Maverick's Story

Maverick was born wild. He roamed free in the American west until he was eight years old. He raced across miles of prairie, climbed rock hills to snort to the heavens.  His herd was his family.  He was part of a stallion band of brothers. They roamed the wilderness - as their ancestors had for centuries.  They were a family.

Until the two-leggeds came. Then Maverick's world changed - from loving family to horrors he'd never imagined. 

Maverick was captured by humans at the age of 7.  His first meeting with 2-leggeds began with a flying machine roaring out of the beyond, blowing dust and scrub into dervishes in the sky. The noise and predator smell struck fear in the herd.  They ran for their lives, straight into a trap, where Maverick was roped, thrown to the ground and beaten into submission as he tried to save his precious wards from the horror that had changed their world forever.

Maverick fought back – for himself and for his herd. He refused to let any of these 2-legged predators touch him.  He would not give in to this abuse.  Consequently, he was branded with the BLM 3 Strikers U – meaning he was Unadoptable, Untouchable and Unlovable.  He was cast aside as Unworthy and sold.  The BLM could have legally sold him for slaughter into Mexico. Instead - they sold him to the 3 Strikes Ranch.

A few months later he was rescued - along with 200 other wild horses from the BLM – starving to death, watching as coyotes and wild dogs ripped their friends apart.   His rescuers say it was the most horrible rescue they’d ever experienced. Maverick only survived because he reached across barbed wire fences to grab a bite of food, ignoring the cuts and slices on his body to get the food. Maverick survived because he was Unstoppable.

After he was rescued, Maverick still fought back against these 2-leggeds. Mav had lots of reasons not to trust humans.  He fought, fought and fought again. He had to be sedated for vet work, sedated for his handlers to touch him. He was once again deemed Unadoptable, Untouchable, Unlovable.

But then – Maverick met 2 leggeds with love in their hearts.  They smelled like predators, but they seemed to understand his wild child self.  They were different than those who captured and destroyed his family.  These 2 leggeds actually communicated with him. He understood them. Better yet, these new two leggeds  seemed to understand him.

Thanks to the knowledge and style of Horse Whisperer Extraordinairre Deb Cooper, Maverick began to trust.  He found courage to step up and be himself again, in a new world, in a new way.

And so began a Maverick's journey – from Unadoptable to Unstoppable.