Meet the Herd

Taffy is one of our founding horses and came to Scenic Hills Youth Ranch in Fall 2017 before the Ranch was incorporated, but God was already making plans!

Mikki is a founding horse of SHYR. He is playful, fun and has the best and biggest personality! He’ll probably take your hat off or move your tools if you are working in his pasture!

Emerson came to us from Eagan, MN in 2019. She is a beautiful bay quarter horse. She was a barrel racing horse, however injuries to her back legs due to extensive repetitive training at a young age ended her career early. She was being sold as a ‘pasture pet’ when Scenic Hills Youth Ranch found her. The family was excited for the prospect of her not simply being a pasture pet and donated her to SHYR.

Rose came to Scenic Hills in April 2019. She is an absolute beauty! She was underweight and had lice and rain rot. She did not look like this! Rose is an absolute picture of God’s redemption and how he brings us home and cleans us up.

Thunder came home on a snowy Halloween in 2019. He has been a bigger project than any of us realized when he came home due to how scared he can get. However, the longer he is here, the more he learns to trust us and the other horses in the herd. Sometimes it just takes time and love!

Katie came to SHYR in Spring 2020 when her owner needed a place for her to land. She was well trained but very scared of anyone around her head and had a distrust of men. We worked with her slowly to gain her trust and she is now one of our most trust-worthy horses–including with men. It’s amazing what love and time can do for a horse—and a person.

Cody is a dunalino who came to SHYR in 2020. He was attacked by his father when he was just a foal. If humans hadn’t seen the attack and pulled the stallion off of Cody, Cody would not be here with us today. As a result of that attack, he suffered major injuries including his wither (shoulder) bones being ripped out. His recovery took quit awhile and as a result he came to SHYR untrained at 5 years old. When we took him to a trainer, we were told that he was ‘untrainable’ and we should take him to a horse rescue. After much prayer and guidance, we decided to continue his training. Cody turned around submitting his will to the trainer and after MUCH work, the rest is history. He is a beacon of hope to those who have been through some of the most horrific abuse. He is lovable and has so much to offer to our participants and families.

Fancy came to live at SHYR in November 2021 and lives up to her name: Fancy! She not only looks Fancy, but she has a fancy trot and can side-pass and do all the things! She is a true blessing to the kids and families at SHYR.

Foxy is best friends with Fancy and came to SHYR in November 2021. She is tried and true and loves her job! Her favorite thing to do is trot!

Buddy came to our herd this past spring (2023) and was an absolute HIT this past summer in sessions. He may be difficult to catch but he is 100% sound and solid and is just a big fluffy teddy bear!