As many of you know, we are deeply committed to the Mustang horse, both wild and gentled. We were first drawn to Mustangs because of their connection to the land. They are one of the few remaining breeds that are bred by nature, without humans having any voice in characteristics of the breed (there are now domestically-bred Mustangs, but they are showing characteristics not typical of the wild Mustang). After getting to know Mustangs, we realized how intelligent and calm they are; how hardy they are; and how much they love being around humans and working with them.
When we were at Sowbelly Ranch, we launched the Mustang Freedom Project. It allowed older Mustangs and those who had been to adoption 3 times and had not been adopted to roam free on 100 acres. It was not a sanctuary, however. We were hoping to have workshop and meeting participants interact with the Mustangs, on the Mustangs’ terms, and then assess how that interaction influenced the meeting and/or workshop, and individual. It had been our hope to expand the program from the three initial horses that we were able to buy thanks to a grant from Pierce Brosnan. Our relocation to New Mexico meant we had to halt the program, and we thought that was a permanent end to it.
Three Mustangs enjoy freedom for the first time after being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management. The picture was taken in October 2005 at Sowbelly Ranch.
We have reached the point where we feel we can relaunch the Mustang Freedom Project. We are beginning the process of finding enough land in northern New Mexico so that we can have several small herds of wild Mustangs – there is even the possibility of the purchase of land adjoining our new facility near Santa Fe, NM. In addition, we will be blogging about the plight of Mustangs on our blog, The Voice of the Horse. For example, the Bureau of Land Management has just announced a roundup planned for this fall of almost one-quarter of the wild Mustangs who roam freely in Wyoming. This announcement follows on the heels of documents recently released under a Freedom of Information Act request that strongly support the belief that the BLM plans to remove all wild Mustangs from the range, possibly euthanizing thousands in the process. We will also be providing educational material in the form of our online presence and classes at our new location near Santa Fe so that people can learn what issues concern the Mustang and can learn what Mustang horses are like. We also have trained Mustangs that people will be riding in our riding program.
The plight of the wild Mustang is one that is important for humans on many different levels, and the Mustang Freedom Project will be able to explore those levels, currently with gentled and in the future, with wild Mustangs. The loss of the Mustang breed, for part of their very nature is to be bred and survive in the wild, is a loss for humanity as well. They help us connect to nature and allow us insight into our beliefs about nature and our place in it. I hope that you will become involved in our Mustang Freedom Project and hopefully be able to ride a gentled Mustang at our Santa Fe facility and someday soon, watch the wild herds that will roam freely and safely in this Project.
Big Guy, the Mustang gelding who was in the Mustang Freedom Project back at Sowbelly.
