Rancher Offers Sanctuary to Wild Horses at Deerwood Ranch
Rich Wilson loves to personify animal behavior. At Deerwood Ranch, his family-owned plot of bucolic pastures, streams, and mountains spanning 4,700 acres in Centennial, he observes wild horses with a unique perspective.
"They’re having coffee," he said, pointing to a band of wild horses chewing on grass. "They’re probably saying to each other, ‘We had the best grass lunch near the mountain yesterday. Let’s go again today.’”
Wilson drove around his ranch on a four-wheeler, smiling as he parked 30 yards away from the grazing horses. Within seconds, they approached him.
He recognized Curly, a horse with a dreadlocked mane, and Slingshot, a gelding with a distinctive brown pattern on his white face. Then there were Mutt and Jeff, inseparable since their arrival.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) designated Deerwood Ranch as the nation’s first ecosanctuary for wild horses in October 2012. The BLM brought 228 horses from 16 holding pastures across the state as part of its effort to improve its wild horse program. The agency seeks private landowners to care for the animals as federal land space tightens and population control becomes crucial.
Only male horses reside at Deerwood Ranch. A recent National Academy of Sciences study highlighted the need for widespread fertility control and suggested allowing nature to manage the growing populations housed in BLM holding pastures nationwide.
Members of Congress have expressed concern about the population, urging Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to address the nation’s wild horse program.
The Wilson family may be the first to house a population of wild geldings, but they know they won’t be the last. The BLM is collaborating with a ranching family in Wells, Nevada, to establish the second wild horse ecosanctuary and has a program, “Save America’s Mustangs,” to help control the issue.
The BLM asked the Wilsons to grow grass for the horses and offer public tours. The family, experienced in hospitality, rents out a cabin on their land and owns a gift shop, The Country Junction, near their ranch.
Travelers frequently visit to see the horses, with scheduled tours on weekends. Jana Wilson never turns people away, welcoming visitors from across the globe.
The land is a utopia for horses and humans alike, offering a serene throwback to the days of homesteaders and American Indians. The terrain provides rocks for hoof wear, mountains to roam, and ample water.
The Wilsons aren’t required to do anything else for the animals, and the horses prefer it that way. During a winter snowstorm, Jana fed them hay, but only half ate it, content to forage for themselves.
The agency pays the Wilsons a grazing fee per horse. More horses may arrive in the future, but unpredictable rainfall in the West makes it difficult to predict if the land can support more wild horses.
Rich Wilson acknowledges misconceptions about his work due to federal funding. "I can’t buy a yacht. I can’t buy alcohol," he said. "The government ensures I spend it on what it wants me to spend it on."
The Wilsons transitioned from cattle ranching to caring for wild horses, removing cattle control panels, installing new fences, and eliminating cattle guards.
They love their new role, learning something new every day. "You feel at ease out here," Wilson said. "But they are wild. You got to keep your guard up."