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A Safe Haven

What is Mustang Valley Sanctuary?

Welcome to Mustang Valley, an equine sanctuary nestled in the rolling hills and wide open fields of West Fulton. Our ranch provides a haven for rescue horses and for vulnerable members of our community including veterans, children, and domestic abuse survivors. Our programs aim to offer healing, growth, and hope to all who visit through the power of the human-animal bond.

  • Healing

    We offer therapeutic support for vulnerable members of the community, including veterans and domestic abuse survivors.

  • Conservation

    We provide a better life for rescue horses, particularly mustangs, by providing them with a safe and nurturing environment.

  • Community

    We offer community members the opportunity to participate in horse riding, horsemanship lessons, and other activities.

Mustangs at Sunset
mustangs
Mustangs
From mindfulness walks to hoof care clinics

Programs & Services:
Empowering lives with horsepower

From mindfulness walks to hoof care clinics, our programs are designed to help members of the community connect with nature, build confidence, and grow in new and meaningful ways. Explore our offerings below to find the program that’s right for you.

  • Mindfulness Walks
  • Yoga with the Herd
  • Camping at the Sanctuary
  • Mustangs and Heroes
  • Schoharie Valley Mustang Challenge
  • Hoof Care Clinics
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“The most important thing human beings need to do about wild horses is to ensure that they remain wild horses!”

Mehmet Murat İldan
WHY WE DO IT

Meet the Herd

At Mustang Valley, our equine residents are an integral part of our community. Meet the herd and get to know the majestic mustangs who call this sanctuary home.

Introducing Frey: the gentle heart of Mustang Valley
Introducing Frey: the gentle heart of Mustang Valley

Frey is a fine young mustang with quite a story to tell, and it all begins in Nevada. We believe that he came from Shakira's herd. He may even be Shakira's father, and like Shakira, Frey found himself rounded up and taken to a kill pen. But fate had something else in store for him.

Meet Thor: a handsome Nevada Mountain Mustang
Meet Thor: a handsome Nevada Mountain Mustang

At five or six years old, Thor's still just a young'un with a full life ahead of him. While he might not be a riding horse, he'd make a great liberty horse. Liberty horses are trained to perform without being physically connected to the trainer or rider by a lead rope or reins.

Meet Hope: the resilient chestnut beauty at Mustang Valley Sanctuary
Meet Hope: the resilient chestnut beauty at Mustang Valley Sanctuary

Hope’s journey to the Sanctuary was a long and difficult one. Like many of Mustang Valley Sanctuary’s herd, Hope was rescued from a kill pen, and she’s fearful of new people and experiences, which suggests that she may have been mistreated in the past.

Meet Coco Chanel: the big, bold beauty of Mustang Valley
Meet Coco Chanel: the big, bold beauty of Mustang Valley

Coco has a playful sense of humor, and she’s sensitive to the emotions and needs of those around her. She is a beautiful horse with a powerful presence, and anyone who bonds with her will feel a deep sense of connection and loyalty.

Meet Flora: the resilient beauty who captivates hearts
Meet Flora: the resilient beauty who captivates hearts

Our beautiful flora is going through a tough time. She cannot load at all on her back right and she’s having trouble walking with her front left. She was wobbling like an alligator. She has an abscess in her hind right that we are trying to draw out and has bad arthritis in front left leg.

Jolie: the resilient horse fighting Cushing’s
Jolie: the resilient horse fighting Cushing’s

Despite her struggles, Jolie is a fighter, and she has not let her condition dampen her spirit. She loves spending time with her Mary and the other volunteers at the sanctuary, and she enjoys grazing in the lush pastures of the sanctuary.

Mikayla: a fierce warrior protecting her daughter
Mikayla: a fierce warrior protecting her daughter

At Mustang Valley Sanctuary, Mikayla, a Salt Wells Creek Mustang from Wyoming, is known as a feisty and fierce warrior who will go to any lengths to protect her daughter Elena.

How Rosita found love and friendship at the sanctuary:
How Rosita found love and friendship at the sanctuary:

Looking for love at first sight? Meet Rosita, the sweetest little Pinto mare you'll ever meet. Her gentle nature and kind heart will make you fall head over heels for her. Rosita came to the sanctuary as a two-year-old after being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and ending up in the kill pen.

Shakira’s journey to love:
Shakira’s journey to love:

Shakira's story begins when she was still a foal. She was rounded up from her herd in the southwest and taken from her mother. A freeze brand on her coat marked her as a wild horse being cared for by a rancher paid by the Bureau of Land Management. However, instead of receiving proper care, Shakira ended up in a kill pen, facing an uncertain future.

Meet Moon Star:
Meet Moon Star:

Moon Star, a mare rescued by Mustang Valley Sanctuary, hails from the Triple B herd management area in Nevada, home to a population of over 1,500 mustangs. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the herd and conducts periodic roundups to maintain population levels.

Mr. Quinn:
Mr. Quinn:

Mr. Quinn’s story is just one of many at Mustang Valley Sanctuary, where Mary and her team are dedicated to rescuing and gentling wild mustangs. The need for rescue and rehabilitation is ongoing, and your support can help save more mustangs like Mr. Quinn from the fate of a kill pen.

SIT AMET FAUCIBUS

Who is the horse lover behind Mustang Valley?

Mary DeBonis has a passion for both veterans and horses, and that passion is at the heart of Mustang Valley Sanctuary. She started rescuing horses while she was still working in accounting, providing rehabilitation and homes for one or two horses at a time in the early days.

A serendipitous encounter at a coffee shop led Mary to Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), a therapy that combines horsemanship activities with learning and personal growth experiences. She was so moved by the concept that she immediately took a certification course and became an equine specialist in Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Platform (EAGALA). The rest is equine history.

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Mary DeBonis

FOREVER HOMES

Adopt a Horse

At Mustang Valley Sanctuary, we rescue unhandled mustangs from kill buyers and work to give them a new lease on life. Whether it’s through gentle training and finding them loving homes or by providing them a permanent residence on our 137-acre ranch, our goal is to give every mustang the best possible future.

If you’re interested in giving one of these beautiful creatures a forever home, check out our list of branded mustangs currently available for adoption or message us to learn more.

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS

It Takes a Herd: How to support our mission

We rely on your support to provide care for our herd and to schedule programs for our community members. You can make a difference by donating, volunteering your time, or supporting us through other means. Every little bit helps us to fulfill our mission of promoting the well-being of horses and people.

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