Adopted

TONY was surrendered along with Sky, a 27 year old, almost emaciated Tennessee Walking Horse. It took us so many months to put weight on him due age-related issues, and he even started being ridden very lightly. Finally the perfect home came along where Tony will get to live his retired years as a doted on pasture pet.

NAPOLEON was left a stud despite a debilitating genetic condition (severe patellar fixation) in both back legs that made it hard for him to walk. He was purchased for a young girl who lost interest and kept in a small backyard pen with no healthcare or farrier work.
We had him gelded which helped his dominance issues a little, but at his age the habits are hard set. We worked with him on standing to be brushed, and trusting us to pick up his back feet in a special way so when they locked he didn’t feel trapped. With his condition he wasn’t rideable, nor could be trained to pull a cart – but he was perfect to just be a friend!
Companion-only homes can be hard to come by, but Napoleon found a big sister to love and never needs to worry about food or loving care again.

TJ was rescued from a kill pen in North Carolina, extremely underweight. It’s hard to tell from photos because of his winter coat, just how bad it was. He has a monkey mouth, or underbite and hadn’t had his teeth done in ages which likely contributed to his weight loss. Nobody had cared for him in a while. We gave TJ the full vet workup, got him some front shoes to help his feet grow properly and gently re-introduced him to riding. Once he settled in, he really warmed up to people and has been used in our lesson program. TJ found an amazing home in Virginia as a young boy’s first horse!

TUNDRA was an auction rescue, going for slaughter price when we outbid to keep him. He was very buddy-sour, skinny (photos do not do it justice) and spooky. Over 3 months he transformed into a healthy, confident trail partner and he rides in a hackamore! Tundra found a wonderful home that fits him perfectly and he will get to explore lots of trails with his new owner.

FREYA was a sweet girl, forgotten about and left in a muddy pasture while her young owner lost interest. Her hooves hadn’t been taken care of in a long time, were chipped, cracked and had collapsed heels. Her legs had been caked in mud for so long she had mud fever (a skin condition with painful scabs). Now she is a happy trail horse.

VEGAS is a sweet older horse, approx 25. He was found by a rescue tied to a tree, but the people who adopted him from the rescue failed to provide proper vet care. He has Cushing’s Disease so his winter coat was long and matted to his body in the summer heat, his mane tangled. He had become extremely buddy sour and as a result was hard to catch in the field – when he was caught he did not want to ride away. His feet were also overgrown and had a bad case of seedy toe. A bad reaction to a tick bite had left his underbelly swollen and filled with fluid – he had created sores trying to soothe the itch.
We immediately began working with him, training him to be caught, ridden and stand for the farrier and vet. He is such a solid horse with the most beautiful gaits and comfortable movement, he spent 2 full years as a trusty beginner horse, and is now retired as a Sanctuary horse.

FRECKLES has been our most astounding before and after of 2020! In the left picture he had already gained 20+lbs from his previous weight. He was with us for 3 months, we worked on gaining weight, gaining motivation in the arena and re-sensitizing to leg cues. He was overworked, underfed and after 3 months he became happy, healthy, and is now a perfect trail partner for his new owner.