Welcome to The Wild Ones Mustang Project, an undertaking to help establish The Virginia Range Sanctuary (vrsanctuary.org) near Reno, Nevada. The Virginia Range Sanctuary will provide a permanent, 22,500 acre refuge where the mustangs of Nevada's Virginia Range can remain wild and free. The need is critical -- and you can make a difference for these very special horses. Here is their story:
Nevada is home to more wild horses than anywhere else in the USA, but the mustangs of the Virginia Range, located in and around the Reno area, are in danger of disappearing forever. Why? Because these horses do not fall under the Bureau of Land Management mandate, which protects mustangs from being sold off for slaughter. Due to this lack of protection and pressure from vested interest groups who want to exploit the range for commercial purposes, the wild horses of the Virginia Range are being squeezed out of their traditional lands, often forcing them into areas where they are labelled a "public hazard". These innocent victims are then subject to being rounded up and sold off to auctions attended by "kill buyers," who purchase the horses for a few dollars and ship them off to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. Their final destination: dinner plates in Europe and Asia.
Wild horse advocates work tirelessly to save as many slaughter-bound horses as they can, and to prevent them from wandering into the "danger zones" in the first place, but the ever-mounting pressures of development make their task more difficult every day. There is also the costly problem of what to do with the "rescued" horses, whom the government does not allow to be returned to the range.
WE NEED A PERMANENT SOLUTION THAT WILL KEEP THE HORSES ON THE RANGE.
The creation of The Virginia Range Sanctuary, which will see 22,500 privately owned acres set aside as a permanent refuge for the area's mustangs and other wildlife, is perhaps the only realistic, long-term hope of saving these horses. The Sanctuary will be ecologically self-sustaining, with significant portions restored with native plants that used to flourish before domestic livestock degraded the area. It is possible, and it will work -- BUT, it can't happen without your help.
PLEASE NOTE: We are no longer selling T-shirts or posters from this project, but if you would like to help the beautiful horses in these images and others like them, you can donate directly to the Virginia Range Sanctuary by visiting their website: VRSanctuary.org
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Image 1: "WILD HELLO"
A beautiful buckskin stallion makes sure to greet any newcomers to his domain, determining whether they are friend or foe.
Image 2: "WILD FUTURE II"
"Wild Future II" depicts an absolutely adorable young foal who struggled between shyness (hiding behind his mama) and curiosity. His curiosity finally won out long enough for the photographer to capture this precious image.
Image 3: "WILD FOREVER"
"Wild Forever" is an iconic image of a mare and her nursing foal. The striking black mare, ever vigilant, utilizes all her senses to keep abreast of any possible threat to her charming baby.
Image 4: "WILD WINTER"
"Wild Winter" depicts a beautiful mustang mare foraging in the winter snow and wind. Her gentle soul comes through in her thoughtful gaze, and you can even make out the frost on her velvety muzzle. See below for a detail showing the rich texture of the image as it will appear in your poster.
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| Detail of "Wild Winter" |
Image 5: "WILD WARRIOR"
As a youngster, this handsome blue roan stallion had his left ear permanently damaged when he was attacked by an older stallion. Today, he is big, strong, and more than able to fight off any challengers who dare to cast a longing glance at his harem of mares.
Image 6: "WILD INNOCENCE"
"Wild Innocence" captures the curious but cautious nature of two wild weanling colts who are frequently seen frolicking together in the Virginia City Highlands.
Image 7: "WILD IN RED"
The burnished coat of this lovely mare in foal stands out against the sage.
Image 8: "WILD 'N WATCHFUL"
"Wild 'N Watchful" is a stunning portrait of a gorgeous bay mustang who embodies the noble spirit of these irreplaceable American icons. The pricked ears, alert eyes and wide nostrils show the superb sensory capabilities that have allowed the mustangs to survive in their wild and challenging environment.
Image 9: "WILD IN LIVING COLOR"
"Wild in Living Color" showcases a striking, tri-colored pinto mustang foal sampling the sage with his colorful mother nearby.
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| Detail from "Wild in Living Color" -- click to see enlarged |
Image 10: "WILD WINTER II"
A second lovely image of a beautiful bay mare foraging through the snow. This poster looks absolutely stunning in large format.
Image 11: "WILD SWEETNESS"
This adorable little buttermilk buckskin filly seemed to be made of sweetness and light.
Image 12: "WILD ELEGANCE"
All wild horses have something magical about them, but this horse is the embodiment of elegance, from her flowing forelock to the graceful turn of her head.
Image 13: "WILD REFLECTIONS"
Two youngsters wearing their winter fuzzies pause by a waterway on the very edge of the lands still accessible to the wild horses. Housing developments continue to encroach on the traditional range areas of the mustangs, making it harder and harder for them to find food and water. For now, these babies are still able to live free, despite the proximity of human habitation.
Image 14: "WILD FUTURE"
This fresh-faced foal, only a couple of weeks old, was born to live wild and free. She represents hundreds of years of heritage and the hope for the future of the mustangs of the Virginia Range.
Image 15: "WILD SPRING"
A gorgeously colored roan stallion savors the first green shoots of Spring, his family grazing nearby. One mare, whose belly you can just see in the top of the picture, looked like she was about to foal any moment!
Image 16: "WILD HOPE"
A mare and her young foal illustrate the hope for all wild horses: a future of freedom in the wild range lands where they belong.
Image 17: "WILD SISTERS"
Four alert fillies, clearly closely related, stand at attention when a possible threat appears.
Image 18: "WILD BROTHERS"
A kind-eyed yearling colt nuzzles his fuzzy little baby brother.
Image 19: "WILD LADY"
This mare was so feminine and lovely, one could only refer to her as ladylike.
Image 20: "WILD ANGEL"
All new foals are darling, but this little angel was even more precious than most!
Image 21: "WILD FORGIVENESS"
It is believed that this yearling colt got the cross-shaped scar on his face from an encounter with barbed wire. Remarkably, he seems to hold nothing against mankind, approaching the photographer with friendly curiosity.
Image 22: "WILD YOGA"
This young foal showed great balance and flexibility when a flower tickled his muzzle, necessitating a scratch. He would do any Yoga instructor proud!
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