FLAX: 11 years old, was rounded up in 2009 and  adopted into a less ideal situation. Three years later she was re-homed to the amazing Cloud Foundation where she was given a new chance to find a forever home.  2015, she found her way to me and we started our journey.

Valor:  Soon to be 4 years old, was rounded up in late summer 2015 with the NDBH low stress technique. He has only known kindness from humans. His training is going extremely well!

For my first post I want to tell you the story of how I came about adopting Flax and Valor.

You see, I was only suppose to adopt one horse and one horse only. But according to fate, it had a different plan for me. Flax and Valor ended up in my life at the same exact time, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  This is how my herd of 3 (Matilda, Mike and I) became a herd of 5.

Let's roll back to 1/24/15 when my friend Jonathan first showed me a picture of Flax and told me she needed a home. As I studied her picture I knew I was a goner, she wouldn't need help finding a home, she found one at that moment. I had a deep drive to be her human. I was drawn in by her kind eye with a spark of fire, (after all she is an offspring of Washakie and Baja of the Pryor Mountains). Unfortunately, It wasn't the right time for me to adopt. However, inspired by her picture, I decided to get the conversations rolling to adopt her within a years time if she hadn't already found a home. It took about 7 months of conversation before the Cloud Foundation realized I was serious in giving her a home (I live across the country). So, to put the final stamp on that I was serious and this was going to happen, I flew out to meet her on 8/3/2015 in Colorado. I fell in love, my husband fell in love, it was a done deal. The papers were signed on 8/7 and on 8/31 she would be making her journey towards me.

Now, while the adoption process for Flax was happening, some other fate stepped in. 5/15/2015 I had gotten the Wild Horse Guide Book through North Dakota Badlands Horse. I saw Valor's picture and instantly felt my heart pitter patter. I showed my husband, and said if for some reason Valor ever gets rounded up, I want to adopt him (thinking it would never happen). 

Fast forward to July 2015 when I heard the heart wrenching news that Valor was rounded up and would be available for adoption. I was in disbelief, I had just booked a trip to North Dakota to specifically photograph him in the wild (this was the same trip I was going to meet Flax).  My first reaction was tears and sadness. And even though I vowed to myself I would adopt him if he was ever rounded up, I never thought it would be so soon, or ever.  Now my brain was on overload. How can I adopt two wild horses? I had just agreed to move forward with Flax. Keeping my thoughts to myself, that I can't possibly adopt two wild horses within a week of each other, I felt a certain sadness come over me. I expressed to my husband what had happened to Valor and how badly I wanted to adopt him, but it just wasn't option at the moment. A week later my husband with a big smile on his face surprised me by saying "let's go for it. Let's adopt a second mustang."  On 7/23/2015 I sent in an application to get qualified to adopt. He wouldn't be mine yet, I would have to bid on him. 

The plan was to meet Valor in the holding pens in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. That day was 7/29. From there I would drive to Colorado to meet Flax as well. On 8/11/15 the auction happened and we had outbid everyone! I burst into tears of joy at how incredibly lucky I was.

So now I have two mustangs in my life, and it all became officiall that second week in August 2015. And this is how the site became "This Mustang Life" 

I have so many more stories to tell! So Stay tuned!

Here is the Flax and Valor timeline:

1/24/15 - When I learned about Flax and continued conversations to adopt
5/15/15 - Saw a picture of Valor in the NDBH Guide
7/2015 - I heard Valor was rounded up.
7/23/2015 -  I send in the application for Valor
7/29/2015 - I met Valor in North Dakota
8/3/2015 -  I met Flax in Colorado.
8/7/2015 - I signed the papers for Flax and she was officially adopted!
8/11/2015 - I bid on Valor and I get to adopt him!
8/31/2015 -  Flax leaves Colorado for MN to begin training with Michael Sparling.
10/7/2015 - Valor leaves North Dakota for MN to begin gentling with Michael Sparling.