Name: Phoenix

    Type: Andalusian Horse

    Color: Dark bay

    Markings: Star

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 1/1/2002

    Name: Leonidas LA

    Type: Andalusian Horse

    Color: Bay

      Markings: None

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 1/1/2008

    Name: Balin

    Type: Andalusian Horse

    Color: Grey

      Markings: Fleabitten 

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 1/1/2006

Balin had the world at his feet. He is a beautiful Pura Raza Espanola (Andalusian) and was much loved by his owner. However, Balin had a problem. He was a lot of horse; young and full of himself. Genetics had not been kind to Balin. For years his owner consulted vets, trying to understand his behavior: rearing unexpectedly, standing perfectly for mounting one time and the next nearly falling over. As the years passed, Balin would seem to improve; then another episode would occur. Finally, Balin was put into training that seemed to help. He did “horsy gymnastics” daily and gradually grew stronger. Balin was always a happy, easy-to-love fellow and seemed to have overcome his issues. He was eventually sold to a nice woman who fell in love with him at first sight, but…the new program didn’t fit and Balin slowly reverted to his old issues of rearing and falling over when mounted. Sadly, this happens more often than you would think…everyone has good intentions, but…a new exercise regimen, a new place, a new way of riding, and suddenly things fall apart. Although distraught, Balin’s new owner wanted to return him. 

Unfortunately, his previous owner wasn’t in a position to take him back and turned to us. Here was a horse that suddenly had no place to go – he had an undiagnosed physical issue that caused him to be unrideable at times. This is where it starts – that slide into home after home and finally a ticket to the auction carousel where horses routinely fall into the wrong hands and end up on a one-way trip to Mexico and a horrific end. Balin was one of the lucky ones. His owner was determined that this wasn’t going to happen to him and fortunately, we had an opening.

The vets eventually discovered that Balin has a genetic issue with his stifle; at times and with a strict exercise program, he would do well, but there wasn’t anything that would permanently fix his leg. As he grew older the stifle would become arthritic and his pain would need management. Today Balin lives at our Sunrise Pointe barn and under the care of our expert staff, his pain is managed with NSAID’s and mild exercise and he is living the good life with his buddies. 

    Name: Polo

    Type: Westphalian Horse

    Color: Bay

      Markings: Star

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 1/1/1997

    Name: Lincoln

    Type: Horse

    Color: Chestnut

      Markings: Blaze

    Sex: Gelding

    Birthday: 12/31/2013

Lincoln is the victim of the indiscriminate breeding, greed and throw away mentality that unfortunately permeates parts of the equine industry. When the “warmblood” craze started in this country, people were breeding any large draft mare to thoroughbreds and calling the resulting foals “American Warmbloods”. No thought was given to conformation or temperament – just a thoughtless rush by irresponsible people to cash in on a current fad. Poor Lincoln didn’t sell, so he was dumped at the Lincoln stockyards in Kentucky. That’s how he got his name…

We saw a terrified baby horse being roughly treated and abused. We said NO. 

Lincoln was lucky enough to be rescued, but, frankly, he was a basket case. Starved, unhandled, terrified of humans, especially men in ballcaps wearing aviator sunglasses (which still upsets him to this day), his future was pretty bleak. A large knot of unsightly scar tissue was just above his nose from a laceration that had been left untreated. The resulting skin flap had healed in a big knot. Obviously uncomfortable, Lincoln would rub the offending knot on any hard surface which left it raw and bloody. All in all, Lincoln needed serious intervention by someone knowledgeable.

That’s where Red Bell Run came in. He came to us and learned to be a good citizen, wearing a halter, leading, standing for grooming, the vet and farrier, and because he was young and relatively healthy, eventually being sent to a trainer to be put under saddle. That’s when we found that Lincoln’s mistreatment by humans early on was going to end that career before it even started. The trainer told us that he had never had a horse whose flight instinct was so strong. In Lincoln’s world, anything frightening would cause immediate flight – through walls, fences or any obstacles that might be in the way. He didn’t care what happened to his body; his response to perceived danger was immediately to run as far away as fast as his legs could carry him. Unfortunately, he would never be safe to be ridden.

Today Lincoln is not required to do anything that terrifies him. We are always aware of his issues and use safe handling methods with him because his flight instinct is still extremely strong. Overall, he is happy to be handled and loved. His “knot” has been removed along with a large sarcoid that developed in his ear and he has grown into a stunning horse with a long, flowing mane and tail. When the sun strikes his golden coat and the breeze teases his long mane, he looks like a horse in a fairy tale. We’re so glad he’s enjoying life with his friends at our Sunrise Pointe Barn.