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.
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 (#skydogdream #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.
Mustangs & burros Who Need sponsors
Mustangs: Anselm, Barney, Bobcat, Bo, Cosmo, Goliath, Gracie, Izzy
Burros: AJ, Pauli
Anselm
Anselm was rescued from a kill buyer in California. We were tipped off that he was there and immediately offered to take him. Emaciated and coughing, his body was scarred from what looked like rope marks where he had been beaten. His legs were covered in scars from abuse as a tripping horse in the Mexican rodeo. He was bit cheeky at first, and food obsessed - as many starved horses are - but he no longer has to worry about when the next meal will come. When he moved up to Oregon, he stayed close to the fence, no matter how much space we gave him. He really didn’t want the wild life and preferred a smaller group to a big herd. He hangs out with our hard keepers, who get extra feedings to keep up their weight. He prefers a quiet existence, but spring fever has been known to hit him… we’ve seen him romancing Dani California.
SPONSOR AJ:
Barney
Barney was rounded up from Twin Peaks, California and adopted by a fancy dressage barn in Southern California. He gave lessons and rides to beginners and taught many people the basics of dressage and hunter jumper basics, too. This was one all-round solid, steady boy who people trusted with their kids and felt safe on his back. After 18 years of dedicated service to this barn, he went lame and could no longer be ridden. Once he no longer served a purpose to his owners, they decided to euthanize him as he was costing money to keep. Thankfully some ladies, who had loved Barney for years, stepped up to try and find him a home. He had became resentful and angry at being kept in a stall. He was dangerous to handle and would have hurt people. We knew what he needed when we met him at the barn and gave it to him: running free with the boys herd on vast spaces. The more he reclaimed his wildness, the more content he grew. In the winter, her turns into an enormous teddy bear and we adore seeing him running the hills with his friends. More about Barney
SPONSOR BARNEY:
Bobcat
Bobcat was rescued from a kill pen in Texas at the end of 2020. He had belonged to a woman who bought him for $300 in 2018 and named him Dirty. A big horse, who needs a lot of feed to keep his weight on, she couldn’t afford to keep him. She sold him to a man who promised he would give him a great home, but turned around and sold him to a kill buyer. Bobcat has two high, tight, side-by-side whorls between his eyes, which indicate a horse is super focused and talented - but can also be challenging and difficult in the wrong hands. He started out in Malibu with lots of interaction with loving volunteers. It was always a joy to have him follow me around and look up from his hay bucket when he heard my voice, then trot towards me for a pet. In Oregon with a wild herd, no matter how vast the space he is on, he still comes over when he hears my voice to give the best hugs.
SPONSOR Bobcat:
A.J
It takes skill to get good photographs of black animals. Leave it to Scott Wilson to capture how stunning AJ is for all to see. He is one of the 5 Amigos, a very special group of deeply bonded burros ranging in age from 12 to 20 that launched our Year of Wild Burros. They were violently rounded up from their Virginia Range by the BLM in December 2021. Four months later, we found these federally-protected animals in a North Texas feedlot, in danger of shipping on the next load to slaughter in Mexico. When we first saw their photos, AJ looked like a shadow. He’s the only one with a totally dark coat, which we rarely see. Since he and his gang were released onto 1200 acres with Blue Zeus & Family, we have to work to track them down for regular herd checks. AJ’s group is welcoming to other donkeys. We have never seen them turn a newcomer away. In April of 2024, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Flopsy, Fufu, Bibi, Bluebell and Bitsy were released onto that vast expanse. When we went to see how they were getting along, we found Peppermint Patty, an older donkey, had joined the 5 Amigos and taken up with AJ. So now we have 6 Amigos, wild, free, and protected for the rest of their lives. More about AJ
SPONSOR AJ:
RESCUED MUSTANGS
THERE ARE OVER 250 HORSES AND 50 DONKEYS HERE AT SKYDOG
Click on any of the photos to find out more or read their stories on our Then and Now Mustang Page.
RESCUED DONKEYS, MULES, ZONKEYS & ZEBRA
