Every now and then opportunities present themselves ways that can't be ignored. Such is the case with this adventure, one that started (without my knowledge at the time) when I first moved my retired Belgian Cross Ruiridh (pronounced "Rory") to Spirit Heart Ranch in Erie, Colorado. Sean Davies, the head trainer there, is well known in the mustang community for his quiet and effective ways with wild horses, especially those who have had a rough start. I knew nothing about the mustang situation in the U.S. when I first moved from New York to Colorado, but once Ruiridh and I settled in at his new home I began learning more and more about them. I started taking lessons on Sean's mustangs and learning Sean's approach to groundwork and training. One day driving home from the barn, I heard an interview on CPR with David Phillips, author of Wild Horse Country, which is a history of horses in America and an in-depth exploration of the different perspectives on how the wild horse "situation" in our country is managed. I ordered the book and the wheels started turning. I realized an opportunity: I could adopt a wild horse from the BLM and under Sean's guidance and with his leadership learn to gentle and train it. Those who know me will tell you this is a crazy idea, but they will also tell you that this makes it much more likely that I would carry it to fruition. I found the courage to ask Sean if he thought I had what it takes to be successful with a mustang; to my surprise he didn’t even blink at the suggestion. My fiancé and son must be as crazy as I am because when I raised it with them they thought it sounded like a great idea. My last call was to my father, who I thought would talk some sense into me. “Pick a beauty,” he said, and the adventure began.