On the Ranch Archives - Sky Ranch Sanctuary

Dec 16 2025

Christmas at Sky Ranch – 2025 Recap

Another year has flown by! Sky Ranch Sanctuary was founded twelve years ago, and we have remained committed to our mission, to provide the best and most humane care possible for horses that are abused, neglected or abandoned.

Through the experience we have gained caring for horses, we have actually extended our mission to include all “unwanted” horses, horses that can no longer be ridden or perform the way they used to due to ailments or injury.

The owners of three horses now at the sanctuary were left with two untenable choices: either to sell the horse, without full disclosure of ailment or injury, to an unwitting buyer or have the horse euthanized. We were able to step in and provide a third, good option: retirement at Sky Ranch.

Ricci, Ace and Bronco are contentedly settled in and are now part of our Sky Ranch Sanctuary family. They receive medicine and supplements that keep them comfortable, and they’re able to live a good horse life. No need to be ridden or perform for anyone.

A sad note about Soda Pop, who arrived from Texas sick and “unwanted” last year.

After months of nursing care, supervised by our veterinarian and a veterinarian internist specialist, we lost Soda Pop to a broken leg. The leg appeared to break spontaneously, we suspect due to undiagnosed bone cancer. (Even if her bone condition had been diagnosed, she would have received the same treatment we were giving her.) Soda Pop was a good-natured sweet mare throughout her stay with us, and she patiently put up with the treatment. It was heartbreaking to lose her.

We also lost Chloe this past year. She was probably 30-plus years old.

She arrived here a few years ago, emaciated. Our vet commented that she was the thinnest horse he had ever seen! We were able to get weight on her, and she seemed to enjoy her life here. She had a chronic eye condition that required episodic treatment involving putting ointment in her eyes. She fought us all the way on that, but we got it done! She was euthanized due to a severe colic, most likely a result of old age. We miss her eccentric, quirky ways.

Moose and Meadow are doing great, and Sky Ranch is definitely home to them!

Please consider a one-time donation in support of any or all of our horses.

They each require special care, and that care involves costs. A donation in any amount will go toward providing a healthy, caring home for these magnificent creatures who deserve to live out their lives in a dignified retirement.

Follow our story on Facebook as well, as we count down our 12 Days of Christmas at Sky Ranch Sanctuary!

We wish you the best of everything in 2026.
Celebrate the New Year and keep loving horses!
Feel free to explore our symbolic gifts.

Oct 17 2025

Welcome Bronco!

In early September I received a call from my vet asking if we’d be willing to take a horse belonging to a client. The owner had purchased Bronco for her daughter, but her daughter decided she wasn’t interested in riding. When x-rays revealed the horse had navicular disease (degeneration of the navicular bone in the foot), the owner didn’t feel comfortable selling him to someone else. She wanted to find a good retirement home for him.

We decided to take a chance on Bronco, a handsome 8-year-old buckskin gelding Quarter Horse. Our four-stall barn is full, so Bronco was to be situated in the covered arena a few feet from the barn until he could go out in the pasture with the other horses during the day. We quarantined Bronco for a couple of weeks for the safety of the other horses. He settled in somewhat, and then the day arrived to put him out in the pasture with the others, with a gate separating him at the start.

Well, it was a rocky start. Someone apparently forgot to tell Bronco he is not a stallion! He ran and kicked, and when the others came up to the fence to greet him, he acted very aggressively toward both mares and geldings. There was lots of squealing and posturing, and this went on for hours! Bronco even kicked in part of a wooden shelter in the pasture. No one was anxious to pull him out of there till things settled down. He finally wore himself out by 4 p.m. and let himself be led back into the arena.

Our vet ran blood tests to make sure Bronco had been completely gelded (no stallion “parts” left). The blood test confirmed he is a gelding, and we needed to decide what to do. He clearly wanted to be with the other horses, but it was dangerous for him, them and us to mix them up, even with a fence between. We did not want to ask the owner to take him back. We wanted to solve the problem.

We are strong believers that horses should be with other horses if at all possible. It’s in accord with their nature. However, we have to put safety first, so at least for the foreseeable future, Bronco will stay in the arena. The other horses go out to the pasture during the day, but are in the barn, just a few feet away from him, from dinner time to morning turnout. We have a family business, as well as our home, on the property, and the arena is in the middle of everything. People walk by often throughout the day, and Bronco gets lots of attention. He’s very sweet with people. My vet assured me he can have a good life here and certainly better than an uncertain future elsewhere.

Our horses’ physical and mental well-being are our passion here at Sky Ranch. Taking care of these marvellous creatures requires effort and of course funds. We are grateful for any help you can provide through donations. Thank you in advance, and enjoy autumn.

All of our horses at Sky Ranch Sanctuary, like Bronco, receive special medications, supplements, and treatments for their unique needs. Your continued generosity supports these efforts alongside the tireless work of our volunteers.

Jul 23 2025

Welcome to Ace!

A few weeks ago, Ace, a 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, joined us at Sky Ranch Sanctuary. Ace’s owner had purchased him, not knowing he suffers from navicular disease.

The term navicular refers to a degeneration of the navicular bone, soft tissue, and surrounding structures in the hoof. Though many horses can be rideable for years after a navicular diagnosis, Ace is not one of them. Ace’s owner tried the available humane treatments, and Ace still exhibited lameness, especially when ridden. His owner contacted us, looking for a safe place where Ace could retire comfortably.

We had our vet examine Ace, and he concluded that the condition was one we could treat and keep the horse comfortable.

Ace is now out in the pasture with the other horses and making himself at home. He’s a handsome, good-natured guy, and the other horses seem to like him. We like him too and are so glad he’s joined us.

All of our horses at Sky Ranch Sanctuary receive special medications, supplements, and treatments for their unique conditions and needs. Your ongoing support and generosity is appreciated and valued in tandem with the tireless work of our volunteers.

Jan 21 2025

Soda Pop

It’s with great sadness that we have to report that Soda Pop died on January 9th. She broke her leg and had to be euthanized. There was no sign of external injury to her leg and we think it just broke. Early on the vets suspected she might have bone cancer, and that may have been the cause. She was standing in her stall when I got to the barn to feed the horses. She took a few unsteady steps and then laid down. We took turns petting her and comforting her, and she remained calm and peaceful until the end.

We are brokenhearted that we lost her. She had improved greatly and was actually able to be in the barn at night and out in the pasture with the other horses for the last few weeks of her life.

We sincerely appreciate the support we received along the way on this journey. It definitely did not turn out as we had hoped. We are trying to find comfort in the fact that she had a chance to live a “normal” life in the pasture with the other horses, if only for a few weeks. She was a sweet and gentle patient. We will miss her.

Soda Pop’s story – “An Unwanted Horse, until now.”

When a horse comes to Sky Ranch Sanctuary, to live out her (or his) days, we are committed to making that happen in the most humane way possible, with dignity and compassion for their individual needs.

In late June, Soda Pop joined us at Sky Ranch. She had just made the long trip from Texas in a horse hauler. Long story short, the person who had purchased her online didn’t get the horse he was expecting: she was older and lame. The owner of the horse facility where Soda Pop was delivered thought it was best for her to retire to a safe, humane place, like Sky Ranch. The man who had purchased her agreed.

Unfortunately, the day after she arrived at the sanctuary, Soda Pop was diagnosed with strangles. This nasty bacterial infection results in abscesses in the throat and neck area, which can travel to other parts of the body. Strangles is very contagious to other horses, and Soda Pop lived in our sheltered arena, away from the other horses, from the day she arrived, until a few weeks before her death. It was in this sheltered place that she received our best care.

Within twenty-four hours of her arrival at Sky Ranch, Soda Pop began receiving ongoing care to rid her of the disease and bring her back to good health. In the early weeks, her treatment involved opening and flushing out the abscesses in her neck and head area, followed by more than several months of receiving antibiotics both by injection and oral syringe. There were many vet visits, including visits by an internist specialist, recommended by our vet to make sure the disease had not spread to other parts of Soda Pop’s body.

The most pronounced symptoms of strangles disappeared, and we focused on trying to manage the apparent pain that Soda Pop was experiencing in her legs and feet. It was difficult for her to move. She had been through a rough time and was a senior horse. We did everything we could to facilitate her full recovery with the help and support from our vet, Dr. Troy Osborne.

As you may imagine, this care for Soda Pop was very expensive. We welcome any support you can offer. There are so many worthwhile causes, and we believe caring for horses like Soda Pop is one of them. Knowing she got to live out her last few weeks in the pasture, peacefully – the way a horse should, gives us some comfort. Please consider helping us with the expenses of her care.

Your generous donations will make an impact on all our horses, who live out their years in a place where they are wanted and cared for.

Dec 17 2024

Christmas at Sky Ranch – 2024 Recap

Friends of Sky Ranch Sanctuary…

Like many of you, I wonder where this past year went and why it went so quickly. And like many of you I imagine, we at Sky Ranch Sanctuary have had loss and gain.

Our beloved palomino mare, Goldie, died suddenly and unexpectedly. Goldie was as sweet as she was pretty and always a little worried about what was going to happen next. She appeared to have died without suffering. We, horses and humans, miss her.

In late June, Soda Pop, a mare from Texas came to live at Sky Ranch. She had been purchased online by a local man who experienced “buyer’s remorse” when she arrived not quite as expected: older and a bit lame.

Soda Pop seemed a little under the weather, and even if the seller in Texas would agree to take her back (unlikely), the general consensus was she would not survive the long trip in a horse hauler.

A stable owner and trainer in our network thought Sky Ranch would be a good spot for Soda Pop to retire. Unfortunately, the day after Soda Pop arrived at our ranch, she was diagnosed with strangles, a nasty, super contagious equine disease.

In consultation with our vet, we flushed out abscesses twice daily and began to administer antibiotics. Finally, after weeks of care, the strangles was gone but a mysterious infection lingered. Months later, after administering antibiotics and pain killers twice daily in her mouth by syringe, Soda Pop’s blood sample came back normal just this week!

Now we are waiting for our vet to clear her for a normal horse life, in the pasture in the company of other horses. It has been a long haul, both in the exertion of time and resources.

Fortunately, the other horses remained healthy and happy during this intense focus on getting Soda Pop well. She has been a sweet and tolerant patient throughout this ordeal, but will not be sorry to never see that syringe again!

As you may imagine, our resources have been strained by Soda Pop’s medical needs and her care has put a strain on our budget. Sky Ranch Sanctuary relies on both volunteers and generous donations from our horses caring supporters.

Any amount you can donate will be appreciated and put to good use. We currently have room for another horse who needs care and would love to be able to provide that.

Please consider a one-time donation in honor of Goldie, for the care of Soda Pop or to provide for our newest horse that is in need of care. Even the smallest amount makes a huge impact on our horses, not to mention, brightens the spirits of our volunteers – knowing that these beautiful animals are cared for and their dignity is acknowledged.

Thank you! We truly hope 2025 will find you well, on your way to somewhere you want to be and having some fun along the way.

From all of us at Sky Ranch Sanctuary, have a Happy Holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

P.S. – Feel free to explore our symbolic gifts. Even the smallest of gestures help brighten our volunteers spirits, knowing others care for our animals too.