Helping horses, helping youth
About Us
The Mustang Project advocates for and participates in the rescue of mustangs at-risk of going to slaughter. These horses are living on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service, and other state agencies. Thousands of horses are removed from the wild every year, and although there are over 65,000 horses in government holding facilities, many of the horses removed end up being sold and shipped to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered for their meat.
The Mustang Project believes that horses are native to North America, are an integral part of the ecosystem, important in preventing catastrophic wildfires, and should be managed in the wild.
The Mustang Project has saved over 70 horses from slaughter.
Our Sanctuary
The Mustang Project is currently located on 20 acres in northern California, and we provide sanctuary for mustangs that were in danger of going to slaughter. We are excited to announce that we have acquired over 85 acres in Apache County, Arizona for our sanctuary! This will allow our horses to have more room to roam, and for us to possibly take in additional horses that are at-risk of going to slaughter. Our most pressing need is to put up about 7,110 feet of fencing!! If you'd like to make a donation, please click on the link below, which will take you to Zeffy, a donation platform that doesn't charge any fees:
Checks can be sent to:
The Mustang Project, P.O. Box 1161, Corning, CA 96021
The Mustang Project was incorporated in 2001 and is a 501 (c) 3 organization.
All donations are tax deductible to the full extent as allowed by law.
Meet Some of Our Horses
These are just a few of the horses at The Mustang Project and their stories.
Each of these horses, and many more, have been given the chance to live out their lives in safety and peace – no more dangerous roundups, no chance of going to slaughter – all because of generous donors like you.
Pumpkin Spice
At the age of 8 years, Pumpkin Spice was owned by a horse trader, and because he was a mustang and nervous around people, he was going to be sold for the brutal "sport" of horse tripping in Mexico. For anyone not familiar with this, it's when a horse is chased at high speed around an arena and then roped around their front legs, causing them to crash to the ground. This is done repeatedly until the horse either breaks their leg or their neck.
His freeze mark indicates that he was gathered as a two year old on 8/7/18 from the Four Mile High HMA in Utah. He was titled when he was 4 years old. We don't know much about how he ended up at risk. Pumpkin Spice loves scratches and treats, but is still a little warry around new situations.
To learn more about horse tripping, click HERE.
Sierra
Sierra is one of 60 horses The Mustang Project took after US Fish and Wildlife Service removed the entire herd from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.
Most of the horses we received were older, in their teen and 20's, and are living out their lives at the sanctuary together as a wild herd.
A few, like Sierra, who was 11 years old when she arrived, were younger but had physical deformities.
In addition, a few foals were born to mares once they were at the sanctuary. Two from mares that were pregnant off the range, and two as a result of the failed vasectomies performed on stallions while they were still in the wild.
For more information about the horses from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, click HERE.
Elenore Sunrise
Sunrise was removed from the Stinkingwater HMA in eastern Oregon on 8/21/21 when she was 5 years old. Her adopter got legal title to her on 2/7/23 when she was 7 years old, and just over a year later she ended up in a kill pen in Texas (pictured here) waiting for the next truck to take her to a slaughter plant in Mexico to be "processed" for food.
When she arrived at the sanctuary, the driver said she didn't want anything to do with people! But we discovered once she settled in that she was very friendly, obviously well treated and handled. We're not sure how she ended up at auction and purchased by a kill buyer. It's a myth that only sick, old or injured horses go to slaughter, and that slaughter is necessary or that it is a humane death. Lovely, healthy sweet horses end up shipping to slaughter every single day.
Shelby
Shelby is what is considered a "readopt" by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). He was adopted, but then before the one year period was over for the adopter to get his title, they returned him to the BLM. Fortunately for Shelby, he went into a foster home and not back to the BLM holding facility. Going back to a holding facility would have given him another "strike". Each time a horse is offered for adoption and does not get adopted, they get a strike. After three strikes, BLM can sell them "without conditions", meaning he could have been sold to someone who could have shipped him directly to slaughter. (All BLM horses over 10 years of age are automatically allowed to be sold "without condition".)
Shelby came to us as a two year old and had lots of handling. He is super friendly, smart, and very tolerant. Shelby is from the Devil's Garden HMA in north-eastern California, now managed by the US Forest Service.
"Doc" Holliday
At the young age of 2 years old, Doc was considered a "three strikes" mustang. He was sold "without condition" to someone who bought truckloads of three strikes mustangs and put them on his ranch in Nebraska. The horses were not cared for, countless horses died at the ranch, and over 200 horses, mostly mustangs, were rescued from the brink of starvation. The Mustang Project, with the help of Lifesaver's, was able to transport him to take in one of the rescued mustangs.
Here is Doc after he was rehabilitated. Because Doc was already 6 years old when he came here and was never handled, we decided he would live out his life here on his own terms. We've worked with him with target training, and he very gently takes treats with his lips. Although he tolerates being brushed by "his" person, he's happy just to hang out with the other horses. Doc is from the Murder's Creek HMA in Oregon.
"Wyatt" Erp
Wyatt was just a year old when he was titled by his adopter, and the very next month sold at auction to a "kill buyer" - someone who buys horses at auctions specifically to ship them to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. We found out about him and were able to raise the funds 24 hours before he was due to ship.
As with many of the horses that are bought for slaughter, Wyatt was healthy, and had no vices or physical defects. He also had training! He loaded right up in the trailer, leads, and picks up his feet. Wyatt is well mannered, as sweet as can be, and a real snuggle-bug.
Wyatt is from the Antelope Valley HMA in northern NV. It is one of the HMA's that was being zeroed out by Madeline Picken's Mustang Monument and being replaced by a non-reproducing herd. Thanks to a generous sponsor, we were able to rescue Wyatt from a horrible death.
Contact us
Donate
You can make a difference by supporting The Mustang Project through a one time or monthly donation. Zeffy does not charge us any fees, which means 100% of your donation goes directly toward caring for the horses!!
If you prefer, you can donate through PayPal:
Checks can be sent to:
The Mustang Project
P.O. Box 1161, Corning, CA 96021
All donations are tax deductible.