Spanish Mustang | Born 2006

Tanner's story goes all the way back to the beginning of Great Escape. In 2011, shortly after receiving our nonprofit approval from the IRS, we came across a desperate Craigslist ad offering a family band of five Spanish Mustangs for free to anyone willing to take them. Knowing these horses could be at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline, we stepped in, even though we hadn't yet secured land for our sanctuary.

We found a temporary safe place for the horses, arranged transportation, and made a commitment to keep this little family together. They became known as the Foxton 5: Tanner, his mother Flowers, his half-brother Joe, Dulcenea, and her daughter Naja. These five horses were among the very first residents of Great Escape and helped lay the foundation for everything our sanctuary would become.

Born in 2006, Tanner has always had a bold, outgoing personality. For years, he was our unofficial greeter, often the first to approach whenever someone came to visit the herd. But within the herd itself, Tanner took his time establishing his independence. It was nearly five years before he finally branched off from Joe's main band and formed a group of mares of his own. Even then, he never strayed far from his half-brother.

In 2015, when Joe lost his left eye and spent two months recovering from surgery, Tanner took on a remarkable role, leading the entire herd up to the ranch to check on his brother. Ten years later, in 2025, Tanner suffered a similar injury and lost his own left eye, an extraordinary coincidence for these two brothers who have shared so much of their lives.

Today, Tanner continues to enjoy life alongside his mares, remaining close to Joe and the herd that has been his family for so many years. As one of the original Foxton 5, he holds a special place in Great Escape's history, a living connection to the promise we made to those first five horses back in 2011.