Celebrating 25 Years of Hope at The Horse Shelter and Its Impact on Lives in New Mexico

The Horse Shelter's overarching goal of is to extend our help to as many horses as possible who are in desperate need.

Vesuvius, a palomino Peruvian Paso, was surrendered by his owner

The Horse Shelter rescues, rehabilitates, trains and rehomes abused, abandoned and neglected horses throughout New Mexico and was founded in 2000. We receive horses mostly from the NM Livestock Board after found as estray and also after cruelty seizure disposition by the courts. We also admit owner surrenders on a case-to-case basis, mostly in hardship situations. Our ranch is located in Cerrillos, NM on 129 acres and we have a total capacity of 100 horses at this time. For the last year we have been averaging 95 horses onsite.

With the help of experienced staff, farrier, and veterinarians we safely refeed and give the necessary veterinary care (vaccinations, worming, dental, gelding and other more specific medical interventions.) We train the horses to have good groundwork skills, to be safe around humans and, if appropriate, we train them as riding horses. During rehabilitation and training we assess the horses for their personality, behavior and training status to determine their adoptability. The Horse Shelter endeavors to help as many horses as possible and provide our community the opportunity to adopt safe and well-behaved companion (non-riding) and riding horses. The more horses we are able to rehome, the more we can admit and help.

The Horse Shelter is located in Cerrillos, NM on 129 acres and has a total capacity of 100 horses at this time.

In 2023, we admitted 69 horses and adopted 43 into new homes, this was due to a major increase in the amount of horses needing rescue, so they would not be sold for slaughter. Thirty of these horses were found free-roaming by the NM Livestock Board and had never been handled before. Their ages ranged from 1 to 9 years old. Unhandled horses require much more training time and skills, as the process of socialization - for them to begin to trust and approach people - to halter training, to groundwork training and then finally saddle training can easily take a year, or more. As horses can live to be well over 30 years of age, the investment in training these young horses is well justified. 

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Creating good equine citizens at The Horse Shelter

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Odie and Rico on the right. Check out sponsoring Rico today.

Creating good equine citizens not only ensures that the horses are valued members of the horse community and will stay in their homes, but also ensures the safety of the future handlers and adopters.

Some of the horses we take in will remain in sanctuary at The Horse Shelter for the rest of their life due to their age or medical condition.

The Horse Shelter also has a very successful, award-winning, volunteer program, with currently 82 active volunteers. Our volunteers are able to learn horse handling skills by taking part in our onsite training classes, as well as our online training video modules. As they progress through our program, they learn how to take care of horses, be safe around them and acquire groundwork skills from beginner to advanced.

https://youtu.be/tkrdRKwgUns?si=G-wVksjjLIahOM-j

An excellent video about The Horse Shelter

We are accredited with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and have the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. We work closely with the NM Livestock Board and other law enforcement agencies throughout the state, including Pueblo law enforcement and animal control.

As we celebrate our 25th year as a horse rescue, we are proud that we have grown from a very small organization that started with three rescue horses, to a formidable presence in the New Mexico horse community and the largest equine rescue in the state. We will continue to expand our programming and services to help more horses in need and create a better standard of care for the horses in New Mexico. 

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Rescuing and rehabilitating abused, abandoned and neglected horses since 2000.

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The Horse Shelter Resale Store is the premier resale store in Santa Fe. We sell art, jewelry, apparel, housewares, furniture, saddles, tack, horse supplies, and much more.

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Volunteer at The Horse Shelter

You do not need to have any horse experience to volunteer for us. We will safely train you to be around our horses and you will be able to progress through our online and onsite training classes at your own speed.

https://youtu.be/gzWwlbmiphg?si=teFGfbORI0YB3BVF

Learn About Volunteering at The Horse Shelter

EquuStyle Art & Advocacy Magazine extends sincere appreciation for Executive Director,  Susan Hemmerle's contribution to the Summer 2025 issue. The Horse Shelter and its staff, volunteers, and supporters are doing a remarkable job of making a significant difference in the lives of horses in New Mexico. Please share this article with other equestrians to support rehoming and adoption of rescued horses.

All images Copyright The Horse Shelter, and Evalyn Bemis Photography (evalynbemisphotography.com) -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from The Horse Shelter or Evalyn Bemis Photography.

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2,000 Pounds of Hope. 3 Broken Hearts. One Place Called Hope Reins.

Annie a Percheron equine-therapy horse at Hope Reins in Raleigh, NC.

When Aaron Guin texted his wife Amanda that he was ‘done,’ she didn’t know what he meant until she heard the police sirens. He’d been at home with another deep bout of depression, so she and her two young kids were staying nearby at her parent’s house until Daddy felt better.

But this time it was different. The beloved husband, doting father, 82nd Airborne Ranger, and neighborhood Mr. Fixit, lost his battle with the demons that haunted him since serving in the Gulf War. Aaron Guin, who could tinker with anything and make it work, sadly couldn’t repair his own life. He killed himself at his home on a Saturday evening. This is how life ended for Aaron Guin. But for Amanda, Garrett and Ashlyn, this is where their journey of hope and healing began.

Aaron’s suicide devastated the close-knit Guin family, especially Garrett, who spent every free moment glued to his father’s side, playing football, gardening and serving as his young handyman apprentice. Amanda tried desperately to reach her son, but his thoughts and feelings remained hidden behind a veil of detachment.

When a friend suggested the equine therapy program at Hope Reins, Amanda was skeptical. “I thought, really? Garrett’s going to open up to a horse?” But after their first session at Hope Reins, the 7-year-old seemed instinctively aware of his new 2,000 pound friend’s gentle strength and moved easily around the huge Percheron, a breed known for its mighty stature.

Garrett with Abby in 2015

It was a natural connection. The massive horse became Garrett’s confidant – one who could shoulder the weight of his darkest pain without ever divulging a word. He would talk and Abby listened.

Session after session, Amanda watched in wonder as Garrett would brush, walk and then ride Abby bareback through the green pastures at Hope Reins – beaming with pride and accomplishment.

His caring session leader, Karen, who remained a comfortable distance away, would watch in amazement, too, as God’s handiwork helped create a bond of love, trust and openness just when it was needed most for a lost little boy deeply missing his best friend. “I can’t even put into words how good it makes a mom feel that a horse can do a job that I can’t,” says Amanda.

The Guin Family, Ashlyn, Amanda and Garrett

It’s been almost eight years since the Guin family first contacted Hope Reins. And a lot has happened since then. Garrett’s sweet equine mentor, Abby, passed away in 2018 from severe colic. He’s now a strapping 5 foot 10 inch high school junior who loves basketball.

His sister, Ashlyn, forged her own path over the years as an accomplished equestrian at the ranch finding great solace in Shiloh, a beautiful white pony. She and Garrett both volunteered in Hope Reins’ Kids Give Back, where they provided leadership to young program participants and learned how to apply these skills in their own lives as well.

Amanda took her pain and started volunteering at TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) to help other military widows struggling with the death of a loved one. Her passion for the cause formed a conduit between TAPS and Hope Reins by aligning both nonprofits so other families like hers could be helped through equine therapy. TAPS has been a cherished partner of Hope Reins.

“I could have never made it through Aaron’s suicide without Hope Reins.”

“Pain is the ultimate equalizer,” says Amanda. “No one is immune from experiencing a crisis in their lives like we did. But I thank God for Hope Reins.”

For more information about Hope Reins or to make a donation: www.hopereins.org.

A rescue horse at Hope Reins

Bree with Spirit

Avolina and Twinkle

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Joey the book

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Joey: How a blind rescue horse helped others to see

Editors Note: Several years ago I discovered the life-changing work of Hope Reins after reading the book Joey: How a blind rescue horse helped others learn to see .

This heartwarming true story about an Appaloosa named Joey who was rescued by Kim Tschirret and brought to Hope Reins deeply touched my heart. Author Jennifer Marshall Bleakley's book is beautifully written and shares the love, dedication, and deep commitment of everyone who supports Hope Reins vital ministry to provide faith-based mentorship programs for kids in crisis with the aid of rescued horses. Even a blind rescue horse named Joey has awakened hearts, offering hope and healing.

EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine is greatly honored to feature the remarkable work of Hope Reins.

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EquuStyle Art & Travel magazine thanks Christy Burkey, Director of Marketing and Communications at Hope Reins in North Carolina, for sharing a beautiful story with her excellent wordsmithing, photographs and video. Our sincere thanks to Founder and CEO Kim Tschirret, the staff, volunteers, and board members for using their time, talents, and energy to provide "true hope and real healing" for kids in crisis. A special thanks to the rescued horses for their resilience and generous spirits.

All images copyright Hope Reins -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Hope Reins.

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