ABOUT US
OUR JOURNEY TO THE SANCTUARY
Motherlode Mustang and Burro Sanctuary was born out of love and respect for the wild horses and burros running free throughout the American West…
And out of the horror of what happens to them during and after the inhumane roundups that steal them from their homes...
Seven years ago, a video on social media led me down the rabbit hole of the wild horse problem in our country.
I was horrified and angered, which led to years of research, learning, donating, volunteering and advocating. But still, I was left wanting more.
One day, while expressing my frustration at the difficulty of finding a sanctuary close enough to volunteer at, it was CJ, my best friend and husband of nearly 30 years, who casually said, “Why don’t you start your own?”
That singular moment changed my life. I had never dared to dream so big, but no dream had ever felt so right. It took about four years, but we made Motherlode Mustang and Burro Sanctuary a reality together.
But in order to give them the forever home they deserve, we knew we needed to find the right land to sustain them.
And although we wish there was no need for our sanctuary, the reality is that while some wild equines are able to adjust to their new lives, too many more do not fit into the confines of the domestic world.
These equines fall through the cracks of the system, often ending up in bad situations where they are abused and neglected, or flipped from auction to auction, at-risk of falling into the slaughter pipeline, or simply need a soft landing after the atrocities of the post-roundup hellscape. Most are lonely after losing their families, often under-nourished, sick, and frightened.
These displaced mustangs and burros are who we want to give a permanent home to.
For over a year we spent our weekends searching Northern California for the perfect piece of land, yet most ranches left us feeling surprisingly indifferent.
When we walked onto this land for the first time, I cried.
I tried to hide my tears from the realtor, but they came out of nowhere and took my breath away. Just like the land had.
CJ worried something was wrong until I could finally manage, “I love it.” But it was more than that…it felt like home. I felt both a longing and a belonging that made no sense to me. It was familiar somehow, and yet, as someone who has lived most of her life in the city, I felt like I was in a very foreign place.
So in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by grasses and oaks and raw land, I was more than out of my element. But I tell you, I felt more at home than I had anywhere in a long time.
Now that we have been lucky enough to spend so much time on this gorgeous piece of earth, I understand I have a connection to my forebears via the land. Generations of people I know nothing about are somehow part of me.
We all have that connection—we all descend from people who lived off the land and with the land. And while I am still learning how to do that, I understand the sense of belonging I felt on that first day. We are meant to be here, in nature. And the sense of longing came from being away for too many lifetimes.
CJ and I wholeheartedly believe in being good stewards of this land that we are fortunate to call ours for a blip in time of its existence. We are well aware that this land is on loan to us, and while the responsibility feels massive, we are honored to have the privilege.
THIS LAND HAS BECOME OUR SAFE PLACE.
Our Refuge.
Our Sanity.
Our Haven.
And we can’t wait for our future residents to feel the same.
Meet the Board
Our Board of Directors shares an unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and protection of America’s wild mustangs and burros. Together, they bring diverse perspectives and a shared devotion to leading the sanctuary with integrity—honoring the wild ones, the land, and the trust of our supporters through responsible governance.
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