Phoenix, Mariposa, and Gulliver are three horses we took in on December 23, 2010. They were seized from their former owners by local authorities, and were dehydrated and malnourished.

This was a case of an owner getting horses without really understanding what they need to thrive. They were being fed grain every day, but it was not nearly enough to sustain them and the hay they were given was not suitable for horses. Unfortunately, with horses losing their value in the declining economy, this is happening more and more often. People can get horses for little or nothing, and they don't realize how expensive they are to maintain. But it's even more difficult and expensive to get them healthy once they get this bad.

UPDATE 8/27/2011 - Phoenix was adopted out to one of our farriers, Jan Hester. He is doing extremely well in his new home and his new family is very happy with him. Mariposa and Gulliver are still here at the rescue, awaiting their perfect home. We are hoping the right person comes along for them soon.

Photos of the three horses, back to great health, as of 8/27/11. Scroll down to see how they looked back in December.

Phoenix

APHA Heza Gambling Man. Phoenix is
soon to be 11 years old and he was gelded on 1/22/11.

Phoenix was the worst of the three horses. He
had a hole inside his upper lip, which the vet
determined was caused by foxtail in his hay. It is
healing nicely, though he has a lot of scar
tissue inside his mouth from it.

No doubt, he'll make for a great trail horse for a lucky new owner! I'm happy to email some gorgeous photos we have
of him back when he was healthy and well cared for. He should be back to that beautiful state with some more
good care.

Phoenix has been adopted!

Below, a photo of Phoenix in his new home:

Mariposa

Mariposa was in the best condition out of all
three horses. However, she was the most dehydrated.

When we picked the horses up, she was a
kicking machine and tried to take anyone out who
messed with her. She has changed dramatically since
she has been here and actually has a nice disposition.

We know nothing about her history so we do not know
if she has ever been ridden. There is no registration
info on her, so as far as I know, she is not registered.

It's possible that she has only been used for breeding
in the past, so we have no idea whether or not she
has ever been ridden. But she is only around 12 years old
and she is sound and healthy (aside from being
underweight.) There is no reason why she wouldn't make a nice trail horse for someone who is willing to work with her.

Mariposa is current on all vaccinations and Coggins
as of January 3, 2011 and will have a current deworming
and hoof trim before she is adopted. Her adoption fee is to be determined. Please note she will need to go to a home willing and able to put training time into her.

Below, an updated photo of Mariposa:

Gulliver

Gulliver is an adorable colt and the son of Phoenix
and Mariposa. We were told he is a year old, but he is small for his age.

He is as sweet and well-behaved as they come. When
we picked the horses up, he was quite lethargic. After
he was loaded on the trailer, he immediately laid down
flat and couldn't get back up. We assumed his
"sweet" disposition might really be lethargy. But he
has perked up a lot since he's been here and he is still
as nice and calm as an old gelding.

Gulliver is easy to catch and lead. He stands well for the vet (though he's still not sure about trailer loading.) He lovespeople but isn't obnoxious or rude. He's respectful
of your personal space and politely requests attention
from everyone he meets. Was absolutely perfect
for his first hoof trim. Gulliver will likely not be very big. He should mature to around 14 hands. We have no doubt that he will make a fantastic gelding for his future owner. He was gelded on 1/22/11.

As of January 3, 2011, he is up to date on shots and
Coggins. He will be current on deworming and
hoof trims when he is adopted out. His adoption fee is to be determined. He needs a home experienced with training and starting youngsters (when he's old enough to start.)

Below, an updated photo of Gulliver: