David “BO” Bowie

We were introduced to Bo in an email sent to us by his loving adopter:

I adopted Maestro and Gracie's curly son, David Bowie, as he has an 80's rock star hair! He was gathered at Salt Wells Creek with them when he was just two. Bo has special needs now and I would love him to come to Skydog. He is six and sadly he had a brachial plexus injury in October 2020. I can’t give him what he needs in life. He is literally so friendly and would be just the most amazing mustang ambassador as well he is great with kids, strangers, EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE. He just can never be ridden again and needs regular chiropractor and body work to keep him comfortable. Since his injury he has been in my one acre pasture, hoping he would recover. My vet said now that there is not a real chance of him ever fully recovering. He is happy, healthy and sound but I don't want to keep him on only an acre for the rest of his life. I have kept my pasture as fun as possible for him, even borrowing a mini from my neighbor so he would not be alone. He gets a lot of attention, which he loves, and he LOVES COOKIES, but my pasture is too small for him to live his entire life inside of it. I think it would be amazing to see the entire family running and back together, as they were last separated at the roundup. I am crying as I write this, but I think I am doing the right thing in contacting you.

Bo, with his shock of curly red mane, started out at the ranch in Malibu. He was cautious, but excited, and he really stirred up the other residents up when he made his entrance - like a rock star stepping onto the stage. It only took him a couple of days to make friends with Boots, as well as the mustangs he would travel to Oregon with: Whiskey and Gris.

When we moved him up to Oregon, we took him to a place him where he could see his parents and brother several times. For the most part, Maestro and Gracie ignored Bo. They could definitely see him and knew him, but they weren't interested in having him back in the family. Maestro charged the fence a few times, so it was clear it would not be safe to turn him out with them. We always felt this would be the most likely scenario. In stark contrast was the warm weIcome Bo immediately received from Red Lady, Ember, and Goliath's family. They were all rounded up on the same day from Salt Wells Creek.

Most band stallions start to push their sons out of the band at around two. Bo was this age when they were rounded up. Gracie may also have felt her plate was full raising his little brother and didn't want to encourage her elder son. Reuniting a son with his father is totally different from reintroducing a daughter or bringing a stallion back together with his lead mare. Horses have great emotional intelligence and we listen to them. We let them decide what was right for Bo.

We turned him out with Gris and Whiskey on a June day in 2022, when the ranch was lush in many shades of green. They took to being wild like ducks to water. A peace keeping force of nature, they ran up, down and all around. making friends wherever they went. The next day, Janelle, Meghan, and I went to do a herd check on the wild boys and climbed a very steep mountain where they love to hang out. Who should emerge from the woods, but King, Thunder, and the rest with Bo, Gris, and Whiskey. It was such a surprise as I felt sure they would stay below with Bobcat and the tame boys, but they picked the wild bunch to hang out with.

Bo the rock star, whose veins pulse with the blood of mighty Maestro, is in his element. I actually think the running and exercise was just what his back needed as he’s been showing no signs of discomfort or pain. We will do everything in our power to keep him comfortable, happy, and healthy. No one will ever saddle him again. He’s wild and free.

#skydogdavidbowie

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.