Dorothy

Dorothy

Dorothy

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    Name: Dorothy

    Type: Miniature Mule

    Color: Bay

    Markings: None 

    Sex: Mare

    Birthday: 12/31/2005

 

 

Dorothy is a member of our trio of “Golden Girls,” Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose. Saved at the last second from the meat truck, these three tiny mules have led everyone who has ever met them a merry dance!

When we got the call from a rescue in Texas that these three were simply too cute to meet a horrible fate, we stepped up and agreed to take them in if they could be saved.  

The three started out by causing a huge ruckus at the kill pen (we say, good for them!) by leaping out of a loaded trailer and escaping. They spied the open door of the rescue trailer and made a beeline for it, terrifying horses and people on the way. Legend has it that these three tiny mules scattered everyone in their path as they ran into the rescue trailer as if to say “Get us out of here!” 

Dorothy is the “security guard” of the trio and would place herself in position (hind end kicking apparatus aimed at whomever dared approach) to take on anyone with the misguided idea of catching them.

We enquired if anyone had been able to ascertain their age? Check them for pneumonia? The answer was no – they were snapping turtles in mule suits. So – we waited. They sailed through quarantine untouched by human hand but were exposed to strangles the day before coming to Red Bell Run. Back into quarantine they went. They slowly gained weight and got stronger. Being tough as nails, no strangles dared infect them. Finally, our vet deemed them safe to come to the farm. Blanche in the lead, the three launched off the trailer like a series of small rockets and took off into the far reaches of their paddock. Many months later, having taught us all the true meaning of patience, we came to an accommodation about the necessities of vet and farrier care. Dorothy and her pose now live happily at our Mini Woods barn with their friends. 

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Golden Girls
Golden Girls
Thurston

Thurston

Thurston 

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    Name: Thurston

    Type: Miniature Hinny

    Color: Dapple Grey

    Markings: None

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 12/30/2012

 

Thurston’s story is all too familiar to the rescue world. Advertised on Craigslist as a miniature mule named “Thrift Store”, he caught the attention of a rescuer in Oklahoma. He was being dumped because the owner had “too many ponies”. 

As we all know, selling equines to strangers at giveaway prices doesn’t usually end up well for the equine. Sure enough, before the hauler could even get there to pick him up, the owner called saying that Thrift Store was limping on a front foot and asked if we still wanted him. Of course, we wanted him anyway and the sooner the better! The little liver chestnut mini mule, who we now think is a hinny, with the flaxen mane and tail was going to see better days.

With a new life came a new name and Thrift Store’s was quickly changed to Thurston. Before the little guy could even get to the quarantine farm, he collapsed in the trailer. Thurston definitely needed a safe place to go and prompt vet care; he was in bad shape. He had “tied up” which is when overworked muscles cramp continuously (imagine a full body charley horse). This is extremely painful and can adversely affect an equine’s kidneys if not treated. Not only that, but Thurston was completely terrified and impossible to handle. This made giving him any care almost impossible. Our vet at the time felt his tying up episode was so severe that he had probably suffered from being beaten. Fortunately, he did recover and was able to come to Red Bell Run!

To this day, Thurston is frightened of most humans and remains very skittish. Once he knows you, he will let you approach him and halter him, so we are able to give him the care he needs. However, his situation is one of the saddest here at the Sanctuary. We love all of our equines, and would prefer to lavish attention and care on all of them…but Thurston is clearly uncomfortable with this, so we respect him and do not pressure him to accept something he doesn’t want. He enjoys life in the Mini Woods track system, taking a good nap int he sand pile and hanging out with his friends. We love him despite his standoffish ways and will always try to make up for the abuse he has endured, keeping him safe here at Red Bell Run for the rest of his life. 

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Thurston
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Shorty and Patrick

Shorty and Patrick

Shorty and Patrick

Shorty and Patrick 1
Ark Watch logo 2022

 

    Name: Patrick

    Type: Miniature Mule

    Color: Dun

    Markings: None

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 12/29/2011

 

 

    Name: Shorty

    Type: Miniature Mule

    Color: Palomino

    Markings: None

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 12/28/2012

 

Shorty’s story can’t be told without that of his sidekick Patrick. You never see these two adorable little troublemakers apart. One afternoon Celine Myers of the Ark Watch Foundation called us and said “Oh, by the way, we were picking up horses at the kill lot and these two little mules wanted to come…will you take them?” She had already loaded them onto the trailer. Of course, we said yes – I mean they ARE irresistible so Shorty (for Shortbread) and Patrick (for Pack Rat) made their way to Red Bell Run after a stop at the vet clinic for evaluation and treatment and a 30-day sojourn at a quarantine farm. How these two little guys ended up in such a bad situation we don’t know because they are definitely at the top of the “Cute as a Button” Meter. The truth is that even if these little equines aren’t sold to a big cat sanctuary where they would be used as meat for lions and tigers, they would have ended up on a sad downward spiral into the auction pipeline.

These two were already ill with respiratory problems so prevalent in these nasty kill pen environments. They needed treatment, not to be shipped around the country from auction to auction until they were desperately ill and debilitated. These two were lucky enough to be spotted by Celine Myers and got off that deadly merry-go-round early – and we’re so glad!

So what do two little mules do for fun? Well, they mock fight, they rest, take long naps on their sand pile, then race around and annoy the other Mini Woods residents…and then mock fight some more! Shorty has turned out to have a rather mysterious illness – he exhibits mild colic symptoms and will lie down at odd times, then seemingly recover. He has had several diagnostic tests that are inconclusive, but we watch over him constantly. Our vet has prescribed meds to help his tummy and we’ll stay on top of his care. Patrick on the other hand has remained healthy after recovering from his initial kill pen crud, and because he and Shorty are so bonded, we’ll never separate them. Best friends get to stay with best friends at Red Bell Run!  

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Shorty

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Shorty 300ppi
Patrick

Patrick

Newt

Newt

Newt

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    Name: Newt

    Type: Miniature Mule

    Color: Brown

    Markings: None 

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 12/30/2012

 

 

We had never seen a saddler little group of refugees – Newt, Bucky, and Pinto Bean. Newt was a little black mule who was completely unhandled, terrified, and clinging tightly to his best friend Bucky. All were covered with lice and hadn’t had a decent meal in recent memory judging from their condition. The owner had decided to dump them and they were bought by a man who provides tiger and lion sanctuaries with meat. The poor equines who are unlucky enough to be purchased for this purpose are shot and their bodies thrown to the big cats for food. 

We said NO!

Some kind-hearted ladies pitched in and purchased them, but they needed a place to go. Red Bell agreed to take them and began the process of getting vet care, quarantine and transport. Upon arrival, the little fellows were de-liced, received vet care and then began the process of teaching them that all people aren’t monsters and that their life was completely changed. It’s a long road that takes patience, understanding and of course, money.

Today they are happy members of the Red Bell Run herd!

Newt remains fast friends with Bucky in our Mini Woods barn. Newt has learned that people aren’t going to hurt him and while still shy, can now be handled and care provided without the terrible stress he experienced previously.

Newt
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Bucky Heather Va
Clarissa

Clarissa

Clarissa

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    Name: Clarissa

    Type: Somali Wild Ass?

    Color: Dun

    Markings: Zebra stripes on legs & dorsal stripe 

    Sex: Mare

    Birthday: 12/29/2013

 

 

Clarissa is the largest animal in a group of miniature mules, hinnies and horses that live at our Mini Woods barn. We believe she is actually a Somali Wild Ass! Her cry will curl your hair! It is not a brinny (bray + whinny), whinny (like a horse) or bray (like a donkey). 

This “war cry” has been known to induce grown men who are first responders to jump from their chairs and begin the hunt for an ax murderer on the property! She definitely has the “call of the wild” down pat! Clarissa is as beautiful as she is wild and we all love her immensely. She is definitely one-of-a-kind! Clarissa was rescued by a group in Oklahoma as a tiny equine with her best friend, a hinny named Zena. The two babies were left together at an auction lot – their mothers nowhere to be found. Without rescue by the Circle of Friends, neither would have survived very long. When Circle of Friends reached out to Red Bell Run, we were happy to take them in. We didn’t want to separate them as they were so young and closely bonded. While Zena stayed on the small side, Clarissa began growing and kept growing! After several years Clarissa can be handled (very carefully) to have farrier, dental and veterinary work done but we are always respectful of her wild side. We don’t encroach beyond her comfort level when we do have to handle her.

The Mini Woods area where Clarissa and her friends live is a modified “track system” that mimics the way they would live in the wild. Spending most of their day in an open, wooded area and track, movement is what keeps them healthy. Clarissa and her friends come back to their barns every evening for food and shelter. 

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Clarrisa Heather VanDyke
clarissa head shot
Blanche

Blanche

Blanche

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    Name: Blanche

    Type: Miniature Mule

    Color: Bay

    Markings: None 

    Sex: Mare

    Birthday: 12/26/2005

 

 

Blanche, named for her white nose, is the oldest member of our trio of “Golden Girls,” Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose. Saved at the last second from the meat truck, these three tiny mules have led everyone who has ever met them a merry dance! 

When we got the call from a rescue in Texas that these three were simply too cute to meet a horrible fate, we stepped up and agreed to take them in if they could be saved. The three started out by causing a huge ruckus at the kill pen (we say, good for them!) by leaping out of a loaded trailer and escaping. they spied the open door of the rescue trailer and made a beeline for it, terrifying horses and people on the way. Legend has it that these three tiny mules scattered everyone in their path as they ran into the rescue trailer as if to say “Get us out of here!” 

We quickly learned that Blanche was the leader of the bunch – where she went, Dorothy and Rose followed. We also learned that no one was going to get within twenty feet of them without Blanche heading for the hills, the other two in hot pursuit. Dorothy is the “security guard” of the trio and would place herself in position (hind end kicking apparatus aimed at whomever dared approach) to take on anyone with the misguided idea of catching them. Rose is the sweet one – just as her name implies. 

We enquired if anyone had been able to ascertain their age? Check them for pneumonia? The answer was no – they were snappng turtles in mule suits. So – we waited. They sailed through quarantine untouched by human hand but were exposed to strangles the day before coming to Red Bell Run. Back into quarantine they went. They slowly gained weight and got stronger. Being tough as nails, no strangles dared infect them. Finally, our vet deemed them safe to come to the farm. Blanche in the lead, the three launched off the trailer like a series of small rockets and took off into the far reaches of their paddock. Many months later, having taught us all the true meaning of patience, we came to an accommodation about the necessities of vet and farrier care. Blanche and her pose now live happily at our Mini Woods barn with their friends. 

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Golden Girls
Golden Girls
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