All of these Mustangs call the Great Escape their forever home and are never again at risk of an uncertain future. By becoming a Mustang Guardian today, you are helping us offset the costs of care for these lifetime residents!
Our forever residents are maintained in 2 separate herds, in 2 separate locations.
Our Retirement Herd with Demi, Snowman and Sundance…this bunch of lucky horses receive excellent daily care (including special feeds, supplements, blanketing, farrier and veterinary care), the costs for this herd are roughly $2500/month.
Our Wild Herd, consisting of 31 herd members, ages 5-27, reside on 900 acres and are monitored daily, provided with fresh clean water and free choice minerals and supplemental feeding when necessary in the winter months, this herd also costs us approximately $2500/month to maintain.
Your sponsorships can help us offset these costs and you can be assured that your donations go straight to the horses and those in charge of their care!
Demi: Permanent Retirement Herd Member
Demi is 19 years old and was part of the gather in Sand Wash Basin in 2016. She appeared on the range in 2010 when the hay prices started skyrocketing, and due to the thorough herd documentation, it is strongly believed that she was a domestic horse turned out in the wild. She came to GEMS under weight, with horrible feet and teeth and needed attention. She was no stranger to the barn and came immediately into the stall when she arrived, like she knew that meant she’d get the special treatment she deserved. She has been living the good life ever since! Demi is part of our Retirement Herd and has special dietary needs and requires regular scheduled farrier and veterinary care. The costs of her care can run upwards of $850/month.
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Snowman: Permanent Retirement Herd Member
Snowman was gathered at the age of 23 from the Sand Wash Basin HMA in 2021, as he along with 9 others were repeat offenders for getting too close to the main road, causing concern for the health and safety of the public and for themselves. He had injured his eye prior to the gather and was separated once at the Canon City holding facility because of his injury. He ended up loosing that eye, was gelded, received his inoculations, etc and by the time he was ready to be pickled up, he was a shell of the horse he was on the range. Realizing quickly that he wouldn’t be able to join the sanctuary herd…he had no want for life, we decided to put him into training and have him join our Retirement Herd with Demi. It took him months for him to put on weight and get the spark and light back in his eyes, but now he’s living perfectly content in his domestic life, halter trained and loving the companionship of people and his herd. Snowman has regular scheduled farrier and veterinary care, as well as special dietary needs. The costs of his care can run upwards of $850/month.
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Sundance: Permanent Retirement Herd Member
At 18 years old, Sundance came to us starved, neglected and shut down. He had been passed around from home to home to home, then sent to auction, to be rescued by a group to then only be neglected and starved. We took him in and gave him the necessary veterinary, farrier and nutritional support he desperately needed. When he was healthy enough, he went into training and we began the search for his forever adoptive home. We then discovered that he had major arthritis in his right hock and his mobility was beginning to become a struggle. We decided that he has been through enough and felt he would be best suited living out his days in our care where his future would be certain. He is now receiving daily medications and support and living his best life in retirement. Sundance has regular scheduled farrier and veterinary care, as well as special dietary and medication needs. The costs of his care can run upwards of $850/month.
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Joe: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Rio Rojo Joe is a Spanish Mustang born in 2001. He is the lead gelding of our Sanctuary Herd. In 2015, Joe lost his left eye, we think he punctured it on a yucca plant. We check the herd every couple of days and got him immediate veterinary care, put him on antibiotics, however, his eye ended up rupturing anyhow and he needed emergency surgery to have it removed. While he was in the stall recovering, his half brother, Tanner, would lead the entire herd up to the ranch area to check on him. After two months, his eye was healed and he was ready to be turned back out onto the sanctuary pasture…he didn’t miss a beat. He circled up the herd and they all ran off following him once again. It’s beautiful to see how adaptive and resilient these horses are.
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Tanner: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Tanner is another Spanish Mustang, half-brother to Joe and Lola! We rescued a small family band from a Craigslist ad, 5 in total, who were our first residents at GEMS in 2011. Since then, one has passed away, one has been adopted and the three remaining live together as part of our sanctuary herd. Naja is another member and is never found too far from her two original herd mates. Tanner is our greeter and will be the first one to approach the tour vehicle every time! His bold personality is fun to watch and he now finally has his band of mares, it took him five years to branch off from Joe’s main band, yet he still sticks very close to his brother.
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Regal G: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Regal G is an American Mustang from the Sand Wash Basin HMA in Colorado. Born in 2006 on the range, he was captured in 2012 when he found himself outside of HMA boundaries. He came to us shortly after, was adopted with Wynonna, a Sand Wash Basin mare brought in around the same time, and they were both placed into a training program. After a couple of years of steady training, the owners decided that domestic life didn’t suit him well, so he returned to us in 2016 and has been an integral part of our wild herd ever since.
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Kalypso: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Kalypso is a Sand Wash Basin Mustang born on the range in 2013 and gathered in 2017. He entered into our training program and after a few months of training, we determined he would be best suited for life as a wild boy, so we turned him out onto our sanctuary pasture. It took him a while before he was accepted into the herd and the whole process, which was over the course of a couple of months, was fascinating to witness…he has now integrated into the herd and found a bond with fellow Sand Wash Basin Mustangs, Cortina and Indiana Jones.
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Flapjack: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Flapjack was born in 2011 in the Pancake Herd Management area of Wyoming. He was gathered in 2012 and after being in holding for a few years was selected as part of a training challenge. The Extreme Mustang Makeover. After his trainer worked with him to prepare for the challenge, it was decided that his life would be best suited for living in the wild, as he never really acclimated to domestic life. Flapjack’s integration to the wild herd also took a couple of months, but now, he too is an integral part of the herd.
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Pancho: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Pancho is from the Little Colorado HMA in Wyoming, born and gatherd in 2011. He was part of a couple of training programs before he came to us at GEMS and we concurred that his life was best suited living wild. He bonded quickly with Regal G and they have been close friends ever since his release. He was accepted into the herd fairly quickly, with little drama…It is always interesting how different horses have such different experiences with their release into the wild herd.
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Shooter: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Shooter was a wild boy since the day we brought him in and never showed any interest in domestic life. He would pin his ears and charge anyone in his corral. Even though he was the smallest of any group of horses we kept him with while he was in the corrals, he quickly became the leader. He was born in 2012 and gathered in 2015 from the West Douglas Herd Area in Colorado. His integration to the wild herd wasn’t without drama, but he quickly showed everyone that he wasn’t to be messed with and everyone listened.
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Onaqui: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
In September 2019, Onaqui, born in 2009, and Onyx, born in 2009, two iconic stallions of the Onaqui Mountain HMA were removed from their home, their family, and their freedom. Previously known as Cremello and Black on the range, they sat in holding corrals, their once inspiring wildness stripped from them. Though they both had so much taken from them, we are proud to have given them a forever home on the sanctuary where their freedom will never be threatened again.
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Onyx: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
In September 2019, Onaqui, born in 2009, and Onyx, born in 2009, two iconic stallions of the Onaqui Mountain HMA were removed from their home, their family, and their freedom. Previously known as Cremello and Black on the range, they sat in holding corrals, their once inspiring wildness stripped from them. Though they both had so much taken from them, we are proud to have given them a forever home on the sanctuary where their freedom will never be threatened again.
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Stetson: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Stetson came to us as an owner relinquishment for our training and adoption program in 2021, he went through months of professional training with a very well versed mustang trainer in our GEMS BRANDED Equine Network and although he could be haltered, he was so incredibly fearful and dangerous to himself and others around him. He had a strong flight and fight instinct and if you were in his path, he wouldn’t take that into consideration. He was rescued from an auction and having known very little about his past, you could tell that he wasn’t treated fairly or with kindness. His desire to live wild was so strong that we decided the best thing for him would be to turn him out with our sanctuary herd where he could finally live in peace away from the stress of domestic life.
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Shadow: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
We released Shadow to be with the sanctuary herd in 2021, he came to us as an owner relinquishment and had not come around to training or domestic life. We took him in to honor his want and will to live wild. A reminder that not all mustangs can be trained or want to live amongst our domestic ways of life. Thankfully, we had a spot for him to live wild and free.
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Loretta: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Loretta came to GEMS just before Christmas of 2012 with the rest of the Sand Wash Basin mares that were still at the Canon City holding facility left over from the 2008 gather. They were all five years old at the time, having been gathered as babies. Loretta was in training for a few months and ultimately we decided that she would be best suited for life on the sanctuary pasture, where she now lives with some of the others she grew up with.
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Saraswati: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Saraswati is a Sand Wash Basin mare, part of the first group that w brought in back in 2012. She also went into our training program and had a tough time with retention from day to day…it was like everyday was a brand new day. Because of her trainability issues, we decided domestic life wasn’t a good fit for her and that she’d be happiest living wild, which she does now with the rest of our wild herd.
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Faith: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Faith is another of our Sand Wash Basin mares soft and gentle in nature, but wild at heart. She lives her life on the sanctuary pasture with the others that call GEMS their forever home. She is quite bonded to Saraswati and Patsy, the two other Sand Wash Basin grays and are always close by one another making for some beautiful photographic opportunities.
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Patsy: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Patsy, one of the original Sand Wash Basin girls, was in training and coming along nicely when we noticed a rapid drop in her weight followed by a serious bout of colic. She made the journey to CSU for intervention and came through after a week of treatment. During this process, she had lost quite a bit of weight and we found out that she only had one kidney. The stress of the situation, being separated from her herd and being so sick had taken a toll on her physically and emotionally. The best medicine for her once back home would be her herd, so we turned her out to the sanctuary pasture. It took nearly six months, but Patsy finally made a full recovery mind, body and spirit and lives her life now with the comfort of her herd, the best place for her.
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Crystal: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Crystal is one of the Sand Wash Basin mares that came to GEMS in 2012. She was put into our training program and proved to be a quick study. She is a powerful mare and would display her athleticism nearly each ride. We decided that the adoption window for her was very narrow as she needed an extremely advanced rider to match her abilities. After initial searches and continued training at our facility, we realized that she would be a tricky one to find a forever home for, so we decided she would be best-suited living life with her friends on the sanctuary. She is very friendly and enjoys the human connection, just as long as you are on the ground and not on her back.
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Helen: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Helen is another one of our Sand Wash Basin mares born in 2008 and brought to GEMS in 2012. She is a wild girl at heart and never showed any interest in humans or training. We decided life on the sanctuary would be the best place for her, which she enjoys each and every day in the company of the horses she’s grown up with since she was a baby.
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Naomi: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Naomi is one of the Sand Wash Basin mares that came to GEMS back in 2012. Naomi, with her pinto markings, are very characteristic of the Sand Wash Basin wild horses. Today she lives out her life with the other mares who she has called family since being captured as a baby!
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Wynonna: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Wynonna is a Sand Wash Basin mare that came to GEMS in 2012 as a 5 year old. She was adopted with Regal G and went into a training program with her adopter and selected trainers well-equipped to handle wild horses. After almost 2 years in training, the adopter decided that she would be best suited for sanctuary life and we honored the request to turn them both out to live wild on our sanctuary pasture.
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Johona: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Johona, born in 2004, is a Nevada Mustang that came to us from our friends at The Colorado Horse Rescue. She was with them for quite some time and in their training program, where she was having troubles with retention. That’s when they turned to us as an option for a forever home for her. She was released into our sanctuary herd in 2016 and has been living wild ever since.
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Cortina: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Cortina is a Sand Wash Basin mare gathered in 2016 and foaled in 2014. She came to GEMS after the gather and was offered for adoption. She went directly into our training program and began to show very aggressive and dangerous behaviors when worked with. She was in training for close to 6 months with no noticaeble improvements. We decided to turn Cortina out to the sanctuary pasture where she has since developed a strong bond with Kalypso and living wild at GEMS like they once did in Sand Wash Basin.
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Indiana Jones: American Mustang Wild Herd Member
Indiana Jones was born in 2011 in Sand Wash Basin. In the wild, he was known for his spirited nature and was often spotted sparring and challenging band stallions, even from a young age. After he was gathered in 2016, he was adopted by a well-intentioned adopter. However, Indy required a more experienced hand in his training process and after a couple years with his previous home, unfortunately he became very withdrawn and did not trust people. Finally his owner reached out to GEMS for training help, but at this point, Indy was a long way off from mental and emotional rehabilitation. We determined he would be best suited joining his former herdmates on our Sanctuary.
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Copper Penny: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Penny is part of our Spanish Mustang educational herd and exhibits a rare curly coat! She came to us at GEMS as a donation from Caballos de Destino, a Spanish Mustang preservation ranch in South Dakota, at 12 years old, Penny is one of our lead mares and was one of the first residents of GEMS back in 2011.
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Sparrow: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Sparrow is a 2009 Spanish Mustang, part of our educational herd. She is a beautiful roan with sweet and gentle personality taking to newcomers in the herd quickly.
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Silver Flower: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Foaled in 2002, Silver Flower has been able to be by her mother’s side for her entire life and now that she is at GEMS and lives on our sanctuary pasture, she will never have to stray far. The two are always side by side and share their days with one another at GEMS. She has unique brindling on her left hip and displays all the primitive, Spanish markings such as leg barring and dorsal stripe.
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Wind Chime: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Wind Chime was foaled in 2001 and is a half sister to Wild Flower. The 3 Grullas are very tightly bonded and are always near one another, which makes for some gorgeous photos!
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Zora: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Zora is a 2004 Spanish Mustang mare and has a beautiful example of the Roman nose that Spanish Mustangs are so well known for. She is one of the more standoffish members of our herd and usually can be seen on the outskirts, far away from people!
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Galena: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Galena was born in 1999 and is a beautiful addition to our Spanish Mustang herd. She was one of the first residents at GEMS and part of the donated herd that educates the public on the unique characteristics and traits of Spanish Mustangs.
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Naja: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Naja is one of our Spanish Mustangs that came in with our beloved “Foxton Five” herd. Still able to live with Tanner and Joe by her side. She initially came with her mother Dulcenea, who has since passed away, at the age of 38! Now Naja (born in 1997) is one of our most senior Mustangs and she is beginning to show signs of her old age. Despite this, she is still strong and happy as ever… living wild and free!
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Lola: Spanish Mustang Wild Herd Member
Lola, was foaled in 2010 and is from the Spanish Mustang preservation, The Cayuse Ranch in Wyoming. The Brislawn Family was first to recognize the vanishing breed back in the early 1900’s…the original Spanish Mustang or Indian Pony as they are sometimes referred to. These tough Mustangs are descendants of the original Spanish horses who came to the Americas in the 1500’s. They are thought to be the foundation of the American Mustang that exists today.
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