Congratulations to LADY CORINNA FLASH
winner with the theme of
My Favorite Photo!
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From Alexandra Parlato, adopter:
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"How exciting! I immediately told her she was a bonafide model, hahahaha!
I’m not sure how Corinna ended up with Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation, but we are her second adopted home. Her first adopter was a sweet woman who moved out of state to stay close to her daughter. She and MHARF began the search for Corinna’s new home and my farrier actually connected all of us. Adoption paperwork was signed and she came home shortly after.
Corinna is incredibly sensitive and appreciates routine. Our first year together had some bumps in the road, but we committed to each other and with an amazing team (our friend and farrier, a patient vet, an equine massage therapist, and constant support from MHARF) we rode it out. Corinna now often chooses to spend sunny summer mornings in a stall in front of a box fan, waiting and hoping to be the first to see us coming with breakfast. She loves being groomed and fussed with and she’ll even allow us to put sunscreen on the tip of her pink nose!
I’m so much better for having Corinna in my life. She’s a beautiful fixture in our pasture, with a personality to match!"
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Corinna was adopted from: 
Congratulations to CHANCE
winners of JULY's photo contest
with the theme of Stars & Stripes!
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From Alyssa Blais, adopter:
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Chance is a yearling, and I have been doing a lot of desensitizing exercises with him to ensure he’s as confident and safe to work with as possible. He will stand quietly to be dressed in a tarp, and even lets me flap it wildly over his head/back from behind without even blinking. He has also worn plastic shavings bags and lets me cover every inch of his body with a sheet or towels. He has donned several Santa hats and a Christmas garland without fuss, and recently wore a unicorn horn in a professional photoshoot with young children.
When I found out about the Stars and Stripes contest, I immediately went to the Dollar Store and bought whatever patriotic items they had left. As usual, he had no qualms about being decked out in whatever I happened to pull out of my shopping bag. I think he would make a fantastic therapy pony some day.
He can’t be perfect all of the time…he still enjoys trying to eat his halter every time we put it on! But if that’s the worst thing he does, I consider myself very lucky to be able to work with a horse like Chance, and for him to allow me to do all of the things I do with him.
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Chance was adopted from Equine Rescue Network
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Congratulations to MAXIMUS
winners of May's photo contest
with the theme of Faces!
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From Laura Barbash, adopter:
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I lost my first horse last fall, to a sudden and severe colic. It was devastating to me, and while my heart was healing, we took in foster horses to keep our family horse company.
When I decided I was ready for my next partner, I responded to a posting by Rising Starr Horse Rescue about a 9-year-old TB. I visited the Rescue and found that the TB wouldn't be a good fit for my family, but they suggested I take a look at "Peter Pan," a 2-year-old (possibly) Dutch Harness cross. Apparently this flashy, adorable, sweet little guy was dumped at auction last year - I don't know why, but I know I'm so very lucky he ended up at RSHR. I went into his stall to pet him, and he put his head over my shoulder for a hug, and I knew that I was in trouble and there was no way out. This is the horse I would be taking home!
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I renamed him "Maximus," and Max joined our family in March this year. I am so happy to have him here. I never intended to end up with an unbroke baby, who (hopefully!) still has growing to do, but he is the sweetest little guy and I wouldn't trade him for anything. He is curious and friendly, he absolutely loves everyone, loves attention, loves to be brushed and have his butt scratched, loves to play and "help" with chores around the barn.
We are gradually progressing with his training, and even on days when life doesn't allow us to focus on a lesson, he's ready to just snuggle. I love having him outside my back door, and I'm looking forward to many years of fun and partnership with him!
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Maximus was adopted from Rising Starr Horse Rescue in Connecticut
Congratulations to CHURRO & Christine.
Special Award for May's photo contest
with the theme of Faces!
From Christine Hansen, adopter:
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I adopted Churro through a TIP trainer in Montana; he was 9 and came from the Big Sandy HMA in Arizona. The day after we got him home he went down. The vet was brought out and we couldn't find answers.
He had a hard time gaining weight at the TIP trainers and his group came to her super thin so our thoughts were that he was just weak and stressed. For more than a week we were raising him with a tractor and rolling him as he couldn't get up on his own or stay up for long.
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The vet was out almost daily and as a last ditch effort we decided on a selenium injection. She feared he wouldn't last long enough to wait for selenium test results (we knew he was from an area with low selenium).
I laid with him that night crying, begging him to live. The next morning he got up on his own. His recovery was long but we now have a crazy bond and he is healthy and happy.
He and his buddy Simon, a burro from the Shawave NV HMA, enjoy ear scratches and love.
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Churro was adopted from the Bureau of Land Management
Congratulations to TRIXX
winners of April's photo contest
with the theme of Freestyle!
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From Jennifer Galindo, adopter:
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose, under heaven…
In December 2009 I met a tall, thin black mare at Valley View Ranch Equine Rescue. We stood in a herd of 30 horses and my husband pointed to her and said, “that's your horse, that’s the one you need”. I told him, “It’s a black mare, you’re crazy!” Trixx had been headed to Mexico for human consumption and Marlene Dodge stepped in and saved her. Little did I know that that black mare and I would have so many firsts together (including my 1st concussion about a week later). She was like a cat. Everything had to be her idea but she would also do anything because she loved me.
At 5:29 on April 1st, surrounded by so many people and animals who loved her, my queen, my lady, my girl, left this world to be pain free for forever. She touched so many lives, went on many adventures & always had the last word in any argument.
Thank you Adam at CPM Livestock for treating her like the royalty she was when you picked her up.
Just a few of her accomplishments. She won me 3 saddles, 15 buckles, lots of jackpot money, she won the cowgirl race at the Salinas Rodeo 4 times, she did Search and Rescue, mounted shooting, she is a movie star in “Lasso”, she had perfect timing in all the gymkhana events (I could do a AAA speedball bareback in a halter every single time) she held the overall Hurry Scurry record in 2015 and best of all, my opinionated, feisty lady taught countless riders how to ride and do gymkhana. She turned into a gentle giant who loved her kids. She taught them to trust their horse and formed a bond with each one.
DNOsTrickedOut, Trixx, Trixxis, Mommacita, Mommas, My Lady, My Queen, My Girl (NEVER TRICKSIE).
Everyone loved her but she took a huge chunk of my heart with her. She will forever be my Queen 👑
Rest in Peace Trixx, run free with Rowdie, Maxx, Gringo, Hollywood, Shorty, Tiger Lily, Bernie and give Daddy & Chris one heck of a fast gallop. Until we ride again. I love you and I miss you.
Trixx was adopted from Valley View Ranch Equine Rescue
Congratulations to DANTE
co-winners of March's photo contest
with the theme of Noses!
From Tiffany Jenkins, adopter
This is a picture that my daughter Emma (6) took from my phone. Dante is her personal horse that she has adventures with. He’s a 14 year old Lipizzaner gelding. He is a big part of our lives here at Avalon Stables in Florida. He has started doing some shows as a hunt-seat horse and even camps with my daughter. Next year they will debut in the dressage ring together now that she’s old enough.
We got Dante right before the Pandemic when his one and only previous owner had to move to London for a new job. He was his mom’s personal polo horse and trail horse. She loved him very much but work was taking her to Europe for an extended period of time. She didn't want to put her horses through a Trans-Atlantic move. She reached out to Polo Pony Rescue to help her re-home him safely, under a contract. Cathy Trope called me, and within a week we had our forever best friend for Emma!
We used to live in California and moved to Florida in 2018. I worked very closely with Cathy for many years and Dante is our fourth horse we have adopted from Polo Pony Rescue.

Moscow Mule is adopted from Polo Pony Rescue
Congratulations to MOSCOW MULE
co-winners of March's photo contest
with the theme of Noses!
From Cathy Trope, Polo Pony Rescue president
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Moscow Mule, like many horses, had been mysteriously lame with no clear diagnosis for some time; in fact, she was scheduled to be euthanized. We were talked into giving her a chance and went to pick her up. She was so lame she had a terrible time getting into the horse trailer, but I told her she wouldn't regret it if she did - and I'm happy I was able to keep my promise. With massage, a change in lifestyle from stall-kept to 24 hour turnout, and a different farrier plan, Moscow Mule began improving. Her recovery has shocked us all, in a good way! I adopted her out to the Lee family with the understanding that she'd probably be limited to just leading kids around on at a walk, but she surprised us all by becoming sound enough to show in both english and western classes and even do a little bit of gymkhana. Now she's a great partner with Kali, and answers to the name of Moo Moo!

Moscow Mule is adopted from Polo Pony Rescue
Congratulations to CHIRON,
winner of My Favorite Video contest for February!
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From adopter June Park
Chiron went through a big adventure before he finally came to me! He was a nameless stallion that went through a low-end auction in Texas. Just over 13 hands, everybody thought he was a yearling Arabian stallion. At least 200lb underweight, unhandled, and sick, he had no buyer. That was when a group of ladies gathered funds to rescue him. He was soon gelded and halter trained by one of the local trainers, but there was no adopter lined up for him. When Vera Kalila from Love This Horse Equine Rescue, the Southern California Arabian rescue, was on her way to Texas to pick up other rescue horses, she had room for one more horse in their trailer and offered to take him to California.
Vera realized at once he wasn't an Arabian when she saw him. Although he was refined like a small Arab, he had a totally different tail carriage and gait. After some investigation, Vera found out through a breeder in Texas that he's a Galiceno horse, a rare breed from Mexico. There are only about 100 of them left in the world. What a surprise! Furthermore, the vet check revealed that he was not a yearling, but around 6 years old. When the Love This Horse posted about this, it gained a lot of attention on social media. I was one of the people who saw this post. When they posted a video of this little horse, I instantly fell in love with him (I'm 5ft tall and love small horses!). He had just arrived at the rescue and wasn't even saddle trained, but it didn't matter. I contacted Love This Horse to meet him and the rest is history.
I named him Chiron, which is the name of the wisest centaur known as the "wounded healer" in Greek mythology. He is full of life, extremely intelligent, affectionate, and curious. I recently started saddle training him, which I've never done before, and I was amazed at how quickly he accepted me on his back. I've already learned and grown so much through everything we've gone through together. As you can see from the video, he's very playful. His antics give me no choice but to smile even on my hardest days, and he brightens everyone's day with his dazzling spirit. He truly is the healer of my soul, and I can't be grateful enough to be with him.
Chiron was adopted from Love This Horse Equine Rescue in Southern California
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Congratulations to ZION,
winners of February's photo contest
with the theme of My Favorite Photo!
From adopter Katia Bhagatram

I came across Zion as I was looking at Craigslist ads. His ad title read "Diamond in the Rough", which immediately piqued my interest, as I love a good underdog story. His ad was posted by Save Them All Horse Rescue, who said he had been brought in with his mother and had been a neglect case. After watching a short video of him, I fell in love with his long, drafty face and what appeared to be a curious mind. I didn't want, or need, yet another rescue project, but I couldn't help but feel that Zion was, indeed, a diamond in the rough. I arranged transportation for him to come from California to Colorado in March 2016. When he first stepped off the trailer, I definitely though "Oh geez, he's so scrawny and gangly." He definitely was not a head turner back then. I actually had people ask my why I chose him and what I saw in him. I always answered "A horse that just needs a chance to show everyone his potential."
Zion was a really interesting horse to start under saddle. He was so herd bound that he would paw and get frothy even standing on the other side of the fence of his pasture herd. He was extremely focused on external surroundings and had zero focus on me. If horses can have ADD, he definitely had it! It wasn't a love story for the first year or so. He was really unpleasant, disconnected, and genuinely seemed to not enjoy being around me. But slowly I showed him that being around me was a good thing and that he could trust me, and slowly he began focusing more on me and less on all the things around him. Zion used to be the absolute most reactive horse, and I fell off several times just by him leaping to the side at the sight of a bird flying off a branch, or a rabbit popping out of the bush. I have three herniated discs due to a fall after Zion saw a tractor from 1/2 a mile away.
It took time, but now, Zion is my Steady Eddie! He goes out on trail rides alone and we ride mostly in a rope halter. I started showing him for fun in Western Dressage last summer and he won several awards. The thing I am most proud of is the relationship Zion and I have formed over the years. I trust him completely and he trusts that I won't put him in a situation that he can't handle. He truly has been a Diamond in the Rough and has turned out to be a gorgeous 17hh strawberry roan who always receives compliments on both his looks and manners wherever we go. Zion has gone from a defensive, grumpy horse with a lot of quirks, to a lovable goober who love kids, loves Coke and watermelon on hot days, and is a most beloved member of our family!”
Zion is adopted from Save Them All Horse Rescue in Northern California.
Congratulations to CHANCE,
winner of January's video contest for Winter!
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From adopter Alyssa Blais:
This is Chance's very first snow in his life. We weren't expecting the bellyflop!
We adopted Chance’s dam, Phoebe a year ago from Equine Rescue Network. While Phoebe was being fostered, she had two separate blood tests to check for pregnancy, and they came back negative both times. Shortly after getting her home, we had our vet out for an ultrasound, and sure enough there was a heartbeat. A little over 2 months later, Chance was born!
Flash forward 9 months, and we now have the sweetest, most playful and fun-loving colt. We do a lot of desensitizing exercises with him - he will proudly wear a shavings bag or tarp. We also play soccer with him in his paddock with his favorite ball. He absolutely loves people, and will typically run over whenever called.
He has been the greatest gift, and it’s been so much fun watching him grow into such a confident, well-mannered little man!
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Phoebe & Chance were adopted from Equine Rescue Network
Congratulations to VENUS,
winners of January's photo contest
with the theme of Winter!
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From adopter Nicki Creasey:
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"This is just after her roll in the snow, and mid-shake!
I adopted her from the Bureau of Land Management's Cañon City Colorado corrals in 2017 as a 2 year old. She was a ‘plain, short, brown mare’ but I fell head over heels with her right there and then in the BLM corrals. To me there’s nothing plain and brown about her. I ADORE her.
Due to gentling over 200 BLM burros for adoption since I adopted her, I haven’t yet got her under saddle. But I will. She’s my next project now we’re moving out of state. Her short stature (about 13.3) is perfect for this next phase of my riding life. I’m 54 and kinda done with tall and exciting rides!!!
Although she has 3 face whorls (according to my knowledgeable friends that’s not a good sign) she was the sweetest and smartest mustang to gentle. She was gathered from the Divide Basin herd management area within her first year….birth date unknown but she was still just a filly for sure. I’ve gentled her using positive reinforcement methods and she will back up easily, yield fore and hind, and side pass at liberty.
Did I mention that I adore her? I’d love you to highlight my “short plain brown mustang mare” that is perfect for me. So many of these are types are overlooked in favor of color and size."
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Venus was adopted from the Bureau of Land Management
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2021 WINNERS
Congratulations to VICTOR,
winners of December's photo contest
with the theme of Costume Class!
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From Brenda Teter, adopter
Victor didn’t come with a name, but he was quickly named Chasing Victory - we were determined that he would be “victorious” despite his rough start at life. Victor has grown into a handsome and strong young gelding, doing therapy visits and bringing joy to everyone he visits. He basically grew up doing it, we started him out with it as a baby and he caught right on. He does visits to nursing homes, libraries, schools and daycares, as well as events like parades and open houses. We are so in love with him!
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Victor's Rescue Story:
This Old Horse received a call for help - a mini colt was just 3 weeks old and his mom had passed away unexpectedly. The owner was at a loss as to how to care for him now that he was an orphan. She had been trying to feed him shredded carrots and apples. Luckily, This Old Horse has another program they operate called This Little Horse, which specializes in, yep, you guessed it, little horses.
They made the drive a few hours north, not knowing what to expect, or what condition Victor would be in when they arrived. They had alerted the local equine hospital as it had been 3 days since his mom passed and his owner wasn’t able to get him to eat or drink anything.
When they arrived, to their astonishment they found Victor standing tall, appearing healthy and adorable. For the journey home, he was loaded into the backseat of an SUV. He wouldn’t take a bottle or milk replacer in any form, and required lots of creative ideas to get him to eat. After this beginning, it was great to see him recover and bounce back.
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Victor was adopted from This Little Horse, a program of This Old Horse in Minnesota.
Congratulations to FERDIE,
winners of November's photo contest with the theme of Fun!
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From adopter Ashlee Petersen:
Ferdie AJF came into my life when he was 9 months old, he was my first young horse , I was familiar with this breeder Aljasymmia Farms, because they have a wonderful adoption opportunity in partnership with Love This Horse Equine Rescue.
I had been following the journey of some of the geldings and knew I wanted to be part of this opportunity. I met Ferdie and instantly it was love...he would lay down in my lap (and still does) except now he's almost 3 and over 15 hands...
He has the most magical spirit, he has only known love and kindness in his life, as a result his bond is so true... He is my best and first boy...this photo captures his true spirit....
From Vera Kalila, President & Founder of Love This Horse:
Aljasymmia Farms has a wonderful partnership with us. The horses that don’t work out for their program are gelded, halter trained, immunized, registered and then Love This Horse finds adoptive homes for them. The breeder wants to make sure that all their horses end up in good homes.
Congratulations to RUNE and NATALIE,
winners of October's photo contest with the theme of Faces!
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Here's how Natalie describes her boy:
"Rune is a 13-year-old OTTB gelding. He raced until he was 8 years old and won his owner hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rune was rehomed after he retired from his racing career, but was found to be neglected when his old trainer visited him. So, his old trainer took him back and gave him to Win Place Home in the hopes that they would find him a better situation. I reached out to the rescue only a few weeks after he arrived and described the type of horse that I was looking for, and they told me that they had the perfect horse for me. I will admit, it was not love at first sight – Rune was still adapting and reactive to his new environment, his winter coat was sparse and dull and his hooves deformed from lack of previous hoofcare. But Win Place Home poured so much time and effort into his care and training in the little time they had him and his gentle soul won me over!
Rune has blossomed into a strong, confident horse. His coat glistens no matter the time of year and his hooves are slowly transforming into a healthier shape. He has a noble, prideful presence about him while simultaneously being sweet enough to be handled by the whole family. I adopted Rune with the intention of him being a riding horse, but he has turned into a lovely non-ridden companion. We clicker train husbandry and trick behaviors, take long walks together, and I love to provide him with enrichment in the form of novel objects and treat-related toys. Next year, we are going to start learning equine agility! Rune has turned me into the ultimate OTTB supporter and I hope to adopt a brother for him from Win Place Home in the future."
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Congratulations to ZION and KATIA,
winners of August's photo contest with the theme of Action!
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Katia found Zion “via a random Craigslist ad. I had previously had a Clydesdale Cross that I had adopted from a local rescue, and I knew I wanted another big draft crossbreed. I also knew that my heart was looking for a “diamond in the rough”; someone who was built right and had potential but was over looked for being quirky, or even ugly. I hadn’t seen anything like that at any of the local rescues, so I started a Craigslist search for a “draft gelding”. I found an ad for a young draft cross gelding that was advertised as a diamond in the rough (that was the ad headline). Zion was being advertised as a 4 yr old gelding that had come in with his mother to the rescue. He hadn’t had much work done with him, and he was kind of fugly, so there hadn’t been much interest.
I’m not even sure how his ad even came up for me because the rescue where he lived at was in California, and I live in Colorado. A week later, he was put on a trailer and heading to CO to start his new life with me.
It’s been a long study in patience with Zion, but once he let down his guard and began to trust me, his training really took off. Now we do solo rides though the desert, day trips to the swimming lakes, and even show in Western Dressage. Zion is up for anything, as long as jumping isn’t involved. We are both terrible, and clumsy. Terribly clumsy.”
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Zion was adopted from Save Them All Horse Rescue in 2016.
Congratulations to GRACIE and ATTICUS,
winners of August's photo contest with the theme of Freestyle!
Adopter Laura Barbash won this month again in our first back-to-back winning photos with the gentle Gracie, showing completely different expressions on her face!
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Gracie was adopted from Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue - they tell her story like this:
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"In 2011, CDHR was just a small group of friends of our founder, Stacey Golub, DVM, who all have a passion for horses. In fact, CDHR was started in the backyard of Dr. Golub, rescuing just a few horses at a time. One of the group’s first rescues was from the New Holland Auction house in Pennsylvania. The group received a call that there was a Percheron mare going into the auction. Help was needed.
Little did they know of the surprise that was waiting for them. Standing in the back of the trailer was a five-month-old draft filly. Knowing once they entered the auction ring, the pair would most likely be split up, and each would face a potentially dangerous, uncertain future, the group was not about to let that happen. A deal was made in the parking lot, and the horses were loaded from one trailer right onto Dr. Golub’s trailer. The mare and her foal never saw the auction ring in Pennsylvania.
The mare was named Grace, and her foal was named Figlet (our horses’ favorite treat). Grace, like her name implies, was charming, beautiful, and patient. She was an absolute angel. She was rideable, drivable, either single or double, and loved people. She was a true ‘gentle giant,’ so much so, we thought about keeping her as CDHR’s draft ambassador. But Grace was so special we wanted to give her the best possible gift of finding her a forever home.
Grace was adopted in 2013 and is living her best life. This past week we received the following update on Grace: “ Gracie remains her kind, loving, patient, intelligent self. She continues to follow her daily routine of a morning nap followed by afternoon snacking. I have not been riding regularly (living that pandemic mom life...) but Atticus (almost 5 years old!) has become interested in riding Gracie. Sometimes we ride her together, and sometimes he rides on his own (on the lunge line). We have been working on developing his independent seat and doing small "obstacle courses." I hope we'll start riding pretty regularly when the weather improves in the spring. Gracie is such an amazingly caring horse. Her relationship with Atticus is so special. She is always interested in what he's doing, is never spooked by his wild-little-boy antics, and seems to genuinely love his cuddles and attention. We are so blessed to have her in our lives.” Laura Barbash
Figlet the little filly grew into a fine horse and was adopted to a wonderful family in 2015, where she too is living her best life.
Grace is a shining example of our motto, “You can’t change the world by saving one horse, but for that one horse, its world is changed forever.” And in this case, two lives were changed forever."
2021 WINNERS to date...
Congratulations to GRACIE and ATTICUS,
winners of July's photo contest with the theme of Humor!
From adopter Laura Barbash:
"Gracie joined our family in 2013 as a companion to my first horse, when we moved to a location where we could have horses at home. Gracie is a former Amish work horse; we adopted her from the Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue, who had purchased her at auction to prevent her from being separated from her young filly. CDHR kept her for several years, and she served as their ambassador at many events. We were so fortunate to apply for a horse just as they decided it was time for her to have a family of her own, but we didn't truly realize how special she is until our son Atticus (now 5) was born. Gracie just loves being around Atticus! She is always curious about what he's doing, never frightened by his unpredictable behavior, and keeps my much flightier Arabian away from him. She is the biggest teddy bear I have ever met, and nothing makes her happier than being snuggled and brushed by her child. It seems like Gracie's life ambition was to be a little boy's first pony!
We are so excited to hear that Gracie has won this month! Atticus is thrilled and looks forward to displaying the ribbon in his room. I think we are going to send our winnings on to CDHR so they can continue their wonderful work of supporting draft horses in need. And I'm going to tell them about your program so you may get more participants through their adoptees. We look forward to participating again in the coming months!"
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Congratulations to CHANCE,
winner of June's video contest with the theme of Freestyle!
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From adopter Alyssa Blais:
"Chance’s dam, Phoebe, was rescued from a kill pen by Equine Rescue Network in December before she even turned 4. We adopted her 2 months later at the end of February. During her time with ERN, blood was pulled on 2 separate occasions to see if she was in foal. The second test was even more specialized than the first, able to detect subtle hormone changes more easily. But, both tests came back negative.
After getting her home, we couldn’t shake the feeling that she was smuggling a surprise, so we had our vet out to do a physical examination and ultrasound. During the exam, even our vet figured she was simply overweight, but was glad we wanted to do an ultrasound to be sure. Lo and behold, he found a heartbeat!
Two months after getting her home, she surprised us one morning with a beautiful leopard Appaloosa colt. Our family owned Appaloosas for 50 years, and we lost our last one, Reina, back in October. Not only did Phoebe foal a miniature Appy, she had one that looks exactly like Reina! Phoebe is a solid silver dapple mini (and we have no way of knowing who the sire is), so the last thing we were expecting was a mini Appy! We named him Chance because it means “unexpected good fortune.”
Plus, all along we’ve been saying, “What are the chances Phoebe would be in foal after 2 negative blood tests?” and, “What are the chances she would have a mini version of Reina?” ERN is thrilled that Phoebe and a Chance are doing so well, and that they both will have a forever home with us. Phoebe is a sweetheart, and Chance has been the greatest gift we never knew we needed!"
Rescue mom "Phoebe" and her surprise foal "Chance"
Congratulations to REESE'S CHOCOLATE, the smiling winner
of June's photo contest with the theme of Freestyle!
Reese’s Chocolate does this on cue - when Mom says “smile” he smiles!
Jodi Tuft acquired Reese’s Chocolate from TB Friends when he was 6 years old - and he’s now 23! He’s a tattooed TB but didn’t race - Jodi thinks he was likely not fast enough. Instead he found his niche with her - loving people!
Jodi says he’s superkind, no health issues, goes barefoot, and can still be ridden but he’s now semi-retired living his best life as a babysitter for the ‘really old horses’!
Congratulations to FINCH & BROOKLYNNE,
winners of May's contest with the theme of Love!
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From adopter Ashlee: When Finch arrived 16 months ago he was shy and concerned.
The moment he met my daughter it was apparent they belonged to each other. He immediately calmed down and gave her his face in her hands. He hugs you with his entire body .... never had a horse like him. He is her boy....he embodies the Arabian horse, he is majestic, loyal and smart.
Finch’s registered name is Aseel AJF. He was adopted from Love This Horse Equine Rescue.
From Vera Kalila, President & Founder of Love This Horse: Aljasymmia Farms has a wonderful partnership with us. The horses that don’t work out for their program are gelded, halter trained, immunized, registered and then Love This Horse finds adoptive homes for them. The breeder wants to make sure that all their horses end up in good homes.
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Their website is www.lovethishorsearabianrescue.org and they are in Southern California.
Congratulations to BEYOND THE NILE,
winner of our April video contest "Look At The Camera"
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Today is the 2nd anniversary of Niles' adoption by Wendi, and we congratulate them on that anniversary as well as their win!
From adopter Wendi Neckameyer:
The very playful Niles was adopted from the Secretariat Center in Lexington, Kentucky after his racing career was over. Niles was foaled in Kentucky, raced in Kentucky and Florida, and now lives in Missouri. Favorite pastime: rolling in the mud! Goal: Dressage.
The Secretariat Center is a Rehoming Center - one where racehorses go to decompress from their life, get some training for their new careers, and find new adopted homes. They are located in the famed Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 2004, the Secretariat Center uses its illustrious location to herald the athleticism of this amazing breed by teaching new skill sets to horses of all levels of ability.
Niles is also the Equine Advocate for the 501(c)3 Special Horses Inc. Special Horses helps equine welfare organizations with fundraisers, grant applications and marketing materials. That helps the Rescues raise money to help more horses that are abandoned, estray, or already in the slaughter pipeline.
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www.facebook.com/SpecialHorses
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Congratulations to MELLO,
winners of our April photo contest "Look At The Camera"
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From adopter Jennifer Wagner:
My husband Wes and I decided in the fall of 2020, that we wanted to meet the needs of a very dear special needs young lady, Wes’s distant cousin, who always wanted a horse but never had the resources to house and take care of one. That special young lady’s name is Jacqueline “JJ” Dyer and her story can be found at https://www.justforj.com/jsstory.
In December 2020, I was diagnosed with COVID, was home bound for a couple of weeks, and when finally fully recovered, we reached out to the Houston SPCA and connected with some great people there who prioritized J’s special needs requirements in a horse. www.houstonspca.org
Mello was the answer that they recommended for us… he had arrived at Houston SPCA as a 3 ½ year old stallion, very skinny and undernourished. After getting Mello to a reasonable weight and gelding him, he was evaluated further by their trainers for temperament and determined to be super laid back and virtually spook proof – thus the name Mello! Mello is also a special needs horse, rescued rom a neglect situation and needing some veterinarian attention, including special work and exercises as he recovers from a patella and stifle issue likely caused by his growth being affected by the previous neglect and malnutrition.
We brought Mello home, welcomed some additional pasture mates within a few weeks, and finally, Mello met JJ for the first time the week before Easter. Mello did beautifully! JJ and her family were so excited to meet Mello and we were so excited for Mello to meet them. (see photo in comments)
Our plans for Mello include potential training in pulling a cart as well as introducing new and youth riders to horsemanship.
Mello is very happy with his adopted herd mates, Prada (7 yr old mare) and Raider (22 yr old gelding), part of our family here in New Waverly, TX.
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www.houstonspca.org/adopt/equine-and-farm-animals
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Turn up the sound for cute pony snorts!
Winner: CAPRI
Winner of our March video contest "Fun"
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From adopter Alyssa Blais:
Capri was rescued by 13 Hands Equine Rescue as a yearling. She was originally purchased at auction with the intent to use her for medical research. Luckily, the rescue was able to intercept and take her under their wing. 13 Hands quickly fell in love with her, and initially decided to keep her as a permanent resident because she’s such an exceptional little pony. Luckily for me, after keeping her for several months, they decided to put her up for adoption and let me take her home!
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I have had Capri for almost 8 months now, and she has been such a fun addition to our herd of littles. She’s as in-your-pocket as they come, and loves to just follow me around and lay next to me in the paddock (and play in the snow, of course). We also go for hikes on the trails that we have access to from our farm. My hope is that she will be a dependable kids pony some day, and she already takes such good care of the children that have come to the barn to brush and visit her. She is worth her weight in gold!
Congratulations to NAPOLEON and JAKE,
winners of our March photo contest "Fun"
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From adopter, Kathy Kramer: “Napoleon has been with us for almost a year and a half. When we first brought him home we were unsure of what he was capable of and how he would do with his new nine year old person who had little horse experience. Napoleon turned out to be a saint! He puts up with all of Jake’s 9 year boy antics and loves every minute of it. At first he would only go over a jump if his buddy Jake went with him! After lots of practice he now jumps like a pro and loves to show off his talents at mini horse shows! Jake and Napoleon are hoping for lots of opportunities this summer to show off all the fun they have been having and things they have been learning together.”
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Napoleon was adopted from Begin Again Horse Rescue in Lima, NY. He was an owner-surrender when the owner contacted them to say that she was going to be going into the hospital for an extended amount of time and she had no family or friends to care for him while she was gone. Her future health was uncertain and she was concerned for his future. She had had Napoleon since he was a youngster and kept him as her pet, living alone, all his life. He only knew his one home and his one person and had not even seen another horse since he was a baby. He was very loved and cared for in this environment, however had never been gelded and as a teenaged stallion, he was overwhelmed when he suddenly moved to a busy stable of horses! It took some time after gelding for Napoleon to remember his manners, but his fun and gentle nature returned with patience. He’s proven himself to be a smart and fun loving partner with children and adults for showing in 4H and as a family companion.
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Congratulations to HAILEY and her Valentine, LEGEND
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From Legend's adopter, Kathy Kramer: “We adopted Legend in November 2019 from Begin Again Horse Rescue as a 5 year old. He has been working hard with his 10 year old girl, Hailey, ever since. They are hoping 2021 brings 4H shows back so they can show off everything they have been working on. They just started ground driving this fall and he loves jumping! He is such a smart and loving horse who is eager to please! We are so happy to have found him. He currently lives in our backyard with his BAHR mini brother, 18 year old Napoleon.”
Legend was part of a cruelty case with 11 minis. Begin Again Horse Rescue (Lima, NY) joined Ontario County Humane Society to assist with the seizure - 1 stallion, 2 yearling colts, and 9 mares. All were being kept at an abandoned property - no power, no hay on site, and brought water occasionally in gallon milk jugs. The minis were finally seized after many neighbor complaints when one mare foaled in the deep freeze of February in Western NY and the foal did not survive. They were malnourished, had lice, internal parasites, and neglected hooves.
Legend was one of the yearling colts. He was temporarily dubbed "Eeyore" because he was so depressed and droopy! Little did his rescuers know he would bloom into such an animated and fun loving personality with proper care! After being gelded and returning to full health, Legend was professionally trained to drive. He also enjoys jumping and obstacle in hand with his young handlers.
Mini "Cooper" and his rescued draft friend "Macey"
living the good life with adopter Christy Tucker.
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Colorado Horse Rescue says they were "contacted by Cooper’s owner when another mini at his home passed away. His owner did not want to take on another horse and didn't want Cooper to live alone. He arrived from Craig Colorado after a long trailer ride. We had been told he suffered from bouts with founder but were unprepared for the condition of his hooves. He looked like he hadn't been trimmed in years and could barely walk. We carefully measured out meds for pain and scheduled him for radiographs. Our vet took on the hoof trims himself to get the feet started on their path to normalcy. Weeks of careful trimming and years of experience for our vet resulted in the happy little guy you see now. We spent months getting him healthy while Christy visited him weekly (at least) to groom him and encourage him to keep tolerating the weekly pedicures. Seeing images of him running are amazing!"
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2020 WINNERS
"Tara was adopted from Valley View Ranch Equine Rescue. She lives with 3 of her herd mates at The Healing Equine Ranch in Agoura Hills. She is just over two years old and is fiery, playful, smart and easy going. Here is Tara’s Selfie."
Farrah with her favorite buddy, Athens, and a group of friends enjoying hay as it snows.
Farrah is a 10 year old Arab mare adopted from FOCUS Rescue & Rehabilitation in Ohio.
Molly adopted Farrah in February 2019 with endurance in mind, and she loves heading out on trail.
“We adopted Buddy two years ago. He is a stunning paint gelding with a playful horsenality. He is super friendly and loves to be scratched vigorously on his neck and around his ears, and spend quality time with his three sisters here at the ranch.”
Buddy and his sisters were bred by a paint horse breeder who dispersed his whole herd at Fallon Auction in Nevada. Over 20 were rescued that day - pregnant mares with nursing foals, plus yearling and two-year olds. When Kiki visited Valley View Ranch Equine Rescue, she didn’t come looking for a horse. But from several pastures away, Buddy watched Kiki until they finally met and he enchanted her… He and his sisters are now growing up together in Southern California.
"Kensi is extremely inquisitive and amazingly sweet!
She loves everyone and is a huge treat snob" says Katie Miclat, Kensi's adopter.
Kensington, a warmblood mare, was adopted from Carolina Equine Rescue & Assistance.
Every horse deserves, at least once in its life, to be loved by a little girl.
And every little girl deserves to be loved by a horse!
“They were magic from the moment they met,” says adopter Ashlee Petersen.
“Brooklynne told me she felt safe and that Zeenah was a very good listener.
Zeenah would do anything for her and has given my daughter such incredible confidence in her riding.
She is priceless to us.”
Zeenah was rescued from Mike’s Auction, skinny with a big wormy belly and no muscle. Just a ‘throwaway’ horse.
Love This Horse, Equine Rescue, who specialize in Arabians, was able to buy her.
During rehab they discovered she was patient and well trained as an English horse.
So when Zeenah chose Brooklynne to be her very own child, it was a match!
That was last year - Brooklynne is now 6, and Zeenah is about 10 years older. How sweet are they...!
NILES' WINNERS STATEMENT: WEEEEEE WON!!!!!
"I'd like to thank the Adopted Horse Incentive Program for highlighting how FABULOUS and AWESOME adopted horses are. I know. My mom adopted me from Maker's Mark Secretariat Center in May 2019. Probably the best decision she ever made. That's why we are donating our prize to Maker's Mark!"
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Niles secretly thought he could not win - he claimed that his Mom had T-Rex arms and as they were so short, getting good selfies was an insurmountable challenge... LOL!
Adopter Wendi Neckameyer says "Niles tends to get a bit giddy when he wins something." She adopted Niles in May 2019 from Maker's Mark Secretariat Center only three months after he was retired from the track. Wendi says Niles' mantra is "Everything's a toy, except a toy." He enjoys long daytime naps, alfalfa, lush spring grass, getting his forehead scritched, and carrots. Pet peeves: all biting and buzzing insects, & Mom taking too long to clean up after a workout, especially when the grass is calling.
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"Each day he makes me laugh and brings me joy. I am having so much fun working with him to create a lifelong partnership, however far we may go."
Adopter Kim Leising says Cinnamon is sweet, friendly and curious!
She was adopted as a 3 year old from Begin Again Horse Rescue in NY. That was 10 years ago!
A Belgian, Cinnamon is huge, and weighs about 2,000lbs.
Kim mainly trail rides with her, and last year started obstacle courses.
This is the first year Cinnamon has had a child riding her, and she’s doing wonderfully.
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Kittara is 7, and Mila is 9, and they are the best of friends!
"It was love at first sight two years ago, and that hasn’t changed a bit", says Sylvia Lemberski, Mila’s mom, "They won 1st place in equitation at their first show together, and have placed in every show since." Sylvia took this photo of the two of them, showing their close emotional connection.
Love This Horse Equine Rescue is run by Vera Kalila. A friend in Missouri saw a 'sole grey Arabian in a sea of OTTB’s headed for slaughter', and called Vera to see if Love This Horse could take the mare. Vera says "My friend kept her poker face", and negotiated with the killbuyer, buying her for $250.
Kittara turns out to be the granddaughter of Patrick Swayze’s Arabian stallion, Tammen.
I met Goose when he arrived at my trainer Nicole Huttar's farm in 2017. My trainer's lesson and boarding farm is also a partner farm (Jumping H Farm Re3 Adoption and Therapy) for Turning For Home, an organization that rehomes retired OTTBs.
I started riding Goose in my lessons and then we competed at local horse shows and events before I adopted him in 2018. As a middle-aged woman who had just returned to riding and competing 2 years prior, it was a thrill to find a horse that gave me such confidence. During our show season we competed at a local Combined Training Event series and were awarded Champion. I was so proud of my Goose boy!
From his mooching for peppermints, to his fleetness of foot in a jumping round, to his gentle nicker to me at feeding time – I am so blessed to have adopted this grey boy and I love him dearly.
Isla (left) was rescued with her 6 month old foal by her side, by 13 Hands Equine Rescue, Inc. in New York.
She was lovingly adopted by Alyssa Blais. And now Isla has a newly adopted sister, Capri, also from 13 Hands, seen here reacting to the Grumpy Horse winner being the boss!
“I adopted Isla from 13 Hands Equine Rescue last fall,” says Alyssa, “The details of her past are unknown, but it’s clear she experienced significant trauma and has been working very hard to regain trust in humans. Once she trusts you, she will give you the world.”
Although his name is Martini, he believes his name is “Good Boy!” say's Bria's mom, Marlo Schalesky.
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"From only having a halter on him 4 times in March and otherwise completely untrained, Marti can now be ridden (walk, trot, canter, circles, etc.) at liberty, bridleless, etc. He’s also learning tricks like lying down on command (in the picture) and bowing. He adores little kids and gives lessons for the little ones (as young as 4 years old - just like him!), and will do just about anything Bria asks. Smart, willing, kind, and loves to learn new things ... Marti is, after all, a bit of a nerd."
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"Bria got him in March from Marlene at Valley View Ranch Equine Rescue to enter a junior rescue horse competition (Bria was 14 at the time) which was then cancelled due to Covid. So we adopted Marti, who is the BEST HORSE EVER. He and Bria make quite a pair."
Congratulations to Prince Caspian and his family, Cora and her mom Katherine Gregory, for winning the Adopted Horse Incentive Program’s Holiday-themed contest!
Sweet Prince Caspian is a dream come true for them - literally! Twice in the preceding week, Cora dreamt of a big blond horse with a star, and then Prince Caspian showed up... His former owner was facing health and financial difficulties, and decided to entrust Colorado Horse Rescue with his horse’s future. And Katherine officially adopted this owner-surrender into their family.
“We are so very grateful for this big, beautiful, goofy gelding! Prince Caspian is everything we dreamt he would be. He is playful with his pasture mates, loves chasing the hay truck, and is a bit of a cookie monster. He loves being the leader on group trail rides - but not so brave when he is the only horse! We are so grateful that his former owner trusted CHR to find Prince Caspian his new family - ours!” says Katherine.
This lovely portrait of Apollo was photographed by adopter Dorothy Stroh. Apollo is a Andalusian/Quarter Horse gelding.
Dorothy says, “The moment I saw Apollo's photo on Central Virginia Horse Rescue I knew he was meant to be mine. I left at 4am to pick him up a few days later, it was my first long trailer drive alone. Since then Apollo has been a dream in every way. Apollo is a complete puppy dog, he loves cuddling and treats. When not cuddling he likes to hang out with his friends at Civil War Re-Enactments and going on trail rides. I am excited to continue our growth of knowledge into the new year!”
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