4yo Arapaho Creek WY Mustang Chief, or “Chiefy” as Tay Martin calls him, is looking for his own human to guilt trip.

He’s like an oversized shelter dog and lives to make us feel guilty when we’re giving attention to anyone but him, following us with his big, soft, expressive eyes and looking rather defeated until it’s his turn at last.

He’s one of the quietest, kindest horses we’ve had the pleasure of gentling at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . If you raise your voice at him, he deflates and stops whatever naughtiness he was in the process of committing, looking hopeful that we’re still friends.

We love his imperfect little ears (likely frost bite) and his stunning wild looks that hide a teddy bear character.

Chief stands 14.3hh tall and has the personality of a colorful Eeyore. He needs a little encouragement sometimes and some guidance at others but all he really wants is a friend.

Chief would happily not be asked to win the Kentucky Derby and go Eeyore speed wherever he’s headed. Not a runaway and if he ever does, it shouldn’t last more than 20ft before he goes “that was silly, I’m sorry”.

He’s friendly with other horses and good with dogs. People and attention are his favorite thing though and he will walk away from his food to get some people time.

He’s been saddled and bridled and took it in stride. I’ll be ponying him soon.

He’s ridiculously easy to catch, crosses obstacles, ties, picks up his feet, stands for grooming and spraying, leads and loads. Chief will move hips and shoulders, back, lunge and go for walks. He has not been ridden yet but has the temperament to make that an easy task.

Chief is SA and can travel.

Located in Guffey, CO. Hauling can be arranged. If you’re interested in giving Chief an amazing home and allll the cuddles, please send PM or email (comments can get lost).

If you can’t bring him home but you’d still like to help, please comment, like and share far and wide, so he can find the wonderful home he deserves!

*Yes he’s branded, it’s hard to see because it’s on a white area. His color is pinto, please don’t ask about the “paint”. Paint is a breed, so by definition that’s mutually exclusive with being a Mustang.*

Thank you to Rowdy’s Ropes for the training halter and lead, Karyn Tessman Miller for the Knotty Horse spray and Sandra Burger for holding Chief for these pictures.

#BLMmustang#wildtowilling#adoptme#adoptamustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#adoptalivinglegend

#makingmountainmustangmemories

Earlier this week I went on a somewhat unplanned solo 13.5mi backcountry day ride.

Unplanned in the sense that a friend who was going to ride Tiny couldn’t make it, leaving me to decide whether to stay home or still go.

Fall, especially fall color season, in Colorado is fleeting. In a way it’s the highlight of our year.

The skies are at their bluest blue, the days comfortably warm, and a cool breeze keeps (wo)man and beast(s) from overheating and biting insects at bay.

The aspens and undergrowth are wearing their most colorful garments and the last few wildflowers are hanging on. A thin vail of snow contrasts the still green grass, making it hard to believe that winter is so near and yet another summer past.

I decided to ride anyway, loaded up the horses, dogs and our gear, drove 2h to the trailhead and had an incredible day venturing into the – somewhat – unknown as I hadn’t ever made it all the way to the lake before driving home again at night.

I felt good about going after researching the trail, downloading the map on 3 different apps, letting someone know where I was going, where I would park, and when I was expected back.

For a day ride I pack extra layers, rain coat, gloves and silk scarf, hand and toe warmers, a first aid kit for me and another for the animals, a two way satellite communication device with SOS button, headlamp a whistle and a Lifestraw, plenty of water, enough food to spend a night out there if need be, an emergency blanket, a multi-tool, my phone and two power banks to keep important electronics going for several days.

I carry a small but mighty hand saw on my riding horse, hobbles, halter and lead rope for each horse, a spare set of hobbles and lightweight leashes for the dogs. Everything that shouldn’t get wet is in dry bags.

I typically know what the wildlife situation is where I ride. That makes a difference for what to do to prevent a potentially dangerous encounter.

The 5 of us had a lovely day riding to and relaxing at a high mountain lake. The dogs and I wandered to a waterfall while the hobbled Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs grazed.

We hardly saw a soul all day, nobody once we were more than 4 miles in. Everyone was friendly and looked longingly at Tiny’s empty saddle. Lacy, who’s been known to dislike strange shapes along the trail, never missed a beat and seemed to enjoy the views as much as I did.

I hope this helps you prepare for and feel good about venturing into the backcountry on horseback! Questions? Ask away!

#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling#backcountry#wilderness#highcountry#mountains#fall#fallcolors#explore#adventure#makingmountainmustangmemories

I’ve wanted to visit Durango for years. Ride the train, see the fall colors, explore the town.

I enjoy going to events that bring like-minded people together. I love meeting, getting to know and learning from makers, other professionals and horsemen and -women in their natural habitat. And like live music, especially when there’s dancing involved.

Thanks to friends and connections in the Mustang and backcountry horse packing community, this year it’s all coming together.

I’m headed over the pass to the Durango Cowboy Gathering next week. I look forward to listening to the Bar D Wranglers on Wednesday night, watching the horseback social, street exhibits and cowboy parade on Saturday, and listening to as many cowboy poets and singer/songwriters as I can!

The weather should be perfect, the fall colors in full swing and the line-up is great.

The cowboy way of life, backcountry riding and wild horses all deserve to survive and thrive in our modern world and in order to do that, they all need us to show up.

I hear there will be Mustangs in the horseback social and the parade on Saturday!

I hope to see many of you there and maybe even meet in person if we’ve only connected on social media so far. Bring your friends, loved ones and your good riding horse.

The Durango Cowboy Gathering starts next Wednesday, October 2nd, and concludes on Sunday, October 6th.

Check out the schedule, performers and get your tickets for the ticketed events at durangocowboygathering.org

I’m officially and finally an American citizen. As part of the naturalization process I had requested to change my last name to Schaefer. That request was granted at the oath ceremony in Denver on Thursday.

Wolfgang Schäfer was my maternal grandfather and in many ways my childhood hero. I hope I can grow up to be half as adventurous, educated and well traveled as he was. Half as quirky would be plenty, too

Many thanks to Wendy Dillenschneider , Greg Liverman and Kelly Strong for making the day even more special by spending it with me.

I had stubbornly decided to wear a western dress, boots and turquoise jewelry to court. The dress code said no jeans, shorts, or flip flops, so I figured I wasn’t technically stretching any rules.

The judge was glad to see a room full of smiling faces. A civics class from a Colorado Springs high school welcomed the new citizens with hand written letters, flags and happy cheers. Among many moving stories, there was also talk of Mustangs and Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in the courtroom that day.

Another pleasant surprise, the silverware at our lovely lunch spot had horses on it. When I got home tired and happy at the end of a long and emotional day, even the sky was red, white and blue.

I’m grateful to be(long) here, for the opportunities, adventures and incredible people I’ve encountered since moving to this country and excited for what’s to come.

Onward!

#grateful#sunset#makingmountainmustangmemories

Our goal at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy (WHOA) is to adopt out Mustangs that are easy to handle, happy to interact with humans, pleasant to work with and safe to be around.

That takes time, a variety of approaches and good help.

We’re happy to welcome another visitor, this time from Germany. Sandra is helping us out and learning her way around Mustangs for the next week.

She met and worked with several of our adoptable wildies today. Sandra is pictured here with

Nash, grey 4yo Antelope Hills WY Mustang gelding, 15+hh, string tests to 15.2hh.

Aerin, bay yearling Devil’s Garden Mustang filly.

Eowyn, sooty buckskin yearling Devil’s Garden Mustang filly.

If you’re interested in adopting, you can view our available Mustangs here: https://wildhorseoutreach.org/index.php/available-mustangs/

We’re a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. We’re happy to guide you and help you find a Mustang thats a great match for you.

We work with reputable haulers who can bring your new partner to you anywhere within the lower 48. Some of the wild horses in our care are Sale Authority and can travel outside of the US. Approved adoption application through WHOA required.

Please comment, like and share to help these 3 lovely young Mustangs find excellent homes!

Halters and lead ropes: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustangs#wildtowilling#wildhorses#wildhorseswillingpartners#adoptamustang#adoptalivinglegend#makingmountainmustangmemories

We’ve spent the better part of this year introducing 2yo dun Twin Peaks CA Mustang filly Echo to all the things that set a young horse up for success. Now it’s time for her to find her person.

Echo ground drives, ponies and packs (think pack horse on a pack trip) like a champ. She hobbles (2 and 3 leg), highlines, follows along loose in the backcountry, has spent several nights camping both in the backcountry and at the trailhead.

She’s tall (we measured her earlier this year, can again now). She was 14.2hh in March and has grown taller since. She string tests to 15hh and the way she’s growing she may surpass that.

She’s worn light saddles and has carried light packs. She’s worn a light and work harness and pulled a tire and the stoneboat (which isn’t a boat made of stone).

She’s been around cattle and mules, crosses water and obstacles both in the wild and in arenas.

She gets along well in a herd setting, is good with dogs, easy to trim, and has seen and experienced more than most 2yos.

Echo is friendly, curious and ready to find her own adventure human. Due to her age she has not been ridden or sat on.

Plenty of photos and videos available of her on adventures.

Available for adoption through Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . Located in Guffey, CO. Hauling within the lower 48 can be arranged. Please PM if interested.

*Echo is the taller horse with the lighter colored saddle in these photos. She’s an almost perfect match to our Ambassador Mustang mare Lacy.*

Please comment, like and share to help Echo find an incredible home!

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling#adoptamustang#makingmountainmustangmemories

Our goal when working with Mustangs at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy is to help each horse get to the point of being both gentled and gentle.

Gentled, meaning they know the basics of being handled and have skills to carry them forward.

Gentle, meaning they trust and accept humans and enjoy being around us.

We can’t make a horse be gentle, that’s an attitude shift that must come within.

For some, being gentle comes before being fully gentled, and vice versa.

Both are important for once wild horses to thrive in their new homes and lives. If we have one without the other, we’ll eventually hit a wall in their training and dangerous situations can arise.

Chief, 4yo sorrel pinto Arapaho Creek WY Mustang gelding, on the other hand is by nature a gentle soul. He begs for attention and walks away from his food just to be with humans.

He’s so eager to get along that learning skills comes easily for him. A horse like that still needs us to teach him the skills required for him to thrive with a human partner

For Nash, 4yo grey Antelope Hills WY Mustang gelding, learning the skills came easier than the internal shift to accepting and craving human interaction.

Being gentled only got him so far, becoming gentle is doing the rest. He is pictured looking very relaxed, enjoying some people time with our intern Kyle ..

Both geldings, along with several other incredible wildies, are available for adoption.

Sometimes a horse can be gentled in mere weeks and take months of handling to become gentle. Some horses are gentle and struggle to learn certain skills.

The timeline for each horse is different. The end goal is the same: To find just the right homes for Mustangs that are both gentled and gentle.

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Guffey, CO. We send horses to approved, suitable homes across the country.

Thanks to your support, through donations, volunteer work, sharing our posts about adoptable Mustangs and following us on social media, we can continue to help wild horses on their time, not ours.

If you’re looking to adopt or for ways to help us help wild horses, check out our website www.wildhorseoutreach.org

Training halters & leads: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling#mustangtraining#mustanggentling#horsemanship#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

Lacy the sea (ok, pond) monster reminds you that if you have an area of difficulty with your Mustang (or domestic equine), don’t give up just yet.

Most people who meet the now 9yo Divide Basin WY mare, one of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs, comment on how willing and well behaved she is. This is true. What’s also true is that I’ve put 7 years of work into her AND me.

Lacy was a 2yo unhandled spitfire when I first picked her up for gentling. All things considered, she was mostly good.

When she wasn’t, she would rear. She reared about a great many things, including not being allowed to go back to her friends, ditches and water.

Lacy hated all water that dared to exist outside of a trough. Her signature move was to rear and throw herself down. Not over backwards, down on the ground like a toddler at the grocery store. Big drama. We worked through it each time.

After the first few months and many conversations she stopped throwing herself down. The rearing and jumping so the scary wet stuff wouldn’t touch her feet took longer to move past.

I remember the last half rear at 11,000ft when she was 4yo. I had just started riding her bareback a bit before adding the weight of the saddle. We needed to get across a creek to go above treeline. She was having none of it.

We took the time to cross the creek and she never reared again. Was I frustrated and scared sometimes during those first few years, even though she was doing great with most other things? Absolutely.

We got past it with persistence, patience and practice. I didn’t ignore, shy away from or sugar coat potentially dangerous behavior.

We’ve been crossing all manner of creeks and puddles effortlessly or nearly so for several years now.

Earlier this summer we encountered our first fast moving, fairly deep river. I asked, she went in. Two days ago we celebrated our first time riding into a pond deep enough to swim in and enjoyed playing in the water in just a halter.

I hope that gives some of you hope to keep moving forward.

That being said, if most things aren’t working right and you or your horse are in danger because of it, get help now.

If you don’t know how to address or move past the roadblock you’re facing, feel free to reach out. Maybe we can help.

#BLMmustang#wildhorseswillingpartners#wildtowilling

#adoptamustang#mustangtraining#horsemanship#dontquit#summer#makingmountainmustangmemories

Some lesser known ways – based on some feedback I’ve been getting – Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy serves the Mustang community is through empowering Mustang adopters and those who are considering adopting via internships, workshops/private and semi-private clinics (at your facility or ours) and remote coaching.

With the large numbers of horses getting adopted unhandled via the IA and in person adoption events, supporting wild horses and their humans as they navigate the gentling journey is more important than ever.

If you’re interested in either feel free to reach out via PM, email, text or call.

Kyle Dobson has been with us as an intern for a week and a half now (time flies). He’s a veteran from Oklahoma who wanted to learn more about gentling Mustangs as part of building Pathfinders, an organization he started to help veterans, first responders and wild horses (3rd photo).

He’s been incredibly helpful and he claims he’s been learning a lot. Based on the progress he’s made with the wildies we’ve assigned to him, I’d say so. Today he made his first distance catch with the neck rope and put the temporary halter on a spicy young mare.

Kyle is pictured here with Nemo (pinto) and Rohan (dark bay). Both geldings are available for adoption.

Halter and lead rope: Rowdy’s Ropes

#BLMmustang#DevilsGardenMustang#wildtowilling#veteran#wildhorseswillingpartners#nonprofit#makingmountainmustangmemories

I passed the civics, reading and writing test as part of the naturalization process yesterday. I’ve rarely if ever had that much fun taking a test.

Especially in light of the fact that just 8 days prior I took – and passed – the National Counseling Exam. That one was decidedly unfun.

This country offers new citizens an opportunity for a name change upon naturalization. I will be changing my last name to Schaefer, my maternal grandfather’s last name.

Wolfgang Schäfer was an endlessly quirky, painfully outspoken, forever young at heart, relentlessly active and knowledge-hungry math professor, story-teller and adventurer.

I wouldn’t be who I am or likely where I am if it wasn’t for him. It’ll forever hurt that he didn’t live long enough to see me find my happy place in life, and that I wasn’t allowed to say goodbye before he passed.

Anyway, when you see my name change on social media, the website, etc, that’s why. I’m excited to trade my A number (alien registration number ) for an American passport, and I’m so grateful to belong here rather than merely being allowed to stay.

Another thing:

This is a professional platform. I ask that whatever you wouldn’t say to me in person, or whatever you wouldn’t say to your male or female physician, mechanic, or insurance agent, you don’t say on here, to include comments, DMs, replies to stories, texts and emails. Especially if you don’t know me personally.

Not every thought in our head needs to be expressed via our outside voice or busy keyboard fingers. If this German, soon to also be American, can manage to have some kind of a filter, so can you. We’re not known to sugar coat much and I sure don’t.

I want this to be a friendly place, for you all and for me too. Rant over.

Packing picture featuring the Shepherds (fun fact: Schäfer means “shepherd” in German), Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs Lacy and Tiny, and yours truly from earlier this month.

PC: Marcos Costa with 4 Corners Back Country Horsemen

#PSA#progress#makingmountainmustangmemories