MESA VERDE HORSES SUCCESSFULLY RESCUED, TAMED AND ADOPTED

All formerly wild horses have been successfully adopted, with some owners welcoming new foals

Maestro the Perlino Band Stallion continues his legacy

The Perlino stud we called "Maestro" managed a band of 15 mares and foals when they were humanely habituated and captured in 2022. Maestro, at age 15, went to a sanctuary with some of his mares. As much as NMACO preferred to see the horses remain wild, Mesa Verde National Park was mandated to remove them so we created a plan to find homes for them and save them from the sale barn and likely slaughter. Maestro's legacy continues with several of the domesticated mares now bearing his foals.

Maestro with some of his mares in Mesa Verde National Park

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These formerly wild horses are proving that habituating and creating trust in wild horses rather than fear is critical to successful domestication.

NMACO is dedicated to preserving and protecting horses in the wild, and to promoting humane, conscious management. But the park service must remove the wild horses roaming Mesa Verde and our efforts to persuade the park to leave the horses wild failed. We therefore partnered with the park in order to utilize better bait trapping captures with careful habituation and to prevent the horses from being sold for slaughter. These beautiful horses now trust people as resources rather than fear them as threats, as has been proven by their calm demeanor, curiosity, and evident desire to interact with people. We are grateful to the park for embracing and implementing more humane alternatives in this project.

"Arboles" a young buckskin mare, gave birth to a handsome Perlino colt, obviously son of Maestro, now named "Casper."

"Towac", a bay mare, has a carbon copy bay filly, born in the lap of her adoptive owner. Was Maestro the sire or did Towac have an affair with an outside stallion?

Another bay mare, "Mesa" (previously Dolores) has a tiny, beautiful filly, named "Clover," who will either be a buckskin or palomino, consistent with Maestro's genetics.

Other Successful Adoptions

Mancos and Hermosa Together

When weather finallly allowed, Mancos and Hermosa were moved from Mustang Camp to their new home in Montezuma County, with a view of Mesa Verde where they were born. They are happy to be together and will have a great life when they are old enough to be ridden in the familiar territory of mesas and mountains.

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Adorable "Breen"

Breen got to go live with his brother (or cousin?) Marvel, adopted in 2021 in Montezuma County. Renamed "Merlin," he is as tame, curious and cooperative as Marvel. We hope to see both of them at the NMA sponsored Tack Sale on May 20th.

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You Can Make A Difference

NMACO has already spent more than $20,000 since horses were captured in September for processing, vet care, castrations, transport and training of these wild horses, and we're not finished! There will be more horses captured in the park in 2023 and we want to be sure that we can afford them the same level of care, training and adoptive domestic homes as were successful so far. We could not have done it without your support and donations, and we are counting on our supporters to be able to continue to rescue these wonderful horses. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit so your donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. All donations benefit the horses as we are all unpaid volunteers. Thank you!

PO Box 849,

Cortez, CO 81321

(505) 204 6111