HOOVES

10/15/2026

🐴 GRACIE — FROM A SLAUGHTER-BOUND TRUCK TO A LIFE OF CONNECTION

She was on the same slaughter-bound truck as Cash.

Today, she’s helping people discover something they may have forgotten they had.

Confidence.

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET GRACIE

Meet Gracie, a Mustang mare whose life could have taken a very different turn.

Gracie and Cash share a piece of history neither would have chosen.

Both were rescued from the same slaughter-bound truck.

Both were given another chance.

And both eventually found their way into the H.O.O.V.E.S. family.

But their personalities?

Well, those are uniquely their own.

Gracie is incredibly friendly, gentle, and approachable.

She’s the kind of horse whose calm presence can invite someone to slow down and simply enjoy being near her.

And her ability to connect with people isn’t something new.

Before becoming part of H.O.O.V.E.S., Gracie helped children build confidence.

Think about that for a moment.

A horse whose own future was once uncertain was given the opportunity to help young people discover courage.

And today, she continues to be part of meaningful experiences with veterans and first responders.

Sometimes, when people have experienced trauma, finding the words to explain what they’re feeling can be difficult.

But standing beside a horse?

That can feel different.

Horses don’t expect perfectly rehearsed answers.

They don’t require you to explain your entire story.

And they certainly don’t care whether you’re having a good hair day. 😂

They respond to what’s happening in the moment.

And sometimes, that creates space for connection without pressure.

Gracie’s story reminds us that having a difficult past doesn’t mean we cannot experience peace or build meaningful relationships in the future.

Today, Gracie receives specialized care for her metabolic needs.

And she remains a valued member of our Mustang family.

Being gentle isn’t the same as being weak.

Sometimes the softest presence can leave the strongest impression.

❤️ Once, her future was uncertain. Today, she continues to be part of moments that remind others there is hope beyond difficult beginnings.

This is Gracie.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/15/2026

🐴 CASH — THE HORSE WHO GOT A SECOND CHANCE

He was on a truck headed toward a future no horse deserves.

But his story wasn’t over.

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET CASH

Meet Cash, a Mustang whose journey began on the Paiute reservation.

At one point in his life, Cash found himself on a slaughter-bound truck.

For many horses, that journey has no happy ending.

But for Cash, people stepped in.

A community came together to help change the direction of his life.

He was rescued.

He was given another chance.

And eventually, his journey brought him to H.O.O.V.E.S.

But here’s what makes Cash so remarkable.

Despite the uncertainty of his past, he’s one of the calmest, steadiest members of our Mustang herd.

He’s gentle.

He’s dependable.

And he has a quiet presence that can make the world around him feel a little less overwhelming.

Cash also participates in liberty work, where communication and connection are developed through body language, awareness, and trust.

No need for complicated conversations.

No expectation to explain every feeling.

Just two beings learning to understand one another.

And perhaps that’s why his story is so powerful.

Cash’s past could have been the end of his story. Instead, it became one chapter in a life that still has meaning.

For veterans and first responders who have experienced difficult seasons, that message matters.

You are more than what happened to you.

You are more than the circumstances you survived.

And your future does not have to be defined by the hardest chapter of your life.

We can’t know exactly what Cash remembers from his journey.

But we can appreciate the horse standing before us today.

Calm.

Steady.

Present.

And very much deserving of the life he gets to live.

❤️ Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t getting a different past. It’s being given a future.

This is Cash.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/15/2026

🐴 SAHYANN — KIND DOESN’T MEAN WEAK

Her name means “kind and gentle.”

But nobody told her that meant she couldn’t have an attitude! 😂

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET SAHYANN

Meet Sahyann (pronounced “Sigh-Ann”), a Mustang mare whose journey began in the wild landscapes of Utah.

She came to H.O.O.V.E.S. in 2010, when she was approximately four years old.

Along the way, Sahyann participated in the Extreme Mustang Makeover, an event that showcases what formerly wild Mustangs can accomplish through training, patience, and partnership.

Her journey eventually brought her back to H.O.O.V.E.S., where she became part of a mission much bigger than herself.

And let’s talk about her personality.

Because Sahyann has opinions!

Out in the pasture, she can have a big personality.

She values her space.

She isn’t afraid to stand her ground.

And she certainly doesn’t feel the need to agree with everyone around her.

But put her on a lead rope, and you’ll see a different side of her.

A well-mannered Mustang who understands partnership and communication.

And that contrast teaches us something important.

Being gentle doesn’t mean allowing others to cross your boundaries.

Being kind doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everything.

And being strong doesn’t mean you have to be difficult to reach.

For veterans and first responders, those lessons can carry meaningful reminders about rebuilding trust, learning healthy boundaries, and discovering strength through connection.

Sometimes healing means learning when to stand your ground.

And sometimes it means learning when it’s safe to let someone walk beside you.

Sahyann reminds us that both can be true.

She can be independent AND cooperative.

Strong AND gentle.

Full of personality AND capable of meaningful connection.

❤️ Because real strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s knowing exactly who you are and refusing to lose yourself.

This is Sahyann.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/15/2026

🐴 ELLIE — THE MUSTANG NOBODY SAW COMING

She was never part of the plan. But some of life’s greatest gifts are the ones we never saw coming.

And this particular gift came with four hooves, a whole lot of personality, and parents who apparently didn’t understand boundaries. 😂

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET ELLIE

Meet Eleanor, affectionately known as Ellie!

Born in 2012, Ellie has one of the most unexpected beginnings of any Mustang here at H.O.O.V.E.S.

Remember Shelby and Cobie?

Well…

Apparently, Cobie decided a fence wasn’t going to stand between him and Shelby!

And one unexpected adventure later, a little surprise was on the way.

The funniest part?

Nobody even knew Shelby was pregnant until she was just THREE WEEKS away from delivering!

And just like that, Ellie entered the world.

Named after the legendary 1967 Shelby GT “Eleanor,” Ellie certainly grew into a personality worthy of her name.

She’s affectionate.

She loves people.

She enjoys attention.

And she has absolutely NO problem letting you know when she disagrees with something. 😂

But underneath that bold personality is something truly special.

Even as a young horse, Ellie showed an ability to connect with people.

Today, she’s part of the healing work at H.O.O.V.E.S., where her honest, expressive personality creates meaningful opportunities for connection.

Because Ellie doesn’t pretend to be someone she’s not.

And perhaps there’s a lesson in that.

How often do we hide our emotions because we’re afraid of how others will respond?

How often do we convince ourselves that strength means keeping everything inside?

Ellie reminds us that authenticity matters.

You don’t have to be quiet to be kind.

You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference.

And you certainly don’t have to hide your personality to belong.

Today, Ellie receives ongoing care for Equine Metabolic Syndrome.

But her purpose has never depended on being perfect or having everything figured out.

❤️ Sometimes the most extraordinary stories begin with something nobody planned.

And sometimes those surprises become exactly what we didn’t know we needed.

This is Ellie.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/15/2026

🐴 COBIE — THE MUSTANG WHO NEVER HAD TO STOP BEING WILD

What if healing doesn’t mean changing who you are?

What if it means finally finding a place where you’re accepted exactly as you are?

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET COBIE

Meet Cobie, also known as Cobra.

Cobie is a Sulphur Springs Mustang whose story challenges what many people believe about trust, boundaries, and healing.

He came to H.O.O.V.E.S. in 2010 as a yearling.

His early experiences left him with a strong desire to protect his independence.

And he made that very clear!

Cobie wasn’t interested in being caught.

He wasn’t interested in wearing a halter.

And he certainly wasn’t going to surrender his independence just because someone expected him to.

But during a retreat, something remarkable happened.

Cobie formed a connection with a participant.

Not through force.

Not through control.

But through understanding.

Today, Cobie participates in our Healing Intensives.

He still doesn’t particularly enjoy being caught or haltered.

But he LOVES scratches and attention in the pasture!

And once he’s on a lead rope, he’s incredibly well-behaved.

Here’s what makes Cobie so special.

We never had to take away his personality for him to become part of something meaningful.

For veterans and first responders who have experienced trauma, his story offers a powerful reminder.

You can have boundaries.

You can carry difficult experiences.

You can need space.

And you can STILL be worthy of meaningful connection.

Healing doesn’t require us to surrender everything that makes us who we are.

❤️ Cobie is also the father of another very special Mustang here at H.O.O.V.E.S.

And trust us…

Her arrival was quite the surprise. 😂

This is Cobie.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/15/2026

🐴 SHELBY — THE MUSTANG WHO HELPED START IT ALL

She was wild. Untouchable. And had every reason not to trust.

But sometimes, the ones who teach us the most about healing are the ones who once refused to let anyone close.

❤️ THE WILD CONNECTION | MEET SHELBY

Meet Shelby, a 26-year-old Mustang mare whose story is woven into the very foundation of H.O.O.V.E.S.

Shelby was the first Mustang Amanda ever worked with.

She was wild, untouched, and wasn’t about to hand over her trust simply because someone wanted it.

And honestly? Can you blame her?

She knew the world through instincts that had helped wild horses survive for generations.

Building a relationship with her required something that cannot be forced.

Patience.
Consistency.
Respect.

For approximately 25 years, Shelby has been part of Amanda’s journey, teaching lessons that would eventually become central to the healing work at H.O.O.V.E.S.

Today, Shelby is one of the older members of our herd, but her purpose is far from over.

She has participated in every H.O.O.V.E.S. Healing Intensive.

And there’s something incredibly special about her.

Time and time again, Shelby seems to gravitate toward the participant who needs her most.

Nobody tells her whom to approach.

Nobody hands her a list of people who are struggling.

She simply makes a connection.

For veterans and first responders carrying wounds the world cannot always see, sometimes being approached without judgment or expectation becomes a meaningful moment.

And Shelby reminds us of something worth remembering.

Trust cannot be demanded. Healing cannot be rushed. And sometimes the quietest connection can speak the loudest.

She may be one of the older members of our Mustang family, but her story is still unfolding.

❤️ 26 years of life. 25 years of lessons. Countless moments of connection.

This is Shelby.

And this is The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/14/2026

🐴 14 MUSTANGS. 14 STORIES. ONE PLACE TO CALL HOME.

They once belonged to the wild.

Some knew the freedom of wide-open landscapes. Some experienced the confusion of roundups, holding facilities, and a world they didn’t understand.

Today, 14 incredible Mustangs call H.O.O.V.E.S. home.

But here’s what we want you to understand…

They are so much more than the circumstances that brought them here.

Each has a name.
Each has a personality.
Each has a story.
And each has something uniquely beautiful to offer.

Some are bold. Some are quiet. Some are curious. Some take a little longer to trust.

And here at H.O.O.V.E.S., these once-wild horses have become part of something extraordinary: a place where veterans, first responders, and horses can experience connection, understanding, and healing.

Over the coming days, we’re inviting you to get to know all 14 Mustangs who call our sanctuary home.

You’ll discover where they came from, what makes them unique, and how their stories continue to unfold.

Because behind every Mustang is a story worth telling. And we believe every one deserves to be heard.

Welcome to the next chapter of The Wild Connection. 🐴❤️

10/13/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS FROM THE PASTURE! 🚨🐴🍂

Elise would like to file a FORMAL complaint with Mother Nature. 😂

“EXCUSE ME?! I was told it was FALL! 🍁 I was promised crisp mornings, chilly breezes, and cooler temperatures. SO WHY IN THE HORSE HAY IS IT ALMOST 90 DEGREES TODAY?!” 🥵☀️

You see, Elise is a fall and winter kind of girl. ❤️

Give her cool air, crunchy leaves, and especially a fresh blanket of SNOW, and she’s in her absolute glory! ❄️🐴

She LOVES playing in the snow, and we’re pretty sure she’s already counting down the days until she can kick up her heels in it again.

So naturally, this October heat wave has been met with some VERY strong opinions. And judging by this picture, she’s not keeping them to herself. 🤣

But Elise’s little pasture protest comes with a reminder we could probably all use.

❤️ Not everything in life is going to be our favorite season.

Some days are uncomfortable. Some days don’t go the way we expected. And some days feel completely out of place.

But there’s still something worth appreciating in every season, even the ones we wouldn’t have chosen.

Don’t get so busy wishing for what’s next that you forget to enjoy what’s right in front of you.

Of course, Elise would like everyone to know that she appreciates the lesson…

But she’d appreciate it a whole lot more if Mother Nature would TURN THE AIR CONDITIONING BACK ON! 😂❄️🐴

10/12/2026

🐴 THE WILD CONNECTION | WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE ROUNDUP?

One of the horses in this photo has a name. His name is Montana. ❤️

And today, he’s part of the herd at H.O.O.V.E.S.

But before he became part of our family, Montana had an entirely different life.

A life without fences. Without barns. Without people deciding where he would go next.

He was WILD. He was FREE. And everything he knew was about to change.

💔 DID YOU SEE HIS ROUNDUP VIDEO?

Earlier in our Wild Connection series, we shared actual footage from the 2017 Frisco wild horse roundup in Utah.

If you watched it, you saw the helicopters. You saw the horses running. You saw the dust rising as an entire chapter of their lives changed.

But have you ever wondered what happened AFTER the helicopters left?

Where did those horses go?

What happened to the families that had spent their lives together?

And how does a wild horse like Montana eventually end up at a place like H.O.O.V.E.S.?

Today, we’re answering those questions.

🐎 STEP 1: SORTING AND SEPARATION

Following a roundup, wild horses are moved into temporary corrals, where Bureau of Land Management (BLM) personnel begin sorting them.

Horses may be separated by age, s*x, and management needs.

Some are selected to return to the range. Others are transported into the BLM’s off-range holding system.

Think about that for a moment.

These are animals that form strong social bonds. They live in family bands, recognize one another, and develop relationships that can last for years.

And suddenly, everything familiar can change.

🩺 STEP 2: MEDICAL CARE AND IDENTIFICATION

Once horses arrive at BLM preparation facilities, they undergo processing that can include:

🐴 Veterinary health evaluations
🐴 Vaccinations and deworming
🐴 Blood testing
🐴 Age and physical assessments
🐴 Permanent identification using a freeze mark

That small identification mark you may have noticed on the necks of some of our Mustangs?

It’s part of how horses are identified and tracked within the BLM system.

A horse that once lived without human ownership is now assigned an identification number.

🏜️ STEP 3: LIFE IN HOLDING

Here’s the part many people don’t realize.

Not every Mustang gathered from the wild immediately finds a home.

Some spend months or years in off-range holding facilities.

Others are transferred to larger off-range pastures, where they may remain for the rest of their lives.

For horses that once traveled across vast landscapes, this is a very different existence.

And while the roundup itself may last only days, the consequences of that roundup can shape the rest of a horse’s life.

❤️ STEP 4: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

From here, the paths can look very different.

Some Mustangs are adopted into private homes.

Others are sold under federal regulations.

Some remain in long-term government care.

And some eventually find their way into programs where they have an opportunity to build an entirely new kind of connection with people.

That’s where Montana’s story takes another turn.

Because today, Montana isn’t standing in a BLM holding facility.

He’s at H.O.O.V.E.S.

He’s one of 14 Mustangs who are now part of something incredibly special.

Horses with histories that began on the open range, now building relationships with veterans, first responders, and others navigating their own journeys of healing.

And maybe that’s what makes this connection so powerful.

The horses have experienced change, uncertainty, and the loss of everything familiar.

The people who come through our gates may know some of those feelings, too.

Different experiences. Different stories.

But sometimes, connection begins without a single word being spoken.

❤️ MONTANA IS MORE THAN A NUMBER.

He’s more than a horse who was gathered in 2017.

He’s an individual with a story that matters.

And every single one of our Mustangs has a story worth telling.

The wild was part of their beginning. It doesn’t have to be the end of their story.

🐴 Now we want to hear from YOU!

💬 Before following The Wild Connection, did you know what happened to Mustangs after they were removed from the wild?

👇 Tell us in the comments. And if you’re just joining us, go back and watch Montana’s roundup video. It adds a whole new perspective to the horse you’re looking at today.

14 Mustangs. 14 stories. One incredible connection.

Follow along as we continue sharing the lives, histories, and journeys of the Mustangs who call H.O.O.V.E.S. home.

10/11/2026