Would you like to renew your faith in humanity? Enjoy the site of happy, healthy animals living in the wild as they should be? Meet kind, generous and wonderful people who are doing exactly what they want in life? Rather than watch TV (again!) this weekend... Visit the Wild Horse Sanctuary! It's a short drive from Redding, Red Bluff, even Chico. There's a comfortable visitors' center, interesting guided tours, and of course, 5000 acres of wildland where contented horses, burros and donkeys live. These are rescue animals which would have been killed because they were no longer wanted. This is an environmentally sound, ethical non-profit organization that is good for horses, good for the planet, and good for visitors. You might even see a cute baby horse or two! Call ahead due to covid, etc. read more

Unfortunately California is way too crowded to let wild horses roam free and if they were on public lands they would be killed. Luckily for the horses there was Dianne Nelson who stepped in to help and make this 5,000 acres sanctuary on the west side of the sierra mountains. We were so fortunate to have a chance to get to know these wild majestic creatures a little better. This Sanctuary made me think of the movie Spirit. Our daughter Esther has been fascinated with horses for some time now and we wanted her 13th birthday to be a memorable experience and it sure was. She will never forget her 13th birthday. She started at 7am. Esther learned how to catch a horse named Cloud, learned how to tie the horse to the pole, cleaned  the horses hooves, saddled him up, put repellent on him, walked him to the arena, learned how to command and ride a horse. After all of this she took the saddle off and bathed him. Once she was comfortable with being around horses we got to go out into the pastures and feed the wild mustangs. These horses have never been saddled, rode on, and they have no horse shoes. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Here you can adopt a horse, sponsor a horse if you have no room to keep one of your own, live and work at the ranch as part of your internship, and experience a two or three day trail ride experience. read more

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My fiancé (not a horse person) treated me (horse nut) to a horse filled pre-birthday day starting with the Wild Horse Sanctuary! We did the 3 hour private ride and it was worth every penny! We got to interact up close with the wild horses and loved it. Yes, as some have commented the horses you see on this aren't truly wild. (they have a wild side with the real wild horses) but these horses you interact with live just about as close to wild as you will get. As much as a horse lover as I am, I really didn't know much about the situation with the Wild Horses and the BLM. Our trail guide (I wish I could remember her name, blonde super bubbly super sweet!) started in with a tour of the ranch and history of the founder Dayton and how he came to establish the sanctuary. The views are spectacular especially the lookout over the Cheyenne River. We learned that that particular spot was very important to the Native Americans as the river runs east west north and south in that location. There are carvings made by the Native Americans that are so interesting to see on the tour as well! The horses are so well cared for and we loved seeing the interaction between the groups. We had horses right in the windows of the SUV. Even my non-horse crazy fiancé had a great time. The bets part of the whole tour had to be seeing our guide and hearing about Dayton and his assistant Susan and everyone else on the ranch. To be witness to a group of people with such passion and truly selflessly helping these horses was an amazing energy to be around. For an authentic tour of the Black Hills and to help our a great cause, don't miss this while in the Black Hills! read more

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Five stars for sure! My partner got me the 2-day ride as a b'day present. It was amazing. Ted, Diane and the interns who work there were all fantastic--incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, great to have a conversation with. The horses were good and responded to riders reasonably well for publicly-used trail horses. They did a good job of getting info about riders ahead of time, knowing their horses well, and using that info to pair up horses & riders. I also had a fun group of customers to spend the weekend with. Of course the scenery and rides themselves were amazing. It was BRUTALLY hot, and Diane took extra care to make sure everyone was safe, comfortable and got through it OK. Made sure we all had plenty of water, and cooled down during the trail stops. One member of our party did have trouble with the heat, and they really made sure to accommodate her and make sure she was OK. Ironically, my reviews are usually super long and detailed, but with this one...really...I'm almost at a loss for words! read more

A wonderful place. Be sure to attend the annual open house. These horses receive the life they deserve; away from the BLM helicopters and the auction yards. Be prepared to fall in love with the new babies! A must-see and a definite destination. read more

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This was one of the best trips ever. My Mom took me on a 2 day ride last year and this year for my birthday. We had an amazing experience both times. The trail horses are wonderful and well cared for. The staff is incredible, and never let you lift a finger. The food is awesome ! Seeing the wild mustangs in their natural environment is a once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend it. read more

Most amazing experience of my life. Ted and Dianne are true heroes for the hundreds of wild mustangs who would have been destroyed if not for their efforts. Where else in the world can you ride a domestic horse out into herds of wild mustangs? I will definately be back! read more

Thus began an epic wilderness birthday week for me that I will treasure forever! We participated in a 2 night/3 day ride around the 5,000 acre sanctuary. What an amazing experience! We saw plenty of wild horses in the natural habitat, spent hours on horseback every day, gasped at the views and scenery (who knew California was so uninhabited?) & enjoyed delicious cowboy-style meals cooked on a campfire. At night we counted shooting stars & wild horses that wandered up to our camp. The volunteer team was the best part - great folks whose only concern was that everyone had a great time. The ride is rugged, lots of volcanic rock to navigate, brush, and steep grades up and down, and the horses are ridiculously well-mannered, well-trained & very tolerant of beginners. Riding for several hours each day which is heaven for me. However, if you have never been on a horse before be prepared for total immersion (and some soreness)! I ride but my hubby doesn't, so he opted to stay back at camp Day 2 which made his experience all that much better - he made friends with the volunteers, hiked, helped on camp projects, didn't miss the horseback riding one bit and loved every minute. We will definitely be back! read more

The most amazing experience you will ever have! You get to ride right up to herds of wild mustangs. The sanctuary is non-profit and the purpose is to save wild mustangs from holding pens and slaughter. Very much worth the cost. Great food, great company, great horses, and GREAT CAUSE!!! Call early, I had trouble getting a reservation read more