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Mustang Ambassador • Founder
@cascadetrails_jt
Cayuse פָּרָשׁ סוס
🏹🐴🪶🦅
email: [email protected]
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In 2020, I took a bold step and launched Cascade Trails Mustang Sanctuary, relocating to the desert with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and protect wild mustangs rounded up from federally protected lands and confined in holding facilities across the country. I’ve dedicated myself to providing sanctuary for these magnificent creatures.Throughout this journey, I’ve encountered a mix of allies and adversaries. I’m grateful for the community members who have offered invaluable support.My work has been recognized by the New York Times, featured on CNBC News, spotlighted in an AT&T commercial, and has brought many wonderful new friends into my life. This post is a testament to my unwavering resolve. To those who have supported me, thank you from the depths of my heart. And to those who tried to stand in my way, your efforts were in vain. The Mustang symbolizes our resilience and indomitable spirit. Given the chance, we rise and soar, no matter the constraints. Our presence demands respect, and we will continue to thrive against all odds.#mustangsanctuary #wildmustang #desert #animalrescue #newyorktimes #nbcfeature #attcommercial #resilient #overcomingobstacles #mustang #love #wild #naturephotography by @chriswaldhaus
41
2 years ago
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As a kid, I dreamed of having muscles and becoming a myth. I wished I could have held Conan’s sword, ridden with the Terminator, or cruised to Mars in Total Recall, just a superhero who could rewrite reality. To me, Arnold was more than a political figure, he was a blueprint.Never in a million years did I think I’d actually guard the legend himself at the #roosevelt Hotel. But life got even wilder… 😅🤠 I ended up in a music video with him. Magic.From posters I saw everywhere to riding along in a music video. Dreams don’t fade, they evolve. Then they come knocking, wearing overalls and boots 👨🏽‍🌾. Most people think it’s just work, so they miss it.#dreams #arnoldschwarzenegger #mustang #hollywood #actionhero #opportunity #surreal #joshuatree #desert #nature by @chriswaldhaus
26
a year ago
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This was my love letter goodbye to Cali and all the western folk that don’t get enough recognition out here. We shot everything with @djiglobal new Focus Pro and RS4 Pro setups. Funny thing is.. I was suppose to move to AZ April 1st.. but now it’s looking more like November 😓 Too much going on at once haha. YouTube has given me the ability to produce and direct these type of projects all out of passion and fun. The freedom to do the things I want, how I want, without any affiliation or control from outsiders. Lots more to come, we’re just getting started 🤘🏽Long Live California Cowboy. Cowboys & Cowgirls@jameslandryhebert @chriswaldhaus@realreelcowboyartist @shawneemuncy@raziemeiborra@johnryanhebert@scuubbasteveSpecial Thanks to Locations@cascadetrails_jt@desertfivespotlaCREWAC/Gimbal Op: @pactographyGimbal Tech: @_virtuemediaCamera Op: @jonathanmastsCamera/Gimbal Op: @garrettgoerlvisualsBTS: @jerichopatrickDirector/Creative/Edit: CamScript: Me/ @raziemeiborra Lenses Used@blazarlens.official@atlaslensco (thank you for the loaners <3)@laowa.cineAnd big shoutout to @movmaxglobal for their N2 Mini stabilizer arm! Stay tuned, more to come. by @chriswaldhaus
40
2 years ago
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July WELLNESS with @cascadetrails_jt👢✨🐴🤍 by @chriswaldhaus
6
13 days ago
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Sometimes sanctuary work looks like sunsets, freedom, and healing. Sometimes it looks like kneeling in a pasture beside a horse you love, with a herd gathered silently to say goodbye. Today was one of the hard days. No amount of experience makes it easier. People often see the rescue, but they don’t always see what comes after. The trauma these horses carry, the neglect, the injuries, the stress their bodies endured long before they ever made it here. We give them safety, softness, good feed, medicine, patience, and love. We fight for them with everything we have. But sometimes… a soft landing is all we can give them before the inevitable catches up. What keeps coming back to me tonight isn’t just the loss. It’s the herd. Every horse stood quietly. Watching. Waiting. Together. And when the truck arrived to carry her away, the entire pasture erupted. No one can convince me these animals don’t feel grief, family, love, and connection. I watched it with my own eyes today.💔❤️‍🩹 This mission is beautiful, but it’s also heartbreaking. I think it’s important to share both sides honestly, because this is the reality of sanctuary work. Some horses come here to be healed. Some come here to finally feel peace. And some come here simply to know love before they leave this world.Rest easy, sweet girl. Love Always 🌈❤️ #horses #sanctuary #love #rainbowroad #family by @chriswaldhaus
0
2 months ago
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Ranch life taught me that love looks like early mornings, tired hands, dusty boots, and showing up anyway. The horses don’t care about your mood, the land doesn’t pause for excuses, and family becomes the people willing to work beside you when the sun gets heavy.Some of the greatest lessons in my life never came from a classroom, they came from fixing fences at sunset, feeding in the rain, and learning that character is built through consistency long before success ever arrives.Out here, hard work isn’t punishment… it’s purpose. 🤠🐴🏜️🌵#hardwork #western #desert #horse #joshuatree by @chriswaldhaus
13
2 months ago
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POV: Therapy sessions by baby goats and suddenly life doesn’t seem so serious anymore. 🐐☀️In the desert, the babies don’t care about followers, deadlines, or matcha.They chase the sun, cuddle family, and remind us what peace actually looks like.Tiny hooves. Big healing. 🤍#babygoats #goat #nature #joshuatree #farmlifestyle by @chriswaldhaus
4
3 months ago
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For everyone who ever asked why…This baby dreaming right beside his mama, safe, full, and exactly where he belongs 🤍🐴This is the kind of peace we fight for… the quiet moments no one sees, where healing happens and trust is born.From rescue to rest, this is what love looks like in the Joshua Tree Desert.#mustang #love #horse #sanctuary #joshuatree by @chriswaldhaus
29
3 months ago
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Not rushed.Not forced.Just supported. There are moments that shift something… this was one of them 💫 Out in Joshua Tree, our families stepped into a space where courage unfolded in real time. With patience, steady guidance, and care, our kids moved through fear-step by step, voice by voice.They got on the horse.They stayed.They smiled.Surrounded by rescued horses, goats, chickens, and wide open desert, this experience became something deeper—confidence, connection, and belonging.Visual Description: Golden desert light, a line of smiling kids and caregivers in matching Grayson View Foundation tees and cowboy hats paired with boots. Blind & VI kids ride horses, played with a newborn baby horse and goats as they explored the ranch. Captured beautifully by @victoriaposhhh @victoriaposhphoto , documenting the Grayson’s View Foundation 1st Family retreat Mustang Sanctuary experience @cascadetrails_jt ❤️ 📸 To @chriswaldhaus thank you for meeting our kids with patience and intention. It mattered 💛 🐎 This is what possibility looks like. Your donation to graysonsview.org increases these experiences for blind & visually impaired individuals ❤️ 🦯 #GraysonsViewOrg #SeeThePossibility #AccessibilityMatters #JoshuaTree #InclusiveExperiences by @chriswaldhaus
14
4 months ago
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A good horse makes a man better than he is.#cowboy #desert #horse #mustang #california by @chriswaldhaus
8
4 months ago
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Chris Waldhaus is the founder of Cascade Trails Mustang Sanctuary in Joshua Tree, where he trains, heals, and rehabilitates rescued mustangs, working morning and night to help them ease into safety and trust.Chris’s story is not only about horsemanship. It’s about heritage, representation, and reclaiming space in a culture that hasn’t always made room for every voice. The history and legacy of Black horsemen and women are deeply woven into the fabric of the American West, yet those stories have so often been overlooked or erased in a field largely shaped by white narratives.We’re deeply grateful to Chris for sharing his perspective and lived experience as a Black cowboy today.His love and natural affinity for horses—and for all animals—has created a refuge for mustangs, goats, dogs, and many others who were once rejected or abandoned.It’s people like Chris who are building a more compassionate and more inclusive horse world: one that honors the full history of who shaped it. During Black History Month and beyond, we’re proud to spotlight voices like his and recognize the generations of Black horsemen and women whose contributions deserve to be seen, celebrated, and remembered.@cascadetrails_jt @chriswaldhaus #mustangs #sanctuary #animalrescue #blackhistorymonth #wildhorses by @chriswaldhaus
38
5 months ago
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Joshua Tree sunsets don’t ask for attention… they steal it. Unreal views. Magical rides. Where the sky puts on a show and the horses set the rhythm. Sunset at Cascade Trails just hits different. 🌄🤎🐴🪶 #holidays #travelgram #horses #sunset #desert by @chriswaldhaus
21
5 months ago
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