Visiting the mustang rescue 'Return to Freedom' in California

Visiting the mustang rescue 'Return to Freedom', where the real horse 'Spirit' resides. Beautiful place where amazing work is done for the Mustangs. Magic experience. I met the foal (now 12 years old) whose mother I worked with back in 2011. This mom I never forgot because she was a rescue with the most crazy story. She had two freeze marks because she was caught twice. She had been abused in rodeos and ended up in an illegal slaughter farm in Tampa, from where she was magically rescued from just a few days before being slaughtered. She was fighting for her life and she would attack anyone trying to get near her. It turned out she was fighting for her baby's life too. The mom Epic and her son lived here until the mom recently passed. She was the strongest mom I have ever met. Now look at her beautiful son! ❤️

My first meeting with Kudo, He wasn't born yet when I left Epic in 2011.

Meeting Kudo at the rescue 'Return to Freedom' was a huge surprise for me and I will share the story here.

When I worked with Epic 13 years ago it was at the WILD HORSE Rescue Center in Florida and this is where I last saw her.

I was planning to visit the WILD HORSE Rescue Center on this trip to the US in 2023, but distance and time made it impossible for me to fit in.

Instead I decided to visit another mustang rescue in California, 'Return to Freedom', where I was spending a few extra days. I arrived at this center in California and explained that I used to work at the Rescue Center in Florida years back and they asked me if I then knew Epic and her son Kudo. Yes, I did! I learned that Epic had passed a few months ago, but that she had lived a good life at 'Return to Freedom' with her foal for many years.

Epic when she first arrived at the rescue in Florida in 2011. It was easy to tell that her story had been very sad, just by looking at her. None of us knew the was pregnant when she first arrived.

One of my own photos of Epic from 2011. She was not very interested in human contact and we could barely touch her. And who could blame her? After a long time trying, I could finally pet her head, but never touch her ears or her body. When she was very old and lost most of her teeth, so she couldn't eat well, she would come to the fence once a day to get a special diet she was able to eat.

Mom Epic and foal Kudo when they were still at the rescue in Florida.

WILD HORSE Rescue Center in Florida and founder Diane Delano had finally managed to raise enough money to sponsor Epic, Kudo and mustang Miss Mara a free forever life at the protected 'Return to Freedom' area in California.

Epic, Kudo and Miss Mara ready to leave for California to live the free life they were born to live.

I was very happy to finally meet Kudo there and see that he was doing great even after Epic passed.

Epic and Kudo taking in the sunset at their new (and final) home in the rolling hills of 'Return to Freedom' sanctuary in California.
Read more about the WILD HORSE Rescue Center in Florida, where I once stayed for a month working with wild mustangs training them to be handled and ridden and ready for new homes.

Read more about the Mustang Rescue 'Return to Freedom' in California, where I was able to visit Kudo in 2023 and hear about Epic's life back in freedom for many years since I last saw her.