What we do
Our motto is, "We help horses with people problems! Rehabilitate, re-teach, -re-home!" Giving Last Chance Horses a New Lease on Life
We believe in using a natural approach and working within the horse's comfort zone, at their pace. We use a lot of desensitizing methods and believe that desensitization is an essential part of training your horse. We base our methods around the horse's needs, abilities and temperament.
We offer basic training, either at our facility or yours. Spots are very limited. Please see the "Training" tab for more details!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF OUR HORSES, PLEASE FILL OUT AN ADOPTION APPLICATION BELOW
We believe in using a natural approach and working within the horse's comfort zone, at their pace. We use a lot of desensitizing methods and believe that desensitization is an essential part of training your horse. We base our methods around the horse's needs, abilities and temperament.
We offer basic training, either at our facility or yours. Spots are very limited. Please see the "Training" tab for more details!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF OUR HORSES, PLEASE FILL OUT AN ADOPTION APPLICATION BELOW
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Who we are
We are Blackbird Ranch Equine Rescue and Rehab, from Manitoba, Canada.
Board of Directors
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Kimberly
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Corinne
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Courtney
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Dedicated Volunteers
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Amanda
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Nicole
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We also run the Prairie Gunslngers
Special Event Equine Rentals - stage train robberies, and are also available for hire as Sheriffs at corporate events, we also do parades we also visit Seniors homes and daycares!
How it started
Blackbird Ranch Equine Rescue and Rehab is run by Kimberley Lyons (Founder and Director) and Corinne Nykorak (Assistant Director). Blackbird Ranch started the fall of 2011, Kim and her daughter Jodi took a trip out to Grunthal to visit some horses that were rescued from ending up at a slaughter facility and offered to help by fostering 3 of them. “We did not care about their history or their previous training”, we simply wanted to help, and this was our into to the rescue world. Corinne was introduced to Kim while she was doing photography to help the horses gain visibility and the 2 became an instant team of best friends!
Our first pick was Cabo, a sweet little 2 year old gelding needing someone to show him love and put him on the right path. Our second pick was Catori (Catori is still with us today!) a beautiful blood bay and white paint mare who had only been used as a brood mare. The third horse instantly jumped out at Kim and stole her heart. Caliente, a beautiful sorrel gelding with very obvious scars on various parts of his body. Our decision was made, those were the three that needed us, and home they came.
Catori is still with us and Caliente (now Red Kelly) was still with us until this fall of 2022, when we helped him cross the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 34. Wow, that was a long life.
Red Kelly was the founding reason for Blackbird’s continuation of the Rescue… to save more horses like him, unwanted and misunderstood.
Red Kelly so terrified of people that we could not approach him. No one was able to catch him to halter him and no one was willing to put the time in to earn his trust. Our decision was made, those were the three that needed us.
Kelly in the first few months at Blackbird Ranch. January 2012
They were finally delivered to us a few weeks before Christmas. After being put out in pasture at home, Caliente did not change at all. You could not approach him, every time you tried he would flee. After a few months of letting it slide, we realized that something had to be done. We resorted to a catch pen of sorts. We gently corralled him into a smaller part of our pasture where we had tied a piece of rope to our corner post. Once he was in we lifted the rope and let him settle. He was terrified and had no idea what to expect. We slowly approached him, slid the rope over and around his neck and haltered him. As soon as the halter was on, something changed. He was a different horse. He followed without hesitation, he stopped on a dime, responded to the smallest amount of pressure. He was a complete gentleman, there is no other way to describe it. We had a short first session with lots of treat rewards and then like that, off he went to play with his friends. It was a huge first step and we continued making progress. We had to resort to the catch pen more than once, but slowly he started to trust. Once we felt comfortable with his progress, it was time to saddle up and see what he knew. We took it slow, lead him to a separate pasture and gave it a go. He moved forward off of leg pressure, backed up and knew how to neck rein. He was perfectly broke under saddle. Many more sessions like this truly showed us that he was dead broke and LOVED to be out riding.
The first time in our "catch pen". February 2012
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One of the first few rides on Kelly. March 2012
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He still had bad days. He only liked being approached on his left side, not from behind, head on nor the right side. He still flinches if you move a little bit too fast and doesn't always like to be caught. He had come a long way since arriving at Blackbird and he truly was a blessing in disguise. A huge confidence builder for anyone who needed it and a great teacher for those wanting to learn how to ride. So respectful, sweet, kind, gentle and loving. He was the perfect all-round horse. Once thrown away at auction and overlooked by everyone who saw him. Kim saw the expression in his eye, the kind nature in his soul and the love in his heart and that is what drew her to him. He just needed a chance to shine again, he needed to feel love and be with someone who cared and made him feel safe. He got that from Kim and in return she got a lifelong equine friend... her big Red Kelly.
From there Blackbird Ranch grew into what it is today. We have rescued almost 200 horses over this time, some were adopted and some are still with us today as permanent residents, and many we have had to help over the Rainbow Bridge. At one point we had 52 horses on site! Now that was a lot of work. Currently we have about 20 horses, a few that are owned and a lot that are permanent residents. We pour our heart and soul into this rescue and some days just want to throw in the towel, but truthfully, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We take in horses from auction, owner surrenders, and horses seized by the Provincial Vet. We rehab those that can be and adopt them out, but the majority of those that we take in are the cast-offs, throw-aways, un-rehomeable. Those that cannot be re-homed live their lives with us, as if they were our own. We love them, and care for them until it is “their” time. Some have lived with us since Blackbird started and some have just come to us. We become their forever home.
As long as they are happy and healthy they stay in our herd. We listen to the horse. We believe in using a natural approach and working within the horse's comfort zone, at their pace. We use a lot of desensitizing methods and believe that desensitization is an essential part of training your horse. We base our methods around the horse's needs, abilities and temperament.
From there Blackbird Ranch grew into what it is today. We have rescued almost 200 horses over this time, some were adopted and some are still with us today as permanent residents, and many we have had to help over the Rainbow Bridge. At one point we had 52 horses on site! Now that was a lot of work. Currently we have about 20 horses, a few that are owned and a lot that are permanent residents. We pour our heart and soul into this rescue and some days just want to throw in the towel, but truthfully, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We take in horses from auction, owner surrenders, and horses seized by the Provincial Vet. We rehab those that can be and adopt them out, but the majority of those that we take in are the cast-offs, throw-aways, un-rehomeable. Those that cannot be re-homed live their lives with us, as if they were our own. We love them, and care for them until it is “their” time. Some have lived with us since Blackbird started and some have just come to us. We become their forever home.
As long as they are happy and healthy they stay in our herd. We listen to the horse. We believe in using a natural approach and working within the horse's comfort zone, at their pace. We use a lot of desensitizing methods and believe that desensitization is an essential part of training your horse. We base our methods around the horse's needs, abilities and temperament.
Kim's nephew riding Kelly all by himself. October 2012
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Kelly and Kim on our "Santa ride" Dec 2012
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