Welcome to our newest Wild Heart Rescue
Welcome to our newest Wild Heart Rescue
Funny how time and the universe seem to find connections… almost 4 years to the day, Wild Heart agreed to take Otis the Mule from a hot, dirty stall where he was attempting to recover from a messy castration that needed to be fixed… fast forward to today and Otis is off living his best life as we usher in a new pony in need.
Hilary came upon a Facebook listing about an almost free horse and anyone in rescue or who has spent any amount of time to try to understand what it means when an animal like this makes its way to Facebook, knows the outcome isn’t always in the animal’s best interest. She called for an emergency vote which was an obvious yes, then enlisted Daniel Blair’s help to go retrieve the pony and trailer and bring them back home to Wild Heart. For $1200 Wild Heart bought his safety and the promise of a wonderful future.
So here we are with a new mystery to unravel, a brand to decipher, vet and farrier visits on the horizon and a pony to give a restart to.
He has already spent time with Hilary, Jen Hope, Ame Hope and his new farrier Sereena Irby. He’s quickly winning hearts right and left. It is our hope that after some time to settle in, he hasn’t been with other horses in along time, that we’ll be able to have him tell us his story and what he wants his future to be.
If you would like to help us recover some of the cost of his rescue and his upcoming bills along with food and supplements, please consider donating.
What do you guys think, should we bring him to the Mustang Showcase if he says he’s ready in October???
Wild Heart Restart Ranch is located in Cotati, CA, and is a place for Off the Track Thoroughbreds, BLM Mustangs, and any soul who needs a restart in life.
In the News:
Northern California Mustang Showcase Raises Money for Cotati Horse Rescue
The Santa Rosa event raised more than $16,000 for Wild Heart Restart Ranch.
Meet Maverick and Goose the Adoptable Puppies!
Wild Heart welcomes Maverick and Goose! Two giant teddy bears of failed livestock guardian dogs. They enjoy chasing butterflies, snuggles from their people, wallowing in water troughs and goofing around with their buddies. Maverick and Goose prefer a life of leisure. They were the kind of employees who showed up late, took a long lunch and left early! Roughly 80 lbs. Anatolian, Akbash, Great Pyrenees mix. Ten months old and growing! They want to snuggle their way into your heart. Will require excellent fencing, lots of space and someone familiar with livestock guardian dog behaviors. They are learning to walk on a leash, come when called, how to sit and to sleep in a crate overnight.
We are seeking donations to help with neutering and to offset some of our costs with feed, bedding and acclimation. Thank you for supporting Maverick, Goose, and Wild Heart Restart Ranch!
Follow our journey:
Wild Heart Restart Ranch to the Rescue
On Saturday, December 2nd, 2023, a desperate call went out for help from the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County: 7 puppies had been left in the rain in a cardboard box, in front of the O'Reillys Auto Parts store in Ukiah. The shelter was at capacity could not take them in, and the person who found the puppies could not keep them... so Wild Heart Restart Ranch decided to offer help. The puppies were delivered to Wild Heart on Sunday, December 3rd and here begins their story. With the help of Jameson Humane, we have a healthy pack of rescue puppies ready to find new homes.
We believe that everyone deserves a chance to survive and thrive. We strive to let each animal take a break, decompress and begin a new career using groundwork, time under saddle, and adventures to new places before finding their perfect partner.
Current Wild Heart Horses
Meet the current Wild Heart residents who are getting a restart and will be available for adoption!
Wild Heart Success Stories
Meet the horses who have gotten a Wild Heart Restart and a new chance at the life they deserve.
Mustang Showcase
One of our goals is to raise awareness about the American Mustang and what wonderful partners they can make in the domestic world. And so, the Mustang Showcase was born.
Heartfelt Thanks
We would like to extend an enormous amount of gratitude towards all of those who have helped turn Hilary’s dream of Wild Heart Restart Ranch into a reality! To Jessica and Lindsay Merget, who make up the hefty administrative backbone of the Mustang Showcase and Wild Heart Restart Ranch. To Hilary Merrill of Rayo Ranch for hosting the Mustang Showcase and being such a steady and inspiring supporter. To Jen Bodnar for being the most dependable ranch hand and equine bodyworker. To Uncle Bob, Charlie, Pat, DB and Kelly for putting in the countless hours, sweat and muscle to physically build the ranch into the beautiful haven it is today. And, last but certainly not least, to Hilary’s dad, John Hansen, for always supporting and encouraging his daughter to follow her heart and live her dream of making a difference to so many horses and animals in need over the years. Without him, none of this would be possible.
