Mustang Mission

Within my mustang herd is a tiny horse with a big attitude - Cloud. Cloud has been my constant companion for nearly thirteen years. When I was just seven, my parents (not knowing that older horses are better for younger people) bought me Cloud, who was a spunky, headstrong five-month-old colt. He was (and still is) very spicy! Unfortunately, none of us realized that horses need companions of their own species, so Cloud lived by himself next to an assortment of farm animals for almost eleven years. However, he still had a fun life as I spent a lot of time with him every day and took him for long walks. I'm sure that when Alamo jumped off the trailer onto our property he couldn't believe his eyes. He did not know what he was in for! Since then, Cloud has been the first horse to meet each mustang, and I plan to keep it that way. When he meets a gelding, he does his best to strike an intimidating pose, kicking and screaming at them. It seems like an attempt to establish his dominan...

It's been nearly ten months since the lawsuit against the National Park Service (NPS) began, which subsequently began my campaign to save Cumberland Island's Wild Horses.  I launched a petition in April, which now has 1,800+ signatures.  I began visiting the island regularly and recently released a document on my observations and research there.  Visiting Cumberland Island gave me a fun opportunity to film episodes which I've posted on Mustang Mission's Patreon!  I continue to learn so much about the horses and the beautiful island they inhabit. Over the past several months, I have communicated with the NPS.  Currently, they cannot discuss the horses due to the litigation, but have been open to hearing about my research. I have also sent my research to the person over the lawsuit and asked if we could discuss the horses again (we had a long conversation in spring).  I was told that there was no interest in speaking to me. One of the projects I've been worki...

There has been a lot of change here at Mustang Mission as Rocket’s time with me has come to an end.  I knew it was going to be hard to part with Rocket, so I did many fun and memorable things with him in the days before he left.  I also had to take some nice photos of him for my 2024 Mustang Mission Calendar… The MacDonald’s came early in the morning so I could go over some last things with Rocket’s training.  Rocket did great - I was so happy with him! It was a bit difficult to load Rocket onto the trailer, but he traveled so well!  I wanted to be with Rocket when he made the transition to a new home, so my family joined me in following the MacDonalds to their farm.  I was happy to be able to watch Rocket the whole time and could tell that he stayed relaxed much of the time. Rocket settled in so quickly!  He absolutely loved the grass and looking out over the fields.  The other horses on the property were eager to meet Rocket and since Rocket needed a...

  I am so excited to share the story of how I got into rescuing mustangs!  I loved writing this story, reliving memories, and finding pictures from my younger years.  God has blessed me so much and I’m grateful for all He has done.  Please take a second to read my horse story - I hope you enjoy it! *Thank you so much to Rachel Brown (The Narrow Trail) for publishing it!

Well, it’s been a busy week!  Rocket has been doing great with his training and has learned to lead very well.  Last Thursday, I decided to work on him standing relaxed in the gateway of his pen to prepare him for moving on to another paddock soon (often mustangs are wary of gateways).  He did well and was comfortable with standing there.  Right when I was about to back him up and close the gate, he decided to step forward and eat the grass a few feet away.  He took a mouthful and then suddenly ran away from me into our front yard!  I was shocked.  Another adventure had begun… Two hours later, I was still trying to get him back, but he was enjoying his freedom.  I could approach him and lead him a little, but he was having the time of his life galloping laps around our front yard.  Some of my family came out to help and even got Ember out to see if Rocket would follow her, but that didn’t really help. At around 3pm, Rocket decided that the fr...

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...

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!