Ares is a beautiful blue roan pinto stallion (now gelded by BLM), who was born wild and free on the Red Desert Complex, Wyoming in 2007. In the fall of 2020, the Bureau of Land Management completed the removal of 1799 horses from the Herd Management Area that was their home.

Ares was captured at Arapaho Creek, also known as “the donut hole” which used to be recognized as a Herd Area but after the completion of the roundup in 2020, Arapaho Creek is no longer a recognized HMA. The Red Desert Complex encompasses 753,000 acres and has very harsh climate with rugged terrain. The horses are very diverse in color, type and size.

Separated from his family, he was sent to government corrals to await adoption or placement into long-term holding.

Thanks to his guardian angels, two photographers who had followed him and his family band on the range, RTF was able to adopt Aries and he arrived at Return to Freedom’s Sanctuary on July 4th 2021 with another gelded stallion, Hotah, who he also knew from the range.

RTF was able to send the photographers to the holding corrals in search of his family. In August of 2021, we were able to find and adopt his lead mare, now named Gracie. Ares was reunited with Gracie at Return to Freedom’s sanctuary in August 2021, after one year apart!

In November 2021, we were able to go back to the Bureau of Land Management’s holding facility and find two more of Ares’s mares! They have been reunited with Grace and Ares in December 2021!

Your Sponsorship has a significant, positive impact on Ares’ life!

Photography by Meg Frederick and Bari Lee.