Wild Horse Rescue, Inc

What Wild Horse Rescue, Inc does

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, legally Lifesavers, Inc, is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that rescues, rehabilitates, trains, adopts out, and provides lifelong sanctuary for wild mustangs, burros, and domestic horses. The organization acquires animals from the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Department of Agriculture, owner surrenders, animal control seizures, and auction rescues, then routes them through a three-month-or-longer natural horsemanship training program that prepares suitable candidates for adoption while channeling senior, injured, or otherwise unadoptable horses to permanent sanctuary care. Operationally, it manages over 1,000 acres of natural habitat in Caliente and Twin Oaks, California (housing approximately 300 horses), a 40-acre Sunset Acres property dedicated to senior horses (approximately 40 animals, with 60 more approaching special-diet status), a Lancaster training/adoption ranch currently being relocated to the new Love to the Rescue Ranch in Tehachapi, and the Wild Horse Canyon lodge used for program guests.

The portfolio spans core rescue operations and several distinct sub-brands and programs: the Rescue, Training, Adoption, and Sanctuary pillars; Sunset Acres for senior horse care; Forever Wild memorial ash-scattering services at $3,000–$5,000 minimum donations; the Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey 3-day retreat at $1,295 per participant (capped at 8); a branded merchandise storefront on Creator Spring; and a senior horse sponsorship program with unit-pricing ($20 per 50 lb bag, $60/week, $220/month). Underlying "technology" consists of equine rehabilitation craft (wild horse gentling, natural horsemanship, sanctuary management) rather than software or AI systems; supporting digital infrastructure is limited to a Squarespace website, JotForm registration forms, YouTube video embedding, The Giving Block (crypto/stock donations), DAF Direct (Fidelity Charitable, DAFgiving360, BNY Charitable), and Careasy.org (vehicle donations).

Revenue mechanics are entirely donation-based: individual giving (one-time and recurring monthly), memorial service fees, sponsorship subscriptions, experiential program fees, merchandise sales, vehicle donations, and planned/estate gifts, including a bequest that enabled the Sunset Acres acquisition and an anonymous donor gift that funded the Tehachapi ranch purchase. Customer segments center on individual horse lovers, horse adopters, senior horse care supporters, and a small base of experiential retreat and memorial service buyers, with major institutional grants (e.g., The Doris Day and Terry Melcher Foundation) providing episodic large-ticket funding. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, email, social media, and on-site programming; no wholesale, B2B, or geographic export channels exist. The organization holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and a Candid Platinum Transparency Seal.

Name

Wild Horse Rescue, Inc

Legal name

Lifesavers, Inc

Website

https://wildhorserescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue (Lifesavers, Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that rescues, rehabilitates, trains, adopts, and provides lifelong sanctuary for wild and domestic horses across more than 1,000 acres in California. It serves individual donors, adopters, and senior horse care supporters through donations, sponsorships, memorial services, and experiential retreats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue & Equine Sanctuary Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Equine rescue services
• Wild horse sanctuary
• Horse adoption programs
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Natural horsemanship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ojo Caliente

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual donors making one-time or recurring donations. The organization receives donations through its website, mail, and various digital payment platforms including The Giving Block for cryptocurrency.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and pillows through their Creator Spring storefront. All merchandise proceeds benefit the organization.
3. Gentling Journey Programs: Revenue from multi-day retreat programs like the Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey ($1,295 per participant) where guests learn wild horse gentling techniques while partnered with rescued donkeys.
4. Forever Wild Memorial Services: Ash scattering and memorial services at the sanctuary: Personal Visit Release ($5,000 minimum donation) and Long Distance Release ($3,000 minimum donation). Includes memorial stone placement and video of ceremony.
5. Horse Sponsorship Program: Monthly sponsorship program for senior horses where donors contribute toward feed and care costs. $60 feeds one horse for a week, $220 feeds one horse for a month.
6. Sunset Horse Care Program: Donations specifically designated for senior horse care including specialized feed ($20 per 50 lb bag). Currently spending over $8,700 per month on feed for about 40 senior horses.
7. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program through Careasy.org partnership allowing donors to contribute cars, trucks, RVs, boats regardless of condition.
8. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Legacy giving through bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, real estate donations, and retirement account distributions. One donor left a bequest that enabled purchase of Sunset Acres property.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue (legal name Lifesavers, Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, trains, and provides lifelong sanctuary for wild mustangs and domestic horses. Operations span emergency rescue from slaughter auctions, government gathers, and neglect cases; gentling and adoption training; permanent natural-habitat sanctuary on 1,000+ acres; plus community-engagement programs including horse sponsorship, Forever Wild memorial ash scattering, and the Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey retreat.

Product overview

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue operates as a nonprofit horse rescue organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around four core pillars: Rescue (emergency horse rescue from slaughter, abuse, neglect, and government gathers), Training & Adoption (preparing horses for adoption through ground skills training and matching with suitable adopters), Sanctuary (permanent natural habitat care for unadoptable horses), and Community Engagement (donation programs, sponsorship, memorial services, and educational retreats). The organization maintains a 1000+ acre sanctuary in Caliente, California housing approximately 300 horses, with an additional 40-acre Sunset Acres property for senior horses. The portfolio includes specialized sub-brands such as Sunset Acres (senior horse care), Forever Wild (memorial ash scattering), Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey (retreat program), and a merchandise store benefiting the rescue. Additional revenue streams include multiple donation vehicles (one-time, recurring, DAF, IRA QCD, stock, cryptocurrency, estate planning, vehicle donation). The organization cares for approximately 400 horses total and has been operating since 1997.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunset Acres: An Assisted Living Sanctuary for Senior Horses - a 40-acre property dedicated to caring for aging horses requiring special feed and care.
• LOVE to the Rescue Ranch
• Forever Wild
• Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey

Products and services

• Horse Rescue Program Emergency equine rescue service that takes in mustangs and domestic horses from government gathers, owner surrenders, abuse/neglect situations, and slaughter auctions. Includes quarantine, veterinary care, and rehabilitation.
• Horse Adoption Program Adoption placement service that pairs rescued, trained horses with suitable adopters. Includes horse matching, adopter education, application processing, and post-adoption support from trainers.
• Horse Training Program Horse training service preparing rescued horses for adoption through assessment, ground skills (haltering, leading, trailer loading), and natural horsemanship techniques, typically requiring three months or more per horse.
• Natural Habitat Sanctuary Over 1,000-acre natural habitat sanctuary in Caliente, California providing permanent residence for rescued mustangs and domestic horses that cannot be adopted due to age, injury, lameness, or other limiting factors.
• Sunset Acres Senior Horse Sanctuary Assisted-living sanctuary on a 40-acre property dedicated to elderly rescued horses requiring specialized feed (alfalfa pellets, senior pellets) and lifelong veterinary monitoring.
• Senior Horse Sponsorship Program Monthly horse sponsorship program where donors fund senior horse feed and care. Suggested amounts: $20 per 50 lb bag of feed, $60 feeds one senior horse for a week, $220 feeds one horse for a month. Tribute dedications available.
• Forever Wild Memorial Service Memorial ash scattering service allowing families to release loved ones' ashes at Wild Horse Canyon Sanctuary. Includes Personal Visit Release ($5,000 minimum donation) and Long Distance Release ($3,000 minimum donation) with memorial stone placement and video documentation.
• Women's Wild Ass Gentling Journey Retreat A 3-day retreat pairing women with rescued juvenile donkeys for hands-on gentling experiences in round-pen activities. Includes lodging, meals, vision board crafting, and social time. Fee of $1,295, limited to 8 participants per session.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online store selling branded merchandise including unisex and women's t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hoodies, mugs, and pillows, with all proceeds benefiting Lifesavers.
• Donation & Planned Giving Programs Multiple donation vehicles including one-time gifts, recurring monthly/quarterly/annual giving, Donor-Advised Fund grants via DAF Direct, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, stock donations via The Giving Block, cryptocurrency gifts, Legacy Society/estate planning, and vehicle donations via CARS (careasy.org).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Giving BlockcoreTechnology or IntegrationCryptocurrency donation processing platform enabling donors to contribute digital assets without capital gains tax. Allows Lifesavers to receive full value of crypto gifts.
• Careasy.orgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation program partner that handles pickup, sale, and tax documentation for donors contributing cars, trucks, RVs, boats to Lifesavers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Wild Horse Campaign: National nonprofit dedicated to protecting wild horses and burros on public lands, combining advocacy with on-the-ground rescue and sanctuary support — comparable mission in the same equine welfare segment.
• Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue: Nonprofit equine rescue and sanctuary providing rehabilitation, adoption, and permanent care for draft and riding horses — comparable rescue/adoption/sanctuary triad, though draft-horse focused.
• Mustang Heritage Foundation: 501(c)(3) dedicated to increasing the adoption of wild mustangs and burros through training, events, and partner rescues — highly comparable mission focused specifically on wild equine adoption and training.
• Habitat for Horses: Texas-based equine rescue and sanctuary operating a large ranch for abused, neglected, and slaughter-bound horses, with adoption, rehabilitation, and education programs — directly comparable equine-specific rescue model.
• Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary: California-based wild horse and burro sanctuary focused on rescue, gentling, and adoption of mustangs taken from government holding facilities — closely aligned mission and a similar California operational footprint.
• Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation: Operates multiple sanctuaries in California (including central California rangeland) for wild mustangs and burros, and runs adoption and training programs. The most direct operational comparable to Lifesavers in terms of mission, geography, and sanctuary/adoption hybrid model.

Broad incumbents

• The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Largest U.S. animal welfare advocacy and direct-care organization, with equine programs that overlap with wild horse policy and rescue. Comparable as a high-scale animal welfare nonprofit but far broader in mission than Lifesavers.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Large, established national animal welfare nonprofit operating the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah and a national network of partner rescues — comparable as a fundraising-scaled, multi-species animal welfare organization but broader in scope than equine-specific.

Regional players

• Equine Welfare Alliance: Alliance of equine rescue and sanctuary organizations focused on ending horse slaughter and supporting equine welfare — comparable at the equine-welfare-policy layer, though operating as an umbrella rather than a direct rescue.

Others

• Doris Day Animal Foundation: National animal welfare grantmaker that has funded senior horse care at Lifesavers and other equine rescues. Included as an adjacent ecosystem player — a funder/grantor rather than a competitor — that anchors part of Lifesavers' grant pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wildhorserescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifesavers-wild-horse-rescue

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wild Horse Rescue, Inc