Wild Horse Hope Ministries
From AlexBrownRacing
Contents |
Basics
Web Address: Wild Horse Hope Ministries
Physical Address:
Wild Horse Hope Ministries @ Prairie Ranch
66359 Hwy. 14
New Raymer, CO 80742
Phone: 970-437-5701 Or 303-552-8056
E-mail: sjgwin@msn.com
Paypal link: Paypal link to donate
Fundraising Drives on TWR:
1/22/08 Horses here from CO rescue"going under
Media stories: (link to stories about rescue)
Description of Rescue
Include: Corporate Status; Location; Size; Years of Operations; Type of Rescue (terminal, temporary, rehab); Fostering procedures; Adoption policies (contracts?); Source of Horses (auction; kill pen; feedlot etc.); Operating procedures; Visitor hours; Volunteer information; Education programs (girlscouts, school programs, etc).
Wild Horse Hope is a Colorado 501c3 non profit- WHH primarily operates as a ministry to reach broken and hurting kids and families and show them love and hope. Part of this ministry is to help God's Creation, which in turn, helps His people. WHH is a Christian based non profit, but we believe in showing love and grace to all no matter what their beliefs. WHH is called to live and lead by example. My husband and I are the Executive Directors and we are overseen by a board of directors that provides accountability, assistance and advice. We depend on our many volunteers to keep things running smoothly. From website help, to brochure design and printing, to property care and upkeep, we could not do it without them. Wild Horse Hope is blessed by the families, church groups, and individuals that give of their time here.
My husband and I have owned and operated a boarding stables for four years and run the horse program at a camp/retreat center for 6 years prior to that. We have 20 years combined experience working with horses and managing herds of various sizes and ages.
We both grew up in ministry oriented families that have dedicated countless hours to helping people in crises- from deaf and hearing impaired to Romanian orphans to inner city families to unwed moms. This was the foundation for the work that we do today.
We are both firefighters on our local fire dept, involved in our local church and we have 3 children. We also have a foreign exchange student. We are both Denver natives and we have been married for 12 years. We are CHA certifed Horsemanship Instructors, First Responders, and Chaplains and have 15 years of experience working with kids and families.
We are a satellite adoption facility for the BLM, working to educate people on the unique characteristics of the mustang, as well as find them good homes. We have 3-5 mustangs here at a time, pulled straight from the range, usually under 2 years of age. We work on gentling and halter breaking so that the adoptions have a higher rate of success.
The rescue part of Wild Horse Hope operates on a need basis. As we have a herd that varies in size from 30-40 horses on 150 acres, we have to manage and be good stewards of what we already have. As room is provided, horses are taken in. We will not, except in absolute emergency cases, allow our herd to go over 40. We also have several other animals here, including a flock of sheep, and several mini's. Our herd is a combination of personally owned horses that we use in our program, boarding horses, mustangs for adoption and horses that are in rehab and evaluation.
Some of our horses come from auctions, some are donated, some come from seizures, some come from the kill pens and feedlots. Each horse is evaluated as they come in and then periodically during their stay. If they are suitable for our program, which is primarily for beginners, then they stay. If this is not the best home, then we seek adopters for them. Each horse is evaluated by our vet and ferrier to set a plan for their care. We work closely with our professional friends to ensure that each horse receives the best care possible while at our facility.
Each prospective new owner is carefully screened to help ensure a good match for them and for the horse. Our goal is to place horses with exactly the right home for their needs. As we are rurally located, the drive itself is often a deterrent for those wanting a quick sale and a cheap horse. We do not charge high fees but we also do not let our horses go to just anyone- we are in no hurry to place our horses and we have plenty of room for them to stay. If they stay, their training continues so that they will be that much more ready for their new owners. Fees charged for horses goes directly back into care and rehab of other horses. We ride our horses regularly on the local ranches working cows and crossing obstacles. Our open pastures and long country roads provide miles of quiet riding. Our 130 acre pasture allows regular movement and herd interaction for healthy mind and body. Our herd stays barefoot unless needed, although we trim regularly.
We have a small arena for riding lessons, horsemanship classes, games, water balloon fights, relay races and anything else our imagination can come up with. We have a small bunkhouse with a kitchen that sleeps 6 as well as plenty of grassy space for tents. Our round pen is under reconstruction.
All of the activities of Wild Horse Hope are provided free of charge.
We do not want money to ever be an issue for those who would like to come here.
Wild Horse Hope is donation and grant funded.
Wild Horse Hope hosts game days in the summer for kids in the community. We play games, eat ice cream, have dinner, and ride. We have between 10-30 kids ranging in age from 4-18.
Wild Horse Hope hosts families for retreat days from a transitional housing organization in Denver. These are families that were homeless and are trying to get back on their feet. Our bunkhouse has no TV, telephone or internet providing a break from the chaos of everyday life. Just books, board games, good food and family interaction. We have rabbits to chase, sheep to pet, donkeys to feed treats to, chickens to find eggs from, horses to ride, hammocks to lay in, grass to play on, vegetables to pick from the garden and God's green earth to enjoy. We teach horsemanship classes, basic agriculture lessons, and riding lessons. Wild Horse Hope also hosts youth groups, rec center groups, adult groups, and individuals.
We welcome visitors by appointment - Our hours are 9am-5pm in the winter, and 9am-7pm in the summer, Mon-Sat We do not take visitors on Sundays. We are closed for riding lessons and horsemanship classes from November through February for weather reasons although training continues and observers are welcome. We welcome volunteers at any time and have a form that we can send if you are interested. If you know of kids or a family that would benefit from time spent in the country, please let us know or feel free to pass on our information.
Rescue Network
List of other rescues this rescue works with. Colorado Horse Rescue Colorado TB Rescue Ahimsa Ranch Rescue Shiloh Acres Rescue Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch Mountain Valley Rescue
FOB Horses
Add updates of horses rescued with FOB fundraising money. Keep a running total on the number of successful FOB rescues ... all helps build a reputation with FOBs.
Lil Blue- Blue roan pony mare- rescued from Animal Angels Horse Rescue in Wellington-
doing great!! Eating well, will be evaluated by a vet tomorrow and will post her weight-
Monthly Care sponsored by FOB's
Mac- rescued from Animal Angels with his mother (see above) -also doing well-
kicking up his heels and diving into the hay-
already has made friends with a mustang colt that we have
for adoption. Monthly care sponsored by FOB's
Paco- Mini jack donkey- also rescued from Animal Angels - Funds Raised!! Picking him up tomorrow!
Feedback from FOBs
From volunteers who have visited the rescue etc which may include relevant links to the discussion board about the visit.
Questions from FOBs
This this space available for FOBs to ask questions. Answers can then be worked into the above content if appropriate.
