The horses

Lieutenant was a ranch horse for most of his life. He also did some trail riding and occasionally gave rides to kids. He was the first to join our Heroes herd and has proven to be a perfect part of the team. He came from a home where he lived by himself and wasn't being used for anything, so he appeared quite lonely and depressed. He is the most social horse I've ever met and enjoys feeling proud from a job well done. He used to get severe separation anxiety if left alone, but has settled in now that he knows he is part of a family. Lieutenant is easy going and extremely playful. He is a friend to all and looks out for everyone around him - horse and human alike. He loves to play games and make people laugh, but is also quick to stop everything to come be a shoulder to cry on.

Wiley is a mustang from Modoc county and was rounded up as a stallion at 5 years old. After being gelded, he spent the next 15 years as a pack horse in the Marble Mountains. At some point he suffered a major injury to his hip and hind leg so he now requires gentle handling and daily walks to stay healthy. He has the fastest 3-legged run you will ever see. We adopted him in November 2020 after one of the local wildfires rendered him homeless.  Wiley is  an "old soul" who gently but steadfastly stands with you no matter what you're going through. He will be your rock, your companion, and your safe place. He LOVES going for walks, perhaps even more than he loves carrots! Those who spend time with him build a special bond while brushing him or taking him for his daily walk.

Gabe is a 17+ hand Thoroughbred who came to us in October 2021. He was underweight and had been uncared for, unhandled, and alone for at least 3 years. He was a racehorse in his early life, but had an injury that ended his career before it even started. He has great breeding in his pedigree including ties to Secretariat, Ruffian, Princequillo, Northern Dancer, Nearco, and Bold Ruler. Although it has been many years since his racing days, he still carries a lot of anxiety and nervous habits that he likely picked up during those days. He is a sweet natured gentle giant, bold and sensitive, and slowly learning about peace and safety. Gabriel is our guardian and truly watches over the herd.

Johnny Rocket (J.R. for short) came to us Easter of 2022. He was underweight and had been rescued from starvation by a family about a year prior after his original owner passed away. The family admitted that they didn't know much about horses and thought he would do better having other horses around so they asked if we would take him. Right away, we felt that we could help find him a forever home and so we agreed to take him after one of our hero families offered to cover his full sponsorship.  J.R. is an Arabian cross who is in his mid- to late-twenties. He is a very sweet and easy-going little guy. He happily carries lighter-weight riders and seems to really enjoy having a rider.  He was adopted in August 2022 by a hero family and is living a  great life! The neighbor kids visit him every day after school and he is best friends with the family dog.

Braveheart passed away in 2023. He was a 20+ year old Standardbred, 16.2 hands, who was used as a workhorse and for puling a buggy his whole life. When he became unable to do the job anymore, he was sent to a killpen. We were able to rescue him in May 2022 only hours before he would have shipped for slaughter, thanks to generous donations from friends and families.  By the time he got to us, he was starved to a point that the odds of survival were heavily against him. We gave him the name Braveheart for a reason, and his strength of heart helped him fight his way back to life. He became strong and healthy after several months with us and even regained a youthful playfulness rearing and leaping in the pasture. However, he had pre-existing intestinal issues and we lost him to colic before his 1 year anniversary with us. He was described as having a quiet strength, strong and steady, kind and understanding towards all people. We know he is now running wild and free and we will see him again one day.

Freedom is an 18 year old Standardbred/Draft mare who was rescued at the same time and from the same killpen as Braveheart. Based on the background we were given, they likely came from the same working farm. Many believe that her and Braveheart are siblings or related in some way, which is very possible! She is around 16 hands and built strong and sturdy. She was used for pulling wagons and doing other farm work, as well as for breeding. She was slower to trust compared to our other horses, but she has come a long way. She easily partners with humans now and will walk anywhere with you - no halter or lead rope required!

Hero passed away in 2023, only a week after his rescue. We purchased him from a killpen after several families and individuals donated towards his rescue costs and committed to be his monthly sponsor. He was in very poor condition with a body score of less than 1 on a 1-10 scale, but we believed we could give him a good chance at recovery. He had been at the killpen at least 2 weeks before we got him home, and it ended up being just too long to go without food and care. We know his last days on earth were filled with peace and he was surrounded by new friends fighting for his life - the way it should be. In the end, it was just too much for his weakened body to recover from. He was a fighter though and didn't want to give up. He passed on his own at sunrise after going down and being unable to stand on his own. He had been a former ranch horse who had aged out of usefulness and sent to a horrible fate. I'm glad we were able to intervene and give him a better ending to his years of faithfulness. Sometimes the new endings we give are shorter than we hoped, but they are still better endings either way and worth every penny.

We rescued Little Brave as a last minute decision while rescuing Hero and Miracle. We had room for one more on our trailer and he was "last call" meaning the killpen would not give him the same amount of time as others before he would fill a load to Mexico. His sweet face made me feel he needed to come home to us.  He is a Standardbred and was used for transportation by the Amish. He was a body score of 2, which is very thin. He was infested with parasites, had skin infections, very overgrown hooves, and just seemed too exhausted to care. Like the other horses we have rescued with similar backgrounds, it seems he never knew a kind hand and was used to abuse. He has worn down all his front teeth from stress-coping and pain-relief behaviors. But he is a sweet soul and reminds us much of our Big Boy Braveheart. They even have a similar high-pitched, squeal of joy kind of whinny!

Miracle is a Standardbred who was a racehorse in her younger years with the registered name "Thanks to Me."  She is 17 years old and was being used for breeding and transportation pulling a buggy. We were able to rescue her after a hero family made the decision to adopt a horse of their own and wanted to help one from the killpen. They sponsored all of her rescue costs and her daily feed and care until they were ready to adopt her and take her home. She is now home with them and living the best life surrounded by love. They chose the name Miracle because that's what she is to them. I know that they are also her miracle.