By Andrea Vasquez
Located on the outskirts of the breathtaking Edgewood scenic views, a woman diligently works to create a horse haven that can heal and reconnect humans to themselves.
June Stanley, a mechanical engineer, has a unique connection with her horses.
After putting off time to grow personally and professionally, she rediscovered her love and passion for horses. Twelve years after adopting her first mustang, Chama, after volunteering at Walkin N Circles Horse Rescue Ranch, her horse family only keeps getting bigger and better.
On her 35-acre property, her herd consists of eight horses with a remarkable story and surely something to bring to the stable.
Stanley’s vision for her horses is that they will offer healing, peace and personal growth to the Edgewood community as they have done for her.
“There’s just an amazing energy about them,” Stanley says, reflecting on the bond she shares with her horses. “You can’t help but feel better about everything, about life, about yourself when you’re around them, and it’s instant too.”
She shares that because of their removal from their wild homes, mustangs have developed impressive resilience that can be directly paralleled with the human experience.
Although her sanctuary is still in its early stages, she has created events to bring the community together and for people to experience the power of this species.
June shared with The Independent details about an event she hosted last year, Meet the Mustangs, where attendees could interact with the horses and learn about the Wild Horse and Burro Program.
She mentions that the public’s response was positive, as many attendees voiced their interest in future events such as trail rides and other activities that foster this powerful connection.
Stanley certainly plans to do this in the near future, creating more detailed options for her clientele, such as guided trail rides through the Manzano Mountains, camping sessions and women’s empowerment retreats guided by a professional therapist.
She also plans to host therapy clinics that harness horses’ exponential power, concentrating on their therapeutic benefits.
“The vision is to help humans come back to and redefine themselves by reconnecting with nature, reconnecting with horses and a herd environment, and connecting with other humans and the horses,” Stanley explains.
Her love and commitment to her horses transcends borders, barriers and fences.
With the help of her mechanical engineering and animal science background, she is working on creating a continuous feeding system for her horses that mimics their natural grazing patterns.
“That is what’s natural for horses. If you go out and watch horses in the wild, they pretty much graze all day, and so they’re constantly eating. So in captivity, they struggle with a lot of digestive problems just because they don’t have that continuous feeding,” she shares.
This is only one of her ideas to create a more sustainable environment for her horses, which will be reflected in her camping and retreat sessions.
Her mission is not only to help other humans heal trauma and grief and reconnect with nature and themselves but also to create strong bonds with her horses to gain their trust and help them to help their own traumatic experiences.
Some of her horses, like one she rescued from Texas, require extra patience and understanding, and she provides all the proper tools, environment and nurturing care for the healing to occur.
“I really had to learn how to slow myself down,” Stanley said about her process of building trust with her horses with a history of human abuse.
Stanley’s story is a testament to the bond that can exist between humans and animals and how this connection can be achieved through patience, genuine interest and profound love.
People and Horses Camping is a safe space for curiosity to meet hope and resilience through the mustang’s wild spirit and powerful observant connection with the natural world.
While working incessantly to bring her vision to life, she hopes PAHC will serve as a space for brave individuals willing to connect to themselves and nature on a deeper level.
Stanley’s to-do list includes community events, such as the Mustang Musings group, where individuals can come together, share experiences, and support each other through grief and loss.
“We don’t come together as a community and help each other through grief and loss, so that’s something I’m really hoping to help others with.”
While Stanley saddles up to pursue this adventure, her labor continues as she cultivates this ethereal space of healing and strength through the connection of horsepower. For more information on upcoming events and programs, follow People and Horses Camping on Facebook.