Category: Homed

Twister is a 32YO Appaloosa gelding who was best buddies with Ruby, the namesake of Ruby Ranch. He is the steady companion to our herd of mares, treating them with his benevolent leadership and sometimes putting one of the younger ones in line. His hocks are arthritic but he still enjoys running out to pasture with the herd, putting a sassy mare back in line, and grazing for long hours.

Twister is residing in Olalla, WA, with the retired RRHR founders, Pat and Roger, where he keeps company with Pat’s mare, Belle.

Izzy is a 3YO 14.2H Quarter Horse gelding, said to be from the Perino herd from Newcastle, WY. He is shy and unconfident at this time but can be haltered and has worn a saddle with pictures of his previous owner up – at only 18 months old. Izzy is being fostered by RRHR board member Megan and Bill who will be working to get Izzy comfortable around humans. He is a late bloomer and will be gelded this spring.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Update May 1, 2015: Izzy has been castrated!

Update August, 2015: Izzy has received ground training and roundpen work from Tanya Lowe, natural horsemanship trainer, teaching him to be less sensitive and to respond to cues such as back, disengage hindquarters, move front end, etc. He shows promise to be that very smart saddle horse once he matures.

December, 2016: Izzy is back! He was in a foster-to-adopt home where the herd dynamic wasn’t adequate. He is again for adoption, looking great. We will continue with his handling and ground training, and if he’s still with us come spring, he will start saddle training.

Update: Izzy has been re-homed.

Glory is a 12YO Appy/Paint/Bashkir Curly mix. She is about 14.3H with a stout build, weighing over 1000 lbs. She had no saddle training, although she has been gentle enough to carry a child leadline. Her owner relinquished her to RRHR due his health issues. She is of good weight but currently needs to be brought up-to-date with float, vaccinations and farrier. She stands for the farrier, can be haltered, trailer loaded, and will lead up.

UPDATE: According to the Bashkir Curly breeder who originally sold Glory at auction, Glory’s sire is Painted Dun Deal, a stallion who now resides in England. The dam is a family appaloosa mare. Glory looks like a pintaloosa, although the breeder says she is also Bashkir Curly. Glory does not have curly hair but the Curly registry allows for “straight” Curlies with DNA testing to confirm percentage of Curly.

UPDATE: Glory has had neglected hoof care during her life and will be evaluated at Colorado Equine, including radiographs, to assist our farrier, Zac Sanger, with proper hoof management.

UPDATE: Glory’s x-rays reveal that her hoof trim needs to reduce heel height and preserve her sole, which is too thin at this point in time. First trim has been accomplished. We let Glory wear some trail boots and she is very happy at the walk, trot and canter, much more comfortable than she has been for years. Glory is showing us that she is very sweet and polite. She leads up well, stands for the farrier and is very smart, learning which gate to stand next to when it is feeding time.

UPDATE: Glory’s hooves have been corrected and she is sound. Glory has been ground training as weather permits. She wears a saddle with no problem, the trainer sits on her back and is just starting to teach cues. Her adopter will need to be experienced at a level that can bring her along, or be willing to enlist the services of a trainer.

UPDATE : Glory continues to make strides with her training. She responds to a calm and confident/assertive rider who has the patience to teach her a work ethic. Glory likes to take life easy and slow. With the right energy, Glory is very willing. She is not interested in speed events and would do well with a home who would like a nice trail mount when training is completed. She gets along well with other horses in her herd, including mares and geldings. Glory stands for the farrier, trailer loads, and is up-to-date on vaccinations, farrier, float and deworming.

UPDATE: Glory has been adopted.

Update 4/14/17: Teddy has been adopted!

This beautiful black homebred mustang was in a successful adoption when he was recently returned due to his owner’s move to Alaska. Teddy is a 6 year-old, 14.2 hh gelding, a good horse for beginners under saddle. He walks/trots/lopes both leads and will go over obstacles. He has had a fair amount of natural horsemanship training on the ground as well as some professional training under saddle, but he still needs someone with some experience so he stays respectful and confident. He needs to be taught to be caught in a larger area but is easy enough in a corral. Teddy can be a bit hesitant to load if his handler is not patient with their pressure/release cues and he prefers to stay out of those cramped 2-horse trailers.

Teddy was rescued during a joint effort by Colorado Horse Rescue Network and Ruby Ranch Horse Rescue.

His adoption fee is $750 and he is located in Berthoud. Please contact CHRN at cohorserescuenet1@aol.com, or let us know here (pr@rrhr.org or 719-541-3642) and we can put you in touch.

Misty is a 7 year old miniature mare, standing at about 34 inches. She has been trained to drive and could probably carry a small child headline, as she has had no saddle training. Misty was recently returned to Ruby Ranch Horse Rescue in overweight condition after a failed adoption. More information about her health and training will be available soon.

Cookie is a 13YO mini mare who stands at about 28″. She is bonded with her partner, Misty, and they will be adopted together. Information about Misty is on her page on this website. Cookie may be suitable for children to handle, but her size is not suitable for riding. She may have had some drive training. Cookie is currently over-weight and is on a dietary plan for weight loss. More information about her demeanor and training will be posted as evaluations are completed.

Update: Cookie and Misty have both been adopted to a wonderful forever home, where they will be retired and taken care of for the rest of their lives.

Star is a 15-18YO grade gelding. He’s smart and friendly; seen here with volunteer Elizabeth.

Update: He’s been adopted!

SaraJane is a grade QH mare, foal date approximately Spring 2008. She is about 14.3 and stout at about 1050 lbs. SaraJane is a lovely grey with a calm, pleasant demeanor in spite of the neglect from her previous home. She has received corrective farrier work by Zac Sanger to reduce the “slipper” foot on the left front and it has shaped up to be working in her favor, although we will adopt her to a home for trail or pleasure use rather than competition. SaraJane is easy to catch and leads up nicely after just a week or so of handling. She is willing and wants to trust. Our trusted veterinarian team, Dr. Sandra and Brian Grover, checked her out to verify her age and also verify that she is in good health. She stands for the patient farrier, is curious and pleasant to be around.

Update: SaraJane (SJ) is doing ground and long-line training with Anna Blake at Infinity Farms (www.annablaketraining.com) thanks to a training grant received through the Animal Assistance Foundation. She will be better prepared when we start her under saddle.

Update: SJ is doing some training under the guidance of Tanya Lowe, Level IV Parelli trainer. Thanks to another training grant, this time through the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance, we will dedicate some time to get SJ going under saddle. She is showing us that she is sensible and willing. She would be suitable as a pleasure/trail horse.

Update May 2014: SJ is doing quite well in her training at the walk and trot. She tacks up easily, dances beautifully with her ground work, and goes well under saddle. She now needs lots of riding experience, which we will continue to do at Ruby Ranch until her perfect human shows up to take her home.That human would be a more experienced rider who knows how to make gentle training corrections under saddle.

August 2014: SaraJane has been adopted!

Update June 2015: SaraJane will be returning to Ruby Ranch Horse Rescue by mid-July. Her adopter is forced to move closer to town and she can no longer afford to keep her. She is up-to-date on float, farrier, de-worming, and vaccinations.

Update August 2015: SaraJane needs a little tune-up in her saddle training. Trainer Tanya Lowe will be working with SJ to fine-tune the riding cues. SaraJane’s new human will need to work with a trainer or be familiar with green horses enough that gentle corrections and guidance can continue.

Residing at the Horse Protection League in Golden, CO

Tanya Lowe, RRHR trainer, getting the soft bend

Patch, much more comfortable with the saddle.

Patch is a pinto gelding who stands at about 14.2H and weighs about 1000 lbs. His approximate date of birth is Spring 1999. He has nice ground manners and hooks on easily in the round pen where he can be worked at liberty with backing, disengaging hindquarters, moving the front end, lowering his head and coming in, all with gentle suggestions. He is sensitive to energy and less is better for him. Patch originally came to RRHR after being one of the last horses standing at the Cavell slaughter plant that closed in 2007. Since then he was adopted and well care for but his family is struggling to keep the ranch so Patch has returned to find another excellent home. His owner said she had been riding him with a bareback pad because Patch doesn’t care much for being tacked up, although he settles quickly afterward. He stands to be mounted. He has not offered to buck or rear.

Patch gets along well with his herd mates and likes to play. He prefers to pal up with one other horse. Last time he was here he picked a little red horse named Ginger. Patch stands for the farrier, trailer loads, can be vaccinated and dewormed easily.

Update – June 2012: We have just begun to work with Patch to see what is needed to get him going again under saddle. He is responsive in the round pen, tacks up easily has good ground manners and we hope to have him under saddle again in August.

Update – September 2012: Patch is now comfortable being tacked up, has a trusting eye and is showing us he is ready to move forward with his training. He is a willing horse and we will continue with under saddle work at his pace. He tends to be unconfident unless confined to a roundpen. A few bobbles but it’s progress.

Update – April 2013: Patch will be returning from his winter foster home next month. He will be re-evaluated by our trainer Tanya Lowe and she will proceed with tuning up his riding skills.

Update – September 2013: After careful evaluation, RRHR has decided that Patch would do better as a non-riding horse. Whatever happened to him in the past is causing him concern under saddle. Patch is now in a foster home, keeping another lonely horse company.

Patch was that lucky boy to find an excellent permanent foster situation where he can be a companion horse. Thank you Beth!

Raina is a bay paint mare who came to us as part of the herd from Fremont County – a herd that was neglected and abused. Although Raina’s hooves were in need of corrective farrier care, she arrived with good weight. It makes us wonder if she was one of the “favorites.” Raina is almost 14.1H and weighs about 900 lbs. Her estimated date of birth is June 1996. We think may have had some ground training in the past. She picked up cues for leading fairly easily and walked into the trailer with no fuss at all. We are handling her feet daily and have her fronts trimmed thanks to Zac Sanger, our very patient farrier. She was floated which revealed one of the largest ulcers on the inside of her cheek that our equine dentist had every seen. No wonder she looked worried! A large point was jutting into this ulcer and must have caused pain each time she opened her mouth or chewed. Within a few days after the float, her eye became gentle and content. Raina has learned to laterally flex, lower her head and disengage hindquarters. She still has a ways to go but has become a willing and friendly mare.

Update: Raina is in saddle training with Lori Torrini. She is at Deseos Arabians where Juliet (another Pintabian) has progressed very nicely under saddle and has since been adopted. Raina is a friendly girl who stands well for the farrier and really tries to please her human. Thank you to the Animal Assistance Foundation for providing funding for Raina’s training.

UPDATE: Raina has been ridden outside of the roundpen and is showing herself to be willing and intelligent, wanting to please her rider. She is green under saddle and is suitable for an experienced rider at this time.

Update: April 2013 – In May, Raina is going backto Lori Torrini for under saddle tune-up and continued training. We know her perfect home is waiting for her.

Raina has been accepted by Spirit Keeper Equine Sanctuary as a permanent resident, to live out her life with other companion horses. Thank you Spirit Keeper for providing safe haven for the sweet Raina!