(WNDU) – Jake Harvath is only 24 years old. He may not have any cattle, but he is a true western cowboy.
Since last September, he has been traveling around the country on horseback to spread awareness about mustangs.
“Our mission is to raise awareness about America’s wild horses, especially those in government care, to get more people interested in adopting these horses. And we’re trying to do that by demonstrating, through such a long journey, how useful these horses can be as working horses,” Harvath says.
Harvath has been a rider since childhood. He was an apprentice equestrian when he met his first mustang mare. That was his first encounter with wild horses.
Harvath is traveling with Eddy and Denver on this cross-country adventure. He has had both Mustangs for almost three years.
“Not too long, but I’ve experienced a lot of this journey with both of them and they’ve done great. They’re my best friends,” says Harvath.
When you cross a continent with horses, you need horse-friendly accommodations. Jake, Eddy and Denver have experienced no shortage of hospitality.
“A lot of it is word of mouth, so who do you know within a 20-mile radius, and that’s the situation tonight,” says Harvath. “A lot of it is online, we’ve built up a pretty big following since we started, and a lot of people write to us in comments and direct messages and invite us to stay. Some people find us on the road and invite us, all kinds of things.”
Just a month away from the trip, Harvath returns to his home in Utah and hopes to inspire people to pursue their dreams and find their purpose through courage, hard work and perseverance.
He calls this the “Year of the Mustang,” and he is determined to educate the world about the power of wild mustangs.
“These guys are doing it. They’re doing it phenomenally and I think they’ve already accomplished something that most horses can’t and never will,” Harvath says. “And that speaks to mustangs and their ability to go through a lot and be trained to face a lot of different situations like we do every day.”
Harvath will head to Culver after the weekend.
You can follow Harvath on on facebook., Instagram, TikTokAnd YouTubeYou can also support the “Year of the Mustang” by Click here.
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