves and the world they live in.

Minerva is good with other horses and never looking for a fight. She will do anything we take the time to help her understand and she retains what she has learned.

She has a scar on her left front fetlock that is not causing her pain.

Located in Guffey, CO. Contact us via PM or email if you’re interested in adopting her through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . She is titled.

First official step towards adopting is filling out the adoption application on our website. I’m happy to chat with you about her to see if she could be a good fit for you.

Please comment, like and share to help Minerva get more visibility and find a wonderful home!

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

Rope tack: Rowdy’s Ropes

Jacket & vest: Outback Trading Company LTD.

Hat: Montana Rio Buckaroo Hats

#DevilsGardenMustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Right now we might as well call him “Muddy” but that too shall pass. This little palomino cutie is a yearling Mustang gelding, facility born to a Triple B NV mare.

Buddy is here for gentling for a client who adopted him through the internet adoption and who wanted to make sure he was prepared for domestic life when he got home.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who thinks these decisions through and does whatever it takes to set their Mustang up for success.

This was Buddy’s first session, a whopping 15min or so, including little breaks, because baby brain is real.

We took tags off – he came with two – put the neck rope on, then the temporary halter, touched him all over, practiced giving to pressure and leading, then ended on a calm, good note and shared space for a bit.

He went from “Yeah I’ll sniff you when I want to but ew don’t you reach for me” and “Why does this thing have my head and how can I get rid of it?” to “Ok, I’ve got this, what’s next?” with the help of some basic training tools and techniques to break it down into manageable steps for him.

A lot of issues arise when we ask them for things but don’t know how to follow through or when we can’t help them move beyond what they offer on their own. That’s where timing, tools, techniques, being able to read the horse and knowing when and where to ask for help are important.

Buddy is a brave, independent, level-headed little guy who bravely explores the world around him – including carrying his halter around before it was ever time to wear it, and calmly sniffing every object within reach – and just needs a little help understanding that he’ll need to accept input from and look to the human for guidance.

He’s going to make a great trail partner for his adopter one day, who is well versed in bringing youngsters along who have basic handling skills.

Thank you for giving Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy the opportunity to gentle this boy for you!

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Meet the new Mustangs!

2yo dun (roan?) filly from Twin Peaks CA,

3yo palomino mare (with a face that’s chocolate on one side ) from Little Colorado WY,

3yo bay roan mare facility born to a Stewart Creek WY mare,

3yo tri colored pinto mare (NOT a paint, for my fellow color/terminology nerds) facility born to a Stewart Creek WY mare.

No names yet, I’m thinking maybe we’ll do a little naming fundraiser. Thoughts?

They settled right in last night and I’m looking forward to working with them today. I’m toying with the idea of starting one or two of them under saddle before placing them because I believe there’s a huge need for saddle trained Mustangs and the more marketable skills a horse has, the safer it’s going to be.

You’re always welcome to electronically submit an adoption application through our website. Even if we don’t have the ideal wildie for you right now, we’re happy to work with you to help you find a good match… It needs to fit not just for you but also for the horse.

Many thanks to the Cañon City BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program staff for having us, for helping everyone find what they were looking for, patiently shuttling people back and forth, answering endless questions and walking through the pens with us, and for quietly sorting and loading the selected horses.

Thank you to Tay Martin for muffins and for getting the new kids’ pens ready. It was so nice to just be able to unload and sort them into their pens after a long day and 20min of navigating post-snowstorm mud while backing the trailer up to the loading alley.

We’re excited to welcome our new students here at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy and grateful for the opportunity to facilitate their start into domestic life.

Keep checking our stories for updates.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#BLMmustang

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’ve been fortunate enough to be around a lot of horses over the past 30 years and I appreciate how much preferences vary as to who likes what in a horse and why.

I determine whether I have a keeper or not by how badly I want to work with them and how far out of my way I’m willing to go to spend time with them.

It’s like that with people too, isn’t it? We tend to make time for the ones who really matter to us and whose presence in our lives makes us happy, and excuses for the others.

I’ve had horses that have made me want to dust instead of ride. That’s a red flag in my book. The joke is that I don’t dust until the horse sculpture in my window grows a wooly winter coat. It’s not THAT bad. It’s not that far from the truth either.

These 3 – and strangely, Gus too – make me want to be out there at all random hours of the day and night. In the dark, when it’s windy or cold, after a long day, before and during a stressful one, even in the face of plenty of other things I could be doing.

Afterwards I feel happy, light and refreshed. It’s not all unicorns and rainbows, sometimes there are tough and even scary moments, and I know for a fact that these guys aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.

But they’re right for me, our communication styles and personalities mesh well and we come back stronger and clearer from what disagreements we do have, and we don’t usually have to revisit an issue much more than once.

It’s kind of like that with the “right” people too I think. Iron may sharpen iron but a constant battle is no bueno. Finding 2 and 4 legged companions who accept us for who we are tend to inspire and encourage us to want to grow into our best selves. That goes both ways.

I hope you give yourself permission to find and cherish the horse that’s right for you, and to become the human that horse deserves.

Happy, crunchy hooves-on-snow sounds for the win during yesterday’s ride with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy, DG Cedar and DG Griffin, and Shepherds Denali and Ranger.

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Yesterday was Lorena’s – 2yo Twin Peaks, CA Mustang filly, adopted – first time in hobbles. It was a non-event.

She’s comfortable with leading by a foot, having her feet handled and she’s been trimmed.

When I put the hobbles on towards the end of our session and rewarded her for putting up with it, nothing happened. So far so good.

I asked her to take a step, and she realized her front feet weren’t able to move normally. She shifted her weight around trying to figure it out.

Lorena balanced herself, yawned and looked at me like “Was that ok?” Another reward and another ask to move.

She tried to hop, that didn’t work all that well, so next she shuffled forward. That’s it. Another reward.

We hung out for another few minutes before I took the hobbles off and ended the session. Well done little lady.

People feel all sorts of different ways about hobbles. I feel some kind of way about hungry horses tied to trees staring at the sky while riders enjoy their lunch break out on a ride.

The horse that carried them there is built to graze almost around the clock. They are 1000lbs power houses sustaining their bodies and receiving their energy essentially from salad.

Most of us could skip a meal or 3 and still be ok, because our diet and metabolism are vastly different.

To me, hobble training means taking better care of my horses while out day riding or fixing fence, it means being able to graze areas that maybe aren’t fenced for horses otherwise, and it means no hungry ponies on backcountry trips.

It means having my horse not blow up if their foot catches a hose, wire or string hidden under grass, lawn darting me and potentially cutting up a leg.

It means teaching my horses not to struggle when a leg is caught someplace it shouldn’t be, in a fence, a feeder or on the trailer. Cedar did that recently and quietly let me free her because she’d had plenty of rope practice around her legs.

I personally three leg hobble in the backcountry and I don’t leave them hobbled unsupervised. There’s a story or 3 to go with that.

Meanwhile I’m excited for the home this girl has found, and for another trip “to prison” (literally) tomorrow and grateful for the opportunity to give several more wild ones a chance at a wonderful domestic life through our nonprofit organization Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

Contact us if you’re looking to adopt or would like to support our efforts to help Mustangs successfully transition from holding pens to loving homes. We can only do what we do because of you, whether you’re volunteering, donating, buying merch, adopting, attending clinics or spreading the word about what we do.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#mustangtraining

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Lacy, my first branded Mustang, first TIP horse, first gaited horse I’ve ever owned, and the best horse I’ve had in my life yet, turned 9 on Sunday.

We know that because she was born in holding in Cañon City to a Divide Basin, WY Mustang mare.

I’m not the kind to bring my animals gifts or bake them a cake on their birthday. But still, this birthday was special. I may or may not have told everyone at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo that the princess had a birthday coming up.

Lacy injured herself in early 2023 and was lame with an unclear outcome for months. A serious eye injury in the fall – she was still not sound – added to the concerns for her future. It took a village to keep her going and I’m so grateful to all who showed up for Lacy and me during that time.

I spent months in suspense, wondering if a quality of life call needed to be made, and whether I would need to let her go even before Blanca who crossed the rainbow bridge on the last warm day of fall this past year.

Lacy didn’t understand why she never got picked to go on a ride and snuck through every open trailer door she could find, hoping to go, and I had to ask her to get out. You can’t venture into the backcountry or move cattle if you can barely walk.

Spending her birthday weekend with her, loping in the indoor arena while ponying a youngster, watching her be a patient, friendly Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang, meeting people and packing a friend’s kid around was a gift I didn’t think I’d see most of last year.

I cherish every day with the princess, knowing how quickly things can change. She has adopted the 2 Devil’s Garden babies we kept last year. Watching them play, eat and sleep together makes my heart happy and I think she’s happy too.

I just recently started working training horses off of her again. Lacy enjoys work as much as she enjoys food and butt scratches. She’s gotten cuddlier with age but no less spicy and I love that about her.

PC for the first photo: Photographer Linnea Helander . She and Tay Martin sneakily took that last year when we didn’t know if she’d make it and just recently shared it with me

Many thanks for the other two pics to Amanda and Maya . Yes, DG Cedar crosses her hind legs and does all sorts of other goofy things when baby brain kicks in and she’s done standing still.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#adoptalivinglegend

#BLMmustang#makingmountainmustangmemories

There’s always been more than one meaning to the word ‘unpacking’ and our time at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo certainly has left me with a lot to unpack, more than just training tools, winter boots and clothes.

The mares (DG Cedar went instead of Griffin at the last minute), Shepherds and I left for Denver a day early to beat the worst of the storm.

Traffic was nuts even in just rain, for a while it snowed literal snowballs and visibility was terrible in some spots. We had already made it to I-70 when another driver cut me off and I hit the brakes so we wouldn’t all have a really bad day. I heard the commotion in the trailer and hoped for the best. That incident left Lacy with a bloody forehead and me with a knot in my stomach.

We eventually made it to the stalls, and 2 hours of unloading everything in the rain and sleet later, the mares were in their stalls with shavings, hay and water and all the rest of our stuff organized in an additional stall.

They had never been stalled for more than 2 hours (at the vet), never slept indoors or with the lights on. While Cedar went straight to her hay, Lacy was not happy. 2 days of handfeeding her mash later she finally accepted the situation.

Between that and navigating care for the horses at home in the face of an unexpected nearly 3ft (so much for 18in) of ridiculously heavy snow and everyone having every manner of vehicle stuck in it, I was beyond stressed and exhausted.

By Friday I was convinced I’d never do that again, not to myself and not to my horses either. By Saturday Lacy and Cedar were much more comfortable, happily cruising around the warm up arena with me (neither one had been in an indoor arena before), the Expo was busy and the sun was out.

By Sunday we were tired but content, with 3 presentations on a mix of backcountry riding and packing and teaching the audience steps from gentled to riding under our belt.

The mares never missed a beat going in and out of buildings, greeting people and being good Ambassadors for Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy and Mustangs in general.

Lacy celebrated her 9th birthday on Sunday and I’m grateful for her and for so many familiar as well as new friendly faces, engaged audiences, things learned and connections made.

The Shepherds had a fun time in the city and kept me and the truck safe. They’re the best travel buddies and so easy going.

We will be back in 2025 if they’ll have us, hopefully with 2 presentations each day.

We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers, friends and neighbors, both at home and in town. Thank you, you know who you are!

Coming home (to a plowed driveway!), we were all so tired that instead of unloading the entire back of the trailer to get the horses out, I unloaded both mares through the escape door, in the dark. They thought nothing of it, happily stretched their legs, enjoying their freedom and the sounds of nature, before turning to their hay bags.

I was reminded that I can do hard things, that people are generally good and willing to help (I just need to remember to ask and sometimes think outside the box), and that I have pretty amazing animals and a wonderful support network. I remembered how much I love teaching, public speaking, and sharing our Mustangs with the public. Here’s to more of that going forward!

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

The Shepherds and I made it home midday yesterday from our little adventure. We came back to a winter wonderland and more snow still falling. I got some work done and a ride in before dark, that’s what you see here.

In other news, we finally decided who’s going to The Mustang Summit at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo with me (something could always change because these are horses we’re talking about): Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy and DG Griffin. The beauty and the beast, you can decide who’s who.

We also went back and forth for the longest time on what I should be covering in our presentations, and it looks like we have a plan: How to take your Mustang from gentled to riding. Working title, but it’s something.

I see a lot of wildies get hung up in the gentled stage. So long as someone is happy to just pet and feed them, and is hopefully providing them with friends, space and basic hoof and vet care, all is well.

However, companion type horses are often the first to go and the hardest to place if there’s a change of circumstances. The reality is, not everyone can afford or is willing to feed and care for a horse that’s not working and never has for 25+ years.

Training means safety, for both (wild) horse and handler. With what I do, I could die any day. All of us could. My goal is that if I keel over for good, my horses are safe because they’re pleasant enough to be around and have sufficient training that they’re going to be worth something to the next person.

This isn’t fluffy or romantic but an important thing to consider. If I’m gone or not capable of caring for them, will they likely thrive in someone else’s life?

Macabre thoughts aside, training is life insurance for horses. If we want to grow the Mustang community, which we need to if we want to continue finding great homes for once wild horses, we need to show the trainability and versatility of Mustangs as working partners. That means furthering their education to help them reach their potential and in turn inspiring others to do the same.

If you’re coming to the Expo, come see us. We’ll cover exercises – including ground driving, leading by a foot, ponying etc – that are helpful in preparing for an uneventful transition to riding. I’m not particularly brave or sticky but I aim to be thorough so the courage and stickiness I do possess will suffice when it comes time to ride. And I mean really ride.

Through the mountains in the snow in the dark with dogs underfoot and another horse getting ponied. I get out of a pen as soon as I can when I’m starting a youngster, because riding circles in a confined space bores me to tears, that’s just me. My wildies seem to like having some place to go too.

Riding and practically living surrounded by wild horses and Mustang lovers has brought so much joy and purpose to my life. I’d love to inspire and empower others to have similar experiences if that’s what they want for themselves.

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I was going to post a video this morning, that was before I got snowed in while having dinner at my friends’ house. We went from no snow before it got dark to 6+in when we looked outside a few hours later, some miles into narrow windy mountain dirt roads that don’t get plowed by the county.

So here are some pictures of the not-so-new-anymore Mustangs instead while I’m on slower internet and nervously watching it continue to snow. I have the dogs with me, many thanks to Tay Martin for taking care of the wild ones at home where there’s less snow. I’m just a few miles away as the crow flies and a few 100ft higher. That can make all the difference in weather out here.

These 4, Deets, Woodrow, Gus and Lorena, have been a joy to get to know and work with these past few weeks.

Lorena (buckskin) is pending adoption and already doing lots of grown up things with ease. She’s getting her first “big girl” trim next week, is tying, leading sending, crossing obstacles and wearing tack. She’s building confidence loading when asked (loads fine when not asked and then won’t come out of the trailer until I insist that she does) and is supposed to embark on a road trip to start her new life soon.

Gus (bay) is the kindest giant boy and is learning all the big kid things like loading and picking up feet. That was scary for him at first. He insists on being caught, loves people, crosses obstacles, finally figured out lungeing and thought it was the greatest thing ever when I put a saddle and bridle on him for the first time yesterday. Standing still while tied is very boring, but he’s getting better. Gus is the best weirdo ever. Not available for adoption at the moment, will update when that changes.

Deets (appy) and Woodrow (silver bay) are good, level headed geldings with fairly easy going personalities. They lead and tie, stand for grooming, will lunge, send and cross obstacles. They don’t have much stranger danger. Both are working on picking up feet and loading. They are potentially spoken for, will update if that changes.

All 4 have learned and are practicing body control, i.e. yielding hindquarters and shoulders, as well as backing in addition to just leading and going around me on a circle. That’s important for many things down the road.

To all who have submitted adoption applications, thank you. I will reach out to people with approved applications over the next couple of days. If the horse you asked for is spoken for or we don’t yet have the perfect Mustang for you, we’re happy to work with you and help you find a great match.

Until some sort of incentive program comes back, our nonprofit organization Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is funding all of this on its own. We appreciate your support in helping wild horses transition from holding pens to loving homes now more than ever. Thank you! If you want to help, please check bio for how to do so or reach out to us directly.

Training halters and leads Rowdy’s Ropes

First 3 photos: Photographer Linnea Helander

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

I recently read somewhere on social media – and I wish I could remember where – that the best way to fix a bad habit in a horse is to not let it develop on the first place.

That’s so simple, yet at the same time so profound. I’ve seen so many horses revert back to undesirable behavior that’s worked for them in the past, or take so much longer to unlearn dangerous things and become solid in good ones.

Barn and buddy sourness are pretty high up on the list of common, pesky and problematic things people deal with in their horses, Mustangs and domestics alike. Having a buddy or barn sour horse can sure take the joy out of riding, make it unsafe or plain impossible.

Anymore I like starting my own horses, from scratch. Gentling Mustangs for a living, that’s pretty easy to do. That way for the most part whether they’re barn or buddy sour or not is in my hands.

Some people are sticky and don’t mind a ‘good’ fight with a horse that’s dancing and rearing and hopping and spinning or running backwards. I’m not one of those people.

Ground driving is probably the number one tool I use to develop a horse that confidently goes wherever you point them, no buddy needed, and goes back home at the same pace.

Here’s Devil’s Garden Mustang mare Petrie who’s good enough now that I can put the driving bridle and lines on, no surcingle, saddle or harness, and off we go. I wouldn’t recommend that, at all, if you’re just starting out.

We’re drunk walking a bit here because I had the phone in one hand and lines and whip – yes, I always carry a whip because it’s a needed communication device when (ground) driving – in the other while dodging holes and brush.

Ground driving, like many other things, is simple but not necessarily easy if you haven’t done it before, and needs to be taught step by step for it to work as desired.

At Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy we’re happy to teach you/your horse this skill if you’d like. More on how to work with us on our website.

Would anyone be interested in some video based instructions on ground driving that would be available online? Anything else? Let us know in the comments or via PM/email.

Music: Colter Wall : Prairie Evening/Sagebrush Walz

#wildhorseswillingpartners#mustangtraining

#sunset#makingmountainmustangmemories

People like all kinds of different horses, all for their own reasons. They all will make us better humans and horsemen and -women if we let them.

I’m fortunate to have a lot of horses – all Mustangs now – in my life, many only for a short time on their path to hopefully becoming someone else’s partner and friend.

I like a good mare with grit who wears her heart on her sleeve and her thoughts all over her face. That’s these two for me, now coming 9yo Divide Basin Mustang mare Lacy and coming 2yo Devil’s Garden Mustang filly Cedar.

They’re so similar that they couldn’t stand each other for months. Finally now I’m seeing what’s starting to look like affection between the two and it makes me happy.

They’re both forward, easy traveling horses who love to go see the world. They are serious about a job needing done and outside of the occasional manageable spook don’t do anything silly.

They know who’s who, pick their people and are not shy about expressing whom and what they like. There’s only one person Lacy is friendlier with than me and I don’t blame her at all. Cedar at this point considers herself mine – or me hers? – and it’s pretty darn cute.

She’s had to learn to let others touch and handle her because while the one person horse thing may sound romantic, it’s not fair to the horse or those around it.

They can also feel my energy shift and keep me honest. If I’m in a hurry or grumpy I can’t catch either one of them. Not lovely but it helps me check and ground myself and not take my agenda out on them.

If they need to learn something I teach them and if they understand they apply it. If I’m unfair or rushy or grabby with either of them they tell me. And I reflect, listen and adjust, often quietly at the end of the day. That’s how a partnership should be.

It always amazes me how most every Mustang here finds someone who loves them for just how they are. I sure love these two and I love it even more that they’re starting to bond – without being herd bound because that’s just not who they are.

Both of them are Ambassadors Mustangs with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . One of them just might make an appearance at The Mustang Summit at Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in March.

Lacy was my first TIP horse when that was still a thing and the first Mustang I gentled. She came from the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program , Cañon City holding facility in 2017. Cedar joined us in 2023 from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals .

We have gentled Mustangs available or coming available year-round. Please contact us if you’re looking or have a Mustang needing gentling. Located in Guffey, CO.

Cute yearling halter and rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

Hackamore: The Colorful Cowgirl

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

It’s been so much fun watching our youngest Ambassador Mustangs DG Cedar (filly, coming 2yo) and DG Griffin (colt, not quite 1yo) grow up and their personalities develop. They came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy last year from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals in California.

I’d never before owned a horse this young. Watching the baby antics, naps in the sun and Lacy slowly embracing being their “aunt” has been such a gift.

Cedar is strong willed but also sensitive. She seems to consider me her human, can sense changes in my energy and reacts strongly to them. She’s both brave and independent and slow to trust new people.

Griffin is quiet, laid back and very much a follower. He makes the best mare faces I’ve ever seen on a gelding. He’s curious and generally the same with most people rather than drawn towards one person.

It’s interesting having both of the two distinct types of Devil’s Garden Mustangs, the less common tall, athletic, more sensitive and almost Thoroughbred-like one, and the laid back, thick drafty kind the herd is known for.

It seems like they’d be like oil and water but Griffin and Cedar are best friends and their personalities seem to balance each other out very nicely.

Meanwhile I’m on the hunt for a riding horse for more strenuous rides than Lacy is capable of and Tiny is excited about these days. I’m looking for a branded one to gentle and start.

There MAY be some new faces here as of yesterday. Whether my new riding partner is in there is TBD but stay tuned for their intro and new name theme

Shirt and hat: Outback Trading Company LTD.

Halter & lead: Rowdy’s Ropes

PC: Tay Martin

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories

In the caption on a recent video I suggested not putting anything on the horse when you don’t have a plan for how you’re going to remove it.

Here’s how I remove the ring rope aka neck rope as well as put on and remove the leg rope in the early stages of gentling:

The hook on a stick.

Instructions for what you need to make your own are at the end of the video.

I have two of them and I always keep electrical tape handy and an extra driveway marker or two around to make a quick repair if needed.

It can double as a horse scratcher and training stick as needed and I often use it to fish for other tools that are just out of reach. Its one of the cheapest and most versatile training tool I own, and something I always have with me when I’m working with unhandled horses.

DG Rafiki was a good sport and let me be clumsy and slow while I was filming this for you guys. He’s a 9yo Devil’s Garden Mustang gelding, SA and available through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy. Located in Guffey, CO.

Credit for this nifty tool goes to Mustang Matt.

The song is Professional Outsider (so true!) by Matt Robertson Music.

The leg rope is an important training tool for us when gentling Mustangs. While I’ve met a select few that understood the idea of picking up feet better without it, we use it on most of the wild ones we train and I personally do leg rope work with all of the Ambassador Mustangs, the ones that live with us at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy .

The leg rope teaches them to pick up and hold up their feet, a process I start by first rubbing the leg with objects and then swinging the lash of a stick and string around it.

Then we move on to leading by a foot. Each foot. That instills the idea that there’s pressure but there’s also a release, meaning their leg isn’t just trapped. Horses don’t like feeling trapped or unbalanced, especially wild ones.

From there I can use the leg rope to gradually introduce holding the leg up in the positions (forward and back) needed for trimming. For a while past that I put it on as a back up in case the horse wants to pull a foot away from me.

Why a rope? It’s safer for me and less threatening for them. I avoid accidental releases that would occur when I run out of arm or the horse kicks loose/leans on me. Teaching them the wrong thing and then having to go back and fix it is not fair to the horse and poor use of our time.

What kind of rope? This is a retired 14ft lead rope with the hardware removed and only the spliced loop at the end that I run the tail of the rope through.

I later revisit leading by each foot by putting pressure on it from every possible direction and teach the horse to give to that calmly. You don’t know when, where and how something is going to snag your horse’s leg, be that a water hose, brush or even old wire on a ride. Better to be prepared than hurt.

Finally, leading by a foot is the ideal hobbling preparation. I also do some lunging and stopping them by a foot too to show that pressure to the leg means stop and think. If you rope, you can also rope the legs and do the same thing that way.

We offer various formats of coaching for owners and adopters of Mustangs and gentling of wild horses for clients. Reach out to us if you need/want help or are looking to adopt a gentled Mustang.

Pictured DG Minerva aka Miss Kitty. She is a kind 5yo Devil’s Garden Mustang mare looking for a human of her own. PM us if interested.

Training halter & rope: Rowdy’s Ropes
Coat: Outback Trading Company LTD.

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

#wildhorseswillingpartners
#makingmountainmustangmemories

Many of you have met Tiny, if not in person then on social media. The 16yo sorrel gelding from Salt Wells Creek, WY is by several 100lbs and at least a hand the largest Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang, and arguably the one with the biggest personality. What people typically notice when they first meet him up close is just how tiny Tiny isn’t.

Tiny came to us several years ago from our friends at Colorado Horse Rescue Network . He’s charismatic, personable, occasionally a “tiny” bit counterfeit, and he’s never liked to work real hard.

So what better career shift for him in his mature years than going into politics? If you read the previous paragraph again, he’s basically made for it

The small mountain town of Divide, Colorado is home to TCRAS (Teller County Regional Animal Shelter), a nonprofit and easily the best small animal shelter around. Every other year they put on the election for Mayor of Divide. In previous years that position has usually been held by a dog or cat.

Wouldn’t it be cool if this year it was a Mustang instead, and we could bring even more public awareness to our wild horses, their availability, trainability and need for educated support, both on and off range?

So without further ado, please support Tiny and all wild horses, as well as TCRAS by voting for Tiny to become Mayor of Divide! If he wins he would be making some public appearances in all his enormous adorableness during his time in office.

*See comments for how to vote and for more info on Tiny’s campaign!*

Everyone can vote, as often and as many times as you’d like.

Please vote for Tiny and his “Keeping Teller County Wild” campaign, like, share, comment, spread the word. Voting is open through April 2nd, the new mayor will be announced shortly thereafter.

Pictures attached of the handsome, versatile and mostly very good big boy.

#wildhorseswillingpartners#bettertogether

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

I may not be rich in the conventional sense, but to lead a life rich in experiences and people you love, there’s something to be said for that too.

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was a blast, so was spending time with Rachel Toler . We rode horses, looked at horses, talked about horses and listened to others talk and sing about horses and the western lifestyle.

It was wonderful to meet and reconnect with makers, poets and visitors I met last year, some of whom I’d dare to call friends. Meeting The Colorful Cowgirl in person and seeing even more of her beautiful work was especially fun.

Going to Elko is the most sleepless time of the year for me, but it’s so worth it. I’m almost back to a normal schedule. There’s just so much to see and do around that ruggedly beautiful state and quirky town.

I always appreciate learning about different gear, approaches to horsemanship, land use and mindsets surrounding horses, both wild and domestic.

Nevada is also where Mustangs are referred to as sh*tters but the people are too polite (well most of them are ) to say that to my face once they find out what I do. And then they laugh with relief and maybe a bit of surprise when I tell them I’m well aware.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet some great wild horses and they’re how I can afford a nice horse. By picking one I like and making them nice, all while still learning myself.

Right now it’s snowing big, heavy flakes and I’m so excited to get back to working with wild ones.

Pictured here is DG Rafiki still in the pre-neckrope stage. He was the kind of horse where too much pressure too soon could’ve been bad.

Instead I broke it down for him and he’s coming along nicely. He’ll be available for adoption through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy before too long.

PC: Photographer Linnea Helander

Coat: Outback Trading Company LTD.

Hat: Montana Rio Buckaroo Hats

I’m in Elko again this week, for the 39th The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and to spend time with one of my favorite people, Rachel Toler .

I met Rachel during the summer of 2019. We didn’t get to chat all that much because we were busy moving cattle through thick timber back to where they were supposed to be.

Fast forward a year, while most of the world was weird the mountains were no different than they’d always been and Donny Carr said “Why don’t you join Rachel and me on our pack trip. No need to bring a tent, I’ll pack one for you ladies.

Great, I thought. What could possibly go wrong. Stuck in a tent with a stranger and her beady eyed heeler on a mountain during monsoon season when you’re going to be spending extra time in there to wait out the afternoon rains.

What I didn’t know is that when an outfitter tells you he’s bringing a tent, it’s so big that you can hardly find the other person, and he’s bringing camp cots too.

So we set up our cots on opposite sides of the tent, somehow fit our dogs (a German Shepherd takes up a lot more room than a heeler) into our respective cots too, and went to sleep.

That lasted until about 3am when all hell broke loose on the highline. It was DG Littlefoot’s (who’s unfortunately no longer with us) first pack trip after Blanca had gone into semi retirement, making Lacy my main ride and him the pack horse.

Littlefoot was the only horse I’ve met to date who was gentle and hobble trained but got claustrophobic when he woke up with them on, unable to freely move his front legs. Only I didn’t know that yet.

He had panicked and gone down, weirding out the other horses on the highline with him. Not quite knowing what the problem was yet, we got the highline loose, him up, and everything put back together only for the same thing to happen again just after we’d returned to our sleeping bags.

No trees or Mustangs were hurt in the process and he spent the rest of the night tied to a tree without hobbles. Going forward he’d wear a single cuff hobble at night on the foot he liked to paw with and he never had an issue again. Not letting horses dig craters or eat and otherwise damage trees is a big part of our responsibility to minimize our impact and that of our stock on the backcountry we love.

We put some good miles in on that trip, talked about everything you can imagine, did camp chores in our pajamas and had a whole lot of fun.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years and we’ve both driven across several state lines to ride, dance, talk and spend time together at least once a year.

So much so that yesterday when we wanted to do some cutting practice and didn’t have a flag or live cattle, we took turns being each other’s cow.

My packing friends are some of my favorite people because you have to be a certain kind of strange to enjoy that kind of thing, and this lady, her big, quirky red gelding and little hedgehog dog Dax have a special place in my heart.

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

#thebestfriendshipsaremadeinthemountains

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Sharing space

When we’re working with Mustangs, the four components of a successful session l’ve found are:

Learning while moving

Learning while standing

Moving together

Sharing space

They are all important. And what’s also important is that the horse you’re working with is at least reasonably happy and comfortable. Pain, hunger, loneliness, boredom, lack of ability to move freely during their time “off” all take away from any meaningful work.

We also need to create a safe environment for the horse to learn in, and remember that while discomfort is part of learning something new, going over threshold – and staying there, or returning frequently – is counterproductive. A horse in survival mode can’t learn. They’re either frozen/checked out, running away panicked or defending themselves against what they believe is a threat to their life.

This is why training Mustangs isn’t easy. But it’s darn rewarding and it’ll make you a better human and horse person if you’re up for it.

Just a little video of Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Petrie (Devil’s Garden) and Tiny (Salt Wells, WY), and, well, yours truly just sharing a few moments during a chilly and beautiful mountain sunset.

We offer remote and in person coaching to owners and adopters of Mustangs, branded or not, whether you’ve already adopted or are planning to. We also gentle client horses and are available for clinics and workshops at your facility or ours. We always have gentled Mustangs (coming) available for adoption.

Outback Trading Company LTD. jacket and hat for the win for keeping me toasty warm all winter and holding up to all of my great ideas.

#wildhorseswillingpartners

#makingmountainmustangmemories