Mustangs – New – The Middle Way Sanctuary

Mustang Advocacy

Did You Know?

Did you know that Colorado was home to 5 of the 177 wild horse Herd Management Areas in the United States?

Sadly, in 2022, the Piceance – West Douglas herd was “zeroed out” by the Bureau of Land Management and 145 were lost to disease while in short term holding awaiting processing and adoption events. We are left with Little Book Cliffs, Piceance – East Douglas, Spring Creek and Sand Wash Basin.

The Painted Ladies of Sand Wash Basin

Scenic, Ember, Razzle, Dazzle, and Felicity (from left to right, at the sanctuary).

They have been a fixture since Dazzle’s birth in 2009, until their capture and adoption in 2021-2023. With the addition of Scenic and Ember, featured below, they are five generations of mustang mares – icons of the American West.

The Sand Wash Advocate Team’s (SWAT) mission is herd documentation, fertility control, range support, education/promotion, and to be a voice for the mustangs.

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“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world.”

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Scenic and Razzle

Scenic and Razzle were both born before SWAT’s herd documentation began, but we know that Scenic’s daughter was Vogue and Vogue’s daughter is Razzle. Her daughter, Dazzle was born in 2009 and her daughter, Felicity was born in 2014. Since then, Razzle, Dazzle and Felicity have chosen to stay together, while Scenic would spend time with them before moving to another band then returning. This behavior is highly unusual for wild horses, as they generally leave the band they were born into around two years of age—fillies and colts alike—to start their own family bands, just as Ember did when she was approximately two years old.

Scenic

Scenic is the grand matriarch of the Painted Ladies. The Bureau of Land Management aged her at 20 years old in 2023, making her year of birth 2003. The original Painted Lady, she is going to live out her days in safety here at the sanctuary with three generations of her daughters.

Razzle

Razzle was born in Sand Wash Basin, CO before records of the horses were kept. She is estimated to have been born in 2006, out of Vogue. Vogue was the daughter of Scenic. She has been the bravest, most opinionated, most perfect wild horse since the day she arrived at our farm on June 18, 2021

In addition to The Painted Ladies and Scenic, our group of Mustangs include Berelle and Blaze.

Ember

Ember was born in 2017. She is the daughter of Felicity, and therefore the fifth generation of mustang mares at the Sanctuary. In the wild, before her capture in 2021, Ember had two daughters. Both are in loving homes, and Ember is enjoying time hanging out with her great great great grandmother.

Berelle

Berelle is our youngest mustang, born in 2018. We are hoping she will be an ambassador for the beauty, hardiness and versatility of mustangs for many years to come. She is out of Dianka and most likely by Alliance.

Blaze

Blaze is a Devil’s Garden Mustang, born in 2012, gathered from Modoc National Forest (CA) in 2018. He was transferred to Litchfield BLM Corrals and from there went to Canon City, CO. He was adopted and began his life as a pack and riding horse, spending the majority of his days roaming large mountain pastures with his herd. He was working cattle. As things happen in life, a few years later Blaze needed a new home. He was adopted by a gentleman closely related to The Middle Way Sanctuary in Fairplay, CO. Blaze now happily resides at our Sanctuary with our other Mustangs, therapy and school horses.