La Duquesa wanted her "one and only human" for as long as she could remember. Maryann Wilcox dreamed about riding a silvery mare bareback across a meadow in the moonlight since she could remember. A tragedy introduced them to each other but circumstances kept them apart. Maryann's riding instructor, Ginny Hartley, could see the connection between the rescued horse and the young girl who lived in poverty. Ginny began pulling strings trying to unite a broken family so she could unite that special horse with her special girl.  Read More

Desperado was something of a wild child. He explored the territory around his birthplace because there was no lock he couldn’t pick. That early exploration would later save lives. Desperado had two loves in his life. One was his 80-year-old owner Hilda.  The other was his 14-year-old rider, Todd. His biggest fear was Hilda’s children would sell him to a man he despised after her death. Unfortunately an incident occurred that let Desperado prove beyond doubt what he felt in his heart. He ran into danger when all other creatures ran the other way. He ran through fire to protect the ones he loved. He hoped it would be enough to ensure his future with Todd on the land he called home. Read More

Desert Rose had an idyllic life boarded on Hartley Ranch with her mother. She and the Hartley’s son Brody formed a special lasting attachment. Brody was devastated when he came home from school and discovered Rosie and her mother were gone, taken home by their owner.  A despicable crime occurred that left Rosie, her mother, and three additional horses at risk of starvation and the life of a special and very valuable stallion owned by Rosie’s owner in more dire straits. Brody’s friend, Marianne was the only one who knew how Brody felt about Rosie. She instigated a chain of events to reunite them. When the truth about the missing stallion became known, Marianne and Brody got their friends together to search for him in the vast Mojave Desert where blistering heat, enduring monsoon rains, lightning, thunder, and treacherous flash floods couldn’t stop them. Their hope was if they could find that special stallion, the owner would recognize the deep bond between Rosie and Brody and allow them to be together forever. Read More

Freedom was abused and betrayed by every human he came in contact with as a young horse. Despite his promise to his mother to grow up and become a \“good horse,\” he distrusted all humans while harboring the hope he would find his “Heart Human” someday. Nathan was born with Autism. He was brilliant but lacked the skill to communicate. His parents tried many forms of therapy to help their son and couldn't find one that worked for him. He grew up isolated, passing his time on a computer learning about things he'd never be able to do. Freedom's owner donated him to a therapeutic riding center. Nathan's mother got an invitation to a fundraiser for that center and investigated equine therapy for her son. Something finally worked for Nathan. Then Nathan met Freedom and magic happened. Nathan wanted to ride the Tevis Cup Ride, the toughest 100 miles in one day ride in the world. Freedom's previous owner conditioned Freedom for that ride before she donated him. Four new friends stepped up to help join the horse with the boy and help them make their dreams come true. Read More

Kashmir was an abandoned and angry Arabian gelding who had no use for humans. Katie Barclay grew up in the world of Rodeo. She was a driven young lady who planned her life to include specific milestones. When she failed to reach one of them, the failure crushed her and sent her into a deep depression. Kashmir began to remember unique things about himself that his mother taught him as a baby when he recognized some of those same unique qualities in fifteen-year-old Katie. As their connection grew, it healed Kashmir as much as it healed Katie. They became a team. They forged a partnership going against long-held beliefs that Arabian horses had no place in Rodeo. Katie and Kashmir demonstrated the truth in their performances. At the same time, each of them found new ways to use their unusual abilities to help others. Read More

Raven, a beautiful, talented Arabian mare, lost her entire family under tragic circumstances. She found herself hundreds of miles from home and anything familiar. Beto, a 15-year-old boy, immigrated to a new country thousands of miles from everything he knew. Soon after arriving in America, he lost his parents. His grandparents took him in. Being equestrians, they bought him a horse to help him through his grief. Raven and Beto recognized similar feelings of loss in each other. They helped each other as they became a team doing something Beto always dreamed of doing and discovered Raven loved to do as well. Read More