“The horses are coming!”

On a snowy morning in November, the cry went out of the approaching Mustangs. We watch spellbound as the herd comes towards us with heads held high trotting swiftly over ground once framed by barbed wire only hours before. What a sight to all of us who worked tirelessly to remove all hazards and encumbrances, spurred by the love of the wild ones now running free on Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary lands. This is why we do it! All of it–the work, the challenges, the sacrifices… for this wondrous vision of free spirit before us. This land, these horses, are the manifestation of a legacy, a vision of hope, for the wild ones. The land is ready.

The Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary was founded in fulfillment of a dream. Michelle’s father, a visionary of wild Mustang preservation, inculcated in his daughter the mission to save the wild ones. She has taken her father’s lifelong dream and built it into a reality. Through a working relationship with the BLM Wild Mustang Adoption Program and a Herd Management Area, GEMS aims to balance supporting the wild ones to thrive on the range, while offering a home for those in need.

Just in time for Christmas, GEMS became the new home for a group of Sand Wash Basin wild horses- 10 mares remaining from the 2008 gather, plus Regal G, now a gelding, who were living at the Cañon City holding facility. They have recently arrived and are all settling in nicely. In the coming weeks, taking off their neck tags that they have been wearing for the past 4 years, will be a tremendous honor and a very ceremonious day. We appreciate the tireless work of Nancy Roberts, Aleta Wagner, the Little Snake BLM Field Office and the countless others out on the range for advocating, raising awareness and documenting this incredibly special herd – giving them a voice.

Wonderful things are happening for the Sand Wash Basin wild horses and we are proud to be a part of this positive shift. We appreciate donations of any size for continued care, maintenance and training programs and value the volunteer spirit. Please visit us at www.greatescapemustangs.org to see the many ways you can help. We are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 organization and your donation is fully tax deductible.

By working together, we are giving these horses an opportunity and a voice.