Horsemaster of the Desert: Chris Waldhaus

Chris Waldhaus has enjoyed a special bond with wild horses his entire life.

Some of his earliest memories recall times spent with his parent’s three horses, on the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s reservation in Southwestern Colorado. None of his siblings had an interest in horses, so Chris had all three to himself. Chris calls this upbringing a good one that left him both “horse-centered” and “barn-soured” – the latter a reference to his lifelong passion for the outdoors.

He shares this love of the outdoors with his charges; from trail riding, to Wild Mustang rescues, to training these steeds as part of the Cascade Trails Mustang Sanctuary in Joshua Tree, California. Together with Animal Ark, the company Chris founded has worked hard to save horses of the American Southwest for generations of riders, old and new.

Much of the credit for his knowledge and experience about riding, Chris gives to his mentor, Darolyn Butler, who is a champion National Rider with half a century under her belt in horse training and endurance riding. Riders from Spain, Mexico, and across the United States have traveled to her corral, in order to learn firsthand from the best in the business. Through her teachings, Chris credits her with much of his own success with wild horses over the past decade as a professional rider, and credits “Mama D.” with helping to instill in many young adults a shared passion for horses.

During one day spent clearing a trail of brush under Butler’s direction (“she gave me an ax, and put me on a horse”) Chris talks about how he came to see the Natural World as one guided by a spiritual force connected to everything in life, “from the vines clutching at my feet, to the gnats flying around my face.” The vision was surreal, but powerful in its import to the young man.

At age 17, Chris remembers another time on a road trip coming back from a horse racing competition in Florida, where the group he was with pulled into an overnight campground somewhere in Arkansas. The group was about a dozen horses total, with Chris one of the crew charged with the nightly feedings done throughout the night. One horse named “Ringo” was ridable, but notoriously ill-tempered and ornery to most folks. On this night, Chris approached Ringo as he lay resting on the ground, and was able to hug the steed without incident. It was a moment of both recognition for Chris, of his deep love for horses, and a memory that became tinged with sadness. The following morning, the horses temporarily broke loose and stampeded out of the camp, with Ringo killed by an impact with a vehicle.

For Chris, the memory of Ringo calls forth a deeper truth about the nature of all wild horses: that they are fearless of death, that they charge into the breach of danger, whether this be towards a cliff or towards an enemy. He admires them for this courage, as part of an unspoken truth that is communicated without words between horse and rider.

For Chris, there was another pivotal moment that brought back early memories of his youth, when he recalls seeing round ups of wild horses by the dozens. In 2008, he was at an endurance trail riding race in Colorado, where the vast majority of those participating rode Arabian horses or other common breeds. As he looked on, one horse stood out among the crowd and was immediately different: the horse was up front, but going at a trot that required the horses that followed to go at a faster canter pace. Impressed, Chris asked the Englishman rider what sort of horse it was; the rider lifted the horse’s mane to show the unmistakable brand of the “BLM” and proudly declared his horse, named “Chock-Ta” was a wild mustang.

The recognition came with another epiphany for Chris, in how mustangs at that time were not “a part of any discipline.” Few trail riding outfits offered them for visitors, and they were rarely seen in competitions like the Colorado race.

In 2020, Chris started a new company in the Californian desert with a mission and purpose that reflects the lifelong admiration he holds for wild mustangs:

Our commitment is to exert the utmost positive influence in safeguarding the wildlife within our community. The dedication and energy of our members and volunteers are the driving forces behind our transformative endeavors. United in purpose, we deliver impactful experiences and solutions that foster enduring change and heighten awareness about the wild mustangs’ battle for survival, underscoring our dedication to conservation and advocacy.

The affinity that Chris has with horses has since led him to advocate for the wild mustangs that have lived across the prairies and plains of North America since they were reintroduced to the continent by Spanish explorers in the 16^th century. Since 1971, two Federal agencies, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) have been responsible for the management of wild horses on public lands. Today, the BLM has 26.9 million acres of such lands with a total population of 88,100 horses.

The results he sees as timely, and awe-inspiring in those who come to the Sanctuary and develop an immediate connection to the wild mustangs there. It is not hard to believe that once upon a time, the majority of people knew how to ride a horse as part of their everyday travel and experience. Chris would see a return to such days, for those who share his love for horses and the companionship they bring.

Chris views himself as a “regular guy” – he goes out to the rodeos with his friends, enjoys mountain climbing, trail riding, camping in the remote corners of the world. This is a natural way of being for him, and one that he shares with the horses in his care. His public personas flourish like the cherished cowboy hats that he wears, always with an eye towards promoting the wild horses for their betterment in the here and now.

All of which makes Chris a one-of-a-kind horseman, his own unique brand. Like those steeds that carry him and countless others across the desert.