Connecting People With Nature
Thunder Horse Outfitters is dedicated to rekindling peoples’ love of nature with horseback experiences. Wilderness and Native American philosophies are the root of all our adventures and helps remind people of a world outside of cities. We believe that being surrounded by the majestic beauty of the outdoors while riding amazing animals is healing for the body, mind and soul.
Connecting People With Horses
In the past, horses were used for work. They had a job to perform, whether that was providing transportation, working the fields, or hauling heavy loads. Spending time with horses was, for many people, a necessary part of life. Horses and humans are both social species, and seeking connection with others is an important part of our emotional and physical well-being. For many, simply seeing or being with a horse has the ability to make one feel uplifted. Horses provide everyone the opportunity to experience valuable feelings of unconditional self-acceptance and positive self-esteem. Our relationship with horses is distinct from our relationships with cats and dogs; horses sit at the intersection of being wild and domesticated and don’t fit easily into the category of a pet.
Research has shown that horses and humans have developed a unique way to communicate with one another, a kind of third language; neither fully human or equine. It is a way of communicating that is reliant on touch, emotional connection and becoming attuned to bodily movement. It is a physical dialogue with the goal of having two bodies operate as a single unit. Horses can help humans develop a different kind of knowledge, one that is rooted in the body rather than the mind. In turn this process helps humans learn more about themselves as they better understand their horse.
“The horse can be a great vehicle for some people to overcome things in their life that they might not be able to overcome otherwise” -Buck Brannaman
Rescuing Horses
“America is the home of the horse. People come to America to find freedom, and the horse helped us build this free nation. We are not a horse-eating culture; we are a horse-loving people. To kill the horse is simply un-American. We as a people are ready to implement solutions for the challenges facing our wild iconic mustangs as we provide education and sanctuaries which support respect and a good life for all of America’s horses.” – Robert Redford
In 2005, the American Horse Council (AHC) estimated there were 9.2 million horses in the United States. We do not have reliable statistics on the total number of horses that become unwanted each year. We do know that 90,000 to 140,000 horses have been sent to slaughter annually. In 2007, the Unwanted Horse Coalition estimated there were 170,000 unwanted horses in the U.S. (including animals in the BLM adoption pipeline and unadopted feral animals housed in BLM facilities).
Thunder Horse Outfitters is doing all that we can to help with this massive problem by acquiring animals from horse adoption agencies all over the United States, giving them a chance at life and a good home full of love and food. The chance to help these animals is an amazing and rewarding experience and we would love your help. Feel free to contact us with any questions about adoptions or how to help spread awareness of this issue. If you can GO ADOPT A HORSE OR BURRO TODAY!
Sustainability
Our commitment to sustainability is a source of pride for us. It is why we are always looking for new ways to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. Thunder Horse Outfitters uses as many renewable resources as possible at the ranch. From the very beginning we have used solar power and rain water collection to offset water needed for the horses. All fencing and corrals were built using dead standing beetle kill trees from the property. The ranch also uses the same local wood for the majority of the buildings on the ranch, finding balance between man and machine power for most of the work projects. Nearly all of the property was developed using old settlers’ techniques and tools in order to offset the need for heavy equipment and machinery.
“Sustainability has to be a way of life to be a way of business.” -Anand Mahindra
Preservation
Thunder Horse Outfitters is passionate about keeping our wilderness healthy and thriving with a firm belief that if you develop one’s connection with the land they will want to protect it for generations to come. Preservation of our incredible environment is a core belief at Thunder Horse Outfitters.
Thunder Horse Outfitters uses a variety of frontier and Native American techniques for both horsemanship and day to day life. The preservation of these skills is an essential part of our mission as we try to teach and pass these traditions on for many generations to come.
