We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracy, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Currently 60,000 wild horses and burros stand in federal holding facilities without their freedom, families, or familiar way of life. Steadfast Steeds’ dream is to one day see all wild horses and burros freed from their bondage of the holding facility to discover a new freedom, a new family, and a more familiar way of life. To implement this vision, Steadfast Steeds Mustang Sanctuary near Grand Junction, CO, educates the public about their wild horse, the American mustang. The programs impact people by raising awareness through tours, offering adoption and gentling support of wild horses, and interactive life coaching with the mustang as co-facilitator.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
One of the greatest challenges we face in caring for wild horses removed form their wilderness home is offering them support as wild horses. When their needs are viewed through the domestic horse lens, mustangs are over managed – and therefore detrimental to their well being. Steadfast Steeds works to offer them their most natural state possible with a captive setting. After wild horses are gathered and removed from their vast rangeland, they are encouraged to adapt to “domestic” life. Many don’t adjust very well. While they are both equine, comparing wild horses to domestic horses is like comparing wolves to dogs. The former does not depend on humans for survival; the latter counts on humans for their needs. Caring for wild horses is different. At Steadfast Steeds great effort is made to support successful placement of formerly wild horses, from relationship building to offering care ideas for those horses. Learned by watching wild horse behavior in the wild, a track within the perimeter of a larger pasture was created. The Path Ring is 10 feet wide in passing sections, larger at corners and feeding stations. The narrower passing sections encourage movement, increasing the horses’ fitness. A 30-foot section is rock, to help the horses keep their hooves worn to healthy length as they pass through. Track systems are scalable and can be created on most any size lot.
Off-range care, in sanctuaries and private settings, which is more familiar to a formerly wild horse, contributes to the adopted horse’s success in domestic settings.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Steadfast Steeds is located in western Colorado, the state’s best-kept secret! When friends and family visit, the first stop is the Colorado National Monument, with its incredible views and multitudes of hiking trails. At the base of the Monument is Two Rivers Winery, locally grown grapes, tasty Colorado wine and exquisite property. Guests can stay at the Bed and Breakfast at the chateau. Rockslide Brewery has the best salmon fish and chips, make sure to enjoy one of their local brews! Our local candy shop, Enstom’s, has made tasty toffee since the sixties and the sweetest, creamiest toffee ice cream around. In the summer, farmers markets and fruit stands are a must see. Palisade Peaches are known world-wide for their extreme sweetness; produce in the area is fresh and available everywhere. Finally, Steadfast Steeds for cool mountain air, bright blue skies and the views of wild ponies frolicking in the sage.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Additional recognition: My husband, Blaine, has come along willingly for the ride. Not a horsey guy at the beginning, he has opened his heart and mind to the advocacy of wild horses, and the horses themselves have done the magic of drawing him into their cause. I don’t know what I would do or who I would be without him!
Steadfast Steeds volunteers are too many to name by name, and their dedication to the cause keeps us going! Board members Lynette and Sara continue to breathe life into the cause with their “I got this” attitude.
Many thanks to all who care and participate in Steadfast Steeds!.

Website: www.steadfaststeeds.org

Instagram: Steadfast Steeds Mustangs

Facebook: Steadfast Steeds: Making amazing memories with America’s mustangs

Youtube: SteadfastSteeds

Other: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTczMjcy

Image Credits
Blaine Scott , Ken Redding

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