METOLIUS, Coyote
ROGUE & Ariat
On the wintery morning we drove to the Burns corrals to pick up a horse, a stretch of fog banks made the sunrise look so magical. I just knew it was the beginning of a special day. We set out to bring home one mustang, Rogue, but we left the number up to donors, who made it possible for us to come back with four: Ariat, Coyote, Metolius. and Rogue.
These four wild horses are extraordinary, made even more so by their rebellion against being gentled and domesticated. These are the holdouts. The ones who said no thank you to halters, saddles, bridles, and bending their wild will to humans. They had been in captivity for 2 years or more, standing at the corrals, wondering who we were and what we wanted. The open hearts of these boys bonded by all they had been through, all fought valiantly to hold on to their wildness, refusing to give it up for anyone. “It’s in the stars and written on the scars on their hearts: We’re not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again.” (Alecia Moore) How beautiful is that as an act of rebellion and staying true to who they are and how they feel? No breaking these spirits or forcing submission - they are all still as wild as the day they were captured and confined.
We had visited the corrals twice to look at mustangs in the return pen. The first time, it was hard to see the horses as they were so far away. The second time, there was a blizzard. Both times, we could make out the funny outline of a huge black horse stuck like glue to a little red horse. They went everywhere together. We didn’t want to break that bond.
Coyote is a tiny sorrel pony mustang from the Shawave herd in Nevada. We have no idea about his story other than he was returned to the Burns corrals by a trainer for being unhandleable. What a clever little guy he is. Using the analogy of a prison yard, he would be the short guy who made best friends with the biggest, strongest, toughest guy he could find. That paid off for him for sure. It was his bond with Metolius that got him a ride home to Skydog and a happily ever after with his best buddy.
Metolius is the largest of these four extraordinary wild horses. He is magical and mystical. Magnificent at about 16 hands, he has a flowing mane and very powerful build. He is the fabled gentle giant, whom you never want to make the mistake of provoking. Even when he’s quiet and still, his presence tells you he’s a force to be reckoned with. We saw it the day he arrived when he bolted out of the trailer in a burst of thunder, lightening, fire, and fury. Yet he had a soft spot for little Coyote, with whom he was so bonded that he never took his nose off his little friend at the corrals.
Ariat is a glorious red roan from Onaqui Mountain, Utah. He turned out to be a much loved member of the famous Onaqui herd. Red Birds Trust shared his story on their Facebook page and it’s beautiful. Sadly they lost track of him, so they were so delighted to see him at the corrals and contributed to the donations for us to take him. When we find Metolius, Coyote, and Rogue, we know Ariat is not far away. He’s aloof and always slightly apart from the others, but moves with them. They have a mountain to climb, woods for shade, lush grasses, cool water from streams and springs - everything they want and need to live unencumbered by human demands. Jen Rodgers took beautiful photos of him in the wild and Shannon Pfipher has taken stunning pictures of him at Skydog.
Rogue and Metolius are named for rivers in Oregon. They project the depth of still waters, where turbulence can rage beneath a dark, tranquil surface. The wars they fought are behind them. Today they go with the flow of their very wild herd, which has is now led by Atsa and includes Pony Boy, Suede, Pegasus, and Rocky.
Rogue River by Fourth Coming
Beginning so meek to become so grand.
Oh mighty Rogue, the Valley's life-giving blood.
Flowing through the shallows, warm sunshine enters your soul.
My troubles float away on the river’s white water, soothing my soul with the river’s caress.
Like a dream, the river sets my mind free floating with the current through life like a river.
Turbulent waters rage beneath the placid surface, flowing eternally, sustenance for my soul.
Raging waters, unseen dangers…the river, he is as wild as me.
Ariat, Coyote, Metolius & Rogue currently have sponsors
By committing annually to a $100/month sponsorship of a mustang or burro, you help us enormously by supporting our existing rescues so we can continue saving more. To learn about becoming a sponsor and which animals need them:
Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help
In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:
Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.
The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.
Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.
You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io
See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.