revised april issue of thundering hoofs, 2014

The WindDancer Foundation Inc.

“Thundering Hooves”

Mustang RidersYouth Equine AllianceBurro Feeding BasicsArgentina to AlaskaMonero SanctuaryPrayer CircleWild Horse GalleryMustang Monument

photo by © Gunter Wamser

WindDancer WindDancer Foundation Inc. Ambassador

Volume 2, Number 1 Michael Anthony Studios Art Direction

Mission Statement

The WindDancer Foundation does believe that through interest, enthusiasm, and

education wild mustangs & burros will be reverred and

preserved as the great living symbols of man’s paramount,

cooperative and working relationship with another species.

The Wild mustangs and burros are the singular bridge to the

settling of the West and industrial progress of mankind. Without

them, today’s modern social and industrial progress could not

have occurred.

www.wind-dancer.org

Page 1

Contents

Mustang Riders pg. 2 - 8

“Youth Equine Alliance” pg. 9 - 10

Burro Feeding Basics pg. 11 - 13

Argentina to Alaska pg.14 - 20

Monero Sanctuary pg. 21 - 22

Prayer Circle pg. 23

Mustang & Burro Gallery pg. 24

“Thundering Hooves” wishes to thank all these authors & photographers for

the following story content......

Theodore Roosevelt Park Michael H. Francis - photographer

A DREAM TO SHARE WITH OTHERS

This was a dream for many of us when we heard that Patti Colbert, of the Mustang Heritage Foundation, was going to present the Mustang Makeover in Ft. Collins, at the CSU Equine Center. I knew if we had the opportunity, some of us who took pride in owning and training mustangs would come together and give time and energy to make a team - a team to show the enthusiasm, the

discipline, and dedication to our project. We believe in our Mustangs, and know that they are capable and willing of doing so many things. It was exciting to think we could share and be part of an entire Mustang event, and work towards the end result. Months of practice: different surroundings, different movements, different drills, all helped these mustangs come together, and work as a unit, with patience and skill from each rider. We learned much about how to think together, how to move in form, and to communicate this to our great little troopers beneath us. What a thrill to enter the ring, hear our group name, The Mustang Riders of Northern Colorado, and hear the Music supporting us as we opened the Finalist Night of the Mustang Makeover of 2012. Thank you to Gary Gaylor, our leader, and to all of you that worked in so many ways to bring this event about. And a very special salute to those little mustangs that came in so proud and ready to perform!

Patricia Burge

Pat Burge, Shaman & guest

MUSTANG RIDERS OF NORTHERN COLORADO

Gabriele & Aragon

Since the tragic 2010 CALICO ROUNDUP the advocacy had been up in arms about the stockpiling of horses in unaccountable LONG TERM HOLDING. As a result we formed a small advocacy group (Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Partners) to increase exposure and adoption and also to investigate the pertinent issues of AMERICAS MUSTANGS. - Most of us had mustangs and were always looking for a platform to demonstrate their versatility and train ability, we saw a great opportunity in the upcoming competitive events. We first saw the Ft. Collins 2010 Extreme Mustang Makeover, where as a group we had wanted to sponsor a participating trainer, but could not find a suitable individual, even though we invited several local trainers to our meeting. Then 2011 I decided to take a plunge and leap of faith and COMPETE in the 2011 Mustang Makeover, especially since I had not trained or ridden an AMERICAN MUSTANG and also since I was convinced that this op-portunity with this event would not repeat itself, especially me approaching the big 60. I suggested to Patricia Burge, who at the time was riding a Spanish mustang and a POA,

that instead of her training a mustang also, we should try to start a riding group that at least could show off the mustangs we already had and possibly even encourage others. That was the beginning of the MUSTANG RIDERS, who consisted of 4 Extreme Mustang Make-over Trainers (Cindy, Taryn, ......Shannon and myself ......!!! The logistics and discipline of a drill team was hard for us to overcome and adhere to. The riders came from very different back-grounds with varying aspirations and the financial effort to travel to training locations wore on everyone. I loved the experience of riding in very close formation and enjoyed our progress, especially when we were able to arrange for trail rides, that then incorporated the close contact riding and training. It was wonderful to see a show come together and actually flow and appeal. To all our surprise I believe, we excelled in the improvisation and adaptation to whatever situation occurred, even it meant to ride with 14 one day and with 4 the other. Riding to music is an incredible booster and so it was with the support and expertise of Patricia Burge, a professional musician, that we achieved the theatrical and emotional enhancements and displays of these beautiful horses. Gary Gayler - our drill sergeant and trainer, who took us onto those trail rides that turned into cross country exercises. Michael Golem-beski, - our videographer and consultant in regards to many topical and ethical discus-sions. Robyn Hall and ….., who at 13 years old did not mind hanging and riding with the seniors…and giving it their best shot. Cindy and Mark Loader: Who not only participated but also made their facility available for prac-tice. Janet Carabello, who has hosted our Non-riding Advocacy group now for nearly

MUSTANG RIDERS OF NORTHERN COLORADO3 years and in the process also adopted and trained a precious burro-gal by the name of Candy, which she showed during the 2011 event. Other riders included Rose Bricker, Nola Gibson, and Sidney White Megan Jones, and Anneliese White. One other aspect that I particularly appreciated was the non-riding involvement of friends and artists and photographers an local individuals with the love for initiative and real passion for the mustangs. Krisztina Gayler, Leslie McCutchen, Angie Friehauf, Mike Tillman came by now and then to watch. As for my relationship to the two horses that I took through these events: ARAGON will forever be my dearest memory in regard to his reliability and readiness to shine and ramp up and submit to my ever changing moods and requests. He and I merged into one during those sessions. Even though I also took Veedawoo and Silhouette and Escalante to training sessions, for one reason or another they never made it into an event. I have to mention COPPERSMITH TAG #900 - the 3 year old bay gelding with the dreamy eyes, that made this event even more special for me, “ I will never forget our face off with the cow with a happy western dilettante on board in minimalist English gear.”

Shannon, Sydney, & Anneliese I joined Mustang Riders with my horse Rikki Tikki Tavi to meet new people and have the opportunity to ride more often. I was also up for the challenge of riding in a syn-chronized group and performing in front of a crowd. It was a good opportunity to use the skills and training that Rikki and I practiced to get ready for the Mustang Makeover. The Mustang Riders group, learning to synchro-nize with everyone and run patterns, was something new for me. It was quite a challenge to get horses and people working together at first. We all have a different way of doing things, and to match up the personalities and the horsenalities took a little time to get ironed out. Once the mus-tangs started to figure out what we were do-ing, they could almost do it on their own and that is when it really started to be fun! After 3 or 4 rides you could see the energy change and everyone began to relax and meld togeth-er. We learned to work together as a group and in pairs. Being part of this group and per-forming has helped me to be more comfort-able in front of an audience as well. One of the best things I got out of the Mustang Rid-ers is the awesome people I met and the new friends I made. Field Practice


Janet Carabello & Candy

Candy was adopted from the BLM facility at Canon City when she was only 5 months old. She will be 4 years old next April. Since adopting her, I have worked to tame her and train her to go on hikes with me and to carry a light load. She accompanies me and my gelding on trail rides by being ponied along side. I am presently training her to wear a harness and to pull a cart. Candy will also do tricks like jumping over barrels and balanc-ing on steps. We teamed up with the Mustang Riders for several events (e.g. The Extreme Mustang Makeover) to demonstrate what can be done with wild horses and burros. Candy is full of personality and very smart. She has her own sense of humor and frequently tries to show me a “better way” to do things. Burros/don-keys are wonderful animals and by showing what she is capable of, I hope to encourage more people to adopt those that have been rounded up from the wild.

Practice Drills

Cindy Loader

I trained my mustang, Calypso for the 2010 EMM. He was a wild one and needed extra time and patience so I adopted him my-self. He was a challenge and I welcomed new things to introduce him to. When Pat Burge approached me about being in a Mustang Drill Team, I was excited and a little appre-hensive. Calypso didn’t like horses close to him, either behind or beside him. Exactly what a drill team is all about. Pat did an awesome job of getting us plenty of practices and Gary did a great job as our drill team leader. It was like taking kinder-gartners to graduation of high school in a few short months. It was pretty amazing how we all progressed with our horses and personal-ly. The EMM in Ft.Collins that we performed at was thrilling for riders and horses, every-one came together and we looked like profes-sionals having a great time. The horses enjoyed it as well as the riders. I believe we were all transformed! I really miss our team!

Team Members


Gary Gaylor Instructor & Leader

Being an instructor riding with a group of riders can often get frustrating. On the trail there are riders way in advance and those sometime all alone far to the rear, the entire group may be scattered out quarter mile or more depending on the number. How many times you’ve been on a ride with only one other rider and you’re talking over your shoul-der to them? You point out something on the trail or you just quoted a chapter from a good book you read recently, looking back to your riding partner for encouragement or com-ment, all you get is “what? I can’t hear you.” I often have my students ride in front of me.

A situation can happen behind me and I will miss it. I drive them if you will. That way I can observe them and be more apt to avoid certain situations. In spite of the self-im-posed discipline it takes for me to ride in the rear, it is often easier than convincing them to ride next to me and keep them there. Riding next to one another sharing a dia-log is infinitely easier and the other rider is most always in view. Rarely do riders posi-tion themselves like this. They’re afraid their horse doesn’t like your horse or vise-versa. Or commonly the rider is only aware of their own horse and themselves. Only briefly do they expand their visions and observations to their surroundings. The landscape, stimulating conversations, a good joke, rocks, grass, trees, wildlife, get lost in the blur of the peripheral vision between their horse’s ears and the wind.

Riding in formations can serve many purpos-es of convenience. In the cavalry both ancient and modern, traveling in formation is how they would get hundreds or thousands of men and horses from point A to point B, at the same time altogether and ready for the next move. Ninety nine percent of cavalryman’s career is spent garrisoned up. There Training & Drills

Riding in Circles

they DRILL. The squads, companies and so forth become proficient at executing columns of two, by file, columns of four, marching in line, doing wheels, left and/or right about, left/right into line, the commanding officers moving thousands in order to focus their troops to a certain situation with a few words, bugle blasts or hand gestures. It’s really quite brilliant and the fate of nations often de-pended on these movements being performed smoothly. Now what is in this for today’s casual recre-ational riders? It is good for the horse and the rider. And maybe more importantly, it’s fun, not to mention looking cool.

Recently I was privileged to help teach and lead a small group of 8 to 10 like-minded riders in order perform a sequence of drills (with music) for the Mustang Makeover in Colorado. They… we either owned, trained or rode BLM mustangs. It was rewarding for me to work with this group as they were dedicated to learning the drills even on hot, cold or windy days. I considered this group brave as well. Some were rather shy riders and this project required learning techniques that were different from what they were ac-customed. When I give instruction to my students I only ask one thing from them and that is to simply try. I don’t even care if they can do it. I only care that they try. Because if they do try then it’s just a matter of time until they can. I soon became proud of this group as they improved and became confident at what they were doing in a rela-tively short time. The performance came off well. Everyone was proud of themselves and what their horses could do. Most importantly though, the whole thing from beginning to

end… was fun.


Girls Discussion!! and Round Again!!

Round and Round

MUSTANG RIDERS OF NORTHERN COLORADO Gallery Images

Left to Right... Emma Woyak w/ Mikey, Gabby Beck w/Ikey, Robin & Rocky....

Robin goes to Washington DC - BLM meeting

YEA!! Youths Equine Alliance is a non-profit youth organization that lets kids make a dif-ference in the world. Many people think that kids are too young to help or understand what is going on. YEA! is here to show the world that we young people can make a difference. YEA! has collected a quarter million signa-tures from around the globe for our beloved wild horses. YEA! has also spread the word to other youth around America about what is happening to our wild horses and burros. YEA! member, Amber Neuhauser, has been to the Equine Conference in Kentucky to

represent YEA! Robin Warren (that’s me) went to Washington D.C, to represent YEA!Washington D.C was a goal of YEA! because we had been collecting signatures from every single state in America and wanted to present them in person to the Bureau of Land Man-agement’s (BLM) during their public meet-ing on wild horses and burros. We wanted to show the BLM that we advocates were still on the case of wild horses. Can you believe that they would not allow me to present the signa-tures to the board? So, the day after the meet-ing we went to Capitol Hill and found one

senator from each state and delivered their state signatures. We wanted to show them that the people cared about what was hap-pening to our horses. We went there to show everyone that children care to make a differ-ence in the world. On the day of my departure I was stranded at the airport because a lightning bolt struck the Traffic Control Tower. After a long, cold, and uncomfortable night at the airport I was very happy to board a plane home. YEA! believes in determination and perse-verance. The days before D.C and the days at D.C were really rough for me. The day before departing Las Vegas I had a full set of braces put on and caught a cold, but my determina-tion kept me going with my head high. The night before the Bureau of Land Management public meeting I was coughing, sneezing, and had a terrible belly and mouth ache. I told my family and friends “It was a really rough week for me but I do not give up easy. I was lucky to be there and I wasn’t going to turn my back on that opportunity. I just grabbed some tis-sues and kept going.” YEA! wants everyone to know that no matter how young or old there is always a way to make a difference in the world. Never give up hope even when it seems that the chal-lenge is too big. Your anxiety and fear makes the obstacle bigger. Just keep going forward. Don’t be a bystander, be a defender........

Robin with Senator Mark Rubio

Advocates

Amber Neuhauser

Hello, my name is Amber Neuhauser from Louisville, KY. I am a sixteen year teenage girl that has seen what a creature like a horse can do for a human. My own life was saved by two Off Track Thoroughbred: Bricks and Stones and Atlanti Kos. Both horses literally saved my life, taught me to love myself, and how to trust others again. I have been fighting to save horses, both wild and domestic. Horses are part of God’s world. They have helped use plow fields, migrate, win wars. There are so many rescued horses looking for homes that still have love to give; by killing them you are also killing the opportunity to improve the life of a so many people who may be physically or mentally ill or broken-hearted.

Meghan Dixon w/Ebony

Burro Feeding Basics byDeb Straker DVM

Deb Straker w/ Lakota’s Lily Ted & TC

The alarm goes off, I ease out of bed opening the back door with six dogs scrambling out to greet the day. Amid the yips and barks, Ted,one of our two rescue donkeys from Long-hopes Shelter in Bennett Colorado (www.longhopes.org) brays enthusiastically from the back pasture, letting me know he, too, eagerly awaits morning feeding. Ted and his co-partner in crime , T.C., are standard burros, who live with 2 very geriatric retired horses, a 9 hand Shetland pony and Butter-cup, a 10 years old Jersey milk cow. They all share a feeding bunk inside a shed run. Yet the amount of calories Ted and TC needdiffer vastly from what Cisco and Rosie, the 30 years old horses and a lactating dairy cow require, or those two off the track thorough-breds in the barn that I struggle to maintain muscle and fat rib coverage. Donkeys are descendants of African wild asses, evolved over time to be very efficient foragers, subsisting on woody shrubs and grasses poor in nutrients. Their digestive sys-tems differ from the horse, in that even very poor quality fiber is efficiently fermented in the cecum to become high quality nutrition.

Their optimum day consists of 18 hours of foraging!! A donkeys nutritional requirements are met by less than 75% of that needed for a pony of the same size. A good rule of thumb for feed-ing horses is 2-2.5% of body weight , but for donkeys , 1.5% of their body weight is more appropriate, according to research from the Donkey Sanctuary. (1) This equates to about 2.5kg of dry matter per day for the average 180 kg animal, depending on the activity level of the burro. The feedstuffs should be low in nutritional value so they can satisfy their de-sire to eat without becoming obese and devel-oping many common problems, (analogous to us eating celery and carrot sticks In the UK, most veterinarians actually recommend feeding barley or wheat straw, and have not reported an increase in colics or impactions. In the States, we tend to recommend grass hay, but oftentimes, such a small amount is needed for maintenance that we place the burro at risk for developing gastric ulcers. Recall that all equids secrete gastric acid con-stitutively, in other words, all the time, as opposed to we humans, who secrete gastric

Burro Feeding Basicsacid in response to the sight/smell or thought of food. The acid helps break down the feed-stuff and is needed all the time if horses and donkeys ate they way they were originally designed. Enter the art of veterinary medicine and an-imal husbandry- you must look at your friend every day-run your fingers across his/her ribcage. Can you feel the ribs? Is there a layer of fat covering not only the ribs, but look-ing from the front, is your donkey “triangu-lar”? Fat in donkeys accumulates in the neck, shoulders, rump, back and barrel. Once these develop, even dieting will not remove thesedeposits. Below is a body condition scoring chart from the UK for assessing your donkey’s body condition and guiding your feeding. The bottom line is that multiple factors influence how much any animal needs to eat each day- pregnancy, pulling a cart, packing,riding, surviving a cold winter in the moun-tains as well as the type of hay and time of summer it was baled, the health and age of the animal, all impact feeding regimens. Observing and adjusting accordingly will keep your donkey friend safe and healthy, avoidinglaminitis, hyperlipidemia and obesity.

Burro Feeding Basics

Argentina to Alaska on Horseback

Jesse Winter - reporter, Yukon News Reporter

Gunter Wamser trotted out of Ushuaia, Ar-gentina in 1994 with nothing but two horses and his dog Falko for company. He was head-ed for Prudhoe, Alaska. Eighteen years and a couple new traveling partners later, a trip that was meant to take five years has come to define his entire life. “It’s an adventure. It’s a challenge. It’s a very intensive way of life. You have very big highs and very deep lows,” said Wamser. “Even after so many years, I like that when I wake up in the morning, I never know where I’m going to sleep that night.” Wamser – a 53-year-old former aircraft engineer from Germany – has been riding steadily north-wards for almost two decades. Wamser and his traveling partner Sonja Endlweber arrived in Whitehorse in late September. Sitting in a rustic cabin by the Takhini River with their feisty terrier Leni, Wamser glances at the thermometer (reading minus 20 degrees C), shivers and goes back to planning their route onwards from Dawson City in the spring. There is much to be done to prepare the final leg of their odyssey, but Endlweber seems most surprised by the tem-

perature. “People keep saying winter is still coming, that it’s not even here yet,” she said, shaking her head. Thirty-nine-year-old Endlweber gave up a successful career as a business consultant and joined Wamser seven years ago after he almost quit the quest. At the Mexican border, officials refused to let Wamser take his horses into the U.S. “My aim was to do the whole trip with the same horses,” said Wamser. “I nearly gave up.” It hadn’t been an easy trip through South America. Wamser was forced to deal with cor-rupt border officials in parts of Latin America. The lowest point in his trip came when a

Coming into Town


rattlesnake bit his dog. “She died in my arms,” he said. Wamser returned to Germany feeling de-feated. He wrote a book about his voyage, and the writing of it forced him to experience everything all over again, he said. He decided the story wasn’t finished. Buoyed by Endlweber joining his cause, he decided to give it another go. The duo found four American mustangs, wild horses that had been trained by a prison inmate program in U.S. With Dino, Lightfoot, Rusty and Azabache, they began the quest anew. “Gunter doesn’t really believe in problems,” said Endlweber. Optimism is vital, but they also put a lot of faith in “trail angels,” a com-mon belief among long-time hikers and ad-venturers, said Endlweber. “There is a sort of trail magic,” Wamser explained. “Help always shows up right on time.” They followed the Continental Divide Trail through the States, traveling in the warm seasons, and returning to Germany in the winter to promote and finance their journey with speaking engagements and books. It took them two years to cross the U.S., reaching the Canadian border in the fall of 2009.Crossing countries and continents has given Wamser a unique perspective on the cultures and people that share the Western Hemi-sphere. “The biggest difference is the people,” said Wamser. “In Latin America, the people were

most important.” In North America, it is the enormous landscapes and isolation that most occupy the couple’s minds. Since crossing into Canada, that scarcity of human contact has only increased. “In the U.S. you could go for 10 days at a time without seeing anyone. Up here, you can go for months,” said Wamser. “It’s fascinating to ride for months with no people, no roads. You only see outfitters out there,” said Endlweber. Those outfitters have become a crucial part of their journey in the North. Spending months in the back country up here makes arranging supply drops vital. They have re-cruited the aid of many outfitters and mining companies to help them resupply on the trail.“We want to say a big thank you to the outfit-ters. People have been helpful everywhere,” said Endlweber. As the two riders press north, the trail has gotten increasingly difficult, said Endlweber.

Gunter and beloved dog........


In the U.S. they were riding across mountain ridges and high country. The route through much of Canada has confined them to val-leys, which means crossing treacherous bogs and fording rivers, often forcing the horses to swim. Through it all Leni, the little terrier, has kept pace easily, jumping into the saddle her-self when the going gets tough. “She can’t jump all the way up,” Endlweber said, “so you have to catch her and lift her into the saddle.” Canada also means bear country, something that Wamser said is unnerving.“We don’t have bears in Europe. We killed them all,” he said, adding that on the trail he and Endlweber don’t carry weapons save for a couple cans of bear spray and bear bells for their horses. Bruins aside, the back country is fraught with many dangers, but Wamser and Enlwe-ber have worked out a strategy to keep them safe.

“I’m a coward,” Endlweber said, “especially when it comes to the horses.” Finding the best routes and keeping the horses safe means keeping each other safe, she said. “She keeps me out of trouble,” Wamser said. It’s a partnership that the couple didn’t expect. When they started out from Mexico together, they weren’t a couple but life on the trail has forged a bond between them stronger than any marriage certificate. The secret is that neither one is doing it for the other. They both want to be on the trail for themselves, Endlweber explained. “If I would only do it because Gunter wants to, it wouldn’t work,” she said. The couple is filling their time this winter caring for the horses, writing two more books, planning for the spring and immersing them-selves in Whitehorse’s community. Wamser plays soccer with a local rec team. At 53, with the last leg of his epic journey before him, he said his age only slows him down on the soccer pitch. “When I run, I sometimes think, ‘Where did those 20 years go?’ We’ve travelled 28,000 kilometer’s, but it’s just a figure. No one really knows what it means,” he said. They’re also looking for anyone who can help them pre-pare for the spring’s departure. After many close calls and frigid nights, Wamser and Endlweber said the only reason they keep going is, essentially, because they don’t have to. “We have no sponsors, no fame. We could stop whenever we want.......

Beautiful Mountain Vista’s


Page 17

WindDancer: What inspired you to choose Alaska as a destination? and how long did it take to accomplish?

Gunter: I wanted to ride across the Americas. Starting in Patagonia and riding north, Alaska was the obvious destination. The whole jour-ney took 20 years to accomplish. I never was out for a record, if I had wanted to go fast, I wouldn’t take horses. On the contrary, I discovered that you see and experience a lot more, going slow. In addition, the horses were very important to me. If they became sick, I waited until they recovered. It also would have been a lot faster to change the horses at every boarder, but I didn’t want to change my horses.

WindDancer: Why did you choose to ride mustangs on this venture? were they adopt-ed? if so trained or not?

Gunter: In 1994 I started in Argentina with two Criollo horses, their names: Gaucho & Rebelde. These two horses accompanied me for the next 11 years from Argentina to Mexi-co. I would have liked to continue my journey with Gaucho and Rebelde, but they were not allowed to enter the US. They have been sick in Central America, and still had antibodies in their blood. Therefore they didn’t fulfil the requirements.

When I continued my ride through the US I had a new Partner, Sonja, from Aus-tria. Together we adopted four Mustangs: Dino, Azabache, Rusty and Lightfoot. With these horses we rode from the Mexican/US boarder all the way to Alaska. Our horses have been trained by inmates in Canon City, Colorado. Mustangs have the same history like Crio-llo horses. Both came with the Spanish to the Amercian continent. They still share a lot of characteristics: they are intelligent, persis-tent, frugal and sure footed. As they grew up in the wild, they are ideal partners for a jour-ney across the back country.

WindDancer: To have spent that much time both riding and being around these magnificent horses, what sets them apart from the domestic breeds?

Gunter: Our horses grew up in the wild. They have spent the first two years of their lives in the wilderness, amongst a wild herd. They learned a lot about social behavior and how to survive in the wilderness. Their natu-ral instincts are very strong and well devel-oped. They know which plants they can eat, and where to find water. They are probably more alert to possible danger then domesti-cated horses are.

WindDancer: Was this trip everything you envisioned?

WindDancer Foundation Interview


Gunter: No. It was a lot more then I could have ever envisioned. First of all, I planned to do the whole journey in 4-5 years, and in the end it took 20 years. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that this jour-ney would become my way of living.

WindDancer: Did you have any setbacks along the way? if so, what kept you moving forward with your challenge?

Gunter: Of course, there were setbacks; chal-lenges along the way and very sad moments, too. Like there are in every normal live. I didn’t do the trip for anybody else but just for myself, this motivation kept me going. I didn’t need to prove anything, neither to somebody else, nor to myself. There will always be chal-lenges along the way, on a long trip like mine but also in an “ordinary” live. I can only hope that I will always be able to overcome them. In solving a problem you can prove what you have learned along the way. Without prob-lems, there can be no personal growth. But what matters about problems is what one does with them.

WindDancer: Any encouraging words or cautions to anyone interested to riding a long distance ride?

Gunter: Here I would like to quote Walt Disney: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. One day

you just have to dare to do the first step. This is a brave decision, because you have to ven-ture out of your comfort zone.

WindDancer: Do you feel that the horses were doing well on the entire trip? Were they able to get enough feed? Were they always interested in continuing their daily trekking?

Gunter: I honesty believe that the horses were enjoying the journey, too. They got to see new landscapes every day, and enjoyed a fresh untouched meadow every evening. Their diet was much diversified, as we were camping at different altitudes and riding through different regions. Our daily mileages are small, we (almost) never asked too much of the horses, and even at the end of an exhausting day they didn’t seem to be too tired. At least never as tired as we were. Because they are a group of four horses they feel pretty safe wherever we go. In the evenings they like to rest and lay down, for us this is a proof of their comfort. We are using an electric fence. Therefore we never have to tie the horses down, which means that all four of them can graze as soon as we set up camp. Usually we move the fence once or twice during the evening so that they get as much grass as possible. We have crossed regions that were meagre,


but even in those areas the horses got enough feed. At the end of the summer, they were fat-ter then at the beginning.

WindDancer: Overall did you feel you were in good shape, getting enough nutrition, and sleep?

Gunter: Yes. We were not out for a record; we never wanted to proof anything. If we were tired or exhausted – which happens on a journey like this -, we rested for a day or two. Being outdoors all day, riding, hiking and do-ing physical work – you just happen to be in good shape. It’s a lot worse right now, that we are home and doing presentations.

WindDancer: During the trip were there times you took extended rest periods?

Gunter: Yes, of course. Otherwise it wouldn’t have taken me 20 years. There were many different reasons for rest periods. I quickly discovered that these rest periods are an in-tegral part of the journey. I got invited some-where to stay for a while, I worked for feed, food and lodging, and by doing so I got into contact with the people. I learned from them, and about their lives, their culture, and their religion. Sometimes I had to rest because one of the horses got sick. Then I waited until it recov-ered. I also lost a lot of time at the boarders, because of bureaucracies and corruption. It would have been a lot easier and faster to buy

new horses in every country. But this is too easy this is not my way. The further north we came the longer the winters and the shorter the periods of time that we could travel with the horses. Then we had to find a place to spent the winter month.

WindDancer: How many miles did you travel per day?

Gunter: It varies a lot. On a good trail in good condition we could easily travel 25 miles, on the contrary there were days when we only managed to go for ½ mile, then we had to stop because we couldn’t cross a river and had to wait for the water level to drop. On average we rode 10-15 miles a day.

WindDancer: What determined your goals of how far you wanted to go, or did you judge by feel of the horses stamina and of course weather issues?

Gunter: Most important is that wherever we go, we have to find a good camp for the night. A good camp has feed and water for the horses, and less important firewood and a flat spot the tent. We learned to read the map in a way, that we can estimate where on our route we might find a good camp. Having this infor-mation in mind, we just go and see how far we get. In the mornings you never know what’s going to happen during the day, how tough the going gets. Usually we are exhausted a long time before the horses even get tired....


WindDancer: In conclusion, what did the trip do for both of you, emotionally and psychologically?

Gunter: Being out in the wilderness for an extended period of time you have to be able to solve every kind of problem. Therefore you learn to trust yourself, to believe in you own skills. You also gain contentment, calmness and humbleness.

The End, or New Beginning!!

Monero Mustang Sanctuary

“Monero Play” Photo’s by Sherry Kysley

By Sandi Claypool - Director

Monero Mustangs had a bit of a seed for a dream in 1997 when the first little Span-ish Mustang was adopted from New Mexico and is still with Monero today. Over the next couple of years the Spanish descendants were rounded and adopted out of their territory, and in 2003 the dream turned into a reality as Monero Mustangs became a non-profit with the goal of preserving this little gene pool. Sandra Claypool and her mother, Ila Brom-berg worked hard over the next few years to keep this little group going. Eventually they found a great ranch, worked out a deal with the owner, and moved the horses onto the property. Along the way a few other wild horses joined the group, and ecotourism was established for financial support. Ila passed away in 2011, leaving Sandi to go alone in management responsibilities. The ecotourism concept has expanded with the tours and meeting many different people from all over the US and other countries as well. Monero Mustangs was featured in New Mexico Magazine, elevating the significance

of the Monero Mustang Sanctuary as a des-tination for tourism. There were photogra-phers, artists, and people who just wanted to see wild horses roaming free on the prop-erty. Overall the horses have been supporting themselves, along with the many visitors. Monero Mustangs was utilizing PZP, birth control on site, but the New Mexico Livestock Board suddenly came in and took it away. This change in management strategy has be-come a problem, as they were not into indis-criminate reproduction. At this time NM still has not allowed PZP into the state. Monero has since had to castrate all stallions except a few kept in pens that are of Spanish decent. The next big blow came with some people who attempted a hostile takeover, it became a matter of trying to protect the horses first and foremost, and trying to keep them safe. As a result the horses had to leave the ranch. Monero Mustang sanctuary has suffered financially this past winter for the horses were utilized for support. Sandi’s health has suffered this past year from the stress, and she doesn’t have the heart or the energy to try to start over and

build this back up to the beautiful thing it had become. So Monero is looking for safe places for their horses, and trying to keep the little group of Spanish horses together in the hopes that they will find a place to continue this gene pool intact before it is lost. They are looking at sanctuaries that might be willing to take a small family band to live out their life.

Monero Mustang Sanctuary Monero’s wish list at this time is for all the horses to end up in a safe place. Fundrais-ing efforts will continue to pay the wonderful hay supplier who has made sure these horses get feed and the veterinarian efforts to secure these horses get placed.

Wild Horse & Burro Prayer Circle https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayersforhorses/

Dear friends of the wild horses and burros,

We are starting a prayer circle for the hors-es and burros and we invite everyone who be-lieves that together we can make a difference to join us in prayer. The prayer circle will be a group on Face-book so you will see the updates. Whenever you have prayers that you would like other ad-vocates to join with you in, you can post them there. What types of prayers will you find? Prayers for advocates’ traveling safety, prayers for horses to find homes, prayers for roundups to stop, and more. The best part about joining together in

prayer is that you find friends that care about the same things you do and you feel comfort and strength because you know that you are not alone. Also, when you see updates and praise reports, you can see the power of God at work. Lets all join together in prayer for the horses and burros and watch the Creator of all things good work to defend his creations from evil. It doesn’t matter what your religion or spirituality is. If you believe that a higher power is the only one that can save them, join us in acknowledging the Creator’s mighty power to save.

Thank you, “Wild Mustang Robin” Robin Warren, age 14, Las Vegas, NV

America’s Wild Horses & Burros photographs by Michael H. Francis

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Founder of Saving America’s Mustangs

Philanthropist, Animal Lover, Animal Welfare Activist

Born Madeleine Baker of a British father and Lebanese mother, the glamorous Mad-eleine arrived in the United States in 1969, shortly thereafter becoming an American citizen. Brought up with a clutch of Labra-dors and a lifelong animal lover, from the late

1980s she became a highly successful owner, trainer and breeder in both show jumping and flat racing, winning, amongst other stel-lar achievements, the Prix Foy at Longchamp and the Pennsylvania Derby. While married to Allen Paulson, the founder and owner of Gulfstream Aerospace, they owned and bred world-champion Cigar and Rock Hard Ten, amongst many other well-known champion racehorses. More recently her passion has shifted to the preservation and retirement of wild hors-es. Madeline and her then husband, T. Boone Pickens, led the fight to close the last horse slaughterhouse in the United States, directly resulting in the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act by the United States House of Representatives. In 2007, in recognition of their efforts, Madeleine and her husband received the Equine Advocates’ Safe Home Equine Protection Award. In 2008, after the Bureau of Land Manage-ment announced that the US government was considering euthanasia and selling more than 30,000 wild mustangs to slaughterhouses overseas, Madeleine announced her plans to

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Madeleine Pickens with Travis

develop a mustang sanctuary. Soon after-wards, she was named ABC News ‘Person of the Week’ for her efforts and announced the development of the charity ‘Saving America’s Mustangs’ to fund the sanctuary and gain sup-port for the cause. Saving America’s Mustangs is an not-for-profit foundation established to protect and preserve the wild Mustang. Over one hundred years ago, more than two million mustangs roamed free in the United States. Today, there are approximately thirty thousand mustangs accounted for. In 1971, the United States Congress recog-nised mustangs as ‘living symbols of the his-toric and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.’ Saving America’s Mustangs is working to bring this vision back to a reality by preserving these wild horses for generations to come. Since purchasing her foundation’s sanctu-ary in North Eastern Nevada, Madeleine has saved more than 600 Mustang horses from

slaughter. She has raised the necessary fund-ing to develop and open the Mustang Monu-ment Eco-Resort and Preserve, an arm of Saving America’s Mustangs that will maintain the sustainability of the wild horse reserve for years to come. Madeleine is profoundly proud to be developing a property that will protect the wild horse, educate the public on their in-clusion in American history and ensure their ongoing protection.

photograph by Jo Danehy

Mustang Monument Wild Horse Resort

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Photograph by Kristi Johnson

Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Resort Experience the Wild West in Style

Launching in June 2014, Mustang Monu-ment is a unique eco-resort and wild mustang reserve. Surrounded by the wide horizons and soul-soothing open spaces of Nevada, the re-sort offers a 360 degree luxury experience and an unforgettable wildlife adventure. The reserve covers 900 square miles of mountainous and gloriously scenic private land in Wells where philanthropist owner, Madeleine Pickens, runs ‘Saving America’s Mustangs’ and makes a home for 600 descen-dants of the wild horses that helped pioneers settle in the untamed West. Now, guests to the ranch are not only of-fered the sole opportunity in the States to see Mustang horses in their natural habitat, but cocooned in a degree of luxury undreamt of by those early settlers. With a deep-rooted commitment to environmental friendly practises and staff hand-picked for their dedication to the area, Mustang Monument incorporates the best of Western culture

Accommodation is in stunning ‘one-of-a-kind’ hand-painted tipis with king-sized beds, fine linens, hardwood floors, hand-made Na-tive American rugs, adjacent bathroom tipis and 24 hour butler service. Activities include observing, learning about and photographing the beautiful mustang as well as horse-drawn and off-road vehicle safaris, roping lessons, archery, hiking, Native American beading classes and divine in-tipi spa treatments. Gourmet dining incorporates Native Ameri-can flavours overlaid with modern West-ern flair whilst evenings in this exceptional outback-chic retreat conclude with cowboy balladeers strumming under starry skies and spellbinding fireside stories woven about the history of the American West and those mag-nificent, magical Mustangs.

For information on Saving American’s Mustangs Visit www.SavingAmericasMustangs.org For reservations and information, contact Mustang Monument Eco-Resort Visit www.MustangMonument.com Tel: +1 858-759-5507

revised april issue of thundering hoofs, 2014

Documents

mustang makeover

little mustangs

training mustangs

mustang heritage foundation

mustang burro gallery

entire mustang event

education wild mustangs

extreme mustang makeov