For more than twenty years, Siarra Decomi built a career in commercial lending, finance, and real estate, fields grounded in structure and achievement. She thrived in that world, but something inside her began to stir. “I spent over 20 years in commercial lending, finance, and real estate before transitioning into business and personal coaching,” she says. “That path led me to become a certified TRH Practitioner, guiding people back to themselves through the reflective, grounding presence of horses.”
During her training, she learned about the plight of America’s wild mustangs, tens of thousands of horses rounded up from public lands and placed in government holding facilities with uncertain futures. Drawn by intuition, she traveled to Tucson to work with a woman devoted to mustang welfare, who would later become the first member of her Board of Directors. It was there she met Sampson, the mustang who would change everything. “I instantly fell in love with him,” she recalls, “and knew I was being called not only to help him, but to create something bigger that could support mustangs and people alike.”
That calling became Wild Hooves Open Hearts, a Glendale-based nonprofit dedicated to honoring the spirit of wild mustangs while helping humans reconnect to their own. For Siarra, these horses are powerful teachers. “What makes them extraordinary is their wild, unbroken spirit. Despite being rounded up and torn from their families, they remain deeply in tune with themselves, each other, and the natural world. That mirrors what I help people reconnect to, their true nature. Being in their presence grounds us, reminding us of who we really are.”
Sampson’s story became the heart of her mission. He first entered a Bureau of Land Management program pairing horses with trainers, but traditional pressure-and-release methods only heightened his fear. After months of little progress, Siarra brought him home to her pasture in Glendale, giving him space to simply be a horse. “The next day, he approached me, allowed me to touch him, and asked, in his own horse language, for me to remove the tight BLM tag from around his neck,” she says. That moment of trust became a symbol of what Wild Hooves Open Hearts stands for: healing through patience, respect, and choice.
Choice is at the core of everything Siarra does. “We use positive reinforcement training, which allows the horses to engage willingly, learn at their own pace, and build trust without pressure,” she explains. “We honor their boundaries, giving them freedom to decide when and how they want to connect. That respect creates safety—and safety is what allows true healing.”
Daily life at the sanctuary follows the horses’ rhythm. In summer, mornings begin early with fly masks, light grooming, and hydration mash of hay and minerals. Depending on the heat, Siarra adds light training, hoof care, or movement exercises. In winter, when pasture grass is limited, she provides multiple small meals to mimic natural grazing. “Every season centers on their rhythm and wellbeing,” she says.
The current herd includes Sampson, now seven, and Q, a two-year-old filly adopted from Utah. “Sampson was slow to trust, but in two years he has blossomed,” Siarra says. “He’s comfortable with all our volunteers, respectful of boundaries, and cooperative with the farrier. Q came to us with significant physical trauma but quickly grew comfortable with touch. She’s eager, spirited, and playful, bringing such bright energy to our herd.”
Maintaining balance between wildness and care is one of the sanctuary’s ongoing challenges. “These horses were once wild, and we want to preserve as much of that spirit as possible while also providing necessary care like hoof trimming and veterinary support,” she says. With only two horses, they tend to graze more than move, so she creates opportunities for exercise and muscle building while keeping their comfort in mind.
The mission has grown thanks to strong local support. “We’re members of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, where we hosted a corporate retreat earlier this year,” she shares. “Most of our donors are local, and we partner with Glendale Community College to provide internship opportunities. Volunteers also play a big role, helping with feeding, mucking, grooming, and connecting with the horses. The community has truly become part of this mission.”
Looking ahead, Siarra dreams of expanding the herd and launching a program to support mustang adopters. “We’re developing a program to ensure successful transitions from the BLM system into loving, lasting homes,” she says. “Long term, our dream is to secure land to create a sanctuary for more wild mustangs, preserving their spirit, honoring their nature, and offering healing to both horses and humans.”
As the sun sets across the Arizona sky, Siarra reflects on her journey, from boardrooms to barn aisles, from balance sheets to hoofbeats. Surrounded by the quiet strength of Sampson and Q, she knows she’s found her purpose, and through their presence, helps others find theirs too.