Stephanie Deaver

My parents first placed me on a pony ride when I was about two years old.  I’ve been in love with horses ever since.  I grew up in an area of Southern California where horses were common and attended a Girl Scout Horse Camp in my middle school years.  I learned a lot but never was able to put it into practice with a horse of my own. (Dad thought it was terribly funny to grant me permission to have a horse on the eve of my leaving for college.)  So, most of my experience was trail riding through commercial stables until I came to WNCR.  Now, because of the knowledge I’ve gained here, I’ve adopted two horses and am riding one of them, Dusty (formerly known as Happy Boy), regularly.

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October 2022 will be my fifth anniversary at WNCR.  My husband and I moved to the East Mountains in July 2017, after spending five years running a business in Taos.  Since we had moved for his career, and I had been coordinating real estate sales and move logistics, I hadn’t decided what my next endeavor would be.  We were out for dinner at Pizza Barn, he picked up a WNCR brochure, and suggested I devote my time to volunteering because of my love for horses.  

I attended the orientation sessions and at the time, the volunteer info questionnaire asked about special skills.  I listed my professional background, which includes Fortune 500 government contracting, academia, and entrepreneurship, and was approached about whether I’d be interested in taking on some bookkeeping tasks.  I agreed and have been handling the ranch’s finances ever since.  It’s given me the opportunity to apply my knowledge and experience from other sectors as well as add nonprofit financial management to my skill set. 

I’ve seen the ranch change in so many ways since being here!  Most readers will be interested in knowing how much more structured and effective WNCR’s horse health management and training protocols have become.  The herd are getting excellent customized nutrition and medical care thanks to Ranch Ops Manager Ashley Snider.  Also, I’m seeing more of the “untouchables” becoming handleable, not only by trainers, but by volunteers.  Volunteer training has also become more structured, resulting in better consistency in their work and that’s great for the horses.  Volunteer onboarding now includes an online course taken in advance of orientation sessions, so people are better able to absorb information they get once onsite. After all, the rescue – including the Thrift Store’s operation – is a big endeavor with lots of moving parts!

However, much of the change I’ve seen isn’t nearly as visible as what I’ve discussed above.  Behind the scenes, WNCR has grown into a much more proactive and effective entity in terms of fundraising, compliance, and financial sustainability.  It’s not glamourous stuff, but it’s vital to our continued mission success, as well as growing our presence and programs.