Hi! I’m Michele, founder of River Thunder Ranch horse rescue and sanctuary. I currently house 11 horses, including one blind horse, two retired therapy horses, a retired ranch horse, two kill pen rescues and more.

My first horse was Trueno, aka Thunder, who was abandoned by his previous owners at some stables in 2021. Sadly, abandonment isn’t uncommon. And neither is owner surrender or auction and ultimately slaughter.

There isn’t a place for retired or unwanted horses, let alone those that can’t be ridden because of ailments like arthritis, to live out their lives. There also isn’t anywhere for horses like Noche, who is blind, and Goose, a 12-year-old retired Amish work horse who has ringbone and calcium deposits, to live and thrive. There also isn’t much help for owners as the cost of living continues to rise.

That is except for when rescues and sanctuaries like River Thunder Ranch step in. Please consider donating now.

Twenty dollars buys one bale of hay, which feeds almost the entire herd for one day. Ten dollars buys much needed fly traps. Everything helps.