Founded by Diane Delano in 2000, Wild Horse Rescue Center (WHRC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare, rescue, and preservation of America’s wild horses – the mustangs. WHRC receives mustangs who have been taken from the wild and have ended up in neglectful or abusive situations. WHRC rehabilitates these wild horses so they have the chance to get adopted into good homes and have a dignified life after being taken from the wild.
Mustangs were introduced to the United States as domestic horses in the early 1500s by the Spaniards. These horses later formed a large wild population and came to play a critical role in the building of America. The U.S. is virtually built on their backs. Now, when they are no longer needed for labor and transport, they are sadly being mistreated and exploited at the hands of man. In the early 1900s, the wild mustang population was estimated to be over 2 million. Today, there are only 40,000 left in the wild and about as many in captivity in need of rescue. Caring for a wild horse is drastically different than caring for a tame one. Sadly, this often leads to mistreatment and neglect of wild mustangs in captivity.
When we rescue horses from abusive and neglectful environments, they are often at the brink of death. The goal is to nurse them back to health and tame and train them so they have a chance to be adopted into a loving home. The majority of them can indeed be tamed, trained, and adopted while others cannot. Diane, the founder of WHRC, refers to these horses as “wild at heart” and says she “will never force them to work with her and be tame if they don’t want to”. These wild horses live out their days at the center because their chances of being adopted are minimal.
We strive to create greater awareness and understanding of the wild mustang. We offer mentoring for mustang owners, hold workshops on care and gentling of mustangs, give educational seminars on mustangs in American History, and bring mustangs to wildlife festivals and other community events.
Diane Delano has been an ardent horse lover all of her life. She found her greatest passion in helping America’s wild horses, the mustang. Diane’s desire to make a difference in the lives of these beautiful and intelligent wild spirits led her to create the Wild Horse Rescue Center in Mims, Florida, which now have moved to Webster, Florida.
Alicia Kitay was born an animal lover. When she first came to WHRC she fell in love with the place and the animals, and she has not left since. She helps both with the day to day operations as well as training and caring of the animals, and when she gets some free time she spends it in the office answering email and updating the website.
Volunteers are important to our rescue center – providing much needed help and allowing us to properly care for our rescued Mustangs.
As a rescue, we always rely on donations. Any kind of tribute, small or large, helps our animals.
The Wild Horse Rescue Center (WHRC) is dedicated to the preservation of America's wild horses. Thank you for visiting!
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