WonderRidge Equine Sanctuary

12/24/2025

Today we suffered another loss here at WonderRidge. Jewel, our sweet, old, one eyed, ex-Amish girl, was up at breakfast, ate her grain, then seemed to just lay down and become unable to get up. The vet helped her out if her broken body at 11:45.

She was a favorite, especially of Noahs. This is a sad way to start our Christmas season. It’s been just too much loss this year. Chico, RJ, Rowan, Jewel. So many of our old timers are gone now. I know it’s what we signed up for, but it is so hard when it’s time to let them go. Keep us in your thoughts. It’s been a hard year

12/20/2025

It is a day of celebration for a life well-lived here at WonderRidge. This morning Rowan was thriving, his hay was spread and he was in his paddock savoring his meal. At noon water checks, we discovered he had peacefully passed away in his stall, surrounded by love. Rowan has been a shining star since the beginning, our first Auction rescue following Toronto’s passing. He ignited our journey in rescue and will forever be remembered. He was a majestic stud with a heart of gold, gentle and kind. He never acted out or challenged the fences, a true gentleman. His legacy will live on, inspiring countless joy and love. We are forever grateful for the beautiful moments we shared with him, and we thank him for bringing so much joy and light into our lives.

08/29/2025

****FUNDRAISER ALERT!!!****

It’s been a long time since we have posted any fundraiser but we have to ask for some help from our family and friends. Winter is coming and it’s been a tough year for us. Equipment breaking down, noah being injured, personal health issues etc.

Every dollar helps fill the hay barn and buy bedding for our 7 residents

We are looking to raise $1000 or about a month of hay coats in the winter months with our current headcount. Every $20 adds up! Even $5 helps.

Thanks in advance for helping us care for the “beautiful old and forgotten”

You can donate via PayPal or Venmo via the links below

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

All of us 2 and 4 leggers here at WonderRidge!ie

02/23/2025

Thank you all for your kind words and support! Chico was a special horse. He was with us a long time. And that makes his passing just that much harder. He was such a sweet guy and towards the end of his life he was most interested in snacks and loves which made him my favorite kind of horse! When Noah buried him he put a half of a roll of ritz crackers and an apple in with him because those were his favorite treats. He was crazy for ritz crackers lol. He was goofy and funny and had a big personality! This morning our sunrise was particularly beautiful and I’m chalking it up to a final goodbye from a wonderful guy! Love you Chico! Thanks for all the wonderful, hapoy memories! Happy trails, until we meet again!

02/21/2025

Today is a sad day for us here at WonderRidge. We discovered our Chico, our blind Appaloosa , and one of the longest term sanctuary resident had passed away last night! He was Noah’s first Auction pull and will be greatly missed. Ride free friend. See you at the rainbow bridge!

12/24/2024

Check out Sam Donald’s new sneak peak… gr8 song for the everyday man

42.3K likes, 804 comments. “Can i get an amen? 🙏”

12/07/2024

Yesterday the sunrise was beautiful and although it was crisp and cool, the horses were all happy to enjoy their breakfast.

11/24/2024

***Hay Fundraiser***
🐎 😇
we could use some help with hay this month… it’s our biggest expense and Facebook takes 60-90 days to pay out.

Venmo -Wondergem
PayPal@ WonderRidge

One of our wonderful hay providers brought us a load cause they needed their tack cleared- now we need help paying for the 120 bales. This load is $840, which is about 4 weeks of hay for our current residents. We’d love to raise $1500 to cover hay through January.
We also have the vet bill for laying RJ to rest-if you’d like to make a payment, you can do so directly at Oakwood vet in Colona Illinois.

Thanks in advance for your generosity.

Check:
WonderRidge Sanctuary
3358 148th Ave
Lynn Center IL 61262

11/16/2024

Today is a sad day for us here at the sanctuary. RJ lost her battle today. She was fine yesterday and she went down in the field and was unable to get back up. After several hours of sitting with her the vet arrived and she was peacefully released from the prison her body had become. A huge thank you to Betsy Beemblossom for donating the funds to adopt Roger in honor of her late grandfather. You saved RJs life that day with your kindness. Happy trails dear Roger. Now you are running free!

10/13/2024

Morning feeding with Matt and Blue. Graham and Marsha (goats) onsite supervising. These cool fall mornings are so nice for horsey time… Can you tell who Julie’s fav boy is?

09/09/2024

We all have favorites! We try to love all our horses here the same, but it is human nature to love some things more than others. Noah loves Ember! She is his girl, his favorite horse in the field, I’d go so far as to call her his heart horse! Sunday was so emotional for all of us, but mostly for poor Noah. I’m so grateful she’s ok, and even though it is inevitable that her day is coming, at least we have a bit more time to enjoy this wonderful girl!

09/09/2024

Yesterday as Ember was refusing to get up, and we were super worried, Blue decided to lay down in his hay and take a nap. Apparently the sun yesterday must have felt phenomenal. He was sleeping like a puppy, feet twitching and everything. ❤️ that guy!