Tomahawk was one of close to 2000 wild horses captured during the devastating 2010 roundup in the Calico Mountains Complex of Nevada. After a gruelling helicopter stampede, Tomahawk arrived at the trap site with his pal Redmen at his side. The two older stallions, exhausted, confused, and without their families, remained inseparable.

When it was time for these newly captured wild horses to be sold to the highest bidder, Return to Freedom allies bid on and were able to secure Tomahawk, his friend Redmen, and 18 other wild stallions. After having lost their freedom, their families, and their homes, we had to do what we could to give them back a little of what was taken from them.

At the sanctuary, Tomahawk undoubtedly displays lead stallion behavior in a large herd of other horses from the same round-up. Although he and Redmen are on good terms, he and a gelding named Buddy are never apart.

For generations, ancestors of cavalry and ranch horses have interbred and survived in the remote and challenging habitat of the Calico Mountains. They have adapted to this environment and returned to a natural state over the past few hundred years. These stout horses are a vital link to our Great Basin heritage.