About

Cezar a special boy. When you pull into the drive you can’t miss him. He is a 2002 roan Appaloosa owned by Tiffani Henry, and she is generously letting us use him for the program during the summer. We could not be more blessed! Cezar has a unique mutation on one of his genes that causes him to have trouble growing hair, so his tail and mane are very short and he doesn’t get very fluffy in the winter. We help him fight the flies and the cold with fly spray, light summer sheets, and heavy winter blankets.

This social boy came from a good loving home just like Keo. He is another one of our reliable foundation horses.

Cezar has spent the majority of his life teaching kids the ropes of riding. He is one of the most forgiving horses you will ever meet and tries his heart out in everything he does. He first became a lesson horse at Stanton Stables in 2009 teaching riders there the basics of walk/trot/canter. He was then bought by a twelve-year-old girl as her first horse. Cezar helped her to develop into the rider she is today. Together they learned to jump and the basics of dressage. The pair attended countless dressage/jumping/cross country clinics from the years of 2014 through 2016. They also went to a number of dressage shows and competed at the Training Level. Unfortunately, although Cezar’s mind and heart held all the talent to go further, his body restricted him from exploring more challenging adventures with his rider, so she made the decision to find him a new home and retire him from jumping. He will, however, always excel in capturing hearts and teaching beginners how to ride. We are so blessed to have Cezar as a team member!

Faith was probably born in 2009 or 2010 and we are pretty certain she is a Quarter Horse, but we will never be sure. She is considered a liver chestnut and is about an inch too tall to be considered a pony. We don’t know much about Faith’s past because she was rescued from the slaughter pen at an auction. This means if Emily had not bought her, she would have been killed. Emily bought her through a friend, sight unseen. That is generally not something you do in the horse world because it is so easy to scam someone that way, but Emily says “God encouraged me to save her. He spoke more clearly to me on that day than He does most days, but the prospect of “breaking the rules” frightened me. Luckily, God doesn’t usually follow the rules.”
She drove down to Kansas City to pick the mare up and bring her home. To our surprise, she walked right on the trailer without hesitation. We like to think she knew we were there to help her. Since she was bought at auction, Faith required a 30-day quarantine to make sure she didn’t pick up any kind of illness at the auction house, so once we got her back to Illinois she had to stay in the barn without any other horses for company. Emily spent a lot of time with her but knew she was lonely.

On day 4 there was a terrible wind storm and it actually blew the door off of the barn, setting Faith free. Emily looked up from working on the house and saw the little horse running through the empty cornfield. Her first thought was, oh, she looks so pretty, and then she realized what was happening. Usually, when a horse gets out it isn’t a huge deal. They generally stop to eat grass somewhere nearby and you can catch them fairly quickly. Not Faith. She was terrified, the wind was gusting at 60 miles per hour and she didn’t really have a solid relationship with any of us yet. At one point she was only feet away from getting hit by a train. We followed her for four hours across 26 miles before she finally tired out and let us catch her. Emily had thought about calling her Freckles, but this little adventure solidified her chosen name. 

Now that Faith has been with us for a few years, we are happy to say we have developed a sweet relationship with one another. She is very sensitive to the emotions of the person she is working with. If you are trying to hide how you are feeling she becomes nervous and uncertain, but if you put it all out there and just be yourself, Faith is happy to be by your side. She still requires a gentle touch. We are uncertain of what her past holds, but if you become the least bit rough with her she braces and retreats within herself. It has been interesting to learn about helping people who have been through trauma because we see a lot of what we are learning about in her. 

This little girl has a mind of her own, and takes a little bit of convincing when it is time to work, but she loves scratches in all the right places and treats of any kind. Emily likes to say, “Faith will always have a special place in my heart, and I have a feeling she will never stop teaching me.”

Winston is a 2013 registered Gypsy Vanner gelding.  He is the shortest guy in the barn and quite possibly the heaviest. The Gypsy Vanner breed was developed from the Shire, Clydesdale, and Fell pony breeds in the UK, which means they are a very hairy small draft horse! Winston has a long, thick mane and tail, and feather over his hooves. He even grows a mustache in the winter!

Winston was adored by his previous family. He lost his sight in both eyes in April of 2019 for an unknown reason, but he adapted beautifully. They decided to donate him to Hope Lives in July of 2020 where he could teach students to be as determined as he is. 

This little man loves to eat! If you see him in the pasture, he will be wearing a grazing muzzle because he becomes overweight so easily. He also wears a fly mask to protect his eyes from flies and injury. Jack and Mabel keep him company as all the big horses moving around him make Winston a little anxious. 

We treat Winston just like any other horse in the barn. He knows commands to step over things and to warn him when he is going the wrong way, but other than that, his blindness is not as much of a handicap as one would think! We ride him around the arena and down the road at the walk and trot just like everyone else. He is definitely a wonder pony!

Cashew is a solid-bred Paint horse born in 2004, owned by Elizabeth Clark. He is a gorgeous palomino gelding and just as sweet as he is pretty! Cash’s owner brought him to the ranch in the summer of 2021 and he fit in perfectly with our mentoring program. This horse looks like a warrior with his collection of scars from past injuries but he doesn’t let that stop him from being patient and kind. He fights for our kid’s hearts and brings smiles to everyone who touches him. 

Cash has had experience in everything from being a show horse to being a kid’s horse. This boy is as honest as they come and very very brave. He is always ready to play and will hold his lead rope in his mouth for you or push around our giant ball.

This big bold gelding loves all things sweet, including the donkeys. In fact, he has picked Black Jack as his best friend, much to the donkey’s dismay! Jack isn’t super fond of Cash but puts up with the doting and worrying admirably. Although Winston is there to keep him company, Cashew is always very concerned about where his donkey friend is off to.

Bio coming soon.

Blossom is our sweet mule that came to Hope Lives Youth Ranch in 2024. Blossom was born around 2013. We do not know much about her previous background before she came to us, but she is also one of the sweetest, gentlest, and most patient ponies. She loves children and is exceptionally tollerant of any activity, whether that be riding, navigating obstacle courses, baths, or walks. We call her
The Awesome Blossom for how well she behaves and puts up with all kinds of shenanigans. She takes care of the students who ride her. Believe it or not, her favorite thing is bum scratches! We are so glad that this sweet mule has come to Hope Lives Youth Ranch.

Mabel and Jack are the Miniature Donkeys here at Hope Lives Youth Ranch. Mabel is our resident senior. She is a 2000 model and had Jack at the age of 13. These are the sweetest friends you will find at Hope Lives. They love all the attention, brushes, scratches and playtime. If you stay long enough, Mabel will practically sit in your lap, enjoying pets and scratches. Jack is a lovable gentleman who also has quite the playful side. He enjoys stirring up trouble, in a good way, by teasing his mom Mabel. Anytime these two are let loose in the arena, you will find them chasing each other and playing. The students love setting up obstacle courses for Mabel and Jack to walk through in the arena. Some of their other favorite activities are laying out and taking a nap in the sunshine! If you are quiet enough, you might even be able to sunbathe next to them! These two definitely bring much joy to the farm, the students, and people that visit!