Mustang Mission

There’s a new face around here! Rocket, a mustang from the Sand Wash Basin Herd in Colorado, has made his way to Mustang Mission after being in the holding pens for a year and a half. Rocket is twelve years old and was a very successful band stallion when he lived in the wild. Sadly, he was separated from his entire band when he was captured. A few months ago, one of Mustang Mission’s board members, Mary Ellen MacDonald, approached me with the idea of rescuing Rocket and bringing him to Mustang Mission for gentling and training. He had been one of the first wild horses she had seen when visiting Colorado, and she felt a strong connection to him. I agreed to take Rocket in, and she won his bid during the auction at the end of January. Rocket was a Sales Authority mustang (like Alamo), meaning he was offered for sale without limitations. Horses like him frequently end up in bad situations. On March 24, Rocket arrived safe and sound! He has settled in very well and is proving to be one of...

This past weekend was filled with much fun and hard work! We started and nearly completed a huge project - fencing! The fencing we installed enlarged the horses’ area and replaced the temporary pallet fencing I had put up a year ago. I am so grateful for the completion of this. My family and a few friends came to help and we had a wonderful time together. We’re also thanking the Lord for good weather and safety throughout the project! Please watch the video I put together of installing the fencing! Because of this, I have more exciting news on the way! Stay tuned!

It’s hard to believe that today is exactly one year since Alamo stepped into my life .  Alamo’s gentling and training process has been an incredible journey, and I wanted to honor this special occasion with a video of Alamo’s story.  Please take a moment to watch it - I think that you’ll be inspired by Alamo!

I've wanted to write a blog post of my favorite horse "things" for a while, mainly to have an available list when people ask me what I use.  I thought it would be an interesting topic, so here it is!  First, I'll take you out for the horse's morning feeding! Feed & Treats About 1/4 of what I feed my horses is from Triple Crown.  The rest is Standlee's Alfalfa & Timothy Pellets .  When I train them, I use DuMOR's Alfalfa Pellets for treats since they are larger and easier to hand feed.  I use Alfalfa Pellets for training instead of bagged treats or apples and carrots because they're a low-value reinforcer (not as high in sugar = not as desirable)! My favorite treats are Standlee's Apple Berry Cookie Cubes .  My horses love them!  The only time I use these treats in training is when I ride Alamo (because they are more reinforcing).  Since they are more reinforcing, I only use them because I have taught Alamo manners around food.  I als...

Throughout the past year, I often asked myself questions to help me reexamine this mustang rescue purpose and how I can continue in this work successfully. Often, I have to remind myself why I began Mustang Mission. I’ll be honest, at times I’ve doubted my decision to start a mustang rescue. It hasn’t been easy, but as I continue pressing on, I realize more and more how blessed and honored I am that rescuing animals is a main part of my life. I want to share with you the questions I’ve asked myself and the answers to those questions. Why do I think that rescuing mustangs and burros is important ? Mustangs and burros are amazing animals. They are incredibly smart and talented. None of them should be wasting away in holding pens since the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) won’t consider releasing them back into the wild.  Most mustangs removed will become willing partners if given the chance.  Some mustangs aren’t great candidates for being gentled and should be released onto a s...

Alamo amazes me every day!  He is progressing so well and I'm excited to get more rides on him!

As you know, there are a lot of sad and horrible situations that come to light when rescuing horses. In this email, I wanted to give you a peek into something I recently saw on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) online auction coming up. I believe it’s important that you know what is happening to our mustangs and burros. The grim reality. This gelding is extremely thin - noticeable ribs, a thin neck, and protruding hips. This sorrel mustang is the face of mustangs that suffer in holding due to lack of care. Sadly, our tax dollars are paying the BLM to “care” for this mustang. I can’t know all the details, but it is very likely that this mustang is at the bottom of the pecking order in his holding pen and is being chased away from food. The holding pens are so crowded there is likely nowhere for this gelding to go where he can eat in peace. Honestly, he is so thin that he’s a horse I would’ve expected to see in a kill pen, not in the care of a government organization that receives bi...