In-residence volunteer JaeHyeon Choi at RTF’s Lompoc, Calif., headquarters sancuary.
April 19
Hello! I’m JaeHyeon Choi, an in-residence volunteer at Return to Freedom! I’m from South Korea and I’m majoring in Horse/Companion and Wild Animal Science at Kyungpook National University.
I’m particularly interested in animal welfare and conservation, and I’ve always had a desire to experience abroad. I was able to join RTF after completing a two-month language study abroad program in San Diego as a participant of the Korea WEST Program.
I have been learning the ropes of RTF as an in-residence volunteer since mid-March 2025. It’s already been a month and a half since I started working! Time flies!
Being an in-residence volunteer at RTF is a really special experience for me. There aren’t many opportunities to meet non-domesticated horses in Korea, and it’s even rarer to find a place with such a large and diverse population of wild horses and burros.
So far, I’ve learned about horse nutrition, wild horse behavior, grassland management, and so much more. What impresses me the most is RTF’s commitment to maintaining their habits and allowing them to live in a natural way.
Thanks to this, I’m starting to enjoy the natural animals themselves. I’m also looking forward to the rest of my time here!
Learn more about volunteering at RTF here and here.
Wild horses enjoying spring weather at RTF’s Lompoc sanctuary. Photo by JaeHyeon Choi.
April 28
The fog of the past few days has lifted and we’ve had some of the beautiful spring weather that California is known for, which is great news for the horses and people at RTF!
Saturday is a great day for people to come and enjoy some time at RTF, and of course the horses enjoyed a picnic! I’m jealous, their lunches are already laid out in the field.
Working as an in-residence volunteer and observing the herd of horses is a great blessing, watching the strongly bonded group grazing freely makes me feel relaxed and at ease. Knowing that they are always together but each one has a different personality makes me fall in love with them more and more.
I’m happy to have the pleasure of seeing happy horses and flowers in the spring sunshine!
Wild horses at RTF’s San Luis Obispo, Calif., satellite sanctuary, where RTF has worked with grazing experts and Cal Poly rangeland management students to restore about 1,000 acres of grassland. Photo by JaeHyeon Choi.
May 26
Animals need grasslands in good condition to live naturally and healthily, and good grasslands require expert soil management.
As an in-residence volunteer at RTF, I’m learning about holistic grazing management from Aaron Thayne, our Regenerative Grazing Manager, and have seen firsthand the improvements in healthier soil, vegetation, and animal welfare.
Holistic grazing management is based on the recognition that all elements — soil, plants, animals, and people — are interconnected. It involves dividing the land into multiple grazing units and deliberately relocating animals to give the land time to recover. This mimics the migration patterns of wildlife, prevents desertification of the soil and promotes biodiversity.
Animals are free to tread the ground and lie on grass, which improves the soil’s water retention. Their excrement and urine act as a natural fertilizer, adding nutrients to the soil and encouraging microbial activity. We graze horses, burros, and cows together to spread the impact of animal activity evenly over as many areas as possible.
RTF’s holistic grazing management has been working incredibly well so far and will continue to be a key strategy for restoring healthy ecosystems and sustainable rangeland management.
Watch a video about RTF’s regenerative grazing effort.
August 12
Dear Neda and the Return to Freedom Family,
I hope you are all doing well.
After completing my internship at RTF, I had the chance to travel — enjoying a breathtaking canyon tour in the U.S., where the natural beauty truly took my breath away, and exploring Mexico, a vibrant and lively destination full of energy — before returning home to Korea. Now that I’m back, I’ve been reflecting on my time with you and wanted to express my heartfelt thanks.
Interning at RTF was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Working alongside such passionate, caring, and dedicated people — and, of course, the amazing horses — has left a lasting mark on me. I learned so much, not only about sanctuary work and animal welfare, but also about teamwork, commitment, and compassion.
Thank you for welcoming me as part of the RTF family and for making my time there so meaningful. I’ll continue to follow and support RTF’s mission from afar, and I hope our paths will cross again someday — whether in the U.S., Korea, or somewhere in between.
With warm regards,
JaeHyeon Choi