About

What is a Mustang?

  • Wild horses are indigenous to the United States and were re-introduced to North America by the Spanish in the 1500s. Additionally, horse fossils have been recently found and date back to prehistoric time.
  • Their distinguishing features are their smaller size, good bones, and their extremely hardy bodies.
  • They have survived on sparse forage for thousands of years. Contrary to everyday horses, wild mustangs can live perfectly well in a desert with no tall grass or hay.
  • In 1971, the United States Congress recognized Mustangs as “living symbols of the historic 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.”

What are the troubles they are facing?

  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior that administers America’s public lands, totaling approximately 253 million acres. The BLM’s stated mission is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. (Wikipedia)
    110 years ago there were 2 million mustangs roaming free. Now, there are approximately 30,000 wild mustangs roaming the country. They are not protected from government (BLM) round ups.
  • American horses are being sold to killer buyers who slaughter these animals in various parts of the world for financial gain. It is illegal to slaughter horses in the United States.
  • Controversy surrounds the sharing of land and resources by the free ranging Mustangs with the livestock of the ranching industry, and also with the methods with which the federal government manages the wild population numbers. (Wikipedia)
  • The gathering process consists of low flying helicopters chasing the horses for miles at a time to a designated area. Then, trucks load up the horses and bring them to short-term holding facilities where they will potentially stay up to 3 years at a time if not adopted or sold.
  • The horses belong to the American people. The wild horses are just managed by the government (BLM), but the BLM doesn’t own them. Americans should continue to have a say as to what happens to their horses and we encourage all of our supporters to Take Action through our website, http://www.SavingAmericasMustangs.org.

What is Madeleine Pickens’ Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation doing to help?

  • Saving America’s Mustangs (SAM) participates in all kinds of events that would generate awareness for the plight of the mustang. The foundation has put on galas, government letter delivery campaigns (Pony Express 2010), Half-time shows for football teams with horse mascots, and SAM will be in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade with a float and Equestrian unit.
  • Saving America’s Mustangs is friends with other animal organizations who have also backed this cause to stop the roundups and support Madeleine Pickens Eco- Sanctuary plan. Some of which include: Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA, Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, Lifesavers Horse Rescue, Cloud Foundation, PETA, and several others.
  • Saving America’s Mustangs updates the website consistently, sends out e-blasts with up-to-the-minute information, and also has a fan page on Facebook that encourage supporters to participate and get actively involved with, http://www.facebook.com/mustangmonument. You can find all sorts of important information on news and events related to the mustangs on each of these mediums.
  • SAM also has created collateral merchandise that we are giving out, gratis, to our supporters, who will just pay for the shipping. We have bumper stickers, regular stickers, and temporary tattoos. Show your mustang pride by ordering some today!
  • Madeleine Pickens is developing a wild horse eco- sanctuary living museum where visitors can come and visit their horses and see them roaming in their natural habitat.

What is the Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary Plan?

  • Saving America’s Mustangs is creating up to a million acre Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary as a permanent home for wild horses presently in captivity. It will be called Mustang Monument.
  • Madeleine Pickens has already purchased the land in Elko, Nevada, at the Spruce Ranch. It is approximately 600,000 acres of private and public lands for the horses to roam free and visitors from all over the world to see the horses on the land.
  • This sanctuary will become a living museum, where visitors can reconnect with the great outdoors, learn about the land, and American culture. It will be a patriotic place designed for people of all ages. It will show how the American West came to be and why the wild horse is such an integral part to our American history.
  • There will be endless activities on the grounds for guests. There will be electronic classrooms, complete with teachers and ecology seminars and lessons about the wild horses and Native American history. Guided hikes through the desert, camping in teepees, special campfires with musical storytelling and Native American legends are just some of the fun activities. There will also be opportunities for wellness and retreats with groups. Creative writing and photography internships will also be available. Staying at the sanctuary will be a world-class experience that will be remembered and shared long after visitors leave.
  • There has already been so much interest for job and volunteer opportunities at the Eco-Sanctuary. We aren’t ready to hire yet, but as the sanctuary starts development and gets underway at the beginning on 2011, we will let everyone know when jobs come available through our website and e-blasts. Make sure you are on our mailing list to receive these updates.
  • Question and answers specific to the wild horses at Mustang Monument and the pilot program with the BLM can be found on our homepage. Please take a look there for more information.

What Can You Do to Help?

It’s all about grassroots to make a definitive change for our wild mustangs. We encourage all of our supporters to tell anyone and everyone they know that this is happening to America’s mustangs! Many Americans aren’t even aware that the mustangs belong to the American people and should be protected. Even if you’re not an animal lover, you should care that your hard earned tax dollars are funding this multi-million dollar program. Please get behind this issue and speak up for these innocent animals with no voice of their own.

Together, we will make change happen.