The Annie Project was founded by Drifter’s Hearts of Hope to offer dude and guest ranches a new option for retiring horses. Drifters is an all-volunteer rescue and has grown this critical program to 18 rescues and helped 246 horses. In hopes of fueling the Annie Project to expand and help more horses, the team at Drifters has entrusted CHR to fold the Annie Project into our programming. The staff at CHR is honored to steward the growth of this incredible program and continue to provide safe solutions for these deserving dude ranch horses.

The Annie Project takes its name from Annie, a sweet and well mannered horse rescued by Drifter’s Heart of Hope from an auction in upstate Colorado. Her description read, “She is very gentle and probably needs her knees injected and she would be fine. She is great in the arena and a great little trail horse. I understand why they shipped her- it’s not fair to make her keep climbing our terrain. We used her for older ladies who were timid and she always took care of them.”

This short description saved Annie’s life. She sounded like an amazing horse that DHOH could quickly find a home for. Bearing a brand of a local guest ranch, Annie’s arrival marked the beginning of a vital collaboration between the ranch, C Lazy U, and DHOH. That partnership established The Annie Project, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of horses like Annie, forging a brighter future for them.