Volunteer Highlight

Meet Debbi Engelke who found her place in Nevada and fills her heart helping wild horses. 

Tell us how you got involved in wild horses? 
When I retired, I spent a lot of time and miles looking for the perfect house in the perfect place.  I was touring a neighborhood in Dayton and saw the Sunrunner band…I thought how cool is this? I did buy a house in that neighborhood, and then started doing some research on the wild horses in the area. I then saw a social media post for volunteers to help these magnificent creatures. Deb Walker with AWHC was my first contact, and a friendship quickly formed. Deb put me in contact with WHC and Correna Vance and I started out by helping with diversionary feeding at USA Parkway. I then began volunteering at LBL Equine Rescue. I had some horse experience, but it was here I began to really learn about horses… both domestic and wild. At LBL I met Rae Hanna, and she introduced me to the AWHC fertility control program. She became truly a valued friend. Through these ladies I met Tracy Wilson and Wayne Woolway, with their guidance I became involved with the TLAR and LRTC rescue organizations. And yes… they as well became great friends.  I truly believe I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.

What is your favorite part of volunteering? 
Making a difference for, and a connection to, these magnificent souls. Also meeting truly passionate caring people.

Why are wild horses special to you? What  do they represent to you?
Horses have always held my heart. I am now one of the relatively few that see them, their families, and their relationships. With our encroachment into their home, some one has to speak for them… to help them…and ensure they have the area that they need to thrive as a species.  When I was a child I wanted to have a million acres and fill it with unwanted horses, the ones people would use up and discard.

Wild horses are iconic… they represent the free spirit. 

What is/was your day job?  
I retired from UPS.

Do you have a favorite memory from the range that you can share with us? 
The first time I laid eyes on Brave Eye, I thought to myself, OMG there cannot be another horse anywhere as magnificent as him.

Which horse has been your toughest to dart. Why?
Oh the toughest one that I actually got was Valentine. I just darted her last week. She is a very smart lead mare that takes one look at the rifle and says ….nope WE are outta here. There are a lot of mares that seem to know the rifle distance …. and keep you just beyond that. But we are persistent.

What other animals have you seen on the range? 
Bighorn sheep, coyotes, rabbits, snakes ….

Okay, aside from horses, what is your favorite animal? 
All of them. Especially Sir Oslo, my GSD.

If a theme song played every time you go out on the range, what would your theme song be?  
Road Less Traveled by Lauren Alaina

Does pineapple belong on pizza? Yes or no? 
Yes

Below: L- Debbi and darting partner Rae hiking out to the horses. R- Debbi up front with her awesome Dayton Valley darting and documenting teammates, Rae, Deb, and Dorothy.

Shaggy’s mares Frosted and Fergie

Remember Shaggy? Let’s learn more about his family!

By Deborah Sutherland.
After several years of being a lonely bachelor, Shaggy acquired his two mares Frosted and her filly Fergie in the spring of 2019. I didn’t know much about them until they became a part of Shaggy’s band. I found out that Frosted is Fergie’s dam and that Fergie was born in 2017 when they were part of another band.

Two years ago I was photographing in a canyon on the Virginia Range when I came across Shaggy’s band and saw that Frosted had just given birth to a filly, later named Sutro. Fergie had also given birth to a filly and the team named her Krista.  They were both so cute standing next to their dams.  Shaggy proudly stood guard over his growing family, watching them through his very shaggy forelock.  

Shaggy is still taking good care of them along with the rest of his family. Sutro and Krista are two years old now and still travel side by side with their dams and their new siblings.  Last year, Frosted gave birth to a colt and Fergie to another filly who will be introduced in upcoming stories, along with Shaggy’s other mares and offspring.

LBL Equine Rescue Taking a Much Deserved Break

By Brittany DeNoyer, LBL Equine Rescue President.
Seven years, numerous rescues; some neglected, some abused. Some returned to the range, some humanely euthanized. Those who came in to us malnourished and thin were nursed back to health. All were treated with love and kindness. Was it 11 or 12 babies in the past three years? We’ve had tears of joy and tears of sadness, but we worked hard, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even when holding down jobs requiring 40-60 hours a week. It’s been rewarding and it’s been heartbreaking. We’ve loved them all. We’ve made so many friends, some will remain lifetime friends, some will go their own way, but in the end, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished.

The first four years of LBL were tough on us. Eighteen horses, then twenty-two, then thirty. We often ate Top Ramen and always made sure the horses came first. We kept chickens, their eggs adding the protein Top Ramen didn’t have. We never complained and we worked our butts off. We still enjoy that meal, a humbling reminder of where we’ve been. The last three years have been amazing. So many supporters and the ability to work with Wild Horse Connections (WHC) helped alleviate the financial burden taking in the rescues from the Virginia Range. We had devoted people sign up for monthly donations which helped cover the cost of the LBL rescues. We had individual people send checks and we had organizations help with the annual vaccine clinics and so much more. Annual trail rides to raise funds, those were so much fun! To ALL of you, THANK YOU! You are all greatly appreciated.

We’ve had volunteers out, some who are regulars and some who come as often as they could. We’ve received help with the mucking of stalls, the cleaning of troughs, and most important, caring for orphaned or abandoned babies. Without you, we could not have done it all. THANK YOU! We’ve found amazing homes for many horses and to all of you, THANK YOU! It has always been our goal to ensure they were happy, healthy, and well taken care of. We figured we'd helped a few hundred horses during this time. I wish I could remember them all by name, but the stories are vivid in our minds. Some have taken pieces of our hearts as they crossed the rainbow bridge. Those were the hardest for us.

I’m sure y’all have heard of the seven-year itch? We are not making this decision lightly, but with saddened hearts we have decided to take a break. What does this mean? WHC horses will be dispersed to other locations where they will still need volunteers and support. LBL horses are available for a “FLASH Adoption” and have been posted on Facebook. Thankfully, we have three already in adoption pending to very good, loving homes. This warms our hearts. Both myself and my Mom, Linda, need some time. We need to have our five personal horses as priorities, we need time with them, to work with them, to love on them. They have gone by the wayside as we cared for so many others. We’re tired, we’re burned out.

You may ask if we will ever reopen. That remains to be seen. To have our residence to ourselves and any free time to spend with our own animals seems so appealing. Y'all won’t risk seeing my Mom running through the house in her undies to find clothes in the dryer. LOL Our plan is to remain open for the next few months, until all LBL horses are adopted. We encourage all of our monthly donors and any others, to send their donations to WHC. They’ve been amazing to work with and we cherish the close friendship we’ve built with Corenna.

We will miss so many of you, but we hope you will understand and support our decision. It was not made lightly and tears have been shed. For those of our friends who still need their horse fix, you are welcome to come by. By the end of the summer, after my Mother recovers from her hip replacement surgery, you should see both of us back in the saddle.

If you have any questions, please reach out to myself or Linda Bruno.