Britney Ruegsegger has always loved horses. Growing up in Colorado, she showed horses on the Quarter Horse circuit, competing in both English and Western events and simply fell in love with them. She only ever had good experiences—the horses she worked with were safe, well-trained, and well-behaved. After graduating from college, Britney began working as a nurse. Although her parents had a small ranch in her hometown, she missed the joy of riding horses she experienced as a kid. In 2019, she saved up every dime to rescue a horse she had found on a kill lot site: she named him Cowboy.
Cowboy had less than twenty-four hours before the unthinkable. She paid his fee, kept him in quarantine for a month, then picked him up to bring him back to Colorado. Britney acted as his nurse and kept Cowboy at her house in intensive care for six months. IV treatments, oral medications and immunity builders were around the clock-he was critically unwell. Once Cowboy began to heal, Britney began to train him. Working with Cowboy wasn’t like working with the horses she rode as a child; Cowboy was a wild and dangerous stallion that had never been handled. In the process of training, she hopped on him bareback—which led to several injuries to her hip and pelvis and spending the next six months in a wheelchair, slowly progressing back to walking again. She went to four different trainers, trying to find someone who could tame his wild behavior. Each one said he was too dangerous and recommended getting rid of him. Britney never gave up, and refused to send him back. After falling in love with Nashville on a business trip, she moved here on a whim in 2020—and, of course, brought Cowboy with her. She found a trainer to work with him, and within a month, he was already making incredible progress and becoming a much more confident and well-trained horse.
Britney bought a home in Bellevue that sat on several acres within a 500-year floodplain. In March 2021, the property flooded, devastating much of the home, with Cowboy even having to wade through chest-deep water. She rebuilt and put everything back together—only to have the property flood again just three months later. Taking it as a sign that it was time for a change, she decided to relocate. She purchased a 14-acre ranch in Antioch and moved her horses there, beginning a new chapter for herself and Cowboy. Britney began to rescue additional horses and created a formal nonprofit organization for the rescue.
"I feel like I was led to the right place," Britney says. "There's nothing that makes me happier than watching an animal go from being starved, sick, and scared to running freely through the pastures with a full belly and a sense of peace."
Today, the horses and donkeys are thriving. The property is thoughtfully equipped with quarantine spaces and basic rehabilitation areas, allowing each animal to receive individualized care based on their unique needs. For Britney, seeing these animals regain their health, trust, and joy is the greatest reward. Cowboy Ranch Rescue currently has twenty horses—and one donkey, named Sherman. What Britney didn’t expect was to find so many loving homes for the horses she’s rescued: many of which started as volunteers and fell in love while doing so.
"I started the ranch for the horses, but it has grown into something so much bigger—it's become about community," Britney says. "People come here and tell me that they're not only finding healing through their connection with the horses, but they're gaining confidence in other areas of their lives, too. Some have told me they feel more confident at work because they've learned to lead orientations or step into leadership roles. I hear all kinds of stories that remind me this place has become so much more than I ever intended it to be."
A day at the ranch begins with horse care in the morning—this includes feeding, rotating them from a stall to a pasture, if needed, watering, feeding them their medications, treating any injuries, cleaning stalls, cleaning pastures, laying out hay for the next shift, watering… then doing it all again for the night shift. Britney found that the best way to train the horses was to let them learn by being around other horses. She meets each horse where they are at, recognizing that no two stories—or needs—are the same. Some horses arrive having never known a gentle hand, while others come carrying deep physical and emotional scars. Britney doesn't simply care for these horses, she takes the time to understand them—patiently earning their trust and giving each one the individualized care, compassion, and second chance they deserve.
"I bring the horses to the rescue in pairs so they can travel together, have another horse to lean on, and begin healing with a companion by their side," she explains. "They bond very quickly, especially through their shared trauma. Once they're in quarantine and begin to understand that they're safe, they rely on each other, and that sense of security can really accelerate the rehabilitation process. Then, they begin to see the herd… they see horses that are happy, safe, and at peace—horses that aren't constantly being hauled away or living in fear. They begin to understand, not just through what we do, but through the atmosphere around them, that this is a safe place."
While Britney is the heart and hands of the ranch, she has so many wonderful volunteers that help make each rescue possible. From meeting new volunteers to opening the ranch for events, such as Ponies & Pilates, she is beyond thankful for all the people who make what she does possible. Britney truly believes in the power of bringing people and missions together; she loves partnering with fellow nonprofits and local businesses to create meaningful opportunities that benefit the entire community. Corporate volunteer days have become especially popular, giving local businesses a chance to serve while strengthening teamwork, building connections, and creating shared experiences that extend well beyond the workplace.
"The ability to save horses on this scale—made possible by the support of our community—means more to me than I can put into words," Britney reflects. "I know I could never have done this on my own. Watching people grow, form friendships, and experience answered prayers through this community has been incredibly meaningful to me. This year, the singer Dasha made a generous donation that has allowed me to make some much-needed improvements. I've been able to upgrade stalls, improve the day-to-day functionality of the rescue, make things easier for our volunteers, and create more separated pastures so the horses can be placed with herds that are the right fit for them. It has made such a difference, and I'm incredibly grateful."
Donations are truly what make this work possible and allow them to continue helping horses in need—to donate, find volunteer opportunities, or sign up for one of their events, visit their Instagram @cowboyranchrescue. We guarantee even a few hours on the ranch will heal your heart just as much as it helps heal the horses!
"I started the ranch for the horses, but it's grown into something so much bigger..."