Be a Light - or Luminaria* - for Lightning

LIGHTNING'S STORY

On a beautiful autumn morning in late November of 2023, a mustang lay on the ground with two humans crouched next to her, deciding her fate. Lightning had arrived at the Sanctuary’s special care corral with her foal Milagro, still nursing, at her side. The pair and several other mustangs had been rounded up from an overgrazed mesa. Lightning and Milagro were starving and in danger of dying. Lightning was also lame and in pain from severely overgrown front hooves. The Sanctuary’s kind veterinarian tranquilized her to x-ray her hooves. Her left hoof extended several inches, twisting out and curling up.

The vet diagnosed Lightning with an incurable, degenerative hoof condition which would cause her worsening pain over time. He recommended that she be euthanized immediately to prevent more suffering. Sanctuary staff sat next to her head, looking into her sleepy, blinking eyes, asking, “Should this suffering mustang be put down?” We decided that whatever it took, Lightning would have her freedom back out on the Sanctuary, if only for one day. Our wonderful farrier started aggressive treatment for her hooves and Lightning began to recover with daily feeding and special care.

Today, Lightning is thriving and free, roaming Sanctuary land. She’s gained several hundred pounds grazing on the lush grasses and shows no signs of lameness or pain. You will see Lightning cantering with Milagro and her Sky band mates, her head held high. She is a living symbol of the power of freedom in sanctuary.

You can help Lightning . . . by choosing her.

*Luminaria is Spanish for a special light or lantern which guides by illuminating the way. Be a light for forever freedom for a mustang of Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary ~ where mustangs belong only to the sky, the mountains, the wild, and each other. Thank you for being a Luminaria for mustangs.