Wild Hooves Open Hearts is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides sanctuary to wild mustangs, empowering them to live autonomously while preserving their legacy.
Empowering Mustangs, Enriching Lives
Providing sanctuary for wild mustangs ensures their safety and allows them to thrive in a natural environment.
Preserving the legacy of wild mustangs is vital for maintaining the natural heritage and biodiversity of our landscapes.
Embracing the natural habitat for wild mustangs allows us to appreciate their freedom and the beauty of their untamed spirit.
Wild mustangs, with their free spirit and untamed beauty, inspire a profound connection that reminds us of our own wild nature and the bonds that unite us.
In just one year, we have welcomed two lovely Mustangs into our lives, and we are dedicated to expanding our herd and providing sanctuary for many more. Sampson, a 6-year-old gelding, arrived from Oregon, while our young filly, Q, came from Utah. Now residing in Glendale, AZ, they coexist peacefully.
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Siarra Decomi's journey reflects steadfast dedication, positively influencing lives and championing the welfare of our equine friends. Driven by her childhood passion for horses and concern for American Mustangs, Siarra founded Wild Hooves Open Hearts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on providing sanctuary and assistance.
Alongside this mission, she offers her unique expertise by inviting others to experience the deeply grounding work of partnering with mustangs.
While maintaining a demanding executive career with twenty-five years of experience in commercial lending, finance, and real estate, her commitment to somatic healing intensified as a certified TRH Practitioner through The Reflective Horse® Mastery program. She blends corporate leadership insight with deep somatic wisdom by fostering a deep bond with horses through connection and their reflective nature.
Living in Glendale, Arizona, Siarra balances an active corporate lifestyle with a spiritually centered perspective. She enjoys spending time in nature through workouts and hikes. After years of relentless striving, she now lives and breathes the notion of “slowing down to speed up” and she welcomes those that want to explore how it feels to just BE.
Our board of directors and advisory board guide our mission to provide sanctuary for wild mustangs in Arizona.
Alexis has dreamed of helping wild mustangs since seeing the movie Spirit as a child. She fell in love with the horse rescue world during her 14 years at Tierra Madre Horse & Human Sanctuary where she held every role from volunteer to executive director. She has a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership and management from ASU and currently serves as Principal Consultant of her own grant writing studio, partnering with nonprofits to turn vision into impact through customized development strategies.
She is also the author of two books: A Year With Angels and Toward Sunrise, both of which document her life at Tierra Madre. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys life with her husband of nearly eight years, their five-year-old daughter, one-year-old son, two cats, and a Carolina dog mutt named Lucy.
Melissa, an animal lover since childhood, moved to Arizona six years ago and discovered her passion for working with Clydesdales. She dreamed of owning a horse and fulfilled this dream last March when she welcomed Caliber, a Friesian/Quarter Horse cross. Melissa’s journey led her to become an Equus Coach, a unique blend of life coaching and equine partnership.
Last October, Melissa’s heart was touched by Wild Hooves Open Hearts (WHOH), where she volunteered and formed deep connections with Q and Sampson. Through her experiences, she learned about their mission and grew even more passionate about her work. Now, she is eager to share WHOH’s mission and inspire others to join their cause.
After more than 25 years building a career in the corporate world, Amy finally answered a calling rooted in service, a pull she felt for years. Now she is channeling her transferable skills into the causes closest to her heart. Amy treasures her time with the Wild Hooves Open Hearts herd and finds joy in the impact the mustangs have on the human spirit. When not at the sanctuary, you will find Amy volunteering at the AZ Foothills Food Bank, driven by the belief that no one in the community should go without a meal. Amy resides in north Phoenix with her husband Greg and two dogs. Two of Amy's favorite pastimes are cooking and hosting game nights.
Shelly Brown is an Equine Bodyworker and business owner of Mariposa Equine Therapies. She is certified as an equine massage therapist, trained through Therasage EMC, a program offering an alternative and holistic approach to equine therapy. Masterson Method techniques, use of cold laser, taping and other soft touch equine therapies are allutilized in her practice. In addition, she received her Equine Nutrition Certification through the University of Minnesota Extension Program. Shelly volunteered at Tierra Madre Horse and Human Sanctuary and Healing Hearts Animal Rescue, both located in Cave Creek, Arizona. It was through the rescue experience that she discovered her ability to meaningfully touch the horse, as well as use music as a method to connect with them. Shelly is also a proud horse owner. All three of her current horses “just needed a home”, one of which is a BLM mustang, who has taught her: If you think a Mustang can... they will. If you aren’t quite sure a Mustang can... they will. If you don’t think a Mustang can... they will. Prior to working with horses full time, Shelly attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas and earned degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education. She specialized in positive behavior modification, which transferred nicely to reward based-training with horses. In her spare time, Shelly enjoys mountain biking, camping and traveling.
Sharen Ross is a certified Connection Training (CT) Coach and Trauma-Informed Horse Trainer with 20 years of hands-on experience owning, riding, and training horses. For the past 8 years, Sharen has developed a passion for working with wild mustangs using LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) and positive reinforcement training methods.
Today, Sharen cares for four formerly wild mustangs and a burro, all from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and each at different stages in their training and acclimation to the human world. She provides online coaching services to clients worldwide and in-person in the Phoenix area of Arizona.
Sharen can be reached at www.heartfulhorsetraining.com.