A Mustang Mission
One Young Woman’s Quest to Make A Difference For Wild Horses
Cloud’s youngest son with Feldspar, Pride
Some of you may remember my story, "Arrowhead Adventures" from my trip to the Pryors last June, and how my love for wild horses began with watching the Cloud documentaries many years ago. I even named my miniature horse, Cloud!
Reflecting back to that trip just one year ago, I’m so grateful that my family and I decided to make the trip out West. For almost two weeks, we spent time in God’s beautiful creation among a lot of wildlife. After spending a few days in Yellowstone, we traveled to the Pryor Mountains near Lovell, Wyoming. As easterners not used to the seemingly endless dirt roads of the rural West, we did get lost, but we eventually made our way into the wild horse range.
Sunset in the Pryors
After driving through the desert and into the forests, we finally arrived at the top of the mountain at 9:00pm. When we got to the place where we would set up camp, there were a a few bands of horses grazing across the road. Although it was dark, I could see Mato Ska’s band and a few others that I recognized. After watching the Cloud documentaries and following the wild horses in the Pryors since I was three, it’s hard to explain how excited and grateful I was to be there. It was a dream come true.
Throughout the three days that we spent in the Pryors, we hiked, sat with the mustangs, and watched them interact with each other. During the night, when we had gone to bed, we would hear the screams and pounding hoofbeats of stallions fighting. It was an epic experience and one that I will never forget.
Sirius (Feldspar’s foal with Mescalero) with little brother Udall.
As the Bureau of Land Management moves on with its decisions to eradicate wild horses and reduce them to their fictitious “Appropriate Management Level”, it was hard to believe that nearly half of the beautiful Pryor mustangs could be removed, if we don’t continue fighting. I saw many foals and young horses, and I promised them all that I would do as much as I can to ensure their freedom. It is so important to me that each and every foal lives its entire life in the wild - no matter how long or short.
As we were leaving the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, I realized that although I had missed not being able to see Cloud, he lives on in his various offspring. We drove past the snow fed water hole where many of his descendants were gathered on the snow, including Cloud’s Encore, Firestorm, Jasmine, Jewel, and several more grand-foals and great-grand-foals. They feel like friends, and I’m so very grateful that I was able to step into their lives for a few days.
Cloud’s Encore
Even though we work hard to keep wild horses and burros in the wild, there are over 50,000 mustangs and burros in holding pens across America. These pens offer little room to move around in, and the animals are sometimes exposed to harsh weather conditions with no access to shelters. I feel it’s important that I do my best to get these horses out of such conditions (since they can adapt over time to domestic life) and placing them in loving homes where they will be cared for.
From the time I first learned about mustangs and burros and the challenges they face, on and off the range, I wanted to start a wild horse and burro rescue/sanctuary to help get these animals out of holding and into homes.
Recently, that desire became a plan and I began fundraising for my new rescue, which I’ve named Mustang Mission. The property where the rescue will be located was formerly a forest, so there is much work to be done!
I plan to focus on rescuing mustangs and burros from slaughter, those in danger of being sent to slaughter (3-strikes mustangs and mustangs at livestock auctions), and those suffering in neglectful situations. Mustang Mission will provide the best, natural care to these animals before adopting them out.
So many people in the eastern US have never heard about the mustangs and burros living in the West. One of my main goals, through this rescue, is to spread awareness and educate our community on the challenges these animals face. A very important part of Mustang Mission will be advocating for wild mustangs and burros to remain in the wild.
Our rescued mustangs and burros will be gentled and trained very humanely using liberty techniques and positive reinforcement training. They will go through a very thorough training program – with a goal that they will be trained to handle any situation, experience, and sound. After the mustangs are saddle trained, they will be offered for adoption to the best homes!*
In the near future, I hope to provide a small sanctuary where older horses and those who need a more ‘wild’ home can live the rest of their lives in peace and freedom.
*Before the mustangs or burros go to their new homes, I will work with the potential adopters and visit the potential home, too. Adopters must sign an agreement that they will never sell the mustang or burro, and that they must return the horse if they cannot care for it any longer.
To learn more about Mustang Mission and support Erin’s work, you can visit her website: https://mustangmission.blogspot.com
About the Author
As a life-long lover of God's beautiful creation, Erin Phillips became a wild horse and burro advocate after learning about their plight through The Cloud Foundation and Cloud documentaries. In the beginning of 2018, Erin began volunteering for The Cloud Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving our wild horses and burros. She is 17 and lives on a small farm on 40 acres in rural south-eastern Georgia with her family and horse, Cloud—named after Cloud, Wild Stallion of the Rockies.