Beginning with a few glorious horses and growing each year through adoption and breeding, the Monero Mustang herd at Yellow Hills Ranch has grown to 120 animals, the largest wild horse herd in New Mexico.

There are a few small groups of horses on western public lands believed to have the genetic strains of the original Colonial Spanish horses. The Monero Mustangs came from one of these small bands on the Jarita Mesa Wild Horse Territory of Carson National Forest in the mountains near Yellow Hills. Horses that were adopted from the El Rito National Forest are subject to a one year review period. The Forest Service visits and reviews our program to be satisfied with the care of the animals before they transfer title to us.

When we receive wild horses out of the forest, we have a "settling down' period when the horses are not let out to freely roam the open land. They are kept close at hand for awhile and we keep track of them.

We were thrilled when Alan Day visited the Ranch and shared his vast experience with us. He has been a rancher for 40 years and has a wealth of experience in managing large herds of wild horses on an open range. He is the co-author of the book, Lazy B. He is also Sandra Day O'Connor's brother and the creator of the Day ranch. He previously managed 1,500 horses for the Bureau of Land Management on a 35,000 acre range located in the Black Hills Country in South Dakota. He "whispered" to horses before there the term horse whisperers was even known.

In this inspiring Ranch project, we are especially grateful for the work of Sandi Claypool who has considerable experience with wild horses. She has her own non-profit Monero Mustangs organization supporting this important work.   Your tax-deductible donation to this wonderful project is deeply appreciated. To learn more about becoming a patron or sponsoring a horse, please be in touch: rennie@ffh.org  

Yellow Hills Ranch is dedicated to preserving and regenerating the Spanish horse in New Mexico. Spanish conquistadors lost their horses in the New Mexico plains where they have lived wild and free for 400 years. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate led Spanish colonists living in Mexico north across the Rio Grande River claiming all of New Mexico beyond the river for Spain. Their party brought over 1,000 horses into the area. For a time, their main settlement was in the Abiquiu area just south of Yellow Hills Ranch where the horses were introduced to Native Americans. These animals are among the strongest, most nimble and intelligent horses on Earth. They became essential to the survival of the Native Americans in the Southwest. It is difficult to overstate their impact on the exploration of the American West and the lives of Native Americans over the following centuries.

When you tour our Monero Mustang Sanctuary and spend the day observing and photographing the wild mustangs in their natural environment, you will also learn something about us as we share our own knowledge and passion about these unique horses. We encourage you to come and see them for yourself. A guide will take you around the ranch to see the horses in their favorite places on the land and explain the extraordinary history of each of the mustang families. You won't be disappointed.