The Horses & the Sanctuary

        Our first sanctuary horses were gathered as part of a round up of approximately 15 horses taken off the range in the Carson National Forest by the Forest Service in the early spring of 2007. We chose the four horses we adopted based on appearance and apparent family band connection. Sun, Moon, and Fire were gaunt and ragged after a difficult winter out in the forest, making them potentially less adoptable. Wild horses roam together in family bands, forming deep bonds, and we wanted to keep members from the same band together. Moon and Fire are mother and foal, and it appeared that together with Sun and Luna, they were band mates. Luna gave birth to a colt in late May 2007, bringing the number in the band to 5. Once our horses are adopted and become part of the sanctuary, we keep them together and enable them to run free for the rest of their natural lives. The sanctuary is a no-kill, no-breeding organization. This enables us to ensure the best treatment of our horses while allowing us to take in as many horses in need as possible.

        Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary is working with people from across the country to keep wild horses safe and running free forever. The sanctuary, founded in the summer of 2007 and headquartered in the heart of northern New Mexico, provides a haven for wild horses while seeking to protect wild lands where these horses can roam.  Sky Mountain Wild envisions wild places where wild horses thrive as a part of a healthy ecosystem. We are creating a refuge in which horses and other wildlife live in balance to protect horses and to provide learning opportunities for environmental sustainability. We at Sky Mountain Wild believe that through creating connections between wildlife, wild habitat, and humans, a better world is possible. Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary is a 501C3 non-profit corporation. Our work is supported through the generosity of our members and friends, as well as the hard work of our volunteers.

Wild Horses in New Mexico

        Wild horses are regularly removed from their home territories in New Mexico and throughout the western US to reduce herd numbers. The maximum number of horses allowed on public lands is set by different government agencies such as the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management who manage public lands where wild horses roam. The number is based on factors such as range condition, as well as the number of cattle permitted to graze on these lands. Horses that are not adopted after roundups are sent to holding facilities managed by the Bureau of Land Management, where they may be offered again for adoption, corralled in long term holding facilities or possibly sent to slaughter.

       It is difficult to know the numbers of wild horses left in New Mexico – they don’t exactly stand still for counting. What we do know is that their numbers are dwindling, here and throughout the west. The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed in 1971 in response to the shooting, poisoning and capture for slaughter of wild horses and burros in the west. The act was designed to provide federal protection for these species. In 1974, government agencies estimated that there were approximately 6,000 wild horses on public lands in New Mexico. Today, the Forest Services and the Bureau of Land Management estimates are that less than 600 wild horses remain on public lands in our state. Wild horses in 4 of the 7 designated wild horse territories in New Mexico have been removed, and wild burros have been eliminated.

Our vision

        Our long-term vision for the sanctuary is permanent range of at least tens of thousands of acres in northern New Mexico where wild horses run free throughout their lives. We intend to provide a safe, permanent refuge for wild horses rounded up and removed from their home territories here in New Mexico and other states. Our intention is to share the sanctuary by developing educational experiences including summer camps for kids with a special focus on children in foster care, and tours for sanctuary members and others interested in wild horses.

copyright 2008 Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary