Fading Hoofbeats

12/05/2025

I almost sent my heart horse back.

When McGavin Peak Floki stepped off the trailer, he was so terrified that I honestly thought I’d picked the wrong horse. Devil’s Garden Lagertha was supposed to be “my” horse. Floki was supposed to be Brent’s steady eddy.

That’s not how the horses wrote the story.

I wrote about the little moments that changed everything—the day Floki stepped up to be my windbreak, the first time he trusted me enough to sleep beside me, and how the “wrong” horse became my heart horse. 💚

🔗 https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/heart-horse-i-almost-sent-back/

If you’ve ever looked at a scared horse and wondered if you made a mistake, this one’s for you.

This heart horse story begins with Devil’s Garden Lagertha—but a terrified McGavin Peak mustang named Floki stepped off the trailer and quietly rewrote my life.

12/02/2025

Colorado’s wild horses don’t live in postcard ski towns—they live out on the western slope in sagebrush, canyons, and badlands.

I just published our Colorado Wild Horse & B***o Guide, covering Sand Wash Basin, Piceance–East Douglas, Little Book Cliffs, and Spring Creek Basin. It’s written for people who want to see the horses in person without crowding foals, chasing bands, or getting stuck in gumbo.

If you’ve ever wondered where to go, how far to stay back (hint: more than 100 feet), or what “good manners” look like around wild horses, this one’s for you.

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Colorado Wild Horse & B***o Guide to Sand Wash Basin, Piceance, Little Book Cliffs and Spring Creek Basin mustangs, with viewing tips and adoption links.

12/01/2025

Trail Break time 🧩

I’ve been working on a state-by-state series of wild horse & b***o guides, and this week I tried something new—a mustang-themed logic puzzle.

Four adopters, four mustangs, four different HMAs. Can you figure out who brought home which horse, from which herd, and what color they are?

🐴 Free printable version included if you like to solve on paper
🌵 Links to the growing wild horse & b***o guide series at the bottom

Take a quick brain break with the mustangs here:
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Take a quick Trail Break with this wild horse logic puzzle. Match each mustang to its home HMA, then follow the links to in-depth wild horse and b***o guides on Fading Hoofbeats.

11/28/2025

🖤 Black Friday, but make it black horses.

While the world is racing shopping carts down crowded aisles, I’m out here brushing arena dust off two wild-born mustangs and dreaming about quiet miles under big sky.

Floki and Lagertha don’t care what’s on sale today. They’re just happy for a full hay net, a good scratch in the itchy spot, and a human who keeps showing up even when life gets loud.

If you’re peeking at your phone from a parking lot or hiding from the chaos at home, here’s your reminder:
• The best “deals” in life usually aren’t things.
• The horse standing in front of you might just be your heart horse, even if they weren’t the one you originally had your heart set on.
• Some of the wild ones who look the “craziest” on day one grow into the best partners, given time, patience, and a lot of love. Floki is living proof of that. 🐴

If you’re more in the mood for trail maps than doorbusters, I put together a free California — Wild Horse & B***o Guide: Devil’s Garden, Twin Peaks and more on the Fading Hoofbeats blog. It’s something quiet to read while you’re waiting in line.

Here’s to choosing connection over chaos today. 🌲🤎

Read it here: https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/california-wild-horse-b***o-guide/

11/20/2025

EHV-1 is all over our feeds right now. Shows are cancelling. Events are on hold. Rumors are flying faster than the facts.

I put together a plain language post that leans on EDCC, AAEP, and state vets to explain what is actually happening with the current barrel racing outbreak. It covers what EHV-1 and EHM are, real symptoms to watch for, practical barn and hauling biosecurity, and how to share updates without feeding the panic.

If you haul to barrel races, endurance rides, mustang events, clinics, or any busy barn, this is for you.

Take a breath. Then click through, read, and please share the facts.

Clear, vet-sourced facts about the 2025 EHV-1 barrel racing outbreak. What EHV-1 and EHM are, symptoms, simple barn and trailer biosecurity, and why it matters.

11/15/2025

Oregon’s wild horses are live on the blog. 🐎

This new guide pulls together what we know about Oregon HMAs and the Steens: Kiger and Riddle Mountain, South Steens color bands, the lesser-known Barren Complex on the east side, and the basin horses that live in big, quiet country.

My goal with this series is simple: help people meet wild horses without stress. Good roads, broad sightlines, and clear ethics so horses stay safe, visitors stay safe, and the land stays whole.

If you read through the Oregon page, I’d love your help making it better:
• Spot a factual error? Please drop a correction with a source (BLM/USFS link, map, or local group).
• Have field notes or local tips? Share them in the comments so others can plan better.
• Have Oregon wild horse photos you’re willing to share? Comment or message me with:
– Photographer name (as you want it displayed)
– Permission line (“used with permission”)
– HMA / band info or a short caption, if you know it

Every little bit helps make this a stronger, more accurate resource for people who want to see wild horses and take good care of them. 💚

👉 Read the Oregon guide here:
https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/oregon-wild-horses-guide/

Oregon wild horses are often visible from the road. This guide shares where to watch respectfully, how far to stay back, and what to pack for a safe visit.

11/01/2025

Native plants heal landscapes—and carry memories. 🌱
Our long ride will include weekly micro-groves of region-specific natives across the West. This pledge began with Brian’s memorial trees and a powerful Kou planting on Oʻahu with Ranch.
Help us plan the next sites: nominate a native species by state and tell us why it belongs.
Read the plan: https://www.fadinghoofbeats.com/roots-along-the-quiet-miles/?utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=roots_post&utm_content=page_captionA

As Fading Hoofbeats rides across the miles, we’re planting native trees and memorial groves — living roots that connect remembrance, community, and conservation. Follow the journey, one planting at a time. ...

10/24/2025

Wind is nature’s static. It hides sound, smears scent, and makes the world move at once. For watcher horses like Floki, that’s a lot of “maybe.” Here’s how I turn spooky → rideable with a simple ritual: join the look → breathe → light touch.
🐴💨👀🍃

On a windy day or in a new place, a mustang’s alertness can feel like a storm waiting to break. “Spooky Horses” explores how calm is contagious on the trail—and how joining your horse’s lookout builds trust mile by mile.

10/14/2025

Meet the Mustangs: Lagertha — the bright problem-solver
Lagertha is a 8-year-old, black mustang mare from Devil’s Garden, CA (tag #8953, USFS=2023 gather). She’s keen, sensitive, and sharp—the kind who notices the thing behind the thing. With Lagertha, timing and clarity matter twice as much; when I get them right, she offers brilliant tries and learns at light speed. Right now, our focus is simple patterns that feel safe: calm starts, one clear ask, and ending soft so confidence stacks session by session. She keeps me honest and teaches me to think before I move. She’s always watching the watchers, judging intent.

I’m sharing our progress in small, real moments—follow Fading Hoofbeats here for the next chapter, or email [email protected] if you’d like the free “10 Micro-Habits for Trust” PDF when the site relaunches.

About the photo: Lagertha, a black mustang mare, looks over her shoulder to check on the person who’s checking on her. (Photo courtesy of the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals)

10/06/2025

Yup.

09/30/2025

💫 A Quiet Moment with Floki 💫

Instead of bolting or bracing as he once would have, Floki turned to me. He reached over with his nose, brushed my cheek, paused — then nudged me again.

Floki — my little dragon — wasn’t looking for treats or play. He was asking: “Is this safe? Do you have my back?”

Moments like these are small on the outside, but they’re everything when it comes to building trust with a mustang. Layer by layer, choice by choice, he’s learning to lean into partnership instead of fear.

Read the full story here ➡️ https://fadinghoofbeats.com/flokis-trust-a-quiet-moment-in-the-pasture/

🐎 Thank you for walking this trail with us.

09/26/2025

So, now that summer is almost over in the northern hemisphere and spring is just about to start in the southern hemisphere, it's time to revisit the herb gardens that we talked about a few months ago. Did you plant one (or more) for your horses? How did it go? Did they show a preference for certain herbs over others? Will you plant an herb garden for your horses next year, and if so, what will you plant that is different from this year? I'll share a few of my observations in the comments, but I'd also like to read yours.

🌿 Want to give your horses something special? Try planting a variety of herbs just for them! 🐴💚Mint, rosemary, chamomile, and more—each offers enrichment, flavor, and a chance for your horse to self-select what they need. Horse gardens are a simple way to combine nutrition, enrichment, an...