Wild Heart Restart Success Stories

Keeper

We picked up this handsome kid from the Litchfield Corrals as a three-year-old from the Devils Garden HMA. He was a pleasure to work with and had no problem finding the perfect home where he continues his training under saddle and is thriving in the domestic world.

Sampson

This handsome fellow was named Ranger, and now goes by Sampson. Hilary gentled him years ago for a client in the South Bay Area who had him for a couple of years. Due to no fault of his own, he needed to be rehomed and, well... here he is living the dream with Heidi in the Midwest taking silly photos, playing the banjo and being hooligans together.

Whaler

Wailer Wade, the most doofy meatball there ever was. Long story short... Hilary picked him up for a TIP project, gentled him, got him started under saddle with help from a few folks and now he’s living the dream over at Rayo Ranch with one of our good friends who dotes on him, takes him for trail rides and give him so much love. He’s an incredible trail pony and cuddler.

Doobie (aka Thermal Heat)

Ohh we sure did love this boy. We got him a few months after coming off the track. He was a fun kid in the barn and we found him and awesome home in Santa Rosa doing a variety of disciplines. He even got to participate in a Mustang Matt clinic that we hosted in Petaluma with a 15 year old girl. They both did phenomenal with team work and everyone in the clinic adored them.

Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea and Ernie were rescued together from a kill pen in Texas. She’s a super sweet Rocky Mountain filly who hadn’t had much, if any, training, so she spent some time at Wild Heart and was ready for a new home when she got adopted by a family in Petaluma, where she has a new herd to roam with while she continues her training and bonding with her young human.

From her new family:

“Thank you so much to Wild Heart for allowing this little beauty be part of the Hope family. She came to us a baby and really changed a lot in the last year. She is more of a horse now, taller and more filled out. This year we started some simple training and she is so into it. She is kind willing and the herd favorite. We are super grateful to Hilary for bringing this little gem of a horse into our herd. She is the best. I so respect the good work Wild Heart is doing. Thank you Hilary!!!”

Dolli and Darla

We stepped slightly beyond our normal mission work to partner with Rayo Ranch to rescue these two lovely ladies from a kill pen in Oklahoma. Dolli was an extroverted and willing student, and quickly met her tip training requirements and then some! She found the perfect home with her new person on the Pacific Coast where she will continue her training.

Darla’s person found her as she was wanting to pick up an untouched mustang from the holding pens to help her son gentle and get started under saddle for his senior project. Since the holding pens were closed due to COVID, and Darla was virtually untouched, it was the perfect match. She is getting the consistent training time she needs and has already gone on several successful trail rides together!

Ernie

Ernie the Mini Mule came with Sweet Pea from a kill pen in Texas. When he first arrived he was very scared and defensive, and would kick out or bite anyone who got too close. Once he realized he was safe and loved, (and got gelded), he became the sweet, goofy troublemaker he is today. He has become the unofficial Greeter and Mascot at Wild Heart, always interested in what’s going on and getting into mischief wherever/whenever he can!

Dakota Sioux

In the words of Hilary:

“This girl is one of my heart horses... she was my favorite to gentle and train under saddle as she was quick witted, fun, playful and overall wanted to please. She was a 3 year old from the Bitner HMA, and stood around 14.3h, when I picked her up. Since then she’s grown a bit! By day 30 I was sitting on her and we were riding around without a halter or saddle. We very much enjoyed riding without a bridle or saddle until our first clinic ever with Wylene Wilson-Davis, then we both got pushed out of our comfort zone and the rest is history... for the best! Dakota Sioux now gets ridden down at Rayo Ranch as a mounted archery pony and loves to hit the trails in her off time. We still share a special bond and I adventure over there often to visit her and borrow her for trailer rides. A great teacher for myself and all of her riders throughout the years.”

Moose

This big guy was Moose! Hilary picked him up from Litchfield Corrals as a 3 year old, he is now on a dude ranch in Arizona and would be around 10 years old, he was such a fun guy to gentle and get ready for a sweet family who used him for english riding for awhile and due to no fault of his own, he was rehomed to a wonderful lady in AZ. Hilary transported him to San Diego where she met his new mom.