This article was taken from the monthly Virginia Range newsletter The Pinto Post. Click here to sign up to receive the latest happenings from the boots-on-the-ground work on behalf of this historic herd!
Every month a dedicated volunteer’s name is drawn to highlight all the incredible work he or she has done. This month, Rae Hanna’s name was drawn!
Rae is a native Nevadan who dreamed of moving back to Nevada and settling down there after retirement. She and the love of her life and husband, Phil, decided to make Dayton their retirement haven. Before retirement, she worked in public accounting for 35 years and had a small horse ranch in California. She bred and showed Arabians. When she moved to Dayton, she kept seeing wild horses in the area, and just fell in love with them. She had previously heard about the horrific management practices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and decided to research the issue. She came across a local Nevada group called Wild Horse Preservation League, attended a meeting, and became hooked. Now she is a board member of LBL Equine Rescue and a member of Wild Horse Preservation League. Rae had become familiar with Deb Walker’s name by following the Fish Springs Wild Horse Alliance Facebook page.
Connecting with Deb brought the opportunity to become an AWHC darter. Rae leaped at the chance! She has now been involved in Virginia Range wild horse protection for about five years. Her experience and love for the “work” are invaluable. Rae’s favorite part of darting is just being on the range among the horses. Rae has learned so much about these magnificent animals, their behavior, and their devotion to family. She sees the beauty in the eye of the horses, and it breaks her heart to see them removed, so she dedicates herself to be a part of the solution! She feels such a sense of peace when she is out with the horses which calms her even on the most stressful days. She is determined to do her part in helping keep them wild, and she is.
Rae says she feels so blessed to be part of such an awesome team of darters, documenters, spotters, and advocates working to keep the horses in the wild. We know we are so incredibly lucky to have her!
