Wild Horse Sanctuary

Yesterday I drove to Shingletown to scout out the Wild Horse Sanctuary. Great place! I just went to check it out for a later visit with all my cameras, and found it to be not only a sanctuary for the horses, but a beautiful place to just wander around and explore.

I wandered around for about an hour (I didn't bring adequate water to stay longer), coming across numerous beautiful horses of all shapes, colors and sizes, including several young foals and a couple of newly minted babies.

This particular little fellow was so new that he hardly had the energy to do more than nap. But his momma made sure she kept a close eye on him.

I'll bring you some more images when I go back for the "real deal".



From the Wild Horse Sanctuary website:

In the spring and summer months, to raise money to support the horses, the Sanctuary offers 2 and 3-day weekend pack trips to the public. We also offer a 4 day cattle drive. Each day ride the trails created by the wild horses and burros through pine and oak-studded hills--a bit of paradise dotted with meadows, woods, creeks, and ponds. Bordering Vernal Lake, our base camp consists of frontier style sleeping cabins: a "cook" house featuring a main kitchen, a wood-burning stove, hearty meals, and bathroom facilities, complete with hot shower.

About the Sanctuary:

Rather than allow 80 wild horses living on public land to be destroyed, the founders of the Wild Horse Sanctuary made a major life decision right then and there to rescue these unwanted horses and create a safe home for them. And just as quickly, they launched a media campaign to bring attention to the plight of these and hundreds of other wild horses across the west that eventually led to a national moratorium on killing un-adoptable wild horses.

The Sanctuary is located near Shingletown, California on 5,000 acres of lush lava rock-strewn mountain meadow and forest land. Black Butte is to the west and towering Mt. Lassen is to the east. The current location features better accessibility for the public, a milder winter climate with more natural cover, and other benefits for the horses.