Cesar, the wild mustang, came to us from the Meeker Mustang Makeover challenge. He was one of the hundreds of wild horses rounded up by the BLM. If we were unable to take him in, he'd have spent his life in a holding pen, or much worse
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​Cesar has made incredible progress with his positive reinforcement training. He loves to target practice and can't wait to saddle up for a ride. Cesar is one of our most photogenic rescues, always looking amazing and eager to let the camera know it. He loves to cuddle and gets excited whenever it's time for a ride in the trailer. With one request, Cesar happily steps right up, ready for the ride. We love showing Cesar off at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. See you there!

Chilli's journey to our family is closely intertwined with her sister, Natalia, and a wild snowstorm during the 2024 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. We found ourselves at a mustang yearling auction we never planned to attend, after filling in for presenters who were stuck in the snow. With our own trailer out of commission, bringing a horse home was the furthest thing from our minds.

However, a stealthy bid from my daughter changed everything. Suddenly, we were the only bidders for two beautiful yearlings who would have otherwise been sent back to holding pens. Bringing Chilli and her sister home was the best plan we never made, and we're so grateful for the unexpected turn of events. Chilli has become one of our most talented students, as she and her sister thrive with positive reinforcement!

Imagine 25 years of shared sunrises, subtle warnings, and silent communications within a herd. Now, just a few short years later, imagine being the only one left to remember them.

This is the story of Dixie, a graceful 29-year-old Arabian mare whose journey now brings her to our care. Her eyes hold the wisdom of a long life but also the quiet need for connection. She is ready to trade the solitude of her pasture, as the last surviving member of her family, for the comforting presence of new herd members. At the ResqRanch, she will find that in Sugar, another beautiful senior mare, among others. 

With your support, Dixie inspired a project to build new shaded awnings, allowing the growing herd to stay together regardless of the conditions. No more being forced out into the elements for Dixie; she's loving life and looking as young as ever.

Dominic came to us in bad shape. He was living in a chicken coop, covered in mange, and at risk of serious disease.

Through positive reinforcement training and proper care, Dominic has become a healthy, loving companion. He is a great example of our mission in action. Often, it only takes a little education and a lot of patience to help a struggling animal thrive. 
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​Dominic has dreams of racing one day, but need some conditioning work. Are you up to the challenge of becoming a donkey's personal trainer? Contact us at Info@ResqRanch.org to become a volunteer trainer at the ResqRanch. 

Emblaze is an off the track thoroughbred who earned her name by racing an astonishing 51 times. She still has blazing speed and a surprisingly gentle step, but she races on easy street at the ResqRanch these days.
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​With a passion for jumping, Emblaze loves performing with her person. When she first arrived she did not trust humans much, and wouldn't let anyone get close to her, both physically and emotionally. After a few years of positive reinforcement, Emblaze loves people and comes to visit on her own time. She loves to share her quirky personality with all of her visitors at the ResqRanch, and even makes an appearance at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo from time to time. 

Natalia joined us through the combination of an 'act of nature' and the sneaky act of my daughter. During a snow storm weekend that was causing trouble all around Denver, we nearly lost our trailer before deciding to leave our horses at home for the 2024 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. The snow reduced the crowds to the worst turnout in years.
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​After spending the weekend filling in for speakers and presenters who couldn't make it through the storm, we attended a demonstration and auction featuring several mustang yearlings. We had no intention of taking any horses home, in fact our trailer was out of order. Still, with a bid that I wasn't aware I placed (thanks to my daughter), we ended up taking home two beautiful mustangs. As the sole bidders, these animals would have otherwise been returned to holding cells or worse. I'm grateful to be able to help Natalia and her sister Chilli, even if it wasn't part of the plan.

Oliver has legendary bloodlines, and is actually the son of a Preakness 2nd Place Winner!
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​While his original destiny was to follow in his father's hoof prints as a racehorse, he was born with a crooked hoof. The abnormal hoof was the reason the racing industry cast him out as worthless at just 6 months of age. We couldn't let Oliver's life end there.
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​As a member of the ResqRanch herd, Oliver is receiving proper hoof care and living his best life. He is still as fast as lighting, sprinting throughout the ResqRanch pastures, but he always has time to give the best cuddles. 

Rhoen is a ResqRanch original. She has been with us since birth. Her mother was pregnant with her when their owner was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She was unable to care for an expecting mother, much less a foal, and so she reached out to us!
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​Rhoen has grown into a beautiful black mare that loves to lead the herd around the pasture. She loves to learn new tricks, such as rearing and lifting each individual hoof on command! With Positive reinforcement, we let Rhoen express her love for tricks without ever using a whip, or even a halter. Now that's impressive.

Sugar is a beautiful Palomino who spent most of her life working hard on a ranch. She put in countless hours of labor and trail rides before finding her way to us, in serious need of medical attention.
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​Without ever receiving proper dental care, Sugar's teeth were in terrible shape, with the effects causing several other medical issues. Now that she's here at the ResqRanch, she has access to complete medical care and receives everything she needs. Sugar is thriving in retirement, loving time with her friends, of both the 2-legged and 4-legged varieties. We look forward to seeing her kissy lips face everyday! 
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