Desert Pines Ranch Horses

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Wishing you all Love and Blessings!!!

12/04/2025

Great information!!!

THE COLD WEATHER IS UPON US! ❄️

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

10/07/2025

https://mygivingcircle.org/desert-pines-horse-rescue/donate/free

Each year MyGivingCircle gives away $500,000 in grants and donations. You can help Desert Pines Horse Rescue by Donating today.

07/29/2025

07/29/2025

07/29/2025

Great info from While it’s a common equine emergency, esophageal obstruction (“choke”) can look alarming, especially if you’ve never seen it before. Unlike in human medicine, where choking refers to a tracheal (or windpipe) obstruction, choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach).

Most commonly, choking occurs when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing appropriately, which results in a firm bolus lodged in the animal’s esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects. Poor dentition, which leads to inadequate chewing, is also a frequent cause of choke.

While common, choke can have serious consequences. So, be sure to call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke. A bad choke is fairly obvious to both veterinarians and horse owners, but a mild choke could be confused with an upper respiratory tract infection or colic.

07/29/2025

With recent strangles outbreaks popping up on equine newsfeeds, concerns about respiratory illnesses have become prominent.

07/28/2025

Ask. Believe. Receive. Give thanks. 🍃

Ask: Keep a running conversation with the divine. Ask for what you need. Enlist help with your challenges. Enlist help for your dreams. Enlist help in all things.

Believe: Believe - even assume - that help is on the way, that the Universe is conspiring to assist you from the very moment the prayer leaves your heart.

Receive: Listen for gentle guidance and follow it. Open to nudges and follow their lead. Trust your instincts and your inner voice.

Give thanks: With each breadcrumb of guidance, offer a whisper of thanks. Even when our answers appear in ways we don't expect, give thanks. 🍃

One step, one breath at a time. Help is here. 🍃

From Every Day Spirit: A Daybook of Wisdom, Joy and Peace. Daily tools for your spiritual journey. Yours is right here: www.everydayspirit.net

** I’ll be off on Monday!! See you Tuesday with so much love. xo Mary ✨

11/24/2024

This is great news!!!

We're excited to announce we've signed five new partnership agreements with organizations in California, Oregon, Texas and Washington to support our efforts to train and place more wild horses and burros into good homes.

Forever Branded is our new nation-wide partner supporting efforts across the country to find more good homes for wild horses and burros. Its Branded Partnerships program will establish a network of equine trainers to train and gentle wild horses and burros for adoption. Branded Adoption Centers will be located across the country and provide adoption opportunities for local communities. Forever Branded will also host annual events to showcase the trainability of the animals and build a community of trainers willing to share best practices.

We're also partnering with Teens And Oregon Mustangs, Meeker Mustang Makeover, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Wild Horse Program and MYWY - Mustang Yearlings/Washington Youth to assist with education and outreach, training animals and placing wild horses and burros into private care in their local communities.

Together, these partnerships could help place approximately 11,000 additional wild horses and burros over and above the BLM’s existing adoption program, saving taxpayers approx. $160 million. We look forward to working with all of our new and existing partners to support our mission of managing healthy wild horses and burros on healthy public rangelands.

Learn more ➡ https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-awards-25-million-accelerate-wild-horse-and-burro-training-and-adoptions

11/15/2024

Winter has arrived this morning with our first measurable snow.

10/28/2024

Thank you so much for the order of goodies from Chewy's for the horses!!! We greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity!!!

Desert Pines Horse Rescue is a nonprofit 501(c)3 since August 10, 2018
Guidestar: Gold Level
Fundraisers and Donations are gratefully accepted through:
Facebook/Meta and Instagram or with PayPal, and Zelle with the email [email protected]
Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/Desert-Pines-Horse-Rescue
Mail: Desert Pines Horse Rescue
Deb Collings
3305 Sun Cloud Circle
Reno, NV 89506-9765
Chewy's Wish List
https://www.chewy.com/g/desert-pines-horse-rescue_b121184902 -list
Shop Chewys to assist with funding my rescue from your purchases: https://www.chewy.com/g/desert-pines-horse-rescue_b121184902
Amazon Prime Gift List for Desert Pines Horse Rescue is: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/owner-view/1VUCY2U2TC6R2
Thank you so very much for your generous donations!
The horses and I greatly appreciate your generosity!!!

10/20/2024

Wanted: I am looking for a volunteer to assist with stall mucking, grooming, hand walking and exercising the rescue horses in Golden Valley, north of Reno, NV. If you are looking at learning more about horses and would like to work into an apprentice trainer, I am open to training the right person. Complete the volunteer application located on the website (DesertPinesHorseRescue.org) and email it to [email protected] for possible consideration. Pick your own hours (1+ or more): Monday - Friday 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 3 pm