The following horses are considered permanent residents at SAHR, as they are considered unadoptable due to advanced age or special health, soundness or behavioral issues. Of course, a few of them may be staying just because we like them so much, and want to keep them here as ambassadors and friends of the rescue. Wren is a feedlot rescue who appears to have been a broodmare for many years and has no training beyond being halter broke. She is a gorgeous, more modern-built Percheron that has a very Friesian-like look about her. It is quite obvious that the poor girl has been abused at some point in her life, as she is utterly terrified of people most of the time. She tries her best to do what is being asked of her, but she trembles and sweats and literally hyperventilates the whole time, like she is expecting you to attack her at any moment. She has a lot of potential to be a great riding/driving horse someday, but she needs a lot of training and confidence building first.
Tosca
Registered blue roan Belgian/Brabant mare
Approx. 17.1+ hands
Year of birth:
Tosca (and her half sister, Tallia) was an auction rescue, where we outbid the kill buyer for her at the end of 2009. We did not realize at the time that she (and her half sister) were both pregnant, and due in the spring of 2010. When their bellies started to dramatically increase in size over a space of 2 weeks, we had a clue then, and had the vet out to confirm our suspicions. Tosca gave birth to a gorgeous blue roan paint colt in the spring, who is still currently at the rescue.
Tosca is staying on as a permanent resident, who we can hopefully get trained under saddle soon. It is unclear just how much work she will be able to handle in the future, though, as she has ringbone in a front pastern and isn't 100% sound. She still has some trust issues to be worked through, and needs a lot of training because she has been a broodmare most of her life and doesn't seem to have had too much consistent handling.
Wren
Black Percheron mare
Approx. 16.3+ hands
Estimated year of birth: 2002
Lukas
Black Percheron gelding
19.0+ hands
Estimated year of birth: 2003
This massive horse escaped slaughter by the hairs on his nose... When we found out about him, he was already loaded onto the slaughter truck and headed for Canada. As we have a special soft spot in our hearts for draft horses here at Shiloh Acres (especially the BIG ones) we managed to work a deal with the feedlot owner to have him returned to the feedlot instead of being delivered off the truck at the slaughter plant.
Lukas is an incredible example of the draft breed, and we are overjoyed to have saved him. By some bit of luck we were able to put together his history even though we knew absolutely nothing about him when we first got him. It turns out he has a very interesting past, and was even owned at one time by a large, nationally known company famous for its driving team of draft horses...
Lukas is well broke to drive and green broke ride, and we hope to do some of both with him in the future, but sadly he is no longer 100% sound due to some ring bone, side bone, and a slightly deformed coffin bone is his right leg. We are hoping that proper management will keep it from getting much worse... but it can be a struggle to treat this condition in a horse that is this big and carries this much weight on a relatively small leg and hoof.
Mia
Sorrel QH filly
Estimated year of birth: late 2006
We found Mia on a slaughter feedlot, where she had been abandoned with another filly because of their severe deformities. Her friend, Joslynn, had to be euthanized because her deformity was untreatable and causing her enormous amounts of pain. We thought we may have to euthanize Mia as well, but the initial signs of discomfort and lethargy were only the result of a bad case of strangles. After she recovered from the strangles, she didn't show any signs of pain and has been happy and playful like any other horse her age.
As seen somewhat in the photos, she has very severe deformities to her spine and rib cage, known as lordosis (accounting for the upwards hump to her spine and ribcage), and scoliosis (the sideways curve to her spine). She definitely does not have a future riding career, but she is happy to be a resident 'greeter' horse who likes to say hello to anyone who stops in for a visit.
