Mustang Herd
In May of 2000 Redwings was involved in the rescue of a herd of 110 mustangs living on only two acres in Montana. The horses once roamed free in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. After being rounded up by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) a few horses were adopted by a man who wanted save these beautiful horses and let them live on his two acres in Montana. Unfortunately the man knew very little about horses and allowed them to breed year after year, and the herd quickly grew to numbers far too large for their small pasture. Over time the elderly man fell ill and ran out of money, and the horses numbers were out of control so the horses were beginning to starve. The man could not afford to feed them and the land could not sustain their numbers. Law enforcement stepped in and charged the man with abuse, and the county was scheduled to come in and remove the horses. Their future was uncertain and it was possible that they would be sent to auction.
When Redwings arrived, the horses were in very poor condition due to lack of food, water, and hoof care. Immediately Redwings began to make arrangements to move some of the herd to the sanctuary in Lockwood. Meanwhile all the horses were moved to a larger pasture in a new location. After a brief stay in Colorado to build their strength Redwings was able to transport 6 of the most malnourished horses to the sanctuary. Among the first 6 horses were a mare and foal that were in terrible condition. The mare who we named Ellie was barely three years old, very young to have a foal of her own, and she was very thin. Her tiny foal, which we named Beauty, was also very thin and weak. Beauty also had a hernia which required surgical repair after her arrival at Redwings. Ellie and Beauty were kept separate from the herd while they regained their strength and became comfortable with being handled. After they regained their health they were reunited with their other four herd mates.
A few months later Redwings moved 15 more mustangs from Montana to California to Miracle Mountain Ranch. After a short stay at Miracle Mountain Ranch to regain their strength and receive some much needed veterinary care the last 15 horses made the trip to Lockwood and were reunited with Ellie, Beauty and their other four herd mates. Today they live in a 20 acre pasture at the sanctuary with rolling hills and oak trees. They have a reservoir in their pasture so on hot afternoons they often cool off in the refreshing water.
The remaining horses in Montana were all placed with other sanctuaries or placed on a 3,000 acre ranch where they will be looked after by a Montana rescue.