Oregon is home to some of the most incredible wild horses in America.
Skywatch Ranch, a sanctuary that rescues horses in California and Oregon, recently reunited a Mustang stallion with his former mate.
Goliath, a 26-year-old Mustang stallion, was rounded up from his wild herd in Wyoming by government helicopters operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The helicopters corralled the horses into a holding area as part of their herd management.
The round-ups commonly occur as ranchers push to have more land for their cattle to graze, along with mining companies eager to have more land. Due to this, many wild horse herds become separated.
Goliath before his capture by the BLM/ Photo by Pat Doak A Beautiful Bond For a Friend Lost Friend
Along with Goliath, his mate Red Lady was also corralled into a holding pen. Witnesses to the round-up say that Goliath tried to charge the helicopters in order to protect his herd.
Those who photographed Goliath, who stands out for his beautiful curly black coat, became devastated to see the magnificent Mustang confined to a corral. He, along with the rest of his herd, now faced an uncertain future.
“Goliath had lived his whole life in the wild with a close family of mares and babies he had over the years. Last October, the horses were chased by helicopters with their babies into pens, and then the families were torn apart,” said Clare Staples, founder, and president of Skydog Ranch.
Shortly after the round-up, the stallions, including Goliath, went to a facility in Utah. The mares and foals then went to a separate facility.
A lady in Colorado adopted Red Lady, however, the chestnut mare appeared to be uncertain of her new life. Red Lady was pregnant with Goliath’s foal and appeared to be seriously missing her herd.
Red Lady, Goliath’s friend. Photo by Sky Dog Sanctuary
Meanwhile, Skydog Ranch put in a bid to take Goliath home to their sanctuary in Oregon.
Despite the uncertainty of Goliath ever reuniting with his mate Red Lady, the sanctuary became determined to give him the best life possible.
However, Staples constantly thought about the fact that Goliath and Red Lady may never see each other again. She became determined to do the best she could to reunite the two Mustangs and began to raise money to adopt Goliath.
A Heartwarming Reunion Between Goliath and Redy Lay
As word spread about Skydog Ranch’s effort to save Goliath, the news reached Red Lady’s adopter. She wanted to send Red Lady to the sanctuary in Oregon in hopes that if Staples adopted Goliath, the pair could finally be reunited.
“She wanted her to be reunited with Goliath so they could have their foal in peace and live forever together. Everything was coming together — but they still weren’t sure if they’d get Goliath. We transported Red Lady and we waited for the adoption and we were terrified we wouldn’t win the bid,” said Staples.
Goliath and Red Lady. Photo by Sky Dog Sanctuary
Fortunately, enough donations came through, allowing Skydog to rescue Goliath. His rescuers were then able to release him into a snowy pasture at their sanctuary, where he was able to run free, finally safe.
However, the rescuers had some extra special waiting for Goliath. After almost six months, the black stallion finally reunited with his mate.
“Goliath spotted her and ran half a mile to her side in the snow. She trotted to him, tail high, floating through the snow, and he immediately put his nose to her belly as if he knew she was carrying his baby,” said Staples.
The two were quickly inseparable, with Goliath even nuzzling Red Lady’s pregnant belly. It became quite clear just how special the two Mustang’s bond is.
Not much longer after their reunion, Red Lady gave birth to a stunning chestnut foal. They named the newborn foal Bodhi after selecting the name from a raffle drawing.
Here is the special reunion:
Another Special Reunion
After Bodhi’s birth, a woman noticed another mare in the video of Goliath and Red Lady. It so happened she had adopted that mare and wanted to reunite her with her herd.
It turns out the mare, Ember, is Goliath’s daughter. Ember’s adopter asked if she could reunite the mare with her herd and Skydog happily agreed.
Ember now lives with Goliath and Red Lady once again, along with her younger brother, Bodhi. Now, the family lives happily together at Skydog Ranch, where they are able to enjoy the freedom of the sanctuary.
Source: https://horseyhooves.com
