HORSES

She came to us as an owner surrender following a domestic violence situation, having gone far too long without routine veterinary or farrier care. Once at KWRR, we were able to get her caught up on the care she needed and give her the safe, comfortable life she deserves.

Shadow arrived very underweight, with a shaggy, unhealthy coat and long overdue for veterinary, dental, and farrier care. After being bounced from home to home and having to fight other horses for his meals, he was extremely food aggressive and unsure that his next meal was guaranteed. With proper nutrition, routine care, patience, and consistency, Shadow has undergone an incredible transformation—gaining healthy weight, shedding that rough coat, and learning that he never has to fight for food again.

Chance’s story is exactly why he carries his name. Just two weeks before coming to us, he had been pulled from a kill pen by a trainer who was supposed to give him a fresh start—but before he was ever given the time to decompress, adjust, or understand his new surroundings, he was sent right back to the kill lot.

Journey With Equus stepped in to save him, and KWRR became his foster home alongside Whisper and Frost, where the three became inseparable and lovingly known as “The Trio.” His journey didn’t get easier immediately; during quarantine, Chance battled a rough case of strangles, all while remaining extremely skittish and unsure of the humans around him. But this time, no one gave up on him for being scared, uncertain, or needing more time.

Today, Chance is healthy, thriving, and slowly learning that trust doesn’t come with a deadline here. He was failed after his first rescue—but at KWRR, he was finally given what his name promised him all along: a real second Chance. ❤️

Frost was in the kill pen alongside Whisper, and after seeing him posted, we quickly realized we couldn’t leave him behind either.

Looking back, saving him feels even more meant to be, because this handsome caramel-colored, blue-eyed boy became Whisper’s rock when she was terrified and unsure of her new world. When people were still too scary, Frost was the familiar face beside her, giving her the confidence to begin settling into life at KWRR.

Despite everything he has been through, Frost is an incredibly sweet and gentle soul who continues to show us just how forgiving horses can be. We believe he may have some vision limitations, which can make him easier to spook, but with patience and reassurance he continues to make wonderful progress.

Today, Frost is learning to trust, enjoy his new life, and discover that he and Whisper will never again have to wonder where they’ll end up next. Sometimes you think you’re saving a second horse—only to realize you were also bringing home exactly who the first one needed. ❤️

Whisper was only about two years old when we found her in the slaughter pipeline—the very first horse we saw and simply couldn’t leave behind. Our community rallied around this scared little filly, raising the funds to bail her out and giving her a future she otherwise may never have had.

She arrived severely malnourished, sick, completely unhandled, terrified of people, and covered in scars across her back that left us wondering what such a young horse had already endured. For Whisper, rescue didn’t mean she suddenly trusted us; it meant slowly showing her, day after day, that she was safe and that no one here was going to hurt her.

Today, the filly who once wanted nothing to do with people will gently take food from our hands, curiously watch us nearby, and trust us enough to leave her paddock to graze and come home on her own. She has gained weight, grown healthier, and while we still can’t physically handle her, every tiny piece of trust she gives us feels like a victory.

One day we hope to place a halter on Whisper, safely give her the hands-on care she needs, and show her that human hands can bring kindness too—but until she’s ready, she has something she may have never had before: time. ❤️

Cinnamon Sugar and her tiny colt, Cayenne Pepper, were found together in a kill pen when Cayenne was estimated to be only about a week old—with no history, no known ages, and no explanation for how a mother and her newborn ended up headed toward slaughter.

With the generous sponsorship of renowned artist Jim Shore, their bail was secured and this little family was given the chance to come home to KWRR together. Cinnamon arrived deeply distrustful of people; she wouldn’t allow us near her or even take food from our hands, yet somehow she trusted us enough to gently touch and love on her baby.

Over time, that trust began to include her too, and today Cinnamon allows Lauryn to love on her, scratch her, and feed her by hand. Cayenne has grown from that tiny kill-pen baby into a curious, confident colt who is now halter broke and learning to walk on a lead.

Their journey is still being written, but every new milestone reminds us just how far they have come. No mother and her week-old baby should ever find themselves standing in a kill pen waiting for slaughter—and we’re grateful their story didn’t end there. ❤️

Cayenne Pepper was estimated to be only one week old when he was found standing beside his mom, Cinnamon Sugar, in a kill pen headed toward an unimaginable fate. With no history on either of them, all we knew was that this tiny colt deserved the opportunity to grow up—and thanks to renowned artist Jim Shore sponsoring their bail, he got it.

Cayenne came to KWRR as a curious little baby whose mom was terrified of humans, yet Cinnamon trusted us enough from the beginning to allow us to touch and love on him.

Since then, we have had the incredible privilege of watching him grow up knowing safety, full bellies, open pastures, and kind hands instead of the slaughter pipeline. Today, Cayenne is halter broke and beginning his education on a lead rope, with Lauryn learning right alongside him every step of the way. He may have started life as a nameless baby in a kill pen, but at KWRR, Cayenne gets something every baby deserves—the chance to grow up. ❤️

Arlington Gateway is a former racehorse who once won thousands of dollars on the track, yet eventually found herself in the slaughter pipeline. She was rescued by Journey With Equus with funds raised by RACE Fund, Inc., and today she calls KWRR home.

Arlington carries an old racing injury that makes her unrideable, and after her rescue she faced another fight—a severe case of strangles that required hospitalization during quarantine. She pulled through, regained her health, and along the way formed a special bond with Titan, although the two had to be separated when Titan completed quarantine before she did.

Several weeks later, they were finally reunited at KWRR, where Arlington now stands alongside Titan as one of the leaders of our herd. She can be cautious until she decides you’ve earned her trust, but underneath is an incredibly sweet mare with a BIG personality—especially when there’s water nearby to splash, play in, and make a complete mess of. From winning on the racetrack, to fighting for her life, to leading the herd at KWRR, Arlington’s worth was never determined by whether she could still be ridden. ❤️

Titan, formerly known as “Zip,” wasn’t even the horse Lauryn went to meet that day—but one look at this big, handsome gelding and there was an instant connection. The name Zip didn’t quite fit the powerful six-year-old Thoroughbred believed to be an off-track racehorse, so Titan became the name for the horse who would eventually grow into one of the biggest personalities at KWRR.

After somehow finding himself in the kill pen, Titan was rescued by Journey With Equus with funds raised by RACE Fund, Inc., and ultimately found his home here with us. It didn’t take long for him to find his place within the herd—or, more accurately, take charge of it.

Today, Titan is our herd leader, protector, and unofficial Sheriff of KWRR, always keeping an eye on what every horse is doing and making sure everyone knows he’s in charge. We may not have gone looking for Titan that day, but sometimes the horse you never planned on bringing home is exactly the one who was meant to find you. ❤️

Onyx is believed to be an off-track Thoroughbred, or at least to have connections to the racing world, but much of his history remains unknown. What we do know is that somehow this handsome gelding found himself standing in a kill lot headed for slaughter. Journey With Equus stepped in to rescue him, with RACE Fund, Inc. helping raise the funds to save him alongside Diamond Z Rosebud.

During quarantine, Onyx and Diamond formed a close bond, becoming a source of comfort and familiarity for one another after everything they had already endured. When it came time for Diamond to come to KWRR, we knew separating the pair would mean yet another major change, so it was only fitting that Onyx came home with her.

Today, Onyx is part of the KWRR herd, where he and Diamond never have to worry about being separated or wondering where they’ll end up next. Sometimes rescue means more than saving a life—it means recognizing the relationships that helped them through the hardest parts of their journey. ❤️

Reba is a 17-year-old pony mare who found herself at auction, where she became the highest-bid horse purchased by a kill buyer and was headed into the slaughter pipeline.

Our KWRR community rallied around her, raising the funds needed to save her in less than 24 hours. She arrived needing proper nutrition and routine care, along with multiple treatments for a significant lice infestation before she could safely complete quarantine.

The same community that helped save her chose the name Reba, inspired by Reba McEntire’s “A Life Worth Living”—a fitting name for a little mare getting the second chance she deserved. Since coming to KWRR, Reba has blossomed into a sweet, spunky mare with a personality much bigger than her size. Her life was worth saving, and our community made sure she got the chance to live it. ❤️

Dolly came to KWRR as an owner surrender when her previous owner could no longer provide the care she needed.

She arrived significantly underweight, overdue for routine care, and with concerns surrounding her beautiful blue eye, including cloudiness and scarring from suspected previous ulcers. Because of her blue eye and light skin, Dolly requires extra UV protection and continued monitoring.

Since arriving, she has received veterinary, dental, and farrier care, gained weight, and is already showing us an incredible glow-up. Dolly is a sweet, gentle soul who is learning that meals are guaranteed, hands can be kind, and she is finally home. ❤️

Bandit came to KWRR alongside Dolly and Lainey through an owner-surrender situation when their previous owner could no longer provide the care they needed.

He arrived underweight, with severely overgrown hooves and overdue for the basic care every horse deserves. With proper nutrition, farrier care, and consistency, Bandit is now getting the opportunity to become the healthy, happy horse we know he can be.

He quickly found an extra-special place here as Weston’s horse and future partner in adventure. His transformation is just beginning, and we have a feeling Wild Wild Weston & Bandit have a whole lot of stories ahead of them. ❤️

Lainey came to KWRR through the same owner-surrender situation as Dolly, at only about three years old.

Believed to be a draft cross, she arrived with severely overgrown hooves that caused her to trip over her own feet and a scar in her eye believed to be from an old injury or untreated ulcer. After receiving the veterinary and farrier care she needed, we finally got to watch her stretch those legs and run comfortably again.

Lainey is sweet, curious, and still learning to trust, but she has quickly found her place within the KWRR herd. Named after Lainey Wilson with a little Wildflowers and Wild Horses inspiration, this beautiful young mare now has her whole life ahead of her. ❤️

The first time we saw a photo of Diamond Z Rosebud, we knew she needed someone willing to step in and fight for her. Once a successful racehorse who won thousands on the track, Diamond was later sent to auction by a former owner who said she “needed a job” instead of standing around—all while suffering from severe laminitis and existing injuries.

She eventually landed in the kill pen, where Journey With Equus rescued her, RACE Fund, Inc. helped raise the funds to save her, and KWRR became the home willing to take on her extensive rehabilitation. Many people told us Diamond should be euthanized, but before making that decision, we believed she deserved to be evaluated, treated, and given the opportunity to show us what she was capable of.

Her comeback has required veterinary care, specialized farrier work, therapeutic shoes, and appointments approximately every six weeks to keep her comfortable and moving. Today, Diamond is walking, running, and enjoying life again—something many believed she would never do. Diamond’s story is why we believe that when quality of life is possible, sometimes they simply need someone willing to give them the chance to fight. ❤️