Alamo of the Onaqui - A New Addition

By: Erin

Some of you may have already heard that I started a wild horse and burro rescue.  Last month, my first rescued mustang arrived!  Alamo is a mustang from the Onaqui Mountain herd in Utah, near the Great Salt Lake.  When we took our trip out west in 2020, we flew directly over this herd of wild horses.  Unfortunately, in July of last year, 312 wild horses were rounded up from this herd in Utah for no good reason.  When the mustangs were put up for auction, I was looking for my first mustang to rescue.  With the help of Red Bird's Trust, I chose an older mustang who was undesirable to the public and in danger of going to a bad home or ending up in a slaughter facility.  I won Alamo in the auction in December, and he was set to arrive at Okeechobee, Florida in late February.  I chose the name Alamo for patriotic meaning, since mustangs are a nationally protected icon, second only to the Bald Eagle.  I also chose the name because of its Spanish origin.  Mustangs descended from the Spanish horses the Conquistadors brought to the Americas.

Praise the Lord, Alamo arrived safe and sound on February 25, thanks to some wonderful friends who hauled him up from Florida.  His unloading was very uneventful, but two days later, I woke up to find that he had jumped out of his pen!  Thanks to God and my wonderful family, we were able to get him back in - although it took the whole day.  We raised the panels up to about 6 1/2 feet tall and he hasn't been able to escape again!

Within the past month, Alamo has been very accepting and his gentling process has gone very quickly.  He accepted a halter on day #4, he is now leading very well, and accepts almost anything on his back (tarp, saddle pad, balls, etc.).  He is getting very desensitized, which is a blessing.

As much as we are enjoying having Alamo as a part of our farm, we really wish he could've stayed wild.  In fact, many Americans - including ourselves - fought to stop this roundup that removed Alamo and so many other Onaqui mustangs.  Alamo will have always been happier if he had stayed in the wild.  He was not starving, nor were any of the other mustangs.  There was no good reason at all for why he was taken out.  Unfortunately, just a few weeks ago, a few thousand privately owned sheep were released onto the Onaqui Wild Horse Range.  The mustangs were removed (using our tax dollars) to allow the sheep, which are owned by individuals, to graze on our land (our tax dollars go to supporting these sheep).  Sadly, this happens all over the west.  Livestock (like cattle and sheep) are the biggest destroyer of land in the west, causing drought, wildfires, dust storms, and more.  Whereas mustangs and burros are proven to help and maintain the west's environment.

While Americans work to stop livestock grazing on public lands, we need to do something about the 50,000+ wild horses and burros in holding.  That's why I've started a rescue (you can click here to learn more) and that's why Alamo is here.  It is my hope that he will help me bring awareness to the issue since it affects so many different aspects for the horses, the land, and the people.  God commands us to be good stewards and to love and care for His creation.  Through protecting and caring for His beautiful creation, we can do just that.

You can learn more about my mustang rescue here.

Alamo in the wild.  PC: Kisa Kavass

Alamo rearing and fighting with another stallion in the wild.  PC: Greig Huggins

Alamo shortly after being captured.

Alamo in a crowded holding pen, standing in over a foot of mud and manure.

Alamo shortly after his arrival to our property.

Alamo haltered on day #4!

Lots of desensitization work with Alamo!

"Not one is forgotten before God."

Luke 12:6