If you’ve been following along for a while, you’ve seen pictures of Lacy, 8yo dun Divide Basin Mustang mare and part of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador herd. Lacy is gaited, gritty, opinionated and up for any challenge or adventure. She’s been my main riding horse for the past 3 years. “‘Though she …
Category: Stefanie’s Notebook
Feb 08 2023
Back from Elko
I spent the past week in Elko, Nevada, visiting my friend Rachel Toler and attending the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. It was my first Gathering; I have a feeling it won’t be my last. It was a whirlwind of various events and buckaroo gear shows, great people, amazing food, beautiful artwork and incredible craftsmanship. …
Jan 24 2023
Gentling goals
We’ve done this work a little while now, and one of the most important things we’ve learned over the years of gentling Mustangs is what it’s going to take for them to be successful as they go on to their new homes. That’s what we want most for the wild ones we meet, care for …
Jan 15 2023
Kindness
If there is one thing nonprofit work and being part of the Mustang community has taught me, is that there is so much kindness, so many good people out there. People who are willing to share and give so generously, be that knowledge, talents, encouragement, time, pasture land, equipment or money. I have no family …
Jan 14 2023
Connection over control
Have you ever felt like the universe is hitting you upside the head with a message until you finally listen? I have. So. Many. Times. The one I’ve been getting and trying to respond to lately is less rigidity and more being in the moment, less aiming to control and more seeking to connect. That …
Jan 11 2023
Tiny
This big guy, a teenage Salt Wells WY Mustang gelding, has been part of our Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador herd for a few years now. He came from Colorado Horse Rescue Network where he ended up because of some…errrr…. unique personality traits. He joined us as a riding horse for a friend back …
Dec 30 2022
Knowing yourself, your limits, and your horse
I do a lot of backcountry riding far from groomed trails, exploring new-to-me country and difficult terrain, and “I just want to see what’s on the other side of that ridge”. That leads to many an unexpected adventure. I’m also not, not even in the least little bit, a fearless rider, or a fearless person …
Dec 28 2022
If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
3 Mustangs, same HMA, all geldings, got here the same day, have had the same number of sessions, all 3 very sane and very, very smart. Oh and handsome, let’s not forget that. We all spend a lot of time just drooling over them. Not ideal when it’s 20 degrees out. These pictures are from …
Dec 22 2022
If you’re scared to do something… Do it scared
Here’s a post I’ve been dreading writing. A post about the word that starts with ‘ew’. Ew for vulnerability. 6 years ago gentling Mustangs started as a wild experiment (pun intended) after over 2 decades of working with domestics of all sizes, on 2 continents, with horses that had varying amounts of human-induced baggage. As …
Dec 06 2022
It’s #ColoradoGivesDay !
Sometimes life happens and things don’t go as planned, right? That’s what happened to us this week when we realized, after hours of troubleshooting, emails and phone calls to the support team, that our account on the Colorado Gives Day page has glitched and won’t be operational for today’s giving event. So, in the spirit …