Monica’s Story
Separated from her mother. Brutally chased down. Penned. This is a glimpse of what happened to Monica, a wild filly, during a horrific roundup of wild horses in Nevada. Unlike federally-protected mustangs, Monica was rounded up from tribal lands and was headed for slaughter. When we answered the call about Monica, we heard the story of the roundup.
The day of the stampede was hot, and horses were soaked in sweat. They were run for miles and the helicopter contractors and men on ATVs took no consideration for their safety. Once trapped, they began to panic, piling on top of each other while attempting to escape the pen. Monica was banged up in the process. Shortly after the roundup, she was separated from her mother and left in a pen with dozens of newly orphaned horses. Their mothers were shipped to auction. We agreed to take Monica and 5 other young mustangs into our training program.
Monica’s life looks much different today than it did on that day she was rounded up with a fate unknown.
She was entered into our training program and quickly took to it. In late March, Monica competed in ‘Ranch Riding’ in Rancho Murieta. She was judged on her ability to work at a forward, working speed while performing maneuvers. The class simulated riding outside the confines of an arena and helped to reflect the versatility, attitude, and movement of a working horse.
During the competition, Monica caught the eye of a young woman named Krysha and the rest was history! Monica was adopted that day.
Belle’s Story
Belle and her family were rounded up by helicopters and removed from public lands in Nevada by the Bureau of Land Management. The area is called the Triple B Herd Management area. It’s an extremely large HMA at 1.2 million acres of public land where there are plentiful grasses and beautiful watersheds.
We have mustangs here at MCR from all over the west, and many reasons why they have ended up with us. In her own small way, Belle is an ambassador for the 50,000 wild horses that the BLM has removed from our public lands and put into government holding pens.
Just this week, Belle was adopted into her forever home by Megan. Happy Trails sweet girl!
