Ambassadors Ghost

Sweetbeau Mustang Ambassador - Ghost brought quite a reputation with him from the time he was wild. No one could say for sure which herd this beautiful renegade stallion belonged too. He was mostly spotted just showing up in a herd like a wrecking ball instigating fights and chaos and then he would disappear. This is how he got the name of Ghost. A photographer’s favorite, he has a large fan base of advocates who have loved him from afar. Unfortunately, Ghost was captured in 2019 at 7 years old, along with another very famous stallion at the time named Cremello. Among quite possibly the most photographed herd of wild mustangs in the world, the BLM insists this herd was not in the plan to capture. And even though they later made a statement that this herd just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, the BLM would not return them to the wild. The wild horse advocates of America demanded they return this internationally followed herd to the wild, but there was no going back. Sweetbeau was asked by one of the professional photographers to help in the rescue of these beloved horses, and specifically the infamous Ghost. Because of his younger age, and other sanctuaries taking their maximum number of horses as well, we agreed. The first step was to visit the holding pen where he was kept. Patricia and friend Nicole made a hasty trip to the BLM facility in Delta, Utah to assess the condition of the captured horses before the auction. Patricia was shocked at how the stallion she had seen in photos and videos from his days of freedom, could even be the same horse. He stood in one spot with his head low to the ground. He appeared to have shut out the world and filled with anguish and despair. This was Patricia’s first exposure to a holding pen, and it felt like a punch in the gut when she saw the hopelessness. As she stood watching Ghost, she noticed a huge red sorrel who seemed to be standing guard over Ghost. He was quietly positioned between the public fence and the panels separating other horses from Ghost. It wasn’t long before her suspicions of the giant older horse’s role were confirmed. But that’s another story…

Ghost arrived in February 2020 at Sweetbeau. He has to date been the most evasive and uncompromising horse we have gentled to date. Our patience, persistence and collaborative gentling methods are likely the reason Ghost was never aggressive or dangerous. It was almost a year before Ghost was leading in a halter. Ghost began showing his calm but firm demeanor. He became softer with the affection he received from the trainers trusted to handle him. Today, Ghost is clearly enjoying his new life in our domestic world. He has taught us how to communicate with him and he is not shy about informing us of his preferences. He safely carries our staff willingly over and through obstacles bareback with just a halter, shows his curiosity and intelligence by working at liberty on several sequences of tasks. He will remain an Ambassador with Sweetbeau, that will be taken to educational events to show the world the magic of a mustang. His story will hopefully inspire people to fight for the freedom and humane treatment of the wild horses of our nation.