Charlie
Charlie's Story:
Charlie is affectionately known as "Charlito" (Little Charlie).
Charlie’s story is wrought with hardship. in just one year out of holding he had already been through two different owners! He was originally adopted through a TIP Challenge, but when the adopter had trouble gentling him they asked their TIP Challenge leader for help. The TIP trainer's “training” solution was to bring him up to the fairgrounds, put him in a chute so he could be forced to be touched all over his body, and then his legs were tied up and he was forced to lay down in front of everyone in hopes that his spirit would be broken and he would afterward comply with humans wishes.
Of course these forceful actions did not make Charlie feel any more confident or safe with humans, and he quickly learned that he could evade being messed with by any humans if he kicked out at them.
He then was passed along to a trainer who used much more positive methods, but he still wanted nothing to do with humans. Rightly so, as such a terrifying experience as the one he was put through by the TIP challenge leader will leave lasting trauma and associations burned in any horses mind. It takes a ton of time and patience to undo the negative associations actions like that create!
The trainer tried to take him to another sanctuary before contacting us, where she was told that they would not be able to take him, because they only wanted to adopt mustangs directly from the BLM- and that they only wanted the horses with notoriety such as the famous Sand Wash Basin mustangs who all have names and images from the wild. What a shame, to be passed over even by those who are supposed to exist help the mustangs who are most in need!
Thankfully, we had an empty pen just in time to offer Charlie a safe landing. He is home now and here he will stay forever. He arrived in poor condition, desperately needing some more weight on his tiny frame. We got him wormed, got him healthy, and then he was turned out with a herd of his own to have the chance to just be a horse once again, and Chalrie won’t have to worry about humans trying to force their will on him ever again.
Charlie watches my training sessions with some of the other mustangs with an intense curiosity. Since his arrival in the summer of 2022 he has let our founder, Kourtney, stand and pet his face softly three different times. Each time he approaches with extreme caution- but once he realizes he is safe he melts into a lowered head and fluttering eyelashes, enjoying the GOOD that humans now bring into his life.
This is Charlie when he first arrived:
And here is Charlie now, at a healthy weight and out in a pasture!
Sponsorship Tiers:
Bronze Sponsorship: $15/mo
Includes: Mustang's Full Known History, Mailed Photos of Your Mustang (one time), and a Monthly Mustang Update
Silver Sponsorship: $30/mo
Includes: Mustang's Full Known History, Mailed Photos of Your Mustang (one time), and a Monthly Mustang Update
Gold Sponsorship: $75/mo
Includes: Official Certificate of Sponsorship, Mustang's Full Known History, Mailed Photos of Your Mustang (one time), a Monthly Mustang Update, a t-shirt (one time), Invites to Sponsor Only Events at the sanctuary to meet your mustang!
Platinum Sponsorship: $125/mo
Includes: Official Certificate of Sponsorship, Mustang's Full Known History, Mailed Photos of Your Mustang (one time), a Monthly Mustang Update, a t-shirt (one time), a Mug with your Mustang on it (one time), invites to Sponsor Only Events at the sanctuary to meet your mustang!
Diamond Sponsorship: $200/mo
Includes: Official Certificate of Sponsorship, Mustang's Full Known History, Mailed Photos of Your Mustang (one time), a Monthly Mustang Update, a t-shirt (one time), a Mug with your Mustang on it (one time), Wall Canvas featuring your Mustang, Invites to Sponsor Only Events at the sanctuary to meet your mustang!