A Maverick Wildfire

Kindred spirits grow up together at local horse rescue

People who know them both say Keyana Valdez and her rescue horse, A

Maverick Wildfire, have a lot in common. Both the 4-year-old filly and 12-year-old

girl are spirited and headstrong when apart but calm and focused during the

hours they spend together at Grand Valley Horse Rescue (GVHR) in suburban

Grand Junction.

Wildfire was born on a ranch in Silt. When her owner died, Wildfire and 12 other

yearlings from the ranch were sent to a dispersal sale in Delta. There she

sustained a grievous wound to her shoulder after jumping over a fence and

falling to the ground.

The auction house surrendered Wildfire to GVHR for healing and rehabilitation

rather than humanely putting her down. Besides receiving veterinary care for her

injury, Wildfire was treated with a coconut oil-based formula that left no scar or

granulated tissue known as proud flesh.

“This is Wildfire’s first real home,” said GVHR director Shelle deVergie Kareus,

affectionately known as Memaw. “Wildfire acts like she runs the rescue — too big

for her britches. So I put her between Simon, a 32-year-old gelding, and Hank, a

26-year-old gelding, to teach her some manners.”

Keyana joined the GVHR horsemanship training program three years ago, before

Wildfire arrived. At the time, Keyana was new to horses and unprepared for the

commitment of time and energy required to nurture and train them. “Horses are a

lot to take care of,” she said. “I’d never been on a horse before.”

Keyana took a 5-month break, then returned to the program “with a whole new

disposition,” said her grandmother and guardian, Carol Valdez.

After Wildfire’s previous trainer left the foster-to-adopt program, Memaw paired

the horse with Keyana to observe their chemistry. “Within 30 minutes, Wildfire

indicated that Keyana was hers,” she said.

Like the other budding horsewomen and -men in the all-volunteer program,

Keyana works wherever she is needed on the property. But training and riding

Wildfire is her passion, and Wildfire likes her best. “Wildfire gets jealous when I

go to another horse,” Keyana said.

“This has been the most impactful (activity) in her life,” said Carol, who regularly

appears on KAFM-FM 88.1’s “Kitchen Sink” program to publicize GVHR and

appeal for donations. “You get drawn into it out of pure love. What’s magic to me

is seeing this child so happy doing what she’s doing.”

Carol has witnessed how the patience and attentiveness Keyana learns while

working with abused and unwanted horses carries over into her life at home and

school. “She was a mediocre student, but this year she’s turned that around.”

Wildfire is the best horse I have ever met. She is a roan reddish horse and she's also very fun to play with. She loves to run in the arena and loves to roll. Wildfire loves apples, carrots, and horse treats. wildfire came to the rescue on June 3, 2023, she came from ranch silt when her owner died she surrendered to grand valley horse rescue (GVHR), rather than being sent to a kill pen. Me and wildfire has come so  far that she picked me to be her girl and best friend. We also love working together. I enjoy caring for her and working with her, and she's worth it. We are getting to know each other very well. She's special to me because I love her and she loves me. Wildfire makes me feel calm and happy around her. I hope to adopt her some day. She's a great horse.  

From: Keyana Valdez 

GVHR is looking for sponsors for Wildfire at $25 per month.

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