Second Chance Ranch

Second Chance Ranch Second Chance Ranch is an equine rescue, rehabilitation, training, and rehoming program.

A little word of good news šŸ“° for ya — JOKER IS HEADING HOME! 🤩 This boy truly required a village, and we made it happen....
03/20/2025

A little word of good news šŸ“° for ya —

JOKER IS HEADING HOME! 🤩 This boy truly required a village, and we made it happen.

Enormous gratitude for who has been fostering him for the past month, for trailering him to his new mama up north on April Fool’s Day (it’s like it was meant to be šŸ˜‚), and here in South Fork for funding his trip home.

Joker’s new mama, Haley, has four horses including the boy. Joker’s new sister, Keoki, is also an Arabian who is almost identical to him. She also has a lucky leg that makes her unsuitable as a riding prospect, so she and Joker will be living their best lives together as pasture puffs with regular groundwork training.

Really couldn’t have asked for a more dreamy situation for this guy, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I was starting to lose hope. The universe always provides. šŸ™ ā¤ļø






There are exactly 32 days until our very first West Taylor clinic at Second Chance Ranch — not like I’m counting or anyt...
03/11/2025

There are exactly 32 days until our very first West Taylor clinic at Second Chance Ranch — not like I’m counting or anything šŸ˜†

I am beyond excited to be hosting this first-class horseman in our beautiful, tiny corner of the world here in South Fork, CO! šŸŽ šŸ”ļø

Day 1 of this clinic, West will be teaching us in a classroom setting about:

✨ Equine neuro-psychology, i.e. the anatomy of the horse’s brain, how it differs from humans’, and what that means for horse training.
✨ West will discuss how we as handlers influence neuro-chemicals in the horse’s mind, and how this correlates to the ā€œoptimal learning stateā€ — a foremost component of learning theory, explained from a scientific perspective in relation to the equine.
✨ West will then demonstrate these principles in action with one of SCR’s wild horses.

Day 2 will be for horses and their humans!

✨ Handlers will learn exercises to down-regulate their horses on a chemical level.
✨ Explore the intricacies of equine body language and how to communicate honestly and clearly to the horse to develop a two-way dialogue.
✨ Build a deeper connection with your horse that applies in any situation or discipline.

This clinic will be an amazing opportunity for auditors (without horses) to learn more about this incredible species — even if you aren’t able to bring a horse of your own, don’t miss this learning opportunity if there is a part of you that is drawn to them šŸ˜ Your mind will be blown.

If you ARE interested in bringing a horse, let me say from first-hand experience that this clinic will be revolutionary for:

✨Youngsters — West’s approach to establishing immobility without fear is the foundation to all other learning.
✨ Mustangs (wild horses) — engaging curiosity, reading a horse’s body language, and allowing them to be the owners of their learning process through active listening on the part of their human.
✨ Anxious/reactive/fearful equines — Handlers will learn how to influence the release of neurochemicals in the horse’s brain to down regulate them from the inside, out.
✨ Horses with behavioral challenges/trauma — learn how to reset your horse’s experiences with empathetic methods rooted in scientific research.

We will be providing big ranch-style lunches both Saturday and Sunday for all participants. Margarita bar after a hard day at school if there is interest 😜

There are only FOUR spots left for horse/human teams, so sign up now! ā¤ļø

I am BEYOND honored to share that my guru and Equine Behavior Expert West Taylor is coming out to South Fork, CO for a c...
02/27/2025

I am BEYOND honored to share that my guru and Equine Behavior Expert West Taylor is coming out to South Fork, CO for a clinic on April 12th/April 13th!

We will only have 10 spots available for horses on Sunday, so sign up now to reserve your spot ā¤ļø Auditing for the weekend without a horse is also an option for ANYONE who wants to explore the depth of the horse’s experience.

I met West eight years ago, and learning from him has truly been revolutionary in my understanding of horses. I have been lucky to learn from dozens of professionals over the years, across English & Western disciplines. By far, learning from West has been the most transformative in my horsemanship. West’s approach is practical and effective, yet also is in line with my values of non-harm and respect for the most magnificent creature there is.

It doesn’t matter whether you ride dressage, jumpers, reining, endurance… whatever. Equine bio-psychology is the same, and West’s methods to approaching common behavioral challenges that we see everyday is applicable across the board. West is an *amazing* human teacher, as well, and communicates his methods with ease.

Finding a great teacher isn’t easy (trust me, I speak from experience!) and I feel beyond blessed to be able to introduce West’s life-changing, science-based approach to equines within our rural section of Colorado.

We will have a ā€œMeet & Greetā€ fiesta at the farm on Friday night to get the weekend started… stay tuned šŸ˜†

Reserve your spot here: https://www.jotform.com/form/250574718228159

Overnight pens available for anyone coming in from out of town ā¤ļøšŸ¤©šŸŽ‰

ā€œThe world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.ā€ — W.B. YeatsAnd horses are the mo...
02/10/2025

ā€œThe world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.ā€ — W.B. Yeats

And horses are the most patient of all the magic things ā¤ļø Vincent taking in his beautiful world on 2/9/25.










Wynston went home today ā¤ļøSaying goodbye is always bittersweet. It’s hard for me to believe that my part in Wynston and ...
02/09/2025

Wynston went home today ā¤ļø

Saying goodbye is always bittersweet. It’s hard for me to believe that my part in Wynston and Cora’s story has come to a close, and that this small chapter of my life is over.

There are lots of amazing rescues out there who are able to take in several horses at a time, then allow them to live out their days in a place of sanctuary. If I were a multi, multi-millionaire… I’d probably do something similar.

The reality is, Second Chance Ranch’s existence depends on my ability to pour my heart and soul into each of these horses, and then find them humans of their own who are willing to do the same. When I started doing this a few years ago, I had *no* idea how beautiful the rehoming process could be.

Wynston went home with the absolute sweetest lady who owns an outdoor education school for kiddos here in Colorado. An amazing gentleman whose children attended her school decided to donate Wynston to his new mama, both so that she can enjoy him under saddle and the children can learn about horses from the ground. Wyn is going to be surrounded by so much love, which is all that I wanted for this angel of a horse.

We all have our own reasons for being drawn to these beautiful animals. Finding Wynston where he was, to seeing him regain his life, to watching him head out into the world to inspire other humans… man, that just does it for me 🄹😭

I said ā€œgoodbye for nowā€ and walked away from Wyn at his new home today… and he didn’t even care šŸ˜‚ He was too busy making new friends with the other horses and taking in his new family. Which is exactly how it should be! ā¤ļø

Everyone, meet Joker ā¤ļø This guy needs a community of horse lovers to help him — let me share his story with you. Joker ...
02/05/2025

Everyone, meet Joker ā¤ļø This guy needs a community of horse lovers to help him — let me share his story with you.

Joker is a 5 year old, unregistered, purebred Arabian. He was accidentally brought into this world, and as such his former name was ā€œSurprise.ā€ He was born here in Colorado and spent the first chunk of his life at the farm where he was born. Joker is a great name for him… he is impish, spunky, and affectionate.

Heartbreakingly, his original owner suffered a non-horse related injury in 2024, resulting in damage to his spine that has left him partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound.

Some very sweet locals here in South Fork, CO took Joker in to try and find him a loving home. That is where Second Chance Ranch comes in šŸ™‹šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø

Joker has some very unfortunate conformation in his front left leg that, I believe, makes him unsuitable as a riding prospect. I will share pictures of his special foot in the comments. He is currently sound and is a beautiful mover, but I do not want this horse going to someone who has the expectation of a long-term, high-intensity riding partner.

Joker desperately needs a soft landing. I am currently working with him on his ground manners — getting him solid with hoof trimming, leading, and being respectful of his person’s space. Joker would be an amazing companion horse, and sure would look beautiful adorning someone’s pasture. He is absolutely adorable and deserves a happy life.

I firmly believe that all horses have value. I am not talking about monetary value, but that which is intrinsic. Value that extends far beyond riding them, competing them, or selling them. Someone out there needs this horse, and Joker needs that human.

Please share far and wide and help us find this precious boy a home!

Joker’s adoption fee is $500 ā¤ļø

This perfect boy is still available ā¤ļø Wynston is waiting for his human to arrive. I’ll be getting a new under saddle vi...
02/02/2025

This perfect boy is still available ā¤ļø

Wynston is waiting for his human to arrive. I’ll be getting a new under saddle video of him soon that demonstrates even more so how incredible he is šŸ˜‰ Wynston has been with us since last November and as such, has been exposed to a little bit of everything. At just 7 years old, the world is his oyster — he has so much love to give!

This guy is smart, beautiful and athletic. Please reach out with any questions about Wynston 🄰

Calliope is one of our two Mustang girls from the Piceance HMA here in Colorado. This lady is the stuff of dreams and tr...
01/28/2025

Calliope is one of our two Mustang girls from the Piceance HMA here in Colorado. This lady is the stuff of dreams and truly has an other-worldly presence. Callie is a gentle giant, standing at or over 16h with the kindest eye. She loves getting neck scratches and her favorite treat is h**p nuggets from Sturdy Horse in Del Norte, CO.

Calliope will have some big news coming soon… stay tuned. Callie will be with us at Second Chance Ranch at least until she is fully gentled and has a great start under saddle. At that point, she will be ready for a forever home.








šŸ‡ā›·ļøā¤ļø
01/21/2025

šŸ‡ā›·ļøā¤ļø

01/16/2025

Today marks a big milestone for Pip — her last session in the small pen. She’s officially graduating! šŸ‘©ā€šŸŽ“ From now on, we’ll be working in the big round pen, and I couldn’t be more proud of this incredible little Mustang. Her heart is as big as her whole body!

Many of you have asked about Callie, so here’s the reality: I’ve had to put her training on pause while focusing on getting Pip to a good place. From day one, Pip has been far more anxious and fearful than Callie, so prioritizing her has been essential for everyone’s wellbeing. It’s been 1000% worth it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

That said, Calliope’s time to shine is just around the corner! She’ll be getting the VIP treatment she deserves very soon, and I have no doubt she’s going to be an absolute rockstar. Stay tuned! šŸ˜‰

Working with Mustangs is by far my favorite thing to do with horses. I can’t even put into words how fulfilling this journey is. Sure, most of my time and money goes into SCR, which means no fancy vacations or expensive dinners. But honestly? Who cares? 🤣 This is worth more to me than anything else. I feel incredibly grateful to spend my days doing what I love most in the world. Grateful, grateful, grateful. ā¤ļø

Pip ā¤ļø I am obsessed with this pint-sized pony Mustang. She is so incredibly sweet and SMART. Little miss has been accep...
01/13/2025

Pip ā¤ļø

I am obsessed with this pint-sized pony Mustang. She is so incredibly sweet and SMART. Little miss has been accepting the halter for the past few weeks and today learned about:

— circling to the left
— circling to the right
— backing up
— allowing touch on her right side

It’s amazing how quickly these guys start to learn once their fear level begins to dissipate. I cannot wait to introduce Pip to some grooming tools in the next few weeks and start getting those dreadlocks out of her mane… they’ve been driving me nuts. šŸ˜‚

Pip’s sister, Calliope, is up next 🤩 These girls are just other-worldly in how special they are. Nothing means more to me than earning the trust of a Mustang.










The most perfect boy to have ever existed… in my totally unbiased, neutral opinion šŸ«£šŸ˜‚Wynston is going to spend the next ...
11/23/2024

The most perfect boy to have ever existed… in my totally unbiased, neutral opinion šŸ«£šŸ˜‚

Wynston is going to spend the next few months getting legged up before he will be ready to find his forever home in January or February. 🄹

In 2019, Wynston was the Arabian National Breeders Finals Straight Egyptian Stallion Champion in Scottsdale. We picked up Wynston (Monarch RCA, AHR*678906) from a kill-pen in TX last November. After a subsequent 3-month battle with Strangles and another few months of getting some much needed weight on him, Wynston was started under saddle this past spring.

Unfortunately, Wynston sustained an injury to his left hock in July that temporarily derailed his training and adoption process. Thankfully, he is almost all healed up at this point and has clean x-rays which we are more than happy to share with any prospective homes. Wyn has no limitations for his future career and is guaranteed to be someone’s dream horse.

Wynston is an absolute treasure on the ground. His love language includes kisses on the nose and spa days. Stands like a prince for the farrier or chiropractor, loves his baths and loading into the trailer for adventures. Under saddle, Wynston is more ā€œgo than whoaā€ so will require an intermediate or better rider, but he is non-reactive with *zero* bolt, buck or rear and will do anything that is asked of him. Wyn is a rockstar on the trail but is more than fancy enough to excel in any arena discipline.

Wynston is 6 years old and ~14.3 hands. If we could keep him forever, we absolutely would… he is such a special presence around the farm and just brings so much joy to us all. Unfortunately, rescue programs such as our own wouldn’t be sustainable if we kept all the horses šŸ˜…šŸ˜ž

Prospective adopters will be thoroughly vetted to ensure a perfect fit for this perfect boy. PPE’s are always welcome. Please reach out if you’d like to get on the list for adopting Wysnton and to schedule a day to come out to South Fork, CO to meet us ā¤ļø

Wynston’s favorite day is chiro day with Dr. Kathy of Klix Animal Chiropractic 😻 Very proud to learn that Wyn has gotten...
11/19/2024

Wynston’s favorite day is chiro day with Dr. Kathy of Klix Animal Chiropractic 😻 Very proud to learn that Wyn has gotten a little more famous thanks to Kathy including a picture of his hoof to demonstrate a perfectly balanced foot in her textbook for doctorate level students. Wow 🤯🤩

Wyn has been living that boujee life the past few months, getting body work done and hanging out with his friends. Time to get back to work, chubby boy 🫣 Doctor’s orders! šŸ˜†

Thanks for squeezing us in to your busy schedule, Kathy! We aren’t fancy over here by any means but I do love treating the ponies to a touch of luxury whenever possible. šŸ’•

Delivered Cora to her beautiful new home today 🄹Her new name will be ā€˜Roca’ — all the same letters of her former name, b...
11/12/2024

Delivered Cora to her beautiful new home today 🄹

Her new name will be ā€˜Roca’ — all the same letters of her former name, but of Hindi decent and meaning ā€œradiant.ā€ Which is exactly what this girl is. So, so perfect for her.

Cora waltzed right into her new barn and beautiful, fluffy stall like she’d lived there all her life.

Cora’s new trainer and new mama are going to do an incredible job bringing this girl into the next phase of her life, I have no doubt. I am always thankful for the amazing people that horses have introduced me to along this crazy journey, and these ladies are no different! I cannot wait to see the wonderful things our girl is going to accomplish in 2025. The sky is the limit for the little šŸ¦„

This is just the beginning for Cora and I couldn’t be happier for her. No horse deserves it more. ā¤ļø








My time with this amazing girl is rapidly coming to a close… this might be our last picture together, taken on the fly t...
10/31/2024

My time with this amazing girl is rapidly coming to a close… this might be our last picture together, taken on the fly this morning at her PPE. Cora heads to her new, amazing home next week 😭/ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø

Cora has literally made a 180 degree change from how she arrived, exactly one year ago on November 6. Picking her up from TX, I wasn’t sure if she would make the 16 hour haul back to Colorado. She was so emaciated, and the pen I picked her up from was riddled with sick, dying animals. The night before I drove to pick her and Wynston up, I got some emergency veterinary contacts for along our route back home and prepared myself for the worst. Up to that point, I had never taken on an animal in such poor condition, so I truly did not know what to expect. I figured, if something horrific happened and she wasn’t able to make it, at least she would have been freed from such a disgusting hell-hole and would have passed surrounded by love. Definitely a stark way to begin our relationship, but that was reality.

This mare has just taken over my heart with her level of try and sweet, gentle, adorable nature. Cora does not have a single mean bone in her body, and even in moments during her training where she was stressed and fearful due to past trauma, never ONCE has she acted out in aggression. She has turned into an absolute *rockstar* on trail and is going to make an amazing endurance partner for her new mama, if that’s something they decide to do together. I will forever cherish the one endurance ride we got to complete together and how she handled every new thing with grace and composure… and how we lost 3 out of 4 of her strap-on hoof boots (Little Chief’s very old, very used set 🄹) 10 miles in — so completed the ride barefoot after 15 miles of rocky terrain… still somehow managing to trot out beautifully for the completion vet. Cora is a BEAST in the best sense of the word. I would’ve loved the opportunity to condition her for 50’s but it is more important that she moves on to a solid home so that I can make space for the next horse who needs what I can offer.

Cora will continue her education with a wonderful hunter/jumper trainer here in Colorado for the next few months while she and her new mama get comfortable with one another. I think this will be perfect for her, as she has so much potential in the arena but needs fine-tuning there. I’m so excited to see how these ladies help Cora continue to shine — I know, with her amazing brain and willingness to please, the sky is the limit for her. I am so, so proud of who Cora is and how we were able to help bring that out of her this past year.

Saying goodbye is hard. To be honest, my heart’s a little tired at this exact moment in time after a rough week and general emotional fatigue thanks to our crazy world. But, I know that this is my path and my calling for as long as I can walk it.

Thank you Cora for making me a better human and horsewoman this year. You showed me so much, that only a very special horse can. You are one in a million and I am so, so thankful that our paths crossed… I wouldn’t change a thing about this journey we’ve been on together. You are a blessing to all who are privileged to know you. My love ā¤ļø

Both of our Piceance Mustang girls are going to begin learning the kindergarten basics of connection and relaxation with...
10/21/2024

Both of our Piceance Mustang girls are going to begin learning the kindergarten basics of connection and relaxation with/around humans this week. This magnificent little lady belongs to a family member of mine who is hoping that she has potential as a sport pony — I think that the chances are overwhelmingly aligned in this girl’s favor 🤩

She doesn’t have a proper name yet, but I’ve been calling her ā€˜Pip’ since we brought her in last week. I’m sure her owner will come up with something more regal, but for the time being this nickname fits the little sister. She’s brave, spunky, and despite being about a foot shorter than her big friend Callie — is very much the Alpha of their dynamic šŸ˜†

I have a ton of compassion for what these two horses are going through mentally and emotionally right now. Their lives have been flipped upside down since they were taken out of the wild, and everything about their new domestic environment poses a threat according to what their instinct tells them. Their freedom has been taken away and they are expected to live in close proximity to predators (that’s us šŸ™‹šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø). The fact that they are still willing and able to think beyond what their internal experience tells them should be a huge source of inspiration for us all. There have been many times in my life that I personally have not been so brave.

Great power very often comes in small packages. I’m stoked to see what this little star has in store for us ā¤ļø

I’ve been thinking and thinking and meditating and waiting for the right name of this girl to present itself.Today, I no...
10/21/2024

I’ve been thinking and thinking and meditating and waiting for the right name of this girl to present itself.

Today, I noticed that I’ve silently been referring to her as ā€œCalliopeā€ for the past few days. At first, I genuinely had no idea what this word meant other than the fact that it rhymed with ā€œcantaloupe.ā€ I really don’t take my thoughts very seriously anymore and this specific one made me chuckle šŸ‰ šŸ˜‚ Several folks have corrected me on my internal pronunciation of this word — thanks!

Today, I decided to take a deeper look into the meaning of the word and see if it held any relevance to my current relationship with this magnificent mare.

I learned—or probably more accurately, re-learned (let’s be real, my memory is crap these days)—that Calliope is one of Zeus’ daughters in Greek mythology, and the Muse of epic poetry and abundance.

She inspires eloquence to remind those gazing upon her to strive for pure expression of thought.

Pure expression of thought. Feels very relevant to where I’m at in life right now and the *challenges* that represents, and to what this Mustang asks from me as a horsewoman. Speaking clearly, boldly, and eloquently.

The opportunities for growth and—if I may be so boldā€”ā€œspiritualā€ development in this world never cease to amaze me.

So… introducing ā€˜SCR Calliope’ aka Callie on this cold, stormy day in South Fork, Colardo ā¤ļø

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