Horse trainer Jake Harvath has been passionate about animals for as long as he can remember. And this has translated into him, and his three horses, taking a 6,000-mile adventure across 25 states. The Utah native did so not only to experience the beauty of the country, but to call attention to the plight of America’s wild horses.
His trip, called Year of the Mustang, took 14 months and involved him traveling solo from Utah to New Jersey and back. Accompanied by his three mustangs—Bella, Denver, and Eddy—he navigated backroads, busy highways, and inclement weather to accomplish his goal. Along the way, he documented his journey, posting videos to his YouTube channel as a way to connect with the public.
The Year of the Mustang may qualify for a world record as the longest continuous horse ride in the U.S. in a year, as Harvath estimates that he completed 4,570 miles from September 2023 to September 2024. Once he submits his claim, it will be up to officials to determine if he did, indeed, shatter a record. But breaking records, at the end of the day, would just be an additional reward for what was already a fulfilling journey.
Now that Harvath has had time to reflect on his trip, we were able to speak with him about the Year of the Mustang. Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview, where Harvath shares more about American mustangs and what makes them so special.
Where does your love of horses stem from?
I had a deep fascination with all animals from the time I was old enough to talk; but as I grew up, I had little opportunities here and there to get on horses through friends and neighbors. By the time I was 12, I couldn’t get enough of being around them. It wasn’t until I started apprenticing to be a horse trainer when I was 14 that I began to realize my passion in life. The trainers I was around brought me into a deeper level of understanding for the horse and what was really possible for horse and rider to accomplish together.
What gave you the idea for the Year of the Mustang?
It wasn’t really one thing. After having some of my first experiences working with mustangs I began to be inspired by other long riders who had accomplished great distances on horseback. My friends and I had discussed doing a trip across Utah, but of course, we never did that as teenagers. This, however, brought me to the idea of doing my own trip. It started out small, but over time, I went on forming the idea based on the experiences that I wanted to have. Eventually, it grew into this massive undertaking.
All the while, through training horses, I found myself working with more and more mustangs. Having learned for myself of their natural resilience and hardiness, I decided that my trip would be a mustang trip. Years in the future, after having obtained the education needed and done much preparation with my horses, I realized that there was so much good that this trip could do. I could give people a way to see mustangs the way I do. Horses that were not just trainable but could excel at the jobs presented to them—a way to bring awareness to the thousands of rounded up wild horses that need homes in America.
Can you share a bit about the history of the American mustang and the challenges they face today?
It all starts with the first Europeans to settle in the Americas. In the 1500s through the 1700s the Spanish Empire established the territories of New Spain (later Mexico), which extended up into what is now the Western United States. As Spanish colonization spread, their horses would occasionally escape. Some of these horses would survive and go on to be feral horses. The Spanish originally referred to these wild horses as “mestengos.” which means “without an owner.” From this, we later got the word mustang.
The United States later annexed the large northern portion of Mexico. This brought more settlers to the West and more horses of European descent with them, which would also contribute to the wild Spanish horses. Today, the wild horses that roam the rangelands of the West are a product of many groups of people and many different breeds.
One of the struggles of mustangs today is they are large grazing animals that need a lot of space to survive. Up until 1971, they had no federal protections, which brought their numbers down drastically over most of the 20th century. Since these protections were put in place, wild horse numbers have skyrocketed from around 17,000 to about 85,000 in the wild. So much that there is a need for government management of their numbers for the sake of protecting the delicate ecosystems on our public lands in the West.
The unfortunate side of this is answering the following: What do you do with the horses that are gathered out of the wild? The Bureau of Land Management [BLM] currently contains over 50,000 wild horses in holding facilities and on off-range pastures. The horses in off-range corrals are available for adoption by the public. One of the struggles with that option is getting people to do it.
Why did you decide to adopt your horses from the BLM?
My first mustang (Bella) was actually given to me by my boss and coach. She and I learned a lot together, and she was my first experience with mustangs. She made me realize I needed more of their heart and effort for a trip like this. I was able to give Denver and Eddy a home with me forever, but I also got them with this trip in mind.
What was the most challenging or unexpected part of your trip?
While this was easy to expect, the most difficult challenge on going was traffic. I stayed as rural as I could while still doing what I had to be able to move quickly. This had me regularly in close proximity to traffic. My horses mostly handled it really well, but they are animals, and you don’t always know for certain what’s going to happen when a semi-truck speeds past you within a few feet. Thankfully, we never had an accident. Just a lot of close calls.
And the most rewarding?
There is one simple thing about me that made me know I could do this trip. I love to cover the country on horse. It is my favorite thing at the end of the day. Getting to be with my horses all day, every day, while taking in every aspect of this country at a slow pace was extremely rewarding.
What are some things people need to consider before adopting a mustang?
There is an application process and background check done by the BLM to help determine if a person even has the necessary facilities to keep and provide for a wild horse. So, meeting those requirements is the first thing to consider. Number two would be to figure out what your goal for that horse is. If you intend to just give a wild horse a home, that’s one thing, but if you intend to train that horse to be used, that is another thing entirely.
Do you have the skills, time, and understanding to work with a horse that likely will at first view you the same as a wild deer might view you? I recommend to most people who have never adopted a wild horse but have some experience with domestic horses to consider adopting a younger mustang (under 2 years old). Training a wild horse takes consistency, so remember that when deciding what your plans for the horse are. Consider getting the help of someone who has been around wild horses before jumping into something above your experience level.
What do you hope that people take away from your journey?
First and foremost, I hope they see what my horses have accomplished and realize the incredible attributes that mustangs possess—that they are desirable as working horses and can be trained to do a lot of things. Second, I hope people see what I’ve accomplished and are inspired to go after their dreams—that they shouldn’t let fear stop them from gaining anything they hope to achieve. No matter how big. Third, I hope people see just how blessed we are in this country. There is a lot more good in the American people than we give ourselves credit for. That is my experience of people in every state I visited. Not to mention, it’s really beautiful here, and I think I was able to capture that on the videos as well.
What’s next?
While my horses might be resting easy, I am not. I continue working in content creation so that I can keep teaching people about the journey, not to mention the Western way of life and, of course, wild horses. I still plan to do what I can to bring this message to the world, all while expanding my horizons. There will be plenty more adventures for my horses this year as well.
Jake Harvath: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube