We have reached full capacity and can no longer accept dog intakes. We do not expect any openings in the near future. While we will try to provide resources, please do not ask us to take your pet. Thank you for your understanding.
This past August, we joined up with an amazing organization called P.A.W for The Foundation to help save several Alpine wild horses that had gone to auction. Charlotte at P.A.W had already saved quite a few, and because we had the facilities to offer quarantine to some of the new ones, we took in 4 studs. They have become such a part of our Sanctuary. We have gone from completely wild, to having them gelded and handled. There's still one guy, Smokey, who isn't sure, but that's ok. This past week we decided it was time to turn them out for the winter. They were ready, and I felt they really needed to feel freedom once again. You can see the progress on our FB page, but here's the video of the day we opened the gate for them.
A few new faces over the past couple of years.
Meet Jack (aka Curly)
Jack
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Jack was found wandering alone in a local ranchers field and brought to the rescue after attempts to locate his owner was unsuccessful. However, we have located his previous owner who has visited Jack/Curly and is excited to see that he is safe and doing well. We estimate him to be between 12 and 15 years old, super sweet, and loves to be loved on. He gets along with the horses great, and since she is unable to take him back, he has become our coyote controller. We have lost several cats prior to Jack's arrival, and none since. Jack is a welcome addition to the Whispering Winds family
Pop Tart
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CheyenneCheyenne, an approx 7 year old mustang mare, is a Bowie feed lot rescue we got a year or so ago. She's come along way since arriving. When I go out to the field and she sees me, she will come up and turn sideways, waiting for me to pet her.
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Gus
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And, some we had to say goodbye to
Neke was our Sheldon mare that we loved so much. Sadly, she contracted EPM. Despite a year long fight, she finally said it was time.
RC He was an amazing horse with the greatest personality, and the great grandson of Dash for Cash. During a severe ice storm he was feeling frisky, running and bucking. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop in time and slammed into a solid fence fracturing his shoulder. Despite every effort to help him heal, after 6 months he gave up.
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Carson was THAT horse. The one that is your soul. Our bottle baby. One day, out of nowhere, he laid down next to the herd as they were grazing and passed at the age of 15. No injuries. No sickness. Just his time to run in other green pastures. I will miss him forever.
Jenkins was our last minute slaughter bound save. A gorgeous mustang gelding, he was as dead broke as they came. Sadly, blindness creeped up on him until he lost all eyesight. He had his own pasture and stall that he shared with another one of our wonderful blind boys, Apache. They were the best of friends. One night we had a very large earthquake that scared him. He apparently panicked and must have fallen or somehow broke his leg. He is forever running free with all his vision and whole body now.
Josie was my solid companion. We did Drill Team together, and spent hours on back trails and down by the river. I could trust her with my life and miss her every day. She, too, went completely blind and share the field with Jenkins. One day she was acting uncomfortable. I brought her in and before I could get her to the barn she had what appeared to be a seizure and died. She had no signs of illness, and the vet thinks it may have been a heart attack.
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The hardest goodbye yet...
On Saturday evening (December 3rd, 2016) I had to say goodbye to a man that meant the world to me, my daddy. He was the pillar of our family. He taught me how to ride, instilled the passion of horses in my life, taught me to be strong and stand up for myself. He believed in everything I did, and when I strayed he was stern but loving in guiding me back on the right path. He shared all my joys and sorrows with me, and encouraged me to be the best I could be. He was proud of his family and made us his priority. There were days he’d have us all saddle up and go for a long ride to a hole in the wall some two hours away on horseback. We’d tether the horses, have lunch, and then ride back home. If I got bucked off breaking one of the new horses he’d make me get up and right back on. There was no giving up. This is how he lived his life to the very end. There aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful a father he was. He loved the ranch and the horses here, and said when he died, this was where he wanted to be. It was a privilege and honor to have been his daughter, and my honor and blessing to have been his nurse in his final months. I’m grateful to still have my wonderful mother with us, and an unbelievable husband God blessed me with who walked through this chapter right by my side, loving and taking care of my father with me every step of the way. But, the bond between a father and daughter is immeasurable and the void and emptiness too real. I know this is only a temporary separation and we will all celebrate together in Heaven one day. So, for now, I have to be excited for my dad as he reunited with my sister, my son, my daughter, my brother, his parents & all those who have gone before. What a party they must be having. Party on, dad. It’s your celebration time. Thank you for all you gave…
On Saturday evening (December 3rd, 2016) I had to say goodbye to a man that meant the world to me, my daddy. He was the pillar of our family. He taught me how to ride, instilled the passion of horses in my life, taught me to be strong and stand up for myself. He believed in everything I did, and when I strayed he was stern but loving in guiding me back on the right path. He shared all my joys and sorrows with me, and encouraged me to be the best I could be. He was proud of his family and made us his priority. There were days he’d have us all saddle up and go for a long ride to a hole in the wall some two hours away on horseback. We’d tether the horses, have lunch, and then ride back home. If I got bucked off breaking one of the new horses he’d make me get up and right back on. There was no giving up. This is how he lived his life to the very end. There aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful a father he was. He loved the ranch and the horses here, and said when he died, this was where he wanted to be. It was a privilege and honor to have been his daughter, and my honor and blessing to have been his nurse in his final months. I’m grateful to still have my wonderful mother with us, and an unbelievable husband God blessed me with who walked through this chapter right by my side, loving and taking care of my father with me every step of the way. But, the bond between a father and daughter is immeasurable and the void and emptiness too real. I know this is only a temporary separation and we will all celebrate together in Heaven one day. So, for now, I have to be excited for my dad as he reunited with my sister, my son, my daughter, my brother, his parents & all those who have gone before. What a party they must be having. Party on, dad. It’s your celebration time. Thank you for all you gave…
DINNERTIME!!!
We are so happy to have been able to relocate our rescue horses to a better climate that is more suitable for our Seniors and disabled horses. Jenkins, our completely blind mustang gelding that was saved at the 11th hour from going to slaughter, has quickly adapted and can maneuver the 63 acres confidently. The herds still break down into their own bands, but all stick to grazing in the same areas together.
With enough stalls and run in's to care for all the horses, new routines have been easy to adapt to. But, my favorite time is evening feeding. All we have to do is holler "dinner" and it's a race. We have been blessed beyond all expectation to be able to give our precious souls a better life.
With enough stalls and run in's to care for all the horses, new routines have been easy to adapt to. But, my favorite time is evening feeding. All we have to do is holler "dinner" and it's a race. We have been blessed beyond all expectation to be able to give our precious souls a better life.
The Fight for Freedom
Our American Mustangs
In 2002, our first encounter with mustangs was through a BLM-sponsored adoption center. The immediate bond was undeniable; their untamed, spirited love for life was unparalleled compared to any domestic horse I had encountered.
In the following years, we volunteered with the BLM, aiding in finding homes for the gathered horses, transporting adopted horses, and guiding new adopters. Unbeknownst to me, as my experience grew, so did my disdain for the BLM/FWS and the DOI, for what they were doing to our legacy—the free-roaming horses—and for stripping them of their freedom.
I discovered that not only was the BLM covertly sending horses they labeled as '3 Strikes' to slaughter, but the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) were complicit. According to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, only the BLM was held accountable.
The FWS and NDA were not idle; they were capturing our wild ones rapidly and sending them to face the most horrific deaths imaginable for an animal.
While some advocates might disagree with my observations and statements, that's acceptable. It requires the collective perspectives, experiences, and diligent efforts of all to achieve our primary goal—saving our wild ones.
In 2006, our team initiated an investigation into the Sheldon Horses, which had been granted freedom on the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge. However, the management opposed this and persisted in rounding up these noble animals, descendants of the Remount Stock that served our military in battle. We discovered that hundreds were being removed, and if not for our intervention to secure a stay, the last of them would have been captured and slaughtered. Despite our efforts to protect wild horses being removed from BLM-managed lands, the FWS rounded up the remaining Sheldon horses and sent them to slaughter. Today, only a few survive. We are fortunate to have at least one of them here at our ranch.
The fight for freedom is a relentless, daily struggle for many of us dedicated to preserving our heritage.
Numerous outstanding organizations are on the front lines, working tirelessly to halt this tragedy, and I plan to acknowledge each one with links. However, it is the American public that must raise their voices.
We take pride in the 20 magnificent wild horses that freely roam our property, safe from capture and slaughter, along with 9 domestic horses, and Pop Tart & Jack, our cherished longears. Regrettably, our 63 acres limit the number of equines we can shelter, or we would be blessed with many more.
In 2002, our first encounter with mustangs was through a BLM-sponsored adoption center. The immediate bond was undeniable; their untamed, spirited love for life was unparalleled compared to any domestic horse I had encountered.
In the following years, we volunteered with the BLM, aiding in finding homes for the gathered horses, transporting adopted horses, and guiding new adopters. Unbeknownst to me, as my experience grew, so did my disdain for the BLM/FWS and the DOI, for what they were doing to our legacy—the free-roaming horses—and for stripping them of their freedom.
I discovered that not only was the BLM covertly sending horses they labeled as '3 Strikes' to slaughter, but the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) were complicit. According to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, only the BLM was held accountable.
The FWS and NDA were not idle; they were capturing our wild ones rapidly and sending them to face the most horrific deaths imaginable for an animal.
While some advocates might disagree with my observations and statements, that's acceptable. It requires the collective perspectives, experiences, and diligent efforts of all to achieve our primary goal—saving our wild ones.
In 2006, our team initiated an investigation into the Sheldon Horses, which had been granted freedom on the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge. However, the management opposed this and persisted in rounding up these noble animals, descendants of the Remount Stock that served our military in battle. We discovered that hundreds were being removed, and if not for our intervention to secure a stay, the last of them would have been captured and slaughtered. Despite our efforts to protect wild horses being removed from BLM-managed lands, the FWS rounded up the remaining Sheldon horses and sent them to slaughter. Today, only a few survive. We are fortunate to have at least one of them here at our ranch.
The fight for freedom is a relentless, daily struggle for many of us dedicated to preserving our heritage.
Numerous outstanding organizations are on the front lines, working tirelessly to halt this tragedy, and I plan to acknowledge each one with links. However, it is the American public that must raise their voices.
We take pride in the 20 magnificent wild horses that freely roam our property, safe from capture and slaughter, along with 9 domestic horses, and Pop Tart & Jack, our cherished longears. Regrettably, our 63 acres limit the number of equines we can shelter, or we would be blessed with many more.
STAY INFORMED
WILD HORSE EDUCATION (1) Facebook
SALT RIVER WILD HORSE MANAGEMENT (2) Facebook
AMERICAN WILD HORSE CAMPAIGN (3) Facebook
THE CLOUD FOUNDATION
The Cloud Foundation
The Cloud Foundation
Mission
We are a long term retirement sanctuary for both wild and domestic horses. Many of our equine residents are senior citizens that range from early 20's to nearly 35 years of age. Others have disabilities that prevent them from being ridden and deemed unplaceable. Quite a few are mustangs that have been turned out and are allowed to roam in as natural a setting as possible. These horses have come from abused, neglected, abandoned, seized, slaughter-bound, and owner surrendered situations. It is our mission to allow them to live their lives out in a safe and peaceful environment, euthanizing only when quality of life no longer exists.
Philosophy
We believe that every animal has a right to life so we do not euthanize to control but allow these horses to roam freely and live out their lives in a safe and peaceful environment. It is our mission to help as many as we can, and although we may not have room at the ranch, we continue to network and work with several other organizations in rescuing, placing, fostering, and transporting both dogs & horses. We believe that working together with other rescues and rescue organizations opens up more possibilities to assure animals are given a better chance to that wonderful life.
Additionally, we believe that America’s wild horses have a right to remain wild and free. However, each year thousands of wild horses continue to be removed from their indigenous environment and relocated off public lands with nowhere to go in the private sector. Whispering Winds Animal Sanctuary maintains that, whenever possible, bonded horses will be allowed to stay together. We believe this will allow them the ability to live out their lives roaming free on the sanctuary and allow them to carry on their heritage.
We rely solely on donations to run this sanctuary and are not government funded in any way. We have no administration or board member fees or costs as volunteers supply this help. All donations go directly to the horses!
Funding - We are ever so grateful for one time donations, scheduled monthly donations or the sponsorship of a specific horse. Donations may be made on our "Make A Donation!" page through Pay Pal or a credit card. You may also mail checks to our address:
Whispering Winds Animal Sanctuary
PO Box 187, Roby, TX 79543.
- Volunteering - We need people (skilled and unskilled in horse care) who can assist in the care of horses and the upkeep of their facilities.
- Donating supplies - We have an ongoing need for good quality hay, supplements, Equine Senior, medical supplies, etc
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
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Whispering Winds Animal Sanctuary * 584 State Hwy 70 S, Roby, TX 79543 (325) 842-2366
Nonprofit #20-5555199
Nonprofit #20-5555199
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