The "Lifers" at Heart of Gold

Addicus was the gift of 13 years of deep pleading, begging and many prayers. When I was 13 years old, after riding in lessons since I was 5, my parents finally gave in and bought me this 6 month olf floof ball horse! I trained him myself, and he will always be my bad little baby, even though he turned 20 years old. Addicus has so many stories, there could be a book.. He is a rebel, he is stronger than a Rhino, and more breath-taking than a dragon. He was a successful 3-Day-Eventing horse for several years, before causing to much drama and being retired to the pasture life. 

Jasmine is the Boss Wife of Addicus, and has been at the Sanctuary for seven years now, and will live with us forever. As a former Premarin (female hormone therapy) Mare, Jasmine has had many babies and survived the worst horrors humans can come up with. When we first got her, she believed all human touch would cause an electric shock, because she was moved with an electric cattle prod.. Today, thanks to the love and patience of the humans who adore her, Jasmine is friendly and even attempts to groom humans with her very strong upper lip.  

Dancer came to us when he was 30 years old, still an in tact Stallion! He was so sweet that even as a Stud, he carried Children, and marched in parades. He came to The Sanctuary when his former owner sadly passed away. I had him gelded, and ever since he has been able to share pasture space with all of his friends. He is still spunky, but incredibly well behaved, and his given many a little child their first ever horse ride. 

Black Beauty was being given away for free on Craigslist, which is never safe to do, especially with a senior horse, who would have likely ended up at a slaughter house. We scooped him up and gifted him to our best volunteer, Regina Davis, who had helped work at the ranch every weekend for years. To this day, he is her heart horse and lives at another barn to be closer to her for her and her husband's daily visits to their horse-son Black Beauty, aka "BB".

  This beautiful young lady came to us by rescue mission of two dedicated young ladies who witnessed her and several other horses they brought me being neglected by a local beach trail riding operation. She had been ridden despite having had a broken pelvis and was then put out in a pig pen where she contracted a mystery disease. She has cost a fortune in testing only to have no answers. Despite some unusual symtpoms, she is a very happy girl, deeply in love with her horse husband Tater. She canters around the pasture with the other horses despite her wobbly gate. 

EMBER ON YOUTUBE

 Like Ember, Holly came from the same local beach trail riding operation. Her whole life had been dedicated to the service and profit of humans, and her body was beginning to show the consequences of carrying heavy people day after day. Her knees were developing arthritis, her back was swooped low from bearing the weight of men. Her spirit, however remained a bullet of fire! She loves to gallop the fields, leaping and kicking, and flirting with all the boys.. She has had severeal horse husbands, all of whom have submitted to her rule. 

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Tater made his way to me just after loosing my other horse-son Cheetah, who happened to look exactly like Tater, down to the knobby right knee! My friend Caitlin Mogensen contacted me to let me know that someone she knew had an older gelding that was severely emaciated and suffering. It was the same month that I was losing my 50 acre ranch due to lack of funding, and I had sworn and promised everyone I know that I would absolutely not take in another rescue until I had recovered my financial wounds. I told Caitlin it was a very bad time, but if no one would take him, I would make it work. She spoke to his owner, who insisted he was going to shoot Tater to put him out of his misery, however he did not do it, and two weeks later, the owners girlfriend assisted my friend in bringing Tater to Heart of Gold Sanctuary. His condition was worse than Tono, the horse no one thought would make it. I assumed I would provide Tater with really lovely end-of-life care to give him a happy few weeks. He was so very thin, covered in rot and ringworm. Then... Tater saw Ember.. and they fell madly in love, and Tater had a reason to live! Ember needed a big strong protector, as she is crippled and unable to defend herself. Tater ate endless bowls of feed and grew HUGE and SO YOKED! He is now experimenting with philandering, much to Ember and I's dismay, (Holly is such a homewrecker!!!) but we are glad that he is living his best life, and will probably outlive us all!

  TATERS YOUTUBE RECOVERY VIDEO

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