“Lucky” is a 14 year old mare who came to us with “Irish,” and 6 year old gelding.  They are very bonded and may be mother and son.  They were abandoned on an nearby farm over a year ago and the family who was caring for them did not know how to take care of them.  As a result, they are very skinny and had no veterinary care for a year.  They have now been evaluated and vaccinated by our veterinarian and will have their teeth floated once they are healthy enough for sedation.  Irish is very social and loves attention, but does not seem to have any training.  Lucky is shy at first, but once haltered she has beautiful ground manners and may have been a show horse at one time.  Both horses are small (approximately 14.2 hands) and we are unsure of their breed.  Lucky is a beautiful mover.  Irish seems to be slightly gaited, so he may be some sort of gaited cross.  They will both be gorgeous when they gain a few hundred pounds!

Lucky and Irish are being sponsored by Pat and Mark Lunday.

Venus and Destiny came to us as referrals from animal control from a situation of horrible neglect.  The third mare who was with them was too weak to stand and had to be euthanized on the scene.  It is truly unbelievable to us that horses are in such awful situations right here in Guilford County.  These girls are very thin but should make a full recovery.  We'll update their bios as soon as they have been examined by our veterinarian.  We believe Venus to be 2 years old and Destiny to be 10 - 12 years old.

Update!  Our veterinarian examined Venus and finds her to be approximately 18-22 months old, so we will estimate her birthday as June 1, 2010.  Venus is a small-framed mare who may have a growth spurt now that she will begin gaining weight, but she looks like she will be a small horse.  She has very nice ground manners for a filly of her age and will be a great horse for someone willing to train her once she gains weight and is old enough for training.  What a cutie!  Venus’s adoption fee is $500.  It will be increased if we have her long enough to begin her training.

Venus is very social is not afraid to beg for attention!  If you lean on the fence of her paddock, she will rub her face on you until you agree to scratch her.

Update!  Venus is now at a body score of 3.5 out of 10 and is looking much better, though we are hoping to have her up to a 5 soon.  She is such a love!  She was one of our "practice horses" for animal control training today and had an entire crowd of officers patting her all over to learn to body score a skinny horse.  She was a perfect angel for them!

Update! “Venus” is doing great in her foster home and is growing up so fast! She was a lanky filly when she came to us and is now a beautiful young mare. Her foster home is beginning to do ground work with her and introduce her slowly to being saddled. She absolutely loves humans and will be a willing partner for someone willing to train her under saddle. What a doll!

Big news!  “Venus” began training under saddle today with Cheryl Bell of Fiore Farm.  Cheryl reports that Venus was an absolute doll and is very smart and confident.  Please spread the word that Venus is now beginning under saddle and will soon be ready for an adopter who is able to continue moving her training forward. 

Angel and Ollie (below) were surrendered to us by an owner who would otherwise have been charged by animal control with neglect.  They came to us very skinny and received a full veterinary exam upon arrival.  Angel suffered a broken pelvis at some point in life and therefore may not ever be ridden or bred.  She is comfortable in her daily life but her pelvis is not strong enough to support a rider or a pregnancy.  She'll make a gorgeous pasture pet or companion horse. 

Update!  Angel is amazing us as she gallops around her new field and bucks in delight.  We never thought that would be possible with her old pelvis injury.  Angel is very sweet to people and enjoys affection. 

Update!  Well, Angel continues to amaze us!  She gets stronger every day and now loves to gallop around the pasture in her foster home.  Click here to see a video of Angel showing off!

Update!  Angel has figured out that she absolutely LOVES humans, especially anyone who will scratch her or brush her mane.  She will stand perfectly still for as long as you will pet her.  She will make such a wonderful pet for someone willing to give her lots of attention.  She is a big fan of children petting her too!

Update!  Angel is now sharing a pasture with a gelding belonging to her foster parents and they get along beautifully.  She is very friendly to other horses. 

Because she will be a companion only, Angel's adoption fee is $300.

Update! While living at her foster home Angel has become great friends with Buddy (an 18 year old Kentucky Mountain Horse). Buddy is a great trail horse. Angel’s foster mom has offered to adopt them out together as a pair since Angel is not rideable, but Buddy is! They make a perfect pair, a trail horse and a horse companion!

Dutchess is a 8 year old Tennessee Walking Horse mare who came to us as a referral from animal control. She is a sweet, social girl who loves human affection. She loaded and unloaded quite nicely and though she is rusty, she will lift her feet to have them picked and leads nicely with some "manners reminders."  For someone with the experience to work with her, she will make an absolutely fabulous horse.

Our veterinarian examined Dutchess, gave her all of her vaccines, floated her teeth and gave her a clean bill of health.  She is now up to a great weight.

Her surrendering owner said that she had ponied children on her back but does not have significant training under saddle. Her adoption fee is $500.

Dutchess is currently sharing a pasture with a miniature donkey and they get along very well.

Rooster is one of the best all-around horses we have ever had in our program. He came to us green but has now been ridden quite a bit by our volunteers.  He even competed in a “green as grass” horse trial.  He is willing to do ring work with a strong rider, but he really prefers trail riding.  He can be quirky in the ring, but is an absolute doll on trails and has crossed creeks, etc.  Though he is certainly capable of being a show horse with an experienced rider, we would prefer to find someone who wants to trail ride as that is what he likes to do most.  If you love to trail ride and are looking for a long-time companion, Rooster may be your horse!

Rooster’s adoption fee is $1,000.

"Addison" came to us from a hoarding situation in Thomasville.  He is a gorgeous little guy but has not been handled much at all and is so fearful of people that he trembles when we enter his paddock.  He was sedated for these photos.  Addison has one healthy eye and one that has been badly injured.  He will have surgery at Carolina Equine Hospital on June 18 to remove his bad eye and will also be gelded.  Once he has fully healed, we will begin socializing him.  We hope that he will be available for adoption to an experienced home late this summer.  Stay tuned for updates on sweet Addison.

Update 6/18 - “Addison” had surgery under general anesthesia today to be gelded and have the remnants of his bad eye removed to prevent further infection.  It looks to us like even our Dr. Talbot, our veterinarian, fell for the little guy!  Addison is learning to trust humans more each day and we are all enjoying working with him.  He will be adoptable when he is fully healed and tame enough to handle safely without sedation.

Update - Now that Addison and Buddy have both been vaccinated and gelded, they are sharing a pasture and are the best of friends. We would love to see them be adopted together. Both came from terrible situations and they are happy now! Addison is still shy, but Buddy (who is very tame) is teaching him that people are OK.  Both will come up for scratches and treats but Addison stays right behind Buddy.

Their adoption fees are $400 each or $700 for both.

Buddy is a 4 year old miniature horse who came to us as a stallion but will be gelded before being adopted out.  He is very tame and friendly.  As soon as he has been gelded, he will share a pasture with Addison.  We are hoping that he will teach Addison that people are pretty cool.  If they do become buddies, we may adopt them out together.

Update - Now that Addison and Buddy have both been vaccinated and gelded, they are sharing a pasture and are the best of friends. We would love to see them be adopted together. Both came from terrible situations and they are happy now! Addison is still shy, but Buddy (who is very tame) is teaching him that people are OK.  Both will come up for scratches and treats but Addison stays right behind Buddy.

Their adoption fees are $400 each or $700 for both.

‎"Mr. Blue Jeans" was surrendered to us today after animal control was called on his owner. It is so frustrating to see what happens to animals right here in Guilford County. Our laws are not good enough to prosecute the people who are to blame, so we hope that they get what they deserve later in life. All we can do is get animals out of these horrendous conditions, nurse them back to health and find them the families they deserve. Once he is healthy enough to be vaccinated and gelded, sweet Mr. Blue Jeans will be adoptable. He is an absolute doll.

Our veterinarian examined Blue Jeans this morning and said he is only 4 years old. Thankfully he has no issues other than being emaciated, so we will fatten him up and geld him as soon as he is healthy enough. He will be fat and happy and ready for a new home in a few months.

Mr. Blue Jean's adoption fee is $400.

Update!  (Pictures 5  & 6) Take a look at Mr. Blue Jeans - one month after coming into our program!

Update!  (Pictures 7  & 8) Take a look at Mr. Blue Jeans - two months later!

Ollie originally came to us with a Body Score of a 1 and was nursed back to health by RDF.  He received his ground training and under-saddle refresher with James Cooler of Cooler Horsemanship last summer.  Ollie is a 10 year-old strapping, well-muscled and handsome liver chestnut Quarter Horse who stands at 16.3 hands.  He had a history of abuse and should be adopted by someone who has horse experience as he can be pushy with a less experienced individual.  Ollie has not been ridden since late 2011.  

His adoption fee is $750 and will go up as he gets his refresher training.

Stewie's owner just recently surrendered him to us. He will be gelded as soon as he gains some weight and will then be adoptable. Stay tuned for more updates.

Update! Stewie is gaining weight nicely with all the good spring grass to eat. He is also shedding out and showing his appaloosa spots that run across the top of his back. He has begun doing a little ground work and he is responding nicely. Overall Stewie is quite a character!

Update! Stewie has now been gelded, vaccinated, had a Coggins test, has been dewormed and is doing great. To help cover a portion of his veterinary bills, his adoption fee is $500.

Venus and Destiny came to us as referrals from animal control from a situation of horrible neglect.  The third mare who was with them was too weak to stand and had to be euthanized on the scene.  It is truly unbelievable to us that horses are in such awful situations right here in Guilford County.  These girls are very thin but should make a full recovery.  We'll update their bios as soon as they have been examined by our veterinarian.  We believe Venus to be 2 years old and Destiny to be 10 - 12 years old.

Update!  Our veterinarian has now examined Destiny, floated her teeth and given her vaccines.  He estimates her to be 15 years old.  Destiny has very nice ground manners and stood beautifully for vaccines.  Once she gains weight, we will test her under saddle.  We expect her to do well based on her ground manners.  Her adoption fee is $500 and will be increased if we have her long enough to tune her up under saddle.

May 2 update!  Destiny is now at a body score of 3.5 out of 10 and is looking much better, though we are hoping to have her up to a 5 soon.  She is such a love!  She was one of our "practice horses" for animal control training today and had an entire crowd of officers patting her all over to learn to body score a skinny horse.  She was a perfect angel for them!

"Duke" is a quarterhorse pony gelding who appears to be in his late twenties.  He came to us from animal control as a stray and is very, very thin, but is quite a happy, spunky old guy.  He even trotted around for us and showed off a bit the first time we turned him out in his foster home.  He loaded on to our trailer like a gentleman and likes people very much.

Update!  Duke has now been vaccinated and had his teeth floated and is gaining weight nicely. Now that he is feeling great, he is a bit of a bossy old guy!  It is actually amazing to see this much spunk out of such an old horse.  Duke is social and enjoys attention but is also snarky about food, so he needs a more experienced adopter than most horses his age would need.  We sort of respect him for having strong opinions in spite of his age and size!  Duke's adoption fee will be waived for a great home.

Duke is now at a great weight and looks fabulous!  He is sharing a pasture with Dutchess, and she is teaching him that she is the boss!

Duke is being sponsored by Lorillard Tobacco Company.  For information on sponsoring a horse, please see our "Sponsor an Animal" page.

May 2 update!  Duke is officially fat!  We body scored him today and he is 6.5 of 10 (5 being perfect), so we will cut his grain back a bit.  He is a beautiful example of how great an old horse can look with good care. It is hard to believe that he is the same horse who came to us so skinny.

"Chance" was surrendered to Red Dog Farm because his owner could no longer afford to care for him properly. He was raised as an only horse and is very bonded to humans. He walked right in to our trailer with his owner even though he had never seen a trailer before. Chance stands perfectly still to be groomed or sprayed with fly spray. He is an absolute gentleman, and though he was thin when he came to us, it was obvious that he has been loved very dearly. We are thankful that his owner did the right thing and asked for help instead of letting Chance get any skinnier. 

Chance absolutely loves people. If you walk out into the field to scratch him, he will follow you around all day wanting more attention. He shares a pasture with a small donkey in his foster home and the two of them have become good buddies. He also allows the farm dog to lick his nose!

Chance has been trail ridden but has not been ridden consistently in five years, so he does need some refresher training under saddle. We have test ridden him just walking around his foster home and he does great. We have not asked him to trot or canter yet as he really needs to build muscle since he is out of shape. A good regimen of trail riding at a walk or consistent ground work would do him wonders. 

Chance has always been pasture boarded and does not like to be in a stall, so anyone wanting to stall him would need to work with him on that. He also gets very nervous in a trailer because he has only been trailered a very few times in his life (though amazingly he will walk in quite willingly, he just gets nervous once shut in alone), so he'll just need some patience and trailer practice if his adopter plans to trailer him frequently.

Chance’s adoption fee is $500.

"Dakota" came to us as an owner surrender when his owner fell upon hard times.  He is an absolute gentleman of a horse and has some of the best ground manners we've ever seen.  He loads, leads, stands for farrier, vet, fly spray, etc.  Dakota's owner told us he'd foxhunted and trail ridden extensively, and based upon his ground manners we believe it.  Dakota is thin and his hooves were in terrible shape when he came, so we will let his feet heal and put some weight on him before we test him under saddle.  Dakota is now sharing a pasture with Rooster in his foster home.

Dakota's adoption fee is $350. If we have him long enough to tune him up under saddle, his adoption fee will increase.

Update!  Dakota will spend the month of April with the Salem College Equestrian Team for refresher training under saddle.  His adoption fee will be adjusted as he progresses in his re-training.

Update! Dakota spent the month of April with the Salem College Equestrian Team.  He did very well under saddle, but he begins to show a slight lameness if pushed too hard at the trot or canter.  He does not seem to be in pain and really wants to please (and has quite a nice canter), but we are now thinking that he is better off going to a home where he can just be lightly trail ridden so that he stays sound.  He was a great sport though and had lots of students ride, bathe and groom him while he was there.

5/12/12 update!  Dakota is settled back in a foster home after a month with the Salem College Equestrian Team and gave the twins in his foster home a double bareback ride this morning.  What a good boy!

"Tot and Bucky" came to us when their owners could no longer afford them.  They are the nicest, tamest, most well-mannered miniature horses we have ever had in our program.  They came to us as stallions but have now been gelded and vaccinated.  These boys are tiny!  They weigh approximately 180 pounds each.  Many miniature horses are not suitable as pets for children because they are too spunky, but these boys are incredibly tame and gentle.  They absolutely must stay together.  To help cover the cost of their vaccines and gelding surgery, their joint adoption fee is $900.