RIDING FREEDOM'S TRAIL  

AMERICA THE BRAVE

The Wild Heart Mustangs™ logo features a strong symbol of something we feel passionate about - the American flag. The freedom that Americans enjoy has never been free. It's been defended and preserved by countless military men and women who've given their time, energy, strength, heart  - and sometimes their lives -  in the name of freedom.

This page is dedicated to those in the military now, and in the past, and to the families who watched, waited and prayed for the safety of their loved ones.  Let us never forget those who have served this great country.  Thank you ALL for your service! 

On this page, you'll find articles about honor, health and healing for the heroes among us, with a section of resources that we hope will help and inspire you. If you have questions that aren't answered here, please let us know and we'll do our best to assist you.

HEROES & HORSES
Heroes and Horses is a unique program that uses the remote wilderness and the horse/human connection to challenge and inspire personal growth in veterans suffering from mental and physical scars.

The Heroes and Horses program re-galvanizes our nation’s veterans, challenging them to rediscover who they are and what they can be moving forward. Heroes and Horses’ focus is not about what happened, but what can happen when one chooses to press on.

By “challenging what challenges them,” Heroes and Horses provides veterans the chance to make peace with their past and replace devastating memories with positive ones.
Heroes and Horses provides extreme expedition-style horse pack trips teaching self-reliance, teamwork and perseverance. Experienced instructors, many who are combat veterans themselves, lead teams of veterans and their pack animals into the wilderness on epic, life-changing journeys of discovery.

Unlike any other program, the self-efficacy principals applied through the Heroes and Horses program are proven. Heroes and Horses inspires veterans to move beyond the difficulties experienced from years of war, towards a life of restoration and hope. 

Out in the back country, we would rather fundamentally change the lives of ten participants who return with new life purpose, than take 300 and have nothing to show for it. Solutions that rely on prescription substances or the victim mentality to make difficult life experiences "disappear" are not solutions. This is why Heroes and Horses was created;  with the belief that struggle gives life value, not meek acquiescence.
Heroes and Horses was founded in 2013 with the mission statement Change through Challenge. Things get tight in the mountains. Horses get loose. People get dragged. There's hail and rain. Horses are going to let you down sometimes. But that's life - same script, different story.  Veterans who come go Heroes and Horses have been shot, burned and blown up. They are wrestling with physical and emotional scars.  Many feel isolated and untethered. Heroes and Horses believes that undergoing a tough program can go a long way to restore shattered notions of self-worth. This program helps them face the question:  why are you here? Their motto:  "We are not defined by our scars, but by what we do after the wound closes." It is the after part that is critical to their mission.
Heroes and Horses challenges veterans to examine who they are post-combat and then come to terms with that new individual. Truth can be found in silence and by living from the inside out. This is the environment that Heroes and Horses tries to facilitate. They train participants to effectively and safely cover some of the most remote terrain in North America. They face extreme weather conditions, cliffs and grizzly bears.  Participants arrive struggling with a range of issues - substance abuse, anger, depression, and anxiety. Out on the trail, they have to face their demons and fears not by choice, but by necessity. For post combat veterans, the reforging process begins with building trust between warriors and horses. When that bond spills over to people, the reintegration process has truly started.
Click on the above picture for upcoming
trips in 2016 and how to get involved.
Micah Fink has spent 10 years in the Navy SEAL Teams, both active duty and reserves. He conducted operations involving land and undersea mobility platforms in USPACOM, USCENTCOM, and a National Tasking deployment, earning him numerous awards including the Bronze Star. As a private military contractor for 4 years he conducted paramilitary security operations in some of the world's most dangerous areas. Fink is a an avid outdoorsman, hunter and skier. A sponsored free diver, tactical athlete and Ironman, his experience, expertise, and passion for helping people is reflected in his devotion to the Heroes and Horses program. Fink is married and has three children. He currently serves as Executive Director for Heroes and Horses.

DEDICATIONS ARE WELCOME HERE
​at any time
​

EVERY DAY IS MEMORIAL DAY

May's issue of the WILD HEART MUSTANGS™ e-zine will be dedicated
to every soldier who protected our freedom ​ in the past and every soldier who does it now. 
We invite you to send us your own dedications, stories, photos, or even just the names of the veterans in your life. Let's give them a big THANK YOU for their service to our country.

RESOURCES for VETERANS

Heroes and Horses (Montana) - Heroes and Horses provides extreme expedition-style horse pack trips teaching self-reliance, teamwork and perseverance. Experienced instructors, many who are combat veterans themselves, lead teams of veterans and their pack animals into the wilderness on epic, life-changing journeys of discovery.  Unlike any other program, the self-efficacy principals applied through the Heroes and Horses program are proven.  Heroes and Horses inspires veterans to move beyond the difficulties experienced from years of war, towards a life of restoration and hope.

2-1-1  2-1-1 is dedicated to supporting those who serve our country, including active members of the U.S. military, members of the National Guard and Reserve, veterans, and their families.