"Cassie" is an elderly Arabian or Arabian cross mare who is terribly underweight and has some significant arthritis.  She was surrendered after her owner of 15 years passed away and her second owner could not keep weight on her in a herd environment.  Cassie was an "only horse" for most of her life and is very fond of humans but does not understand horse behavior terribly well, so she was being picked on in the herd and was not allowed to eat enough.  She is pitiful looking old girl but still has a sparkle in her eye.  She will stand still for as long as a human will pet her.  We will update her bio after our veterinarian examines her.  It will take a special person to adopt this old, skinny horse who cannot be ridden and has big nobby arthritic knees, but she would be eternally grateful, and would provide a lot of love in return.

Cassie's adoption fee will be waived for the right home.

Ollie and Angel (below) were surrendered to us by an owner who would otherwise have been charged by animal control with neglect.  They were both very skinny and received a full veterinary exam upon arrival.  Ollie was full of parasites as a result of not being on a proper deworming regimen, so we had to deworm him slowly as not to shock his system.  They are now in good hands and are receiving great care in their foster homes.

Update!  Ollie is now adoptable!  His weight is now perfect and his feet have healed.  Ollie is a big boy and will need an experienced handler, but he sure is a handsome guy!  Ollie's adoption fee is $500.  It will be increased if we have him long enough to begin training.

Now that Ollie is at a healthy weight and his foster mom has begun to work with him, she has discovered that he has likely been beaten with a whip.  He is as sweet as can be and loves to be petted and groomed, but when she even shows him a lunge whip he goes berserk.  This may explain the mark on his hide that we wondered about - they are most likely whip scars.  For that reason, any adopter who plans to lunge Ollie or work with him with a crop in hand will need to be quite experienced and willing to work through this fear.  As a pasture pet, he is a doll.

Star came to us last year from a situation in which her owners could no longer afford to care for her.  Star is very sweet and has nice manners but her foster mom quickly noticed that she seemed to have to think for a minute before going through gates, finding her stall, etc.  Our veterinarian examined Star and discovered that she has cataracts that severely limit her vision. 

Star was adopted last year but her adopters surrendered her back to us recently because they could no longer care for her.

Star is a sweet girl with very nice manners and stands nicely when tied.  At only 11 years old, Star could be a long-term partner for someone willing to take a little extra time with her.  She would also do very well letting children ride her on a lead line while supervised by an adult.

Because of her very limited vision, Star's adoption fee will be waived for the right home.  We'd love to find her a home with a safe pasture and a gentle companion that could be her "seeing eye horse."

Angel and Ollie (above) 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!

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

Marley is a young quarterhorse cross who was seized in a neglect case by the Danville Virginia Humane Society.  We drove to Danville on July 12, 2009 to get Marley.  Marley spent the fall of 2009 and early 2010 in a foster home where he gained weight, was vaccinated, dewormed and gelded, learned to trust humans and learned to stand to be brushed, have his feet trimmed, etc. 

As of Feb 21st, Marley has moved to a second foster home where he will start basic groundwork and be prepared to be ridden as soon as he is old enough. 

Update!  We are very excited that James Cooler of Cooler Horsemanship has volunteered to work with Marley.  There is a video of Marley on the Cooler Horsemanship site so that everyone can watch clips from that first session.

Update!  Marley has become quite a lovebug!  He now follows his foster mom around the field and asks to be petted.  He stands nicely (even off halter) to be groomed and has learned to love the feel of a curry comb and shedding blade, even on his belly.  He is also up for a full-fledged "bear hug" around his neck and isn't the least bit shy anymore.  What a great little horse!

Marley has now been ponied in a training demo, learned to walk over a tarp, learned to let us spray him with a bottle of fly spray, and walked in the Summerfield Parade (with braids and flowers in his mane!).

We would love to find an adopter for Marley who lives in this area and would be willing to either board Marley at James Cooler's farm or continue to take lessons with James so that Marley (and his adoptive owner) could continue to learn from the same professional natural horsemanship trainer.  If you live outside our area but have a good trainer or a significant amount of natural horsemanship experience, we would consider adoption as well.

We LOVE this young horse.  What a doll!

Marley's adoption fee will be $750.  It may be increased as he progresses in his training.

Wrangler came to us from animal control after being found running loose.  His owners were contacted and chose to surrender him for economic reasons.  Wrangler came to us as a stud colt but has been gelded. 

His first foster mom worked with him on ground manners and did a wonderful job!  He now stands beautifully to be brushed, saddled, bathed or have his feet trimmed. 

One of our volunteers is now starting him under saddle.  He is green but doing very well.  Wrangler needs an adopter with enough experience for a young horse or who is willing to involve a trainer and continue his training under saddle.  As you can see, he does very well at being ponied along behind an experienced horse.  He also stands quite nicely for a bath.

Click here to see Wrangler being haltered, tied, and brushed.   He also stands nicely to be blanketed when it is cold.

Now that Wrangler is healthy and in training, his adoption fee is $750.  His adoption fee will be increased as his training progresses.

Caroline came to us on September 19, 2009 from a situation of horrible neglect.  Caroline is a beautiful mare with impressive lineage.  Her registered name is “Case for Caroline.”  She is a granddaughter of Storm Cat and a descendant of Secretariat.  Caroline's entire pedigree can be found here through the Thoroughbred database.  We have her registration papers and she has the standard thoroughbred tattoo in her upper lip.   

The perfect adopter for Caroline would be either an experienced rider willing to exercise her and get her back in shape, or someone who was willing to let her be a gorgeous pasture ornament.  She is a somewhat bossy mare with a fair amount of spunk, so she needs an experienced handler, but she really is a lot of fun to work with as she is smart and responds very well to work.  Her recent soundness exam determined that she has some minor arthritis in her right hind, probably from her early racing days, but she is perfectly sound for trail riding or lower level jumping. She is now walking and trotting around the field as well as working in the round pen. 

Caroline would also be a wonderful companion horse for another horse.  She is currently pastured with a donkey gelding and they have become best friends.  She even lets him share her grain from her bucket!

Caroline's adoption fee is $750.  If we have her long enough to do significant re-training under saddle, it may be increased.

Thank you to Tom and Cindy Farrand for sponsoring Caroline.  To sponsor an animal, please see our “Sponsor an Animal” page.

Nugget came to us from a situation of horrible neglect.  He weighed 450 pounds and should have weighed almost 900 pounds.  He will be three years old on May 4, 2010.  Nugget is a registered "solid bred paint" with APHA papers but was left in a field with larger horses who were fed in a cattle trough, so he never got to eat.

When he came to us in September of 2009 , Nugget showed all of the classic signs of extreme malnutrition.  His legs were crooked and his head seemed too big for his body.  Personality wise, he was an absolute doll.  He had absolutely no reason to trust humans, but he let us rub all over him, scratch his ears and kiss his sweet face.  He even took his antibiotics as if he understood that we were trying to help him.

Nugget came to us with an abscess resulting from fractured bones in his withers (shoulders) - the result of some sort of trauma.  He has now had two major surgeries to remove all of the infected bone and other tissue and has healed beautifully.  Miraculously, his legs have straightened and his conformation looks like that of a small but healthy horse.  We are amazed!

Nugget will likely never grow taller than 14.2 hands, giving him official "pony" status.  He is absolutely the gentlest, most loving horse any of us have ever worked with.  Nothing bothers him and his desire for affection is so strong that we actually have to put him in a stall to feed him because if he can get to us, he will leave his food and come ask to be scratched instead of eating.  Nugget may never be the biggest or strongest horse on the block, but he will absolutely be the most special.  We can't imagine a better first horse for a child.

Now that Nugget is healed and at a healthy weight, we will begin groundwork and prepare him to be trained under saddle.  He will make someone's child an amazing companion.   Nugget's adoption fee is $750, though we think he is worth a million dollars!

Update!  Nugget moved to South Carolina in June to be a companion for a special little girl who had been in a therapeutic riding program.  We are very excited though we will miss him terribly!  He is doing great in his new home and we receive frequent updates on his progress.

"Lucy" is a very friendly mini mare who came to us with her only two offspring, "Boston" and "Peanut."  They were all surrendered by their aging owners who though it best to find a better home for them.  Lucy is very friendly and enjoys attention and grooming.  She stands nicely to be haltered and loads easily in to a trailer.  Lucy was pastured with an intact male mini donkey, so there is a chance that she could be pregnant.  Lucy has been examined and vaccinated by our veterinarian.

Lucy's adoption fee is $250.

"Boston" (female, reddish in color) and "Peanut" (male with donkey coloring) are Lucy's two offspring.  Their father was the same miniature donkey, so they are miniature mules.  They were born a year apart, so Peanut is Boston's big brother.  Boston looks more like a mini horse and Peanut looks more like a mini donkey.  Mules are born sterile and cannot reproduce.  Boston and Peanut are as sweet as they are cute but they are very timid, so they will need a patient adopter willing to earn their trust.  They are hard to halter in a large field so they'll need to go to a home where there is a barn or small paddock they can be herded in to for the vet or farrier to work with them.  They have been examined and vaccinated by our veterinarian.  They sure are adorable!

Their adoption fee is $250 each.  We will separate them if need be in order to find them great homes.

Belle is a sweet, BIG girl whose owners could no longer afford to feed her.  She has been well-loved and is up to date on her vaccines, hoof trimming, dental care, etc.  Belle was ridden extensively as a young horse and has had some training in dressage and foxhunting but has been a backyard pet for the past few years.  Her surrendering owners report that she is very very gentle with people (including their four children who rode her bareback around the yard).  Belle loaded very nicely for grain.  She has very cute paint markings.

Anyone interested in adopting Belle as a riding horse will need the experience to retrain her as she has not been ridden consistently lately.  She is a beautiful horse with a nice general demeanor.  She is also friendly to the two sheep in her foster home.

Belle's adoption fee is $500.

Update!  Belle was adopted and now lives in South Carolina on a 62 acre farm.  Congratulations Belle!

We received a call on November 30th from Guilford County Animal Control regarding a gelding found walking down a road who has not yet been claimed and is currently being held at the prison farm.  This sweet boy was craving attention when we arrived to meet him and stood very still to be petted and loved.  We are arranging transport, veterinary appointments and foster care now and will bring him in to our program this week.  He is skinny and pitiful now but will be quite a handsome bay gelding once he is healthy.  He didn't have a name, so we gave him a whopper of a name so that he would no longer be nameless and forgettable.  Who could forget Eldorado Valentine?

Update!  We picked Eli up on December 1st and he literally jumped in the trailer the minute we lowered the ramp.  He was ready to go!  He was examined by our veterinarian who guesses his age to be in the mid-20's.  His teeth are in good shape so he should gain weight quickly.  He is past his riding years but is an extremely calm, gentle horse who will make a wonderful pet or companion horse.

Due to Eli's age, his adoption fee will be waived for the right home.

Update!  Eli will be moving to a forever home in Phenix, Virginia at the end of December.  Congrats, Eli!

Laverne (black with white blaze) and Shirley (palamino paint) came to us from Orange County Animal Control.  Their owners were no longer able to care for them.  They are precious girls who are very bonded and need to be adopted together.  They were good for the farrier and loaded very easily in our trailer for treats.  They'll need to be kept off of lush pasture in spring and fall so that they don't founder (or they could wear grazing muzzles).  They have been examined and vaccinated by our veterinarian and appear to be healthy.  Because we don't know where they came from, we can't guarantee that they aren't pregnant.  They sure are pretty girls!  Both have blue eyes.

Their joint adoption fee is $500.

Update!  These girls are scheduled to move to a forever home in Polkton, NC on December 5th.

John Henry is a very sweet miniature donkey who was vaccinated and gelded on July 22nd and is now available for adoption.  He is very social and will let you walk right up, halter him and scratch him all over.  He is not shy but not pushy either - everyone who has met him has fallen in love.  He is sharing a pasture in his foster home with Sophie and Sutton (sheep, see below) and his foster mom's pig, calf and goats and he gets along great with all of them.

His feet are overgrown so we will have our farrier trim them and get them healthy again.  Donkeys, like horses, need their feet trimmed every 8 weeks or so to keep them healthy. 

Miniature donkeys live for 40 to 50 years, so John Henry is barely a teenager in donkey years!

John Henry would make a great companion for a horse or guardian for sheep or goats.  He, like most donkeys, will kick a dog if it nips at his heels, but he is fine with dogs that don't offer to chase him.  If you are interested in adopting John Henry, please complete the application above.  His adoption fee is $500, which barely covers our vet and farrier bill for castrating him, getting him up to date on vaccines and having his feet trimmed.

Update!  John Henry's feet have now been trimmed and he was a rock star for our farrier!  He stood quietly like a perfect gentleman.  We love this little guy!

Update!  John Henry and Ace moved to Williamston, NC together!  Congrats to these sweet boys!

Ace is a 19 year old gelding whose owner had to surrender him for financial reasons.  He has a thyroid condition but is on a daily medication to keep it in check.  Ace’s surrendering owner donated 6 months worth of his medication, so his adoptive owner will not need to buy any until December.  Ace is a sweet, friendly boy who settled right in with the two other horses in his foster home.  He is very social and will walk right up to you and stand to be petted.

Ace is suitable for trail riding at a walk, but no more than that.  He would be perfect for someone who just wanted to take leisurely trail rides, strolls around the farm or wanted to put children on Ace and walk them around on a lead line.  You won't find a horse with a nicer disposition.  He is a lovebug of the highest order!

Ace does have shoes and will need good farrier care to keep him sound for light riding. 

Ace's adoption fee is $250. 

Update!  John Henry and Ace moved to Williamston, NC together!  Congrats to these sweet boys!

"Major" is a gentleman of a horse who was a star hunter/jumper in his day.  He came to us because his elderly owner had a hard time keeping up with the daily responsibility of owning a horse.  Major has been seen by our veterinarian and is current on all vaccines.  He has retired from being ridden but has many years ahead and will be a wonderful pet or companion horse.  He LOVES attention and would like to live somewhere where he would be brushed and loved on like a pet.

Major now shares a pasture with Daisy in his foster home.  Wouldn't it be neat if we could find a family to adopt Major and Daisy together?  If not, Major would love any home where he will be brushed and loved as a pet.

Major had his hooves trimmed and got new padded shoes on his front feet.  He was a perfect gentleman for our farrier.

Due to Major's age, there will be no adoption fee; however, donations are appreciated.

*Major has an anonymous sponsor.  If you would like to sponsor an animal, please read our "Sponsor an Animal" page.

Update! Major and Daisy will be moving to a forever home together in Virginia mid-June. We are thrilled for them!

"Daisy" is a leopard Appaloosa mare who came to us because she needed medical attention and her owners could not afford to care for her.  She has one blind eye but sees well with her functional eye.

Daisy is now settled in to her foster home with Major and what a sweet love she is!  Her coat is rough and she has a lot of rain rot but we will fix that as soon as it is warm enough to bathe her with antifungal shampoo.  Daisy will stand nicely to be petted and groomed, takes medicine easily and seems to soak in the attention.

Daisy is by far the most submissive horse we have ever seen in a herd environment.  She is not the least bit food aggressive and even lets her miniature donkey pal share her dish of grain every day!

Do you know of someone who is looking for "pasture ornaments" and has a tender spot in their heart for old horses?  Daisy and Major are great pasture mates and would love to be someone's prized senior pets.

Due to Daisy's age, there will be no adoption fee; however, donations are appreciated.

Update! Major and Daisy will be moving to a forever home together in Virginia mid-June. We are thrilled for them!

"Icy" is a super cute paint pony mare who was turned over by animal control after being found running down a busy road.  This picture was taken the day we picked her up and she had not yet had a bath, but as you can see she will be quite a pretty girl once she has been bathed and had her feet trimmed.  Icy has one brown eye and one ice blue eye, giving her the name Icy.  She likes attention, will gladly eat treats and stand to be petted and loaded very nicely, but she does not seem to have been stalled before and is much happier in a pasture.  Icy has been vaccinated and will receive boosters in 3 weeks.  We'll update Icy's bio as we get to know her better. 

Update!  Icy's foster mom reports that Icy is a good girl who will stand nicely to be haltered and brushed.  She had her feet trimmed March 31st and stood nicely for the farrier.  Icy is scheduled for booster vaccines on April 22nd and will then be available for adoption!

Update!  Icy's foster mom continues to rave about her progress.  She has now been clipped and saddled and seems to be OK with just about anything her foster mom asks of her.

Icy's adoption fee is $400.

Update!  Icy has been adopted by a family in Summerfield, NC.  She is in training to be a first pony for a little girl.

Pebbles and Star came to us together from a situation in which their owners could no longer afford to care for them.  Pebbles is a very sweet girl who is generally healthy other than being a bit thin.  She would be a great choice for someone looking for a riding horse who was willing to put some time and effort into "retraining" Pebbles as she has not been ridden lately.  Pebbles is very laid back and goes in and out of her stall very nicely.  Her temperament would be suitable for children with experienced adult supervision.

Pebbles' foster mom reports that she stands very nicely when tied. She will ride her soon and update us on how she did.

Pebbles is now up to date on vaccines.  Her adoption fee is $500.

Update!  Pebbles' foster mom is riding her and reports that she is doing very well!  She even thinks that she would be a great horse for a child who is a good rider. 

Update!  Pebbles' foster mom rode her in the Summerfield Parade and she was awesome!  Pebbles didn't seem to be the least bit bothered by all of the commotion.  She will be a wonderful mount for someone.

Congratulations to Vanessa Collins on the adoption of Pebbles!

"Skip" is a 25 year old Quarter horse gelding surrendered on August 10th.  Skip had one owner for 18 years and was trail ridden all over the mountains. His owner died in 2003 and he has been living with cows ever since.  Skip is now sharing a pasture with Coco and a donkey in one of our foster homes.  He looks great for his age and seems to have a lot of spunk for an older horse.  We'll update Skip's bio as we get to know him.

Update!  8/22/08   Skip saw our veterinarian on August 22nd and was cleared for a test ride.  We test rode him August 24th and he passed with flying colors.  He needs a tune up before any serious riding but he accepted the saddle and bridle nicely and walked and trotted circles in both directions.  He also let these little girls sit on him for a leisurely walk on a lead line.  What a handsome, sweet old guy!  Skip would be a great horse for anyone planning to do light arena work or trail work.  He was trail ridden for many years before his prior owner died.

Update!  9/1/08  We took Skip for a full-fledged trail ride on September 1st and he was a champ!!  He was sad to leave Coco (his new girlfriend) but once we were out of sight of the barn he was an absolute gentleman on the trail and walking along the road.  He will be a jewel for someone wanting to do light trail riding.

Skip's adoption fee is $250.  What a steal for a horse who is ready to trail ride!

"George" is a 28 year old donkey who needs a new home.  Donkeys can live to be 50 years old, so George has many good years left!  George is a sweet, gentle old guy who will make a great pasture companion for any horse or donkey.

Sally (female - gray) and Boo (gelded male - white) are registered miniature donkeys who were donated to our rescue by a wonderful family.  They have never been abused or neglected, but their adoption fee will help us help other equines in need.  Sally is 18 months old and Boo is 15 months old.  They love adults and will follow you around for attention but are pushy around young children and dogs.  They have been pastured with a horse and are now sharing a pasture with a donkey while in foster care.  Sally and Boo will only be adopted out together and their joint adoption fee is $1500.

"Whisper" is a therapeutic riding horse at HorsePower and has put in her time as a therapy horse for children with disabilities. She now needs a home in which she will be loved and can do some light trail riding. If you are interested in meeting Whisper, please submit the adoption application above. She is not technically in our program but we are partnering with HorsePower to find Whisper a new home.

"Scout" is an elderly Appaloosa gelding that was surrendered on October 7th.  He was extremely underweight but has flourished in his wonderful foster home.  He is now at a healthy weight, fully vaccinated and has had his teeth floated and hooves trimmed.  Scout is totally blind, so he would love to have a gentle horse or donkey companion (or maybe a mini) to follow around. 

"Dolly" was surrendered November 14th and has just moved in to her foster home.  She is an easy keeper and is not underweight.  She has been ridden extensively and was ridden Nov. 14th by an experienced rider, but because she has not been ridden much lately she needs a "tune up" by an experienced rider (or someone willing to take lessons on her) before she would be trustworthy for a green rider.  Dolly is a sweet girl and loves attention!  She'll make a great family horse.  Dolly's adoption fee will be set once she has been fully vetted.