Wild Horses of America | home, garden, life

Tags

American Wild Mustang, Bluebirds, Central Virginia, feeding wild birds, Legacy Mustang Preservation, Mary Mockingbird, North Dakota Badlands Wild Horses, Wild Horses of America, Wild in the Pryors

Happy New Year to you!

This rigid, frozen, January morning, it occurred to me that I have not posted for over a month.
Goes to show that lazy settles in after the holidays. The only hourly demands come from the dozen varieties of wild birds who feed here.
I whip up a batch of chopped currants, millet, hulled sunflower seeds, nuggets, peanuts, and ground organic eggs shell (left from hard cooking eggs) for the LaSauce Bird Buffet here at Swallowtail Cottage. And yes, I run a chef’s knife through the large bits, to enable small beaks easier dining.

Virginia bluebirds dine at LaSauce Buffet

When I think about the life of a bird, and their daily challenges, I think nothing of helping them by chopping and shopping for ingredients at Whole Foods bulk department. I avoid suet, as undoubtedly that comes from mid-west feedlot beef, loaded with antibiotics and who knows what else.

Mary Mockingbird (AKA Miss Piggy) at her feeder

Bluebirds are especially timid at the feeders and Mary Mockingbird is wicked this time of year! Since bluebirds are endangered here, I especially spoil and encourage them to dine on my terrace. Mary, on the other hand, delights in harassing them. She tolerates other birds at her feeder, yet not bluebirds! Go figure.

I did manage a half-day trip away from bird-ville not long ago.
I traveled to the next county and dropped in on the Legacy Mustang Preservation. This non-profit sanctuary is the passion of wife/husband team, Jamie and Craig Dodson. Find out all the details of this wonderful wild Mustang rescue preserve at http://www.ilovemustangs.org/.

A few of the Wild Pryor 9 at Legacy

I learned about the American Wild Mustang herds from a Freshly Pressed blog named www.wildinthepryors.com based in Montana. There Sandy fastidiously documents the lives of the wild Mustang located in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. When the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) culls wild members from the herd, they are often auctioned off to dedicated folks who care for them for life, OR they are sold to slaughterhouses. Apparently Canada and France like the tasty meat from foals.

Native nurses mama. Native was conceived in Montana while roaming wild in the Pyror Moutains

Native nurses mama. Native was conceived in Montana while mama was roaming wild in the Pryor Mountains. Native was born here in Virginia

Through the unending dedication of Sandy in Montana and the Dodson team in Virginia, folks are educated and inspired to learn more about the Wild American Mustang. If you cannot adopt one, consider supporting the efforts though donations.

Native’s wild little mane

If you love horses, I strongly urge you to visit both web, blog, and Facebook sites of both these organizations.

Alert, gentle and strong. Consider donating.

Alert, gentle and strong. Consider helping preserve this part of living American history. If you have room on your farm, consider adopting

sweet faces all

Of course I could not resist adding a few more Legacy resident photos.

Sit back and enjoy.

Barn kitty enjoying the good life at Legacy

A once ferrell cat enjoys the love from Legacy and visitors.

A once feral cat enjoys the love from Legacy and visitors.

One of the handsomest roosters I have ever seen.

oh so pretty guinea hen ~ Nature had a creative brush when this bird was created.

oh so pretty guinea hen ~ an especially creative day when this bird was designed.

Rescued bunny from a meat production operation. Now it lives with other rescued bunnies, and can burrow and romp whenever the mood hops.

Love is endless at Legacy.
Please consider making a donation to this worthy cause.
Legacy’s mission preserves the dignity of the American Mustang, while improving the lives of other critters along the way. They recently rescued thirty-five wild horses from the North Dakota Badlands culling process. These horses are descendants from the gold rush days and wagons west. This is real history folks…living and breathing—and it ain’t cheap feeding and caring for the needs of large herds—at least they are not on dinner plates.

Plan a visit with your family, sponsor a horse, follow their progress, and help support this effort.

Now back to my wild feathered friends and less lollygagging.
May your new year be filled with memorable good times.