The Ambassador Mustangs

This is the original heart herd, the inspiration, the reason that this Mustang Sanctuary exists today. It is ALL because of these Wild Mustang Souls.

Mary (I AM HERD Founder) adopted her first Mustang in May of 2010. She first learned about Mustangs through participating in the Extreme Mustang Makeover challenges. These are competitions where a trainer and a wild horse are partnered for 100 days and then compete with other teams for awards. Mary competed in five of these events and the five Mustangs she gentled for these challenges are the Mustang Ambassadors on this page!

One of theses Mustang Ambassadors is the very first Mustang Mary adopted. Mary and this Mustang, Lindsay’s Faith’ won a national TV show competition that was much like ‘American Idol’ for horses. It was called ‘America’s Favorite Trail Horse’ and she WON! Afterwards, she was immortalized as a Breyer Model Horse. (think Barbie doll of horses!)

Lindsay’s Faith is currently living her days like a wild Mustang in our big sanctuary pasture. She is ‘re-wilding’ you could say and she highly reccomends we give it a try too 😉 (She is pictured below during her AFTH win)

Below is Mustang Ambassador, Silver Lining. Mary had a dream of showing the relationship between horse and human in a visual way through riding their freestyle with no saddle and no bridle, when this Mustang was still only 3 months from the wild! The photos below show that dream becoming reality at the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in 2012.

Sueno (left) was the second wild Mustang Mary adopted. She intended to compete with Sueno at her second Extreme Mustang Makeover challenge in 2011, but this sweet Mustang took a wrong step over a jump and hurt her leg. She healed completely, but not in time to compete. She is an amazing Mustang and deeply sensitive to the energies of others. She offers powerful healing space during the Mustang Meditations.

Above is ‘Flying Colors’ at only 2 months from the wild, performing her at Breyerfest with Mary (Nashville artist Templeton Thompson is singing) – This is the 5th wild horse Mary adopted and her kind gentling techniques were featured on a National Geographic series as Mary and this wild horse created a relationship together. This Mustang is truly other worldly, so much so that her live in form was sort. She moved to the other side of the viel only last year, but her spirit is profoundly present in the sanctuary herd. She lives wild and free in Mary’s heart, forever. (below is Mary & Colors)

See that bright spot in the middle of this herd? This is MAGIC and this image by wild horse photographer is on the South Steens Mountain in Oregan. Magic’s homeland. After adopting Magic and developing a deep relationship with her, Mary fell in love with following the rest of her family herd that still lived in the wild. Mustangs are very social creatures and, if left to their own choosing, they will often stay in the same family bands all of their life! … well, you will just have to read more on this on the Mustang Family page .. because the rest is a story to itself and a HUGE part of the mission of I AM HERD!

This image to the left shows Magic in her homeland as well. Isn’t she just stunning?

The video below, by film-maker Ivy Schexnayder, shares the power in this amazing wild Soul better than any words I have.

She is Magic …

Horses were always a huge part of Mary’s life, but there was something unexpected the Mustang would bring, something so expansive, so full of freedom. Freedom that is still grounded deeply within the earth. This is the Mustang. This kind of grounded freedom. This. This is what it is all about. Honoring their lives, offering them a forever sanctuary to simply be a herd. And then sharing this sanctuary with others. It is a profound peace and it is what I AM HERD is all about.

I AM this HERD. I AM this PEACE.

The Mustang Sanctuary is now home to 17 Mustangs. Some of these are Rehabilitation Mustangs, and some are Mustang Families that Mary has followed in the wild from Magic’s homeland and later adopted, after they were rounded up by *BLM.

*BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management, this is the government entity that in responsible for the care of Americas wild horses. The wild Mustang population doubles in size every 4 years, if not managed in some way. The BLM organizes round ups, both via bait trap gathers and helicopter round-ups, where they pull some of these wild horses off the range and put them up for public adoption. There are over 50,000 Mustangs is holding facilities, waiting adoptive homes.

But there are 17 Mustangs that have a forever home at this Mustang Sanctuary.

I AM HERD is dedicated to share these Mustangs with all, especially those on the east coast that often know little about America’s wild horses. To advocate for the wild horse through giving humans an experience of the healing powers of the expansive heart space of this herd. To offer a sacred space of Peace to this Mustang herd and to share that sacred space of Peace with other humans. … This is our Mustang Sanctuary. This is I AM HERD.