Watching DG Rohan play on grass for the first time since he was gathered last fall was truly a sight to behold.

Rohan is adopted and while he’s waiting for a pick up date, he’s learning and doing some things that will help him be even better prepared for the transition to his new home.

Going off property, learning to respect different kinds of fences and being caught in a larger area are among those things.

It seems every mountain town around currently has a loose Mustang or two. I get it, stuff happens. Most of that stuff is preventable though.

At Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy our fencing is between 7 and 8 ft tall. Our wildies have to prove themselves as pretty trustworthy on a lead before we take them outside of that.

Even more so to go off property. And more so yet for me to take the lead off and let them play in an area where jumping out might actually be doable.

I like to do a whole lot of catch and release with a Mustang that’s just getting used to bigger spaces, ideally first alone and then with a herd.

Breaking things down in such a way that it’s really easy for these guys to make the “right” choice sure beats having to undo the aftermath of rushing, in all areas of their training.

What has worked well for you as you’ve transitioned a gentled Mustang from pen to turn out and maintained the relationship/kept them catchable?

This lovely Twin Peaks, CA Mustang filly was born on the range in 2022. She’s tall, nearly 15hh now, and string tests to 15.3hh mature height.

Tillie has requested a home for the holidays and beyond, someone who is going to enjoy a curious, affectionate and spirited young mare to bring along, grow and adventure with.

Tillie would do well in English disciplines, endurance, on the trail or on the ranch. Anywhere a tall, smart, strong, ground-covering horse is desirable.

This is how Tillie learns: “You want me to…what??? Absolutely not!!! Wait… Nevermind, I’ve got it. We’re good. Moving on. Next?”

New things are a big deal the very first time and a non-event after. She doesn’t get dangerous, just outraged, and channels her usually dormant inner Thoroughbred.

She always greets us at the gate, eager to interact and go do something. She has been trimmed and thoroughly enjoyed annoying our farrier, wiggling just enough to be a pest but not enough to actually jump around or pull her foot away.

Tillie is easily entertained and always looking for low-key mischief to get into, as you can see in this video.

She’s easy to catch, halters and leads, ponies, loads and ties. She’s been saddled and bridled, gets along with other horses and dogs and enjoys going for walks.

She likes crossing obstacles, leading or sending, knows how to back, move hips and shoulders. She stands for grooming and spraying.

Tillie likes people as well as other horses, making her less prone to being herd bound/buddy sour. That’s important in a future adventure partner that may be asked to go out alone.

She is Sale Authority (SA), meaning she can travel outside of the US, to a suitable home approved through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy

Tillie is located in Guffey, CO, hauling can be arranged.

Please comment, like and share to get this cutie seen by someone who is just the right fit for her and she for them

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#adoptme#adoptalivinglegend#wildtowilling#wildhorses#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’m writing this the morning of #ColoradoGivesDay, just after I posted about Rapunzel’s adoption and a fundraising ask for this last big official giving day of the year.

My heart is so full. We received donations this morning even before I got the post up. It’s a COLD, sunny, snow-covered Rocky Mountain morning, think single digits (F, which translates to REALLY COLD for our followers who measure temperature in °C).

14 Mustangs happily munching on all the hay they can possibly want to keep them warm on a winter day like this. Thanks to you.

Our followers – nearly 50,000 between our different social media accounts and our website – raised enough to cover the last load of hay and part of the next one leading up to and following last week’s #GivingTuesday.

As someone who is just now learning to lean into asking for support on behalf of the nonprofit organization I founded back in 2019 and am leading with the help of a small and wonderful team, I’m blown away and humbled by your kindness and generosity.

Thank you for believing in us. For helping us help Mustangs and adopters. For supporting a young nonprofit organization. For holding space for me as a human to learn and grow with Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy and the Mustangs we are lucky enough to meet, mentor and learn from each year.

It’s been a year of change, hope, loss, adventure, growth, reflection.

Losing Cedar this spring has been harder than I’ll ever be able to express. Nearly losing Lacy last year, not knowing the outcome for 8 months, was one of the heaviest things I’ve ever experienced. Last fall I put my sweet old lady Blanca down. It was time but it’ll never be easy.

I never made time to process until it caught up with me this year, slowed me down and forced me to reflect rather than run to the work that means so much to me.

We meet a lot of wonderful horses and people through wild horses. The 3 Mustangs pictured here, Spur, Rock and Amber, hold a special place in my heart and are healing some of the pain from the loss of and worry about others that mean(t) so much to me.

Life is fragile, horses are fragile and relationships are fragile too. To experience beauty, love and hope after heartbreak and fear is something I’m deeply grateful for. And feeling human again after finally listening to my body.

These 3 are staying with us for continued training. You’ll be able to follow them here. Whether they permanently join our Ambassador Mustang herd or are available later on to just the right amazing adopter, you’ll be the first to know

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#grateful#bettertogether#learning#community#growth

#NonProfit#makingmountainmustangmemories

If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ve either met or seen pictures, videos, stories of Rapunzel, the adorable Ponystang with all the luscious hair.

She’s been with us the longest so far this year…until last Friday morning when one of our trusted haulers, Brice Bebout , picked her up and safely delivered her to her new home in Washington State the following day.

It’s because of you all that Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy can do this.

Keep a wildie until they’re not just “gentled” but actually “gentle” and truly ready for their new homes. And until the right home comes around, which can take time as they are all unique in their needs, personalities, learning speeds and talents.

I’d encourage you to watch the video for more on Rapunzel’s story and to share it with a friend who would enjoy seeing a happy ending – or rather new beginning – on this December Tuesday.

Today is also #ColoradoGivesDay . You don’t have to be in Colorado to participate.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. We help and work with Mustangs and adopters nationwide and beyond.

Our EIN # is 84-4045358. Your donations may be tax deductible (ask your accountant).

Any contributions made today are going towards 1) our trailer fund. It’s getting a new floor put in so we can continue to safely haul Mustangs, and 2) our “footing fund”. We’re in need of more crusher fines to improve our round pen footing to make year-round work with the wild ones safer and more comfortable.

You can support us here:

https://www.coloradogives.org/…/Wild-Horse-Outreach-And…

If you’d like to help us feed the wild ones, as hay is our biggest ongoing expense:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/942059687818995

Other ways to support our work (you’re welcome to earmark your contribution for what you want it to go to):

PayPal: paypal.me/wildhorseoutreachWHO

Venmo: @wildhorseoutreachadvocacy

CashApp: $wildhorseoutreach

Through our website: https://wildhorseoutreach.org/index.php/support-whoa

Givelify: https://www.givelify.com/…/wild-horse…/donation/amount

Via mail:

Wild Horse Outreach& Advocacy

P.O.Box 113

Guffey, CO 80820

Ordering our 2025 calendar, ordering fun items for yourself or loved ones on Etsy https://wildhorseoutreach.etsy.com and sending us items from our Amazon and Chewy wishlists is also so appreciated!

While donations always help, every kind word, message, share, like and comment also make all the difference. We’re all human and kindness is probably the greatest gift we can give to others

I try to post stories every day to keep you up to date, because I can do that with one eye open and 3 functioning brain cells at the end of the day, so if you don’t want to wait for the next post to know what we and the Mustangs are up to and how they are doing, keep an eye on our FB and IG stories as well

#BLMmustang#AmericanMustang#wildhorses#wildtowilling#wildhorseswillingpartners#adopted#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

After the sunset walk with Spur, join us for a sunrise ride with our Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs and two greenies, Juniper and Rock! More info in video!

Ponying is one great training tool among others that I like to use as we work towards riding or packing. I start once a Mustang is fairly comfortable with being approached, handled as well as with leading and lunging at all gaits from the ground.

We start in a small round pen, then venture out to larger, safely fenced areas and navigate some obstacles. Once that works well, we go out, still on a fenced property. After that, the world is our canvas and we go exploring for real. First close-by, then we trailer out.

This is the first bigger ponying adventure for Rock, and one of the first and likely the longest and most intense for Tay Martin ‘s DG Juniper whom she adopted from us as a weanling and has done a great job with.

Questions, input, your own ponying experiences? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

On another note…

I want to profusely thank everyone who has contributed to or shared our Giving Tuesday fundraiser and sent items from our wishlists. You all are amazing and we couldn’t do this work without you!

If it takes me a bit longer to get back to you, I’m prioritizing sleep for the first time since high school. I’ve never been a partier, but I’ve always thought that if I needed my body to work and study, rest for 3-4h and then start all over again, it should do that and not complain.

Well, I’ve recently discovered that it’s not actually supposed to work that way and no longer does, darn it. I’m trying to do better so I can keep the engine running smoothly while helping Mustangs and doing other life things besides gentling wild horses and posting about them online. Thank you for understanding

Next Tuesday is #ColoradoGivesDay2024 . It’s beyond me why all these big giving days are so close together AND to the holidays but here we are. We will be posting another fundraiser to benefit the wildies we gentle and find wonderful homes for then. In the meantime, there is still time to contribute to our #GivingTuesday fundraiser that goes towards covering the next load of hay for the Mustangs!

https://www.facebook.com/donate/942059687818995

We appreciate all of you so much. Thank you for supporting our nonprofit organization’s mission and for the great community we’re building here!

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildhorses#wildtowilling#wildhorseswillingpartners#nonprofit#horses#sunrise#adventure#mountains#winter#friends#makingmountainmustangmemories

We’re so excited to introduce to you…

Rock, 3yo pangare bay Mustang gelding from Little Colorado, WY,

Ruby, 3yo sorrel rabicano (or red roan or ? Input welcome!) Mustang mare from Little Colorado, WY,

Amber, 5yo buckskin Mustang mare from Meadow Valley Mountains, NV,

Topaz, 3yo dun Mustang gelding, facility born to a Mustang mare from Stewart Creek, WY!

That means 4 more Mustangs out of holding and headed for a future where they learn to feel safe, are cared for and receive the training they need to succeed in life with humans.

You know what else that means for us?

More mouths to feed. Our hay bill is currently $2500 – $3000 every 6 weeks, depending on hay prices and the needs of the wild ones in our care.

We currently have a number of growing youngsters so we’re ordering alfalfa this round, as well as compressed bales since some do better on those than the regular bales.

Each Mustang in our care has access to clean, high quality free choice hay in slow feeder nets.

Horses need access to roughage most of the day to prevent ulcers, stress, boredom and in our climate it also keeps them warm.

While slow feed nets mean more work initially, they simulate grazing, help manage weight, help prevent choke and minimize waste.

We feed at near ground level which is ideal for the horses. Nets are secured inside feed troughs to prevent the wild ones from ingesting dirt (can cause sand colic) and again minimize waste.

We are able to do our part in helping Mustangs because of your support. For this Giving Tuesday we would like to raise to cover our next load of hay.

It would mean the world to us if you helped us reach that goal. Every little bit makes a difference!

Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. We are dedicated to helping Mustangs and adopters be safe and happy, long-term. Your donation may be tax deductible (that’s a question for your accountant).

Thank you for helping us help wild horses!

You can support our work via the following channels:

Colorado Gives: https://www.coloradogives.org/…/Wild-Horse-Outreach-And…

PayPal: paypal.me/wildhorseoutreachWHO

Venmo: @wildhorseoutreachadvocacy

CashApp: $wildhorseoutreach

Through our website: https://wildhorseoutreach.org/index.php/support-whoa

Givelify: https://www.givelify.com/…/wild-horse…/donation/amount

Our Giving Tuesday fundraiser on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donate/942059687818995/

Via mail:

Wild Horse Outreach& Advocacy

P.O.Box 113

Guffey, CO 80820

@followers @everyone

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildhorses#bettertogether#giving#nonprofit#thankyou

#makingmountainmustangmemories

There are good reasons to pony a green – i.e. inexperienced/newly gentled – Mustang and there are good reasons to walk with them.

At Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy , we’ve learned, through trial and error, that both are useful in their own right to develop a strong relationship and a safe, well-adjusted horse.

For context, could you just get on and ride and forget about the rest. Probably, if you’re handy and sticky enough to face whatever awaits you and your wild one out there.

I’m not that person, so I do lots of prep work to set both of us up for success.

I like to pony, pack and ground drive a greenie before I ride. They all learn to pick up feet, lead, back up tie, lunge and send, move shoulders and hind quarters long before I ever think of riding.

I haul them different places and expose them to different people, situations and tack.

Lame I know. I like excitement. Just not the bucking, bolting, fence crashing kind. And you know what? Neither does the horse.

So we go slow because with mutual respect and trust we can go far. Both are built and nurtured over time.

In the video you’ll see Spur and a very bundled up me. I’ve had the lousiest cold and I’m just starting to feel human again (I learned a thing or two about sleep and rest, and *gasp* listening to my body).

You’ll see the doggos and golden afternoon light. And you’ll read about the benefits of walks in Mustang gentling.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

PSA:

We start with tiny walks once a Mustang meets all our requirements to go outside of the securely fenced area. He went on over a dozen walks before this.

We are mindful about the distractions we introduce. Dogs or anything else coming up from behind a young wild horse can get you, the horse and the dog in real trouble if they’re not ready and you’re not prepared for it.

Our dear friend Tristram Hokenson has created a Giving Tuesday fundraiser for us. Today (Monday 12/2) is also her birthday. It would mean so much to her and us if you ‘d help her reach her goal: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/H4xx2i5oKJdMphRS/

Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday, the single most important fundraising day of the year. We will make a post with a BIG surprise tomorrow. If you’re giving early, please see our donation avenues in the comments

2025 WHOA calendars are available for pre-order! We ordered a limited quantity, so don’t wait to get yours! All proceeds go towards the Mustangs in our care.

If you haven’t recently, check out our Etsy store for your holiday shopping. Tay Martin spent hours setting it up with fun, unique, inspiring and useful gift items for you and your loved ones: https://wildhorseoutreach.etsy.com

#BLMmustang#wildhorses#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling#mustanggentling#mustangtraining#mountains#sunset#winter#Walking#adventure

#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. May we all find something – hopefully many things – to be grateful for

I’m grateful for all of you, for everyone who makes what we do at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy possible, for my friends and family, many memories and lessons, the animals that make my life brighter, the lives I’m lucky enough to touch and a lot of “basic” things we often take for granted until we go without, our health being one of them

Spur, in case you haven’t met him yet, is a 3yo bay roan Mustang gelding, facility born to a Stewart Creek WY Mustang mare. He already measures 15.1hh. String test says he’ll mature to a rather humongous 15.3hh.

When we brought Spur home to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy for gentling along with 3 other Mustangs, the plan was to win him over and help him like people, give him a good foundation and find him a wonderful home.

Plot twist, here’s where Spur’s idiosyncrasies enter the scene.

Spur likes to do things… differently. He’s also quite expressive and more than a tiny bit impulsive. And did I say clumsy? Accident prone?

Think of a little boy who’s always getting into trouble. That’s one thing with a 30lbs toddler exploring his environment, and another altogether with a 1000lbs young Mustang trying to get a grip on a world entirely new to him.

The first big “Spur moment” occurred right after his second session when he went to take a look over the fence. Over a very tall fence that is, given that all of ours are 7-8ft high. When you’re as big as him and standing on your hind legs, you can reach higher than the shorter kids.

He wasn’t even trying to jump, he just wanted to see where his friend Boots was going. Unfortunately he went about it less than gracefully, caught the side of his face on a panel edge and ripped his right cheek wide open.

This big, barely handled Mustang and I spent a lot of time together over the next few days, speeding up his gentling so I could doctor his face.

While the wound has healed up beautifully, his nose is still droopy (you can see it in the video) and we’ve since learned that Spur rolls that way. He makes some “interesting” choices.

Leave it to Spur to always roll too close to the fence, to get himself in weird predicaments that scare other horses more than him, to rip his securely fastened hay net out of his feeder and toss it in his water trough or to rear and while so doing stick a front foot through a fence.

That’s earned him the nickname “Ed”, because he’s “special”…

Among all the chaos he inadvertently causes, Spur is also the kindest, sweetest soul. We turn him loose in the walking pen for play time, even with other horses tied there, and Spur calmly makes the rounds in an effort to make friends with everyone. He follows me around like a dog and loves having his poll – and his butt – scratched, his gaze following me longingly when it’s time for me to go inside. He also loves making pony snow angels.

With the droopy face and his many questionable choices, we’ve decided to keep him here longer to see if he’ll grow out of it while also receiving more training.

Depending on how that goes, someone will either be able to adopt a lovely, big bay roan gelding or we’ll have a goofy new Ambassador Mustang we might need to bubble wrap for his own safety.

Long story short, we couldn’t make accommodations for the ones that need more help, care or time if it wasn’t for your support.

We thank everyone who’s already ordered calendars, sh0pped our new online st0re or given to our hay fundraiser from the bottom of our hearts.

Our friend Tristram Hokenson has created a #GivingTuesday (that’s coming up on 12/3!) fundraiser on our behalf. L¡nk below if you’d like to help her reach her goal