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A new film coming soon about the miracles,
mystery, and science of healing with horses

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The Inspiration Behind Rescued Hearts

Rescued Hearts is a powerful documentary that explores the profound and often miraculous connection between humans and horses.

Inspired by a life-changing moment—when a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spoke his first words while interacting with a horse—filmmakers Dana Croschere and Krisanna Sexton set out to uncover the deeper meaning behind this extraordinary bond.

Through deeply moving personal stories, expert insights, and research, Rescued Hearts explores how horses serve as catalysts for healing and transformation, helping us open our hearts and reconnect with our authentic selves. The film not only highlights lives forever changed through these experiences but also reveals a profound truth: healing is never one-sided.

Rescued Hearts isn’t just the story of horses—it’s the story of all of us, offering an invitation for deeper connection with ourselves, each other, and all of nature.

OUR MISSION

Where, when, and how can I watch the film?

We’re currently sharing Rescued Hearts at select community screenings and film festivals — often followed by heartfelt conversations and Q&As with the filmmakers and featured experts.

You can see where the film is playing next on our Events page.

The full film isn’t available to stream just yet.
We’ll be offering an online screening of the first hour in July, with the full version releasing in November after our festival run.

To stay updated on upcoming events, early access, and the full release, just enter your email in the subscription box below.

OUR MISSION

We’re making this film for every parent who has struggled to find ways to help their child.

For those on the outside of society, who feel unlovable because they don’t know where they fit.

For every veteran and first responder haunted by the past.

For those who have lost someone so close to them, they struggle to make it through another day.

For every horse who has been used as a tool, or was rejected and thrown away

because they didn’t fit a perfect mold.

For all those who have experienced so much trauma they have locked away their own heart.

We hope to offer this film as a way of finding our way back home…

through connection with ourselves, each other, horses, and all of nature.

Join us on this mission, and help us share this film with the world.

DONATE

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please click here.

Who We Are

Dana Croschere, Producer

Dana Croschere is an award-winning producer who found her purpose after going through one of the darkest seasons of her life. She endured two failed spine surgeries as she desperately tried to heal from chronic pain, and it led her on a journey of self-discovery and healing that forever changed her life.

Her most recent film, LOVE HEALS, was created as a result of that journey, and it helped her realize her gift as a Storyteller and Producer. As the film is now helping millions around the world, Dana and her partner Krisanna have dedicated their lives to creating films that spread love, hope, and healing.

Dana spent time over the last 15 years volunteering at various ranches, immersing herself in the transformative world of equine-assisted services and witnessing the healing power that was present in these sacred connections with horses.

As she navigated her own healing journey, Dana has always felt drawn to creating a film about the healing power of horses, and RESCUED HEARTS is her dream come true.

Krisanna Sexton, Director

Krisanna Sexton, an award-winning Director with Live Wild Films, knows firsthand the power that comes from embracing our authenticity.

Although she has been a filmmaker since the age of 16, she didn't come out as gay until she was 28. As she began her journey toward love and acceptance of herself, she also discovered her potential to create conscious films.

Working on RESCUED HEARTS has opened her heart in ways she could have never imagined, and she prays this film will help open the hearts and minds of people around the world as they awaken to the healing potential within themselves.

Her most recent award-winning film, LOVE HEALS, has received acclaim across international boundaries and is now being released on PBS & GAIA along with distributors around the world.

Krisanna believes our stories have the power to change the world and remains committed to spreading hope and inspiration through the films she creates, working alongside the love of her life, Dana.

WHO WE ARE

Our Beloved Sponsors

This moment with a wild horse brought me to tears—and back to life.

After six grueling months of bringing our film to completion, I was beyond exhausted. I had been pushing the “dig deep” button daily… and my tank was empty.

Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful woman who had been following our filmmaking journey invited us to her wild horse sanctuary.

As we arrived, I felt my whole body exhale—like nature was offering me a kind of medicine I didn’t know I needed.

On the second day, I met Barbara 🐴

As a herd of wild horses surrounded the vehicle we were sitting in, Barbara slowly approached.

I was in the back by myself, and as she stood beside me, I quickly realized she didn’t want to be touched—just to be close. She placed her nostrils on my hand, and as she breathed in and out, my own breath began to slow.

It was as if time stood still.

Slowly, she stepped forward, placed her head inside, and rested it on my leg.

Her eyes softened and eventually closed, and I felt a silent invitation to rest with her. Eventually, I gently stroked her neck—and felt her lean into the connection.

Alicia, the founder of the @freedomreignsequines sanctuary, turned and shared that Barbara is the lead mare of the herd. She had been rounded up in the wild and had never been handled by humans—so she rarely accepts touch.

As I stayed with her, I considered the role of a lead mare: the decision-maker and guide of the herd. It’s a lot of pressure. And in that moment, I saw how our journeys paralleled—her caring for her herd, and me for this film.

We both knew what it meant to follow a calling… and maybe, to feel tired in our sacred work.

Tears rolled down my face as she stayed with me for what felt like forever. In that moment, I was transformed.

Barbara reminded me how important this film is. How important it is to care for these animals.
And how important it is to care for ourselves.

From our connection rose a prayer:
“May we all be wild and free.”

As we now prepare to share this film with the world, I’ll carry this moment—and my connection with Barbara—close to my heart.

-Krisanna Sexton, Director

👉@rescuedheartsfilm RescuedHeartsFilm.com to learn about our film!

We came to the horses on empty—burned out and totally exhausted.

After months of nonstop work to finalize Rescued Hearts in time for our world premiere, our systems were frayed. Then last week came a gift we didn’t even know we needed…

Alicia, an earth angel and the heart behind @freedomreignsequines, invited us to spend a 2 days among the wild and rescued horses while cinematographers captured the beauty of it all. For once, we weren’t there to film. We were there to feel 😭 And we got to do it alongside some incredible women who we now call friends.

No camera gear. No deadlines. Just us…and the horses.

For Krisanna (our director, editor, and cinematographer) this was her first time experiencing the healing power of the horse-human connection without being behind a camera. And for both of us, it was a reminder of what it feels like to just be—to exhale, to feel held by the land, and to be mirrored by these wise, untamed souls ❤️‍🔥

The peace we found in that sacred space was indescribable. It reminded us who we are beneath the pressure. And it brought us back home to ourselves.

More to come soon—including a video I happened to capture on my phone that I can’t wait to share of Krisanna and a wild mustang having a special moment together 🐴🥲

But for now, just this…
Thank you, Alicia and the Freedom Reigns team — and thank you to the horses who run wild & free and somehow still make space for us.

#FreedomReignsSanctuary #HorseMedicine #HealingWithHorses #RescuedHearts #WildAndFree #HorseHumanConnection #HeartCenteredLiving #NervousSystemHealing #FilmmakerJourney #Horses #RescueSanctuary #EquineWisdom #SoulRest

There’s so much happening in the world right now—and it’s easy to feel lost or like you need to hold it all together just to get through the day.

But then you stand in the presence of a horse…and everything softens.

You remember that you don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to push so hard. You’re allowed to feel, to pause, to breathe.

Their wild spirit doesn’t just inspire—it awakens something inside us. A deeper knowing. A remembering that no matter how crazy the world gets, you still carry peace, strength, and freedom within you.

You are not broken.
You are not alone.
And your spirit is more resilient than you know.

If that speaks to you today, I see you. I’m walking this path too. Let’s keep going—together 🩵

#YouAreNotAlone #HealingWithHorses #FreedomWithin #SeenAndHeard #InnerPeace #UntamedSpirit #EquineWisdom #HorseMagic #RiseTogether #GentleStrength #RescuedHeartsFilm

This reaction says it all…😭

2 years of filming.
200+ hours of footage.
A 2 hour film...distilled into a 2-minute trailer.

And watching Dana’s reaction to seeing it? Well, it made every moment worth it. 🩵

Today, we finally get to share it with you — our incredible community.

Join us for the Rescued Hearts online event happening today at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET.

Register now and you’ll have 7 days to watch the full replay.

This is more than a film. It’s a movement. And we’d love for you to be part of it 🐴✨

Visit link in bio or our website to register: rescuedheartsfilm.com.

🫶 Krisanna, Director

#RescuedHeartsFilm #HealingWithHorses #HorseHumanConnection #DocumentaryFilm #TrueStory #FilmmakingJourney #HeartCentered #WitnessTheMoment #FilmmakerLife #BehindTheScenes #WomenInFilm #StorytellingMatters #PurposeDriven

We take our jobs very seriously around here 😂 I could listen to Krisanna’s giggles all day!

This is a fun throwback to a time we were taking a break in the serene fields of New Zealand, and we were blessed with a surprise visit from this gentle giant! 🐴✨

His sweet energy was contagious, and I could swear he was about to doze off on my head! 😴

A little drool and a lot of laughter—proof that joy often comes in the most unexpected forms.

#HealingWithHorses #RescuedHeartsFilm #NewZealand #HorseLove #Filmmakers

Horses don’t divide themselves by differences. Instead, they move as one—trusting in the power of connection, standing together through every challenge, and finding strength in unity.

Right now, more than ever, we need to remember this wisdom. The world may try to pull us apart, to make us forget that we are stronger together. But like a herd in the wild, we thrive when we support one another, when we stand together, not despite our differences, but because of them.

We don’t have to agree on everything to walk this path together. We just have to choose kindness over division, love over fear, and unity over separation.

Who in your life reminds you that you are never alone? Tag them below and share the love ❤️

#StrongerTogether #HealingWithHorses #StandAsOne #LessonsFromHorses #FindYourHerd #HorsesHeal #TogetherWeRise #UnityOverDivision #WalkWithMe #WildAndFree

A Powerful 20-minute Sneak Peek 👀

To hold you over while we are putting the finish touches on Rescued Hearts, I want to make sure you all know about the sneak preview that is available on our website.

This is just a glimpse of what we’ve captured in the first year of filming. The full story is being finalized (to include our life changing experience filming with @__candicewebster__ in South Africa) and we need your help to bring it to life 🌎🩵

For just $5, you can watch our 20-minute sneak preview and support us in finishing Rescued Hearts in time for our May world premiere at a film festival! 🎬✨ (Details coming soon!)

Visit rescuedheartsfilm.com to watch and support!

Special thanks to Neda at @returntofreedom for allowing us to film in such a breathtaking and meaningful place—the cover image is from this beautiful sanctuary 🙏💛🐴

#RescuedHeartsFilm #HealingWithHorses #HeartCoherence #EquineTherapy #DocumentaryFilm #SupportIndieFilm #WildHorses #HorseWisdom #ReturnToFreedom

This is Krisanna—our incredible director, cinematographer, and editor—standing between two wise souls while capturing the magic of horses in New Zealand 🎥🐴

Some moments behind the camera ended up being just as powerful as the ones in front of it. Horses didn’t just let us film them—they taught us. About presence. About trust. About the kind of conversations that don’t need words. Horses have a way of speaking straight to the heart 😌🩵

What’s something a horse has taught you—without ever saying a word? Drop it in the comments below 👇

#RescuedHeartsFilm #HealingWithHorses #BehindTheScenes #HorseWisdom

Horses don’t judge, they don’t have an agenda, they don’t try to fix you, label you, or heal you. They simply see you and accept you just as you are. And maybe that’s what makes them so healing to be around ❤️‍🩹

Have you ever experienced the quiet, unspoken healing of a horse? Share your story in the comments! 👇

🎥 Watch our sneak preview and get film updates at rescuedheartsfilm.com

#HealingWithHorses #EquineAssistedTherapy #HorseWisdom #HorsesHeal #HorseMagic #HorseAlchemy #EquineFacilitatedLearning #HerdMentality #HealingJourney #HorsesOfInstagram #RescuedHeartsFilm #EquineConnection #HeartCenteredHealing #HorsesBeingHorses

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the weight of the world—the hardships, the uncertainty, the moments that test our hearts. But even in the midst of it all, there is still light. There is still kindness. There is still connection.

Horses don’t carry the burdens of yesterday or the worries of tomorrow. They remind us to be present, to trust the path, and to find peace in the simple moments—like the warmth of the sun on your face or the quiet stillness of nature.

So if the world feels heavy today, take a deep breath. Look for the beauty. It’s still here. In the love of a friend, in the rhythm of your heartbeat, in the resilience you’ve shown time and time again. You are not alone. You are stronger than you know. And just like the horse, you have everything within you to rise, to heal, and to move forward with grace. 💫

Tag someone who needs this reminder today. Let’s lift each other up 🩵

#HealingWithHorses #StrengthInStillness #FindTheBeauty #YouAreNotAlone #HopeRises #RescuedHeartsFilm

Anxiety and I have been in a relationship for as long as I can remember. I didn’t even know that’s what it was called—I just knew there was this feeling in my body most days, and I assumed that was how everyone experienced life.

As I transitioned to editing our film full-time, anxiety showed up in a new way. The pressure of finishing the film felt overwhelming, and I struggled to find my footing. I had two years of footage and felt unsure about how it would all come together. I had edited so many scenes and stories, yet the flow still felt unclear.

Then, my mom sent me a book, and it was exactly what I needed.

It’s called Prayers of Honoring Voice—a powerful collection of poems and prayers, and somehow each one spoke directly to my heart.

Taking the time to sit with those words each morning shifted the tone of my entire day. It created space for reverence—for myself, for the journey, for something greater than me.

One poem, Honoring Anxiety, struck a deep chord. As I read it, I felt the words settle into my body, reminding me of this journey I’ve been on—with horses, with nature, with this film, and with my own heart ♥️

I realized healing isn’t always about changing how we feel. The greatest gift I’ve received in the presence of horses is learning to sit with myself—to eventually love myself—regardless of whether or not I was experiencing anxiety.

And maybe, just maybe, to see anxiety as a friend that has always been with me—one I’m now learning how to interact with differently.

And now, as I write these words, the first draft of our film is complete. And I am in awe 😭

I believe this book somehow provided a guiding light for the creation of this film. Its words gifted me the idea that maybe our film is also a collection of stories—a collection of hearts. And it reminded me of the power of ART.

I’m so grateful to @pixielighthorse for her collection of books. I want to read them all. And through her words, I somehow feel the Divine speaking directly to my heart.

And it’s everything I needed.

~Krisanna, Director

#HonoringAnxiety
#HealingWithHorses
#ArtAsMedicine
#RescuedHeartsFilm
#NatureAsHealer
#FilmmakingJourney
#HonoringVoice
#HealingThroughArt

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