| Newsletter February 2026 It feels like April at the Ranch with no snow on the ground and the horses' spring shedding has started, but we are still doing our snow (or rain!) dances every day as we really need that moisture! The dry weather has provided lots of opportunity for the herd to meet potential adopters, and the first adoptions of 2026 are finalized! Several other horses have started their adoption trials, read on below to learn who is heading to their new homes soon! All that excitement is helping us cope with the difficult part of our work, as we lost two of our herd members this month. Community Program Season has arrived, and we are grateful for a group from SOS Outreach whose wonderful kids & adults came to help the horses in early February - they cleaned ALL the corrals and worked so hard. We love our Community Partnerships with other non-profits, as it connects more people with the horses and helps them be extra well cared for. This Saturday is Community Volunteer Day and Training, so if you've been meaning to visit the ranch, spend time with the Horses, and learn what we are all about, this is the perfect day to come! There are also spots in the Helping Hands Workshops, which are open to ALL, no experience needed and you are welcome to sign up even if you are new to MVHR. Registration is now open for several Spring Programs too, so scroll down to learn more about all the fun we have coming up! Summer Camp Registration opens on March 11th, mark your calendars! Continue reading for more details and updates from MVHR! |
| MVHR Horse Updates It's been busy with potential adopters visiting the ranch the past few weeks! We have so many wonderful horses in the herd hoping to find their match! We are excited to share our first adoptions of 2026! First this year: Blue! This sweet paint mare found her next chapter with a lovely woman with whom she will be doing groundwork therapy & receive all the love she deserves. Next, Prince, the handsome palomino who only arrived a few months ago also found a wonderful home in Evergreen, where he will enjoy leisure rides and get spoiled every day! Adoption applications are also in on Flint, Craven, Lucy, Missy Rae & Shadow, all of whom will start their trial periods in the next few weeks! As we started the New Year well over capacity with 39 horses, new intakes have not been possible just yet, but with all these wonderful adoptions in process, we'll be able to welcome new Journeys of Hope next month! MVHR has wonderful horses who are waiting for their next loving home. Could that be with you?! A list of the Current Herd can be found by clicking below! |
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| Goodbye Sweet Buddy With heavy hearts we must share news of the passing of Buddy, also known as Bud Light. This handsome old man (32!) was a gentle giant with an impressive show history in the dressage ring. He enjoyed trail riding the last few years with his loving adopter, and came back to the ranch to spend his last few months here at MVHR. Sunday morning Buddy asked to join his old friend Torec over the rainbow bridge, and was gently laid to rest. We will miss you, big fella, give Torec a good wither scratch for us! Run Free Beautiful Pippi On February 12, eight months after she arrived, Pippi was laid to rest and buried on the hill overlooking the river. It took us time, and the rephrasing of questions to be sure we understood her answers, but we finally listened, and with the most excruciating heartbreak we as caregivers experience, we gave Pippi what she hoped for. Final peace and rest from all that this world and us people had done to her, final freedom from fear and hard questions and release into the truest form of freedom we could offer this beautiful mare. Please CLICK HERE to read Pippi's full Journey of Hope from the last 8 months, as she, and all horses who suffer at the hands of humans, deserves her story be shared with the world. |
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| MVHR Community & Programs |
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| Volunteer at MVHR! Come spend time with the Horses, giving them love & care! We always welcome new volunteers, and after a Volunteer training you can come help out whenever your schedule allows. Community Volunteer Days with training are coming up on: - THIS Saturday, February 21
- Saturday, March 21
Community Volunteer Day is hosted from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Pancake Breakfast is served at 9:30am, after which we head out for a variety of chores to help the horses. No experience needed, and no need to RSVP either. In addition to these Saturdays, we have Volunteer Training available on Tuesday Mar. 10 or by appointment. For more info click here! Complete a volunteer application and it will ensure that you receive a volunteer opportunity email each month. Also Scroll down for a Fun Event for Volunteers who want to learn more! Helping Hands Workshops still have availability. Starting on Saturday Feb. 28th we are offering a series of workshops throughout the Spring to help increase your knowledge about Horses and Horsemanship! |
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| | Helping Hands Workshops We are excited to introduce the NEW Helping Hands Workshop program for 2026! Each session will cover a different aspect of owning and being around horses. These workshops are a great opportunity to learn more about the horse in a hands-on environment! There are only a handful of spots left available. This is open to anyone 12 years and up, no experience needed! |
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| | Mini Horse Heroes is Back! Registration for the Spring sessions of our most popular program is open. A fun way for kids 3-5 years old and their parents/caregivers to spend time at the ranch. We learn about horse care, grooming & leading and finish with a pony ride! Sessions are on select Saturday mornings, the first one is on March 21st and there are a variety of dates through May available. |
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| Spring Break Equine Explorer Camp MVHR is excited to be offering kids ages 8 and up the opportunity to spend Spring Break with Horses with our new Equine Explorers Camp! Equine Explorer Camp is an educational multi day camp offering even more hands-on horse time. Campers will learn about safety and confidence around the horses through groundwork, leading, and grooming. We cover horse body language, anatomy, nutrition, basic horse terminology and tools. Transportation will be provided from Yampa in March and Wolcott in April. |
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| Save the Date: Summer Day Camp Registration! MVHR staff is busy planning 2026 Summer Day Camps for both Eagle and Routt Counties, with the popular curricula returning and a new camp: Equine Explorers. Registration for all Summer Day Camps will open on Wednesday, March 11th. New this year is that we have increased weeks for Routt County with transportation from Yampa. For information on the Curricula CLICK HERE! Junior Camp Counselor Internships for Summer We are looking for teens, 12 to 15 years old, who are looking to gain horse experience and to enhance their skillset with both horses and supervising children. This is an unpaid/volunteer internship for the Summer Day Camps with a flexible schedule between June 9 - August 6. You get to experience the day to day of running a horse rescue and summer camp. This position is available to teens in Eagle and Routt County. If you have attended MVHR camp before, this might be perfect for you, but is an opportunity open to anyone who has a love for horses. Transportation from Wolcott or Yampa with the Summer Camp Van is possible. This role does not need to be full time, and any number of days of help is accepted, with multiple positions available. For questions and if you are interested, please email: programs@mvhr.net by May 1! |
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| | MVHR is Hiring! We have a variety of positions available. Do you have a deep compassion for horses and the ability to communicate with and work well with others? Then check out the following positions! - Ranch Hand, Part time year-round
- Horse Trainer, Full time/Part time, year-round
- Program Assistant, Part time, year-round
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| | Other Ways to help this Year End! Donating to help the horses can be done in many different ways! In addition to cash, check and online donations, volunteering your time and sharing MVHR's mission with others, read on to learn about some other ways to make a huge impact to the sustainability of MVHR for future generations to come! |
| City Market Community Rewards This program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do every day. Once you link your Shopper’s Card to MVHR, all you have to do is shop at City Market and swipe your Shopper’s Card. Click HERE to set this up today! Only takes a few minutes and helps the horses greatly! |
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| | MVHR Brokerage Account with Edward Jones Did you know MVHR has a brokerage account that you can donate to…and that you can make a gift to the horses this way? Donating stocks offers benefits for both you and MVHR. We are so grateful for the donors that have already committed to doing so. For more information on how to donate to our account with Edward Jones, contact your broker or email marleen@mvhr.net. |
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| MVHR Endowment Fund at YVCF As we reach year end, please consider donating to the MVHR Endowment Fund at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. Your contribution to the MVHR Endowment Fund provides support for horses today, tomorrow and beyond, truly ensuring all MVHR horses have the care and love they need throughout their lives and for generations to come. If you'd like to learn more about donating to the Endowment Fund, please click HERE. |
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| MVHR Planned Giving Create your legacy by making a planned gift to MVHR. Through a planned gift, you will be a part of making an everlasting difference in the lives of rescue equines long into the future. A hundred years from now, you will have an impact on the care of horses in need. Lend your Hopeful Heart to Helping Horses by making a legacy gift to MVHR today! Click HERE for more information. |
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| ... and then there is MORE! Visit our Other Ways to Help resource page to learn about more ways to help MVHR anytime of year. We have information on our Amazon Wishlist and how to shop and support MVHR thru organizations such as City Market & Chewy Gives Back. Check it out and sign up for some of the shopping programs, or please consider helping out with much needed supplies from our wish lists. From all of us at Mountain Valley Horse Rescue, thank you for your continued support! |
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| | Contact Us! Mountain Valley Horse Rescue
33933 Colorado River Road
McCoy, Colorado 80463
970-653-0185
info@mvhr.net |
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