CAITRIONA
“The Sassenach”
Born wild, captured and placed by the BLM*, this beautiful 7 year old Mustang mare ended up with a very kind owner in New England who was stymied. Training only got to a certain place, and stopped. A skilled trainer was hired, and the limited manners on this beauty reflect the care and patience that was employed, but she was clearly not destined to be a riding horse. They were stuck, with just the most basic of interaction possible. So, what does a kind owner do with such a piece of nature? She sought a sanctuary where this mare could return to a semblance of the herd life she was taken away from…and we said yes.
This is, sadly, all too common of a response from wild horses…placed as adults, some adjust and can become riding partners, but many simply do not thrive in captivity. There are no more wild horses in our area of the world, so by the time they are here, they have been through a long journey, with trauma, separation, fear, and a lot of miles in a trailer. Can you imagine how you would feel as an adult, living your life, to be chased, captured, separated from your family, kept a prisoner, until finally put in a car and driven hundreds of miles? It’s amazing any adjust, and some do, but our Sanctuary has many who could not. There is no easy solution, so when we have the room, we are happy to welcome the mustangs. This mare needed a home somewhere that would allow her to be a horse, and Rosemary Farm is where horses get to be horses.
Join us as we listen to Caitriona share her story – Become her Sponsor today!
Caitriona is:
• a bay branded American Mustang mare
• welcomed to The Sanctuary in August 2023
• a member of Molly & Finn’s herd
• seeking Sponsorship!
• fun fact; Normally very quiet, she has a deep, throaty nicker reserved for the sound of the grain dish!
*BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, is the federal organization that oversees the wild Mustangs that belong to all US citizens. Deemed a national treasure in 1971, Mustangs have found themselves being dangerously depleted as they are rounded up off federal lands, and moved to large holding facilities, with a dubious future, all at the hands of the very organization charged with overseeing them.