WELCOME BACK!
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January / February 2017

Thanks for joining us! We've got lots of new things for you to discover and enjoy: new articles - new information - new resources - new advice - and more, with articles from equine experts; resources for equine lovers, homesteaders and military veterans; and calendar of events.  
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Mary A. Lainhart shares these thoughts in this month's HORSE SENSE...This time of year is a good time for thinking.  I find my mind wandering constantly on a wide variety of topics while I am shoveling snow, chipping ice out of buckets, shoveling mounds of manure, putting out hay.... you get the picture.  While daily chores seem to occupy more time, and depending on the weather can occupy a full day, the pace seems slower.  ​

WILD HEART MUSTANGS™  WANTS TO HEAR FROM OUR READERS!

Wild Heart Mustangs™ e-zine will have bimonthly issues in 2017!  Welcome to our first anniversary issue January/February 2017. This marks Wild Heart Mustangs™ one year milestone!  Issues following will be March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December - each available on the fifteenth (15th) of the month (March, May, July, September, November).  Wild Heart Mustangs™ will continue to bring you quality articles, information and stories focusing on mustangs, donkeys/burros, and mules. Each of our departments:  Vet Talk, Trainer's Tips, Homesteading, Riding Freedom's Trail, L'il Buckaroos and our Calendar of Events and Resources will remain unchanged.  New topics, new interests and new writers for 2017 will ensure that you won't want to miss an issue and you will want to share each one with your friends and colleagues.

Reader Contributions are always welcome and encouraged.  Share a photo of your mustang, mule or donkey.  Make a dedication to a veteran and thank them for their service.  Have an idea for something new?  We would love to hear from you. Have an event you want added to the Calendar of Events? Go to the CONTACT page and share your pictures, dedications, thoughts, and events.

Want to advertise your business, product or an event?  Get more information about advertising by clicking on our Media Kit.

IN THIS ISSUE
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Vol. 2, Issue 1
Best of luck to all the trainers competing in the Mustang Magic 2017 - January 19-21 in Fort Worth, TX.  Thank you for all being ambassadors for these special horses and showcasing the talent and spirit that they have.  Safe travels.
Horses, especially wild Mustangs, donkeys, burros, and mules. Chickens, cows, and leafy green things... We love them all. The Wild Heart Mustangs™ e-zine provides the information, tools and resources needed to make the most of your relationships with wild mustangs and the other animals you love, and in harmony with nature. 
Wild Heart Mustangs™ promotes awareness, education and respect for wild mustangs and their cousins: donkeys and mules.
The photo for this issue's cover is available as a fine art print in the SHOP along with a large selection of other wildlife and landscape prints to chose from.

FEATURE ARTICLE

​Buckeye the Dressage Mule
by Sammi Majors
The journey with Buckeye has been nothing short of amazing!  I was browsing through the pictures of some of the consigned equines and came across "Mr. Spotty" (an Appaloosa/Mammoth Jack cross mule).  He was standing in full western tack looking exceptionally handsome!  I had been going through mule withdrawals for some time, and I just fell in love.  I knew we would never be able to buy him, but it was nice to dream and you can bet that I was excited to see him at the auction!


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TRAINER TIPS

The American Mustang:  A Sensitive Soul
​ in a Desensitized World
   by Whitney Campbell
In the fall of 2014, I received an almost 2 year old mustang gelding in for training. He was a sweet little horse that his new owners wanted advanced ground training and prep work completed to start him under saddle before they turned him out to grow and mature for a year or two. The day he showed up, he was about 4 months out of the corrals and as dead headed and sad as they come. He walked out to his paddock with his head hanging low, refusing to greet the other horses around him [also mustangs]. Everyone was amazed that a 2 year old could have such a “quiet mind” ...
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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tales from the Trail:  
The Nevada Discovery Ride
by Samantha Szesciorka
Long riding is the most intimate way to get to know a place. When you travel at 3mph you see everything! Each hoof fall brings a new nuance of the landscape into view. Without the distractions of civilization, time begins to feel different on the trail. You begin to feel different. And, there’s no better way to bond with your horse than to spend 24 hours a day for weeks on end together. I could write a novel on the things we experienced on the trail. For now, I’ll share some of the highlights with you...

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                        READ MORE

                      VET TALK

                   FEATURE ARTICLE
A Heads Up on Ticks and Lyme Disease
by Amy Ortez, DVM
This time of year, I am frequently approached by equine owners on the topic of Lyme disease.  There are misconceptions and I don't think the general public understands how ubiquitous infection is in the population and how rare it is to have clinical signs with a definitive diagnosis. So lets take a closer look at ticks, clinical testing and Lyme disease.
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A Girl and her Mustang:
Angeline and Samson's Story
by Kristina Saliceti
You might think a six-year-old girl and a BLM Mustang an unlikely match, and in most cases I’d agree, but in this case we'd both be wrong.  In August 2012 the military transferred our family from Virginia to Kansas, leaving behind the ocean and beaches for the flint hills and prairies. Our six year old, Angeline, was also leaving a wonderful Hunter-Jumper trainer and riding program...
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L'IL BUCKAROOS

   SHOP
How Animals Survive Winter Weather
by Jean McMillan​
​Lots of people have cats and dogs who can take shelter inside a human's house when the weather outside is bad. But most animals can't do that. They don't live near humans (or want to) and must somehow survive when winter brings cold weather, snow and ice to where they live. The plants and animals they like to eat are hard to find. Winter weather can be really, really hard to deal with in the great outdoors.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

​See What's Going On in Your Area
We've got a calendar of events, and much more:  trail rides, riding clincis, shows, performances, BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoptions, and  lots of lists with contact information...
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               SEE OUR CALENDAR
Prints & Apparel​​
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Many of the Mary Lainhart photographs used in our e-zine are available for sale as quality prints and notecards.  We also have embroidered apparel made proudly in the USA. Our shop's always open, so come right in. You'll find gorgeous images of horses, wildlife, nature, flowers and more...
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VISIT the SHOP for original prints and apparel for everyone. Proudly made in the USA!​
​​                                  SHOP NOW​

RESOURCES

Our Resources page gives you help in finding the resources you need, be it equine, homesteading, or military veterans. We're happy to help you track down other resources...just let us know...
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                             LEARN MORE

HOMESTEADING

​Stuffed Rolled Venison Loin
by Bucky Lainhart
Winter is my perfect time for introspection.  It is a slower time where I can finally reflect, review and plan.  It is my time to pause, breathe and gather new thoughts.
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Last year, I had the notion of possibly adding heritage pigs to our homestead.  After weighing the benefits and the commitments, we decided the timing wasn’t right for pigs for us.  Last spring, we welcomed Iseabail.. 
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RIDING FREEDOM'S TRAIL

​The Joyful Horse Project
​Bastrop, Texas
Restoration Ranch is a 27-acre horse ranch located in Bastrop, Texas that is run by veterans for the benefit of other veteran families and the Joyful Horse Project’s rehab horses. It’s a place where veterans, horses and the land each contribute to the health and well being of the others. The ranch provides access to a rural way of life that embraces holistic health, sustainable agriculture ...
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                              READ MORE​

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

Have you thought about advertising in the Wild Heart Mustangs™ e-zine? We have good news!  Wild Heart Mustangs™ now offers advertising opportunities.  For a media kit visit here.   
                                     LEARN MORE
Click on above logo for Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Schedule
Click on the above photo to learn more about Advertising opportunities with Wild Heart Mustangs™ e-zine.