Animal Spotlight

Miss Diamond is a 19 year old quarter horse mare. She has been with us for 7 years and we were told that in her previous life she was a barrel racing machine. Due to her taxing career and age she now requires very special care to stay comfortable.

Diamond wears special shoes and pads on all four feet which need to be replaced every 6 weeks. She is on a daily dose of equioxx (think of it as Tylenol for us humans), grain and a hoof supplement. She also gets free choice hay, which means she has an unlimited access to hay when ever she wants to. Diamond also receives a special eye ointment (Diclofenac 0.1% Ophthalmic Ointment) to help stop the progression of her deteriorating eyesight. She wears a UV protective mask to help preserve as much of her sight as possible. And she gets hock injections when she tells us that her joints are getting a little ouchy.

Diamond is not a spring chicken but she is one of the horses that genuinely loves her job and all of our clients love and adore her. She is the girl that is spunky with an advanced rider, but will never take a wrong step with a beginner. She is a funny girl with a giddy personality that will make any smile and so we do our best to help her stay happy and comfortable. Please consider helping us help Diamond.

Just an example of costs for Diamond: 

• Diclofenac 0.1% Ophthalmic Ointment - $55

• Hock injections - $1,000

• Shoes, pads and packing - $250

• Equioxx 180 pills - $341

• Farrier Formula (hoof supplement) 30 day supply - $60

• Purina Enrich Plus Ration Balancing Horse Feed, 50 lb. Bag (about a month supply for one horse) - $38

• Free choice hay for one horse per month - $140

• EquiVizor UV protective mask - $48

Salida is around 9 year old Mustang mare. She was born in the wild which is why her age is just an estimate. She was one of many mustangs gathered by a helicopter from the Little Owyhee HMA in Nevada. Salida was estimated to be around a year old at that time. When Salida came to the Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary (GEMS for short) it was easy to tell she did not have the best experience with humans. She was bought online and her current owners didn’t know much about her past. She came to us to start work under saddle and was estimated to be around two or three years old at that point. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, her owners had to find a new home for Salida and that is when Petra, our Equine Manager decided to make Salida apart of her family. It has taken Salida a long time to trust humans, and it hasn’t always been the easiest. However with some patience, understanding and using compassion training techniques, Salida turned into a phenomenal and versatile equine partner. Salida has competed in many different types of equestrian sports such as eventing, hunter/jumper, dressage, polocrosse, and skijoring. She has also gathered cattle, done a lot of liberty whether on the ground or mounted. She loves to go on trail rides, camping trips, or go swimming. She can be ridden English, Western, or Tackless. Salida has taught lessons to disabled, and able-bodied clients alike. Salida is the perfect example of how using the appropriate training tools specifically tailored to the needs of each individual horse can turn a previously difficult horse into a willing partner.

Meet Gingerbread aka "Miss Hotrod Blue," our October Animal Spotlight star! Gingerbread is a beautiful red dun Quarter Horse mare who has become an important part of the adaptive horsemanship program at Affinity Ranch.

Gingerbread is known for her unique personality and her sensitive nature. Once you earn her trust, you’ll find she has a heart of gold. Her gentle spirit and expressive eyes make it clear just how intelligent and intuitive she truly is. She loves connecting with people who are patient and calm, and she thrives in an environment where she feels understood and supported.

Most days Bailey is among the first few faces you meet when you enter our ranch. And she is the perfect welcoming committee to all that walk through our doors. Bailey is 14.5 years young lady and she loves coming to work along with our Equine Manager and her mom Petra. Bailey is a rescue, originally from Pittsburgh, but she has been calling Denver her home ever since she was about 8 weeks old. Bailey has been a hard worker her whole life and she takes her many jobs very seriously. 

• She was an outstanding assistant nanny, where she cared for and taught kids of all ages. Her specialty was after lunch/snack clean up, making sure all kids took consistent naps, and teaching everyone how to enjoy the outdoors.

• She is an avid outdoor dog. She has successfully summitted 30 of our Colorado 14ers. She has been camping, hiking, backpacking, swimming, and enjoying the snow ever since she was a tiny ball of fur.

• She has also done an exceptional job being a foster mom. She was an excellent teacher to so many shelter and rescue dogs. She was wonderful at showing them how to be the best dog and perfect side kick. She was always patient with the ones that were abused and timid and over time would teach them how to enjoy the good life before sending them off to their new forever homes.

These days  her hearing and eyes are not as sharp anymore, and she may be slowing down a little. But her favorite things to do still are eating, napping, sharing food with her two horse sisters, napping some more, going through the trash cans to make sure we don’t waste any food, snoozing, helping to clean up some of the cat food, and giving kisses to anyone who stops by to say hi.