The Wild Horse Sanctuary is a unique wild horse effort. While several groups manage wild horses on government properties, the Wild Horse Sanctuary is the only organization which is an approved refuge for American wild horses which operates on private lands.

The "sanctuary" all began when Jim Clapp of Alturas, CA heard about 80 horses which were going to be destroyed at a government facility at Tulelake, CA. These were all that remained of some 300 horses captured by the US Forest Service. Jim first tried to lease some land for the horses, and when that fell through, he actually purchased some land and the feed to get the horses through the first winter with his own money.

Some months later another rancher, a Mr. Carey, saw what was going on. Having used former wild horses in ranging operations during his youth, Mr. Carey had a deep respect for Jim's efforts so they teamed up to make the sanctuary effort a permanent-ongoing activity. As a result they developed a program which is the only one qualified by BLM to be "permanent adopters" for "unadoptable" (such as older) wild horses.

With this qualification came more horses. The Wild Horse Sanctuary became recognized as a non profit organization, which was essential since the costs of properly caring for these animals easily exceeded the funds which these two benefactors had by themselves.

After 5 years in the Alturas area, the Wild Horse Sanctuary moved closer to Mt. Lassen, to some land which was more accessible to the public. The creators of the sanctuary didn't want to simply have a repository for "excess" animals, but rather a natural environment where the public could actually see and "experience" the magnificence of these animals. The Clapps developed a number of widely acclaimed programs, including horseback-camping trips where visitors can immerse themselves in natural surroundings and view the various bands of wild horses which roam the sanctuary, along with a host of other wildlife and magnificent land formations. The costs for these excursions are most reasonable and the money goes to support the sanctuary.

One note of concern in this tale: A significant portion of the present sanctuary is leased property. Although the landowner has been very supportive over the years, it appears possible that he will have to sell the property in the near future. The Clapps are trying to make the necessary arrangements to secure the land for the foundation, however as one can imagine, it involves a large sum of money.

It is not the intent of this website to "pitch" for any specific group or organization, however if you have ever considered participating as a member or partaking of the adventures offered by the Wild Horse Sanctuary, now is the time to do it. Perhaps you are a member of a charitable group who may be willing to help support the acquisition of this much needed property. In any event, the ability of the Wild Horse Sanctuary to continue is important to the horses, important to our young people (as it is one of the few easily accessible wild horse ranges) and it is important to the taxpayers (as it costs us money to manage horses on public lands.)

Check out the Wild Horse Sanctuary website. You'll find information about the sanctuary, information on guided rides, multi-day trips, even how you can bring your own horse! Don't miss out on a real experience.

We thank Horses in Your Mailbox for providing this information and Katey Barrett Photography for the wonderful images.

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