Welfare for Wildness: Care for BLM Mustangs

Wild Hooves Open Hearts provides lifelong sanctuary and trauma-informed care for wild mustangs captured through Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups. These horses—once free—are often chased by helicopters, separated from their families, and confined in holding facilities. Horses typically arrive at rescues fearful, shut down, or physically compromised, carrying the visible and invisible effects of that experience.

At our sanctuary in Glendale, Arizona, we offer something safety, space, and patience. We do not rush our horses. We do not force them into submission. Instead, we meet them where they are—using trauma-informed horsemanship practices that prioritize trust, choice, and emotional healing. Over time, we've seen our mustangs begin to soften. They learn that humans can be safe. They rediscover a sense of calm, connection, and dignity.

Your support on AZ Gives Day directly sustains this work.

Every dollar helps provide essential daily care for the mustangs who call Wild Hooves Open Hearts home, including:
• Nutritious hay and feed
• Farrier care to maintain healthy hooves
• Veterinary care and medical support
• Safe shelter and open space to move and rest
• Ongoing training rooted in compassion and trust

For a small sanctuary, these basic needs add up quickly—but they are the foundation of healing.

Beyond direct care, Wild Hooves Open Hearts is committed to sharing trauma-informed practices with the broader mustang and equine community. Many mustangs adopted from holding facilities struggle in traditional training environments. By modeling a gentler, more effective approach, we aim to improve outcomes not just for the horses in our care, but for mustangs across the country.

This work is about more than rescue. It is about restoration.

It is about giving wild horses—who have lost their freedom—a life that still honors their spirit.

It is about creating a place where fear is replaced with trust, where survival becomes peace, and where every horse is treated with the dignity they deserve.

On this AZ Gives Day, you have the opportunity to be part of that transformation. Your gift—no matter the size—makes a tangible difference. Every donation helps sustain a safe, healing home

Together, we can ensure that these horses are not forgotten after the roundup.

Together, we can offer them a future.

Thank you for standing with Wild Hooves Open Hearts and the wild mustangs who deserve a second chance.