How it works
By committing annually to a $100/month sponsorship of a mustang or burro, you help us enormously by supporting our existing rescues so we can continue saving more.
SPONSORSHIP INCLUDES:
A personalized Certificate of Sponsorship with a photo of the horse or donkey you choose and your name.
A 60 minute one-on-one visit to Skydog Ranch to meet the horse or burro you are sponsoring, spend time hanging out with them, take photographs and ask questions of our staff.
If you sponsor more than one horse or burro, you will get one hour with each animal when you visit.
To visit your sponsored equine, you must be a sponsor for at least 9 months. Anyone who wants to see them sooner will have to pay for 9 months ($900) in advance of their visit. We regret that this has become necessary. We need to discourage those sponsoring for one month in order to visit the ranch, then canceling because they don’t actually care about supporting the animals or our work. These tours take up a lot of time from our staff and the important work they do caring for our rescues.
Choosing a Mustang or Burro to Sponsor
You can search for posts about individuals on Instagram or Facebook with a hashtag that combines the word “skydog” with their name (#skydogzebedee #skydognugget). You can also go to the Then & Now page on the website to see their photos and read their biographies. (Note: their pages are currently being updated.)
Sponsor a SKYDOG on Patreon
A great way to sponsor a Skydog is by becoming a patron on Patreon and signing up for the $100/month Lead Mare level. This automatically makes you a sponsor and gives you access to exclusive content that we don’t post on other social media platforms. Each new episode of the Horse Love Podcast is released there, as are special offers on merchandise, and breaking news.
Skydogs who need sponsors
Apple
Apple was one of four generations of Pine Nut mustangs with a following of many thousands online. She, her mother Ol’ Momma, her daughter Dumplin’, and grandson Sam followed the band stallion Samson in the wild. A ranch owner wanted to have a lawn, but refused to fence it in, creating an irresistible temptation for wild horses. When they took the bait, he called the BLM and told them the horses were trespassing. On a Thanksgiving weekend, they were trapped, loaded into a trailer, and transported to the nearest holding facility in Palomino Valley. Thousands of people signed a petition supporting their return to the range, but the BLM only saw dollar signs with famous horses like these. The Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates, who vowed to protect and help them land softly and together, helped us win the bids so we could reunite them at Skydog. No one who sees how closely knit they are can deny that horses form deep familial bonds. This family cherishes their freedom. Aside from entering the chute for veterinary and farrier care, they are wild and untouchable and we wouldn’t have it any other way. More on Apple
Rojo
Rojo went through the prison training program in Carson City, NV. His owner adopted and rode him until she contracted Lyme Disease. While she was too sick to ride, Rojo got some time off from his training. He quickly reverted back to his wild ways. By the time his adopter was well enough to ride again, he had very strong opinions about being handled. This is not uncommon. Prison-trained horses or Mustang Makeovers often get three months of intensive training and are shown for adoption. If the adopter doesn’t have enough knowledge or experience to be consistent from the day they get them, it is possible that they can revert to being more wild - or test their owner. Fortunately, handsome Rojo came to Skydog, where his dream of living wild and free forever has come true. He’s an easy-going guy and gets along with all the horses in Buddy’s herd. More about Rojo
Wookie
The BLM rounded up the last wild burro herd in Oregon with no intention of releasing any back on the range. We asked to take the whole herd, all 41 of them. These burros are nothing less than amazing. For desert animals to have adapted to thrive up here in the cold winters is remarkable. Lots of these donkeys have short stumpy ears, or one ear shorter than the other. Many don't have tails and share the same double line on their back from their dorsal stripe which is also unusual. I hoped they could be studied at Skydog, while living out their lives wild and free in their homeland. The BLM only allowed us to take 10, so we spent a lot of time at the corrals identifying bonded pairs, as well as donkeys who appeared to be genetically unique and special. Wookie was there with her baby girl, Biscuit. Mothers with foals were also a priority, as the maternal bond of donkeys runs even more deeply than that of mustangs. More about the Warm Springs Herd
RESCUED MUSTANGS
THERE ARE OVER 250 HORSES AND 50 DONKEYS HERE AT SKYDOG
Click on the photos to find out more or read their stories on our Then and Now Page.
RESCUED DONKEYS, MULES, Minis, ZONKEYS & A ZEBRA
