Sweet Mercies Rescue Ranch

01/02/2025

Last night I spent time going over our 2024 numbers. Scrolling through my spreadsheet I passed over so many sweet horses, donkeys (and zebras) that didn’t make it. I also got to be reminded of all the equines that made a full recovery and found the best homes imaginable. I’m so grateful for what we’ve been able to accomplish in two and a half years. God is so good. And people truly are so kind and generous. Since starting this rescue in 2022 we’ve saved 272 equines. That’s INCREDIBLE. And we could never do this without YOU and your support , shares, encouragement and prayers. So much heart break yes, but MUCH more love and success stories. I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!!

12/13/2024

Happy National Day of the Horse♥️ Featuring a photo I took of Eleanor today, and a photo from when she first came to us. One of my favorite comeback stories.

12/12/2024

Our beautiful Enzo. I wanted to take a minute and update on Enzo. He went to training and about a month in we went out to watch a session and say hello. It was very apparent to myself and his trainer in the way he carried himself that he was not happy under saddle. We tried to rule out pain and teeth issues , but there were none. Our trainer tried many different activities under saddle to see if he could find something that Enzo enjoyed. He simply did not enjoy any of it. He called me and told me he thought it best if Enzo came back home. I couldn’t be more grateful for an honest trainer who puts the horses happiness above all else. So! Enzo is back home, just being a horse and living his best life. He is available for adoption as a companion horse. When we first got him I worked with him and he loves Liberty work and/or clicker training. Every horse is different! We can’t expect them all to do and be the same. Enzo is happy and that’s what matters!

12/08/2024

We are at auction this weekend saving as many equines as we’re able. We are currently fundraising for this little orphan foal♥️ We have a $1,500 match offer for this little guy! Every donation sent in right now is doubled up to $1,500 ! Please share and donate if you’re able🤍
Ways to donate:
Venmo & PayPal
SweetMerciesRescue
Using your card through our website
SweetMerciesRescueRanch.org
🤍🤍 All linked in our stories!

11/22/2024

Mr Moose, with the fluffiest of donk ears🤍

11/08/2024

Today we let sweet Pearl leave her painful earthly body and head to horse heaven. I know she had an army of people cheering for her and hoping she would make it, and I’m so sorry I don’t have better news. I’ve been visiting Pearl at the hospital and yesterday when I went I could feel a shift in her energy. She was tired and done trying, but I wasn’t ready to let her go. This morning she tanked and she was in so much pain from her impaction. The vet team fell in love with her, as she is a very tender sweet girl. We did everything we could for her. Pearl was not a candidate for colic surgery because of her concerning bloodwork, her frail skinny body, combined with her age (she was in her early 20s). I promise, we tried everything to get this to pass. I’m so sorry Pearl. This is not how your last week of life should have been. We loved you so much. Rest easy Angel.

11/04/2024

WE HAVE A $5,000 MATCH!!!! A wonderful donor reached out and told us to save that sweet curious girl in the direct ship pen. So we’re going for it!!! Fundraiser started now to finish up our colicking horses fundraiser (she’s on her way to the vet right now, hoping no surgery needed) AND get this sweet curious girl SAFE and out of here before they ship a load today. Let’s do this!!! One final push! Thank you to everyone helping make this possible!!! 🩵Shares are always appreciated🩵

10/31/2024

Hope everyone has a fun and safe night tonight🎃👻

10/30/2024

Nibbles🤍 Swipe for his auction video. Auction weekends are so hard, but the heaviness of Monday is always the worst. The panic you feel while making final decisions eats at you constantly. Monday is the quiet day.. auction is over but the stress is not. This is the LAST chance for many horses and donkeys to be seen before they ship. I always walk the pens filled with those bought by the kill buyer. It’s always hard to see how many there are and then attempt to begin to make choices that I don’t feel qualified or meant to have to make. All this to be said, on this particular Monday I was walking through the pen filled with donkeys bought by the kill buyer. None of them would look at me or allow me to walk near them. They anxiously circled the pen to try stay away from mankind. I understood why of course, who wouldn’t? I stopped trying and just stood, silently numb and not ready to continue on. I stared at the dirt and felt the lump in my throat that was warning tears soon needed to be released. I looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, I didn’t have time to allow them to start. Then this cute little paint donkey waddled over to me and immediately got to work opening my treat bag. I don’t know what it was about this guys actions that hit me so hard, but it was just what I needed in that moment. To feel connected. Grounded. And on that really tough Monday, Nibbles was that for me. He helped me snap out of my spiral and re center myself and focus on the task at hand, and what needed to be done to complete the weekend of rescue. I immediately added him to our list of donks to fundraise for and got to work. I’ll always look at Nibbles and remember that moment he gave me. If you’re local to Texas and looking for a life long partner who will always be there for you, please message me. Nibbles is available for adoption and ready to have that companionship. 🤍

10/25/2024

Let’s talk emotional recovery, the first photo was taken last week, while the second photo was taken the morning after his rescue. He holds himself drastically different to me… but I see him every day and have got to personally watch him recover. So I’m curious, do you see it? What difference(s) do you feel between these two photos?

10/17/2024

10/16/2024

Our bestest boy Frankie, getting his feet trimmed. Frankie has no eyes but He was still a perfect gentlemen and stood the whole time. On the last foot he started getting antsy but just threw his head up and down to let us know, but didn’t move his legs. He’s such an angel. I know you love him as much as we do! ♥️

10/11/2024

Our beautiful girl, Nikki 💎 Some horses have big stories and obvious reasons they’re chosen or rescued. But then some I’m just drawn to for the simple reason of “that’s a kind quiet horse, that NEVER should have ended up here.” And that’s what drew me to our sweet girl Nikki. She has the cutest baby face so I really thought she would be maybe 1.5-2 years old. She surprised us and she’s actually 4!! So she’s full grown at 12.2 hands (or 50”) she’s just a wee little gal. She is available for adoption and she will make someone an EXCEPTIONAL companion pony. She LOVES people and she’s very easy going. Not to mention, gorgeous 🩷🌷

10/09/2024

We see you.
The horses that just days ago were wild and running free on open plains.
The horses that served people for so many years, but slowed down and now they’re here at the sale, confused and alone.
The horses that are misunderstood and given up on.
The horses that were born into this cycle and know nothing else.
The horses frantically looking for a life time friend that they won’t ever see again.
The horses that are injured and in pain.
The horses begging to be seen.
The horses wishing they could disappear.
All of them. Every one of them.
We see you.
We’re at auction this weekend trying to save as many as we’re financially able to, if you’re able to donate, even just $5 or $10 please know your donations are so so needed and SO appreciated. If you can’t donate, please share our video. Spread the word. Raise awareness♥️
Ways to Donate:
Venmo & PayPal:
SweetMerciesRescue
With your card through our website:
SweetMerciesRescueRanch.org
♥️Thank YOU♥️

10/05/2024

Pictured here is Savvy, Lottie, baby Maverick, Love and Bentley. Such beautiful grass pastures… where are they?!? Story time!! When everything went down and we realized we’d be moving quickly, I cried and prayed to God and gave the whole situation over to Him. It was too heavy a burden for me too try carry alone. Too stressful thinking of moving all our horses with so much work to do on the new property. Shortly after this Lyndi (my best friend and our amazing ranch hand) sent me the link to a property that became available for rent that was previously listed for sale. Fully fenced, 11 acre pasture and horse ready. We couldn’t believe it! Alex, myself, Lyndi and her husband Eric rounded up the kids and went to take a look. It was truly an answer to prayers. Within 24 hours Lyndi and Eric had secured the house for their family to rent/ live here while caring for up to 20 SMRR Equines (eventually). This is another huge stress off our backs! Between this property and the other I shared about a few days ago, we feel confident we will be able to move all the horses to a great in between when our current property sells. The only herds we’ll need to immediately bring to SMRR will be the donkeys and Huck, the blind herd, and our few cows! Praise the LORD!! Thank you for being here with us through these transitional months. With these amazing homes/pastures for the horses, we are still able to go to auction this weekend and rescue more. ♥️ I couldn’t imagine not going so I’m so glad we’re able to, there are so many sweethearts needing saved. Happy Saturday y’all! Drop questions below and I’ll try my best to answer♥️♥️

10/02/2024

I know I’ve said it a few times already, but I’m truly overwhelmed at the generosity and multitude of folks offering their time, energy and resources to us while we go through this unforeseen predicament. God has done so much over the last few weeks and shown us what great friends and family we have. Brook’s boyfriend’s family has a 100 acre ranch that’s lush green pastures as far as the eye can see, and only 10 minutes from us. They offered for us to let our horses graze there, since they have over a foot of grass right now. So! We chose a few lucky horses that are not in training, not on medication, not injured, to go enjoy their fields. Pictured here from first to last - Eleanor, Max, Bugs & Bunny, and Trigger. This was a back and forth for us on who to send. As soon as they all jumped off the trailer and peacefully began grazing, I knew we’d made the right call for THEM. This is a wonderful spot for them to enjoy over the next few months while we prep our new property and transition our herd over there. Don’t worry! They’re so close by and we will post updates and go to see them often! And they’ll be coming home as soon as we’re ready They are on cloud 9 with all the grass. Tomorrow I hope to share another INCREDIBLE door God has opened for us that will be so great for SMRR for the foreseeable future. Thank you all for being here for us through this, trusting us and encouraging us. ♥️♥️

09/15/2024

Peace after the storm🩵 A few photos of our most recent auction rescues, enjoying quarantine and decompression time. I’ll be posting name announcements this evening🤍