Sanctuary
Little Miss Magnolia Faith

"Maggie"

Maggie spent her first 3 years in a little pen with her mother, with the neighbor kids throwing rocks at them, which the owners did nothing to stop.

Someone brought her to our friends who rescue large equines and love mules, but the trauma of the move caused Maggie to distrust them from the start. Even sitting in her pen reading aloud for hours didn't help - Maggie continued to stand watchfully in the far corner.

We asked to try with her, and with a little advice from our friends, managed to catch her within a few minutes, and she walked with me on the lead rope. They were amazed that we had gotten farther in 15 minutes than they had in months, but as we have come to learn, mules are famous for two things - they don't forget...and they don't forgive.

Luckily we got her in the trailer without too awfully much trouble and when we got home, penned everybody except Lily out of the pasture. We unloaded Maggie carefully, watching that they didn't fight as we brought her in, and then let her off the lead. Lily trotted right up to see what this was, and it was instant bonding - noses sniffed, Lily turned and walked away, and Maggie was her shadow from that moment forward.

We continued to work with Maggie and were picking her feet in about a week. Now we even trim her feet - with the greatest of care! When startled she backs up and even though she is small, she can drag two adults! She is slowly getting better, although she still prefers treats through the fence - or if you are in the pen, she stands behind Lily and takes the treats over her back. But when she hears the others crunching, she comes right over for her share.  (Note - after a year, Maggie will now approach directly for treats, without having a safety barrier in between!)  (Additional note - another six months has passed and Maggie will now approach for love only, no treats necessary!  She only stays a few seconds but we are happy for any progress!)

Thankfully not as horribly traumatic as some rescue stories, it's still heartbreaking that she has so much distrust for humans because of her early treatment. It will take more than just a few months to overcome years of abuse. Time and patience are the keys, and it has really helped to have her buddy Lily.  (Note - with time, Maggie has seemingly appointed herself as the "nanny" of the group.  No matter who leaves the pen, she watches for them to come back, and checks them carefully upon their return.)

Maggie will stay here in sanctuary and will never be harmed again.
                                                                          
Chantilly Lace

Lace is a 16-year-old Arabian mare who was brought to auction after being bought from a place where she was kept in a pasture with other horses who were fed so little that they had turned to eating each other's manes and tails.  She is actually missing a few inches off the end of her tail bone, which is twisted and scarred.  Although the folks that brought her to the auction had been doing their best to feed her up since they bought her, she was still obviously recovering from a very poor condition.   She has also been diagnosed with fibrotic myopathy in her left hind leg, which is scar tissue from an old injury that causes a restriction in her range of motion, causing her to limp.  Although we are primarily a miniature equine rescue, circumstances led us to purchase her from the auction.  

Lace had surgery on her leg July 2004, and also had the scarred end of her tail removed.  While the full extent of improvement won't be known for up to six months, we can already tell she is walking better.  And her tail looks a lot better - we are hoping the hair will begin to grow again now that the scarred portion is gone.  (Note - just 2 months after surgery and her tail is noticeably longer... maybe it will come back after all!)

Update on Lace:  Unfortunately Lace was diagnosed with a very strange fracture inside her knee - the vet said he had NEVER seen one like it.  To remove the loose piece would cause more trauma to surrounding tissues than it would help, so Lace can no longer be ridden.  We are currently monitoring and evaluating her condition and pain level.

Lace is permanently sponsored by Erika Meyer-John of Alpine Clock Shop. 
Bella Noche (picture pending)
Bella was rescued from her first home by some kind folks, Maureen and Rob, who allowed us to offer her sanctuary when they needed to reduce the number of animals they were caring for.  At nine months old she had caught her eye on a fence and rather than call the vet, the owner "eared" her (twisted her ear really hard to make her hold still) and stitched the wound without anesthetic.  Not only did they make a mess of the stitching job, leaving puckers that now look like big moles on both upper and lower lids, but to this day Bella does NOT like her ears touched.  Maureen made great strides with this problem, and if one moves slowly and gains Bella's trust, she will eventually allow her ears to be touched, but if you are not slow and careful, she throws her head violently.  She also gave birth to two foals before she was three years old, neither of which survived, and she wants to be a mama real bad.  We have buddied her up with little Holly, who has been wanting a mama real bad, and they are doing great together.