Our Sanctuary Animals

Simon Peter

Simon was our first horse rescue and was in bad shape when we found him in late 2021. He had been left alone on 400 acres for almost two years with his brother who our trainer was able to adopt. Simon had a great deal of health issues and we spared no expense in helping him be as comfortable as possible. Simon was a joy to be around and was such a beloved member of our family. His favorite thing to do was fall asleep with his head on Dallas or David’s shoulder. He adored being groomed and soaked up all the love he could while he was with us. Simon passed away at 31 years old in August of 2023, surrounded by his people and vet who loved him deeply.

Misty and Chief

Misty is a Paint-Arabian mare and Chief is a rescued Belgian draft gelding who once worked for the Amish in Missouri. Both Misty and Chief were here before the others and have helped them learn that not all humans are bad. Misty is essentially a dog who eats hay and Chief is never happier than when getting groomed and pampered. Chief has almost no lower teeth left and severe arthritis in his front legs and is on pain medicine for the management. We do x-rays every few months to check the progression of his legs, and he eats a mash based diet in addition to his hay to get weight back on him. We were worried he wouldn’t do well coming into this winter in 2024, but the pain meds are making him feel great and he’s back to his old self. With an older horse like Chief, we go week by week and keep a calendar of good vs bad days to really evaluate his quality of life, but as of right now, he’s happy, healthy, and going strong.

Update Jan 2026:

Chief was humanely euthanized on December 23, 2025. His arthritis and hoof issues had progressed to a point where putting him through another rough and icy winter would have been cruel. He passed very peacefully on a good, snowy day. It was his favorite weather. He had a big, warm breakfast, was groomed and pampered, and went into Heaven looking extremely dapper. We miss him terribly, but we know we made the right decision for him. Misty accepted his passing immediately and was present for the whole thing. After he passed and was lying down, she smelled his nose, put her nose to his forehead, and walked off. It was the only time she went to his body. Inola and Ronan similarly accepted his passing with no outward expression of emotion like they had when Strider and Georgia passed in October of 2024. The herd knew Chief was in pain and was very old. They are doing well, and Ronan has taken on the position of herd protector.

Inola Raven

Inola was pulled from a kill pen in Pennsylvania in March 2024. She worked hard for the Amish her entire life and was sent to a kill pen for unknown reasons. Inola is about 16 years old and an absolute angel. Inola did wonderful in quarantine and was a favorite of all the staff. Inola is a Dutch Harness Horse and as gentle as they come, she is also very very obsessed with water. Inola loves to splash around in the creek and the water troughs, and will push the other horses out of the way when they’re getting hosed down on a hot day to get all the water to herself. Inola also enjoys dogs. We have a few large dogs that we take to the fields to run and she has never had an issue with them running around her. Inola’s feet were awful when she arrived from years of using poorly fitted shoes. After wonderful farrier work, her feet look brand new and she’s not longer sore. It is unlikely she to had good vet work done in her life, but she behaves well for the vet staff, as long as they keep giving her cookies. Inola has had at least one foal before, and we believe she was used as a broodmare for a while. Inola is being retrained from a bit to bitless bridle, and will be mainly trained with bareback riding. She’s turned into such a loving and sweet horse over the last few months. While she’s still the boss, she’s no where near as assertive to the other horses, and has really integrated well into the herd.

When we say Inola is obsessed with water, we mean she is OBSESSED with water. Thankfully, we have a creek on the property she can play in when it's hot out.

Ronan

Ronan is a two year old Morgan gelding who was dumped at a kill pen due to sickness and injury. We knew if we didn’t pull him he would be undoubtedly sent to slaughter in Canada. Ronan arrived at quarantine with strangles and has several skeletal and tendon issues from being worked way too hard far too young. At only two he had been carrying carts and riders on hard concrete streets. Ronan will need extensive veterinary and farrier care, as well as mental and emotional rehab to grow into the horse we know he can be. Currently, Ronan is very scared of people he doesn’t know, but unlike how he was when he arrived a few months ago, he now warms up to people quickly and is very curious about them.

After evaluation by a farrier and a vet, he has been diagnosed with severe DSLD, degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis. It is degenerative and needs highly specialized care and diet. He is on pain medicine and anti-inflammatory medication and currently not in any pain. He will only undergo safety training and will never be ridden or have to work again. Ronan is an absolutely love bug and adores being pet and given grain now. It has taken weeks of gaining his trust and he is still terrified of his halter, but every day he gains more confidence and now seeks us out for affection.

Update September 2024

Veterinary evaluation for Ronan was more positive than for Strider or Georgia. While Ronan’s DSLD is quite severe, he is not currently in pain and is moving rather well. Because he’s so young, it’s possible his ligaments temporarily tighten up, which we have seen in his left leg a little bit. While it wouldn’t last, it may buy him a few extra month to a year. DSLD is a difficult issue because it can stay steady for a long while then explode in severity out of the blue. We are keeping a very close eye on Ronan and watching his movements closely. The good news is we can work with him a lot more now, and he’s almost comfortable enough to be haltered. He does come up to us and others for affection all the time now, and is significantly more trusting. he is still not growing hoof, because his body is focused on his legs, but we are going to try to get a farrier appointment for him soon to make sure there isn’t something else going on. We will also be watching his emotional state very closely over the next few weeks while he deals with the upcoming loss of Strider and Georgia. They are all extremely closely bonded, and horses mourn for a good while.

Update December 2024

Ronan is doing very well since Strider and Georgia were laid to rest. He has bonded strongly with Misty and Chief, and is starting to bond really well with Inola. We are watching his legs closely, and are evaluating him every few weeks when we have our vet on property. We are hoping to get him comfortably to spring, and then do a full evaluation of his legs again. He won’t live more than another year, but we are going to make sure he is as comfortable as possible the entire time. He is enjoying getting groomed and pampered, and finally understands what treats are!

Update August 2025

Ronan is still doing well! He’s outlived the initial timeline we expected for him by months now! He’s happy, lovable, and has turned into such a sweet boy. He’s not jumpy anymore and he is gentle as can be. He plays with Misty, he comes up and greets us every morning, and he acts just like a 3 year old should (minus the leg problems). It is so hard knowing he doesn’t have a ton of time left as his legs are getting worse, but right now his pain is managed well with his medicine and we are very hopeful that he can do at least another year. We have him evaluated often so when it comes to a point where we’re nearing the end of his time, we will make sure to let his supporters know.

Update Jan 2026

It’s hard to put into words how much this incredible boy has changed over the last several months. He went from a completely feral horse to an absolutely menace and we couldn’t Love him anymore if we tried. He is ALL boy. Gets into everything, annoys his siblings, and has to be involved in everything. Whether that be chewing on my hat when I’m feeding them, following the tractor around, stealing my phone and tools, or even talking off with an entire ladder when I’m trying to use it. He also wants attention 24/7. He is a full in your pocket type horse. He wants to cuddle at every possible opportunity! He is incredible, and he has gotten SO strong! We didn’t expect him to grow as large as he has, but he’s even bigger than Misty now, and his legs are STRONG! While his DSLD is still progressing, it’s slowed down significantly, and he is so active. After Chief died, Ronan took over as the herd protector. Every night when the coyotes come through he watches the fence line. He patrols the entire pasture area, and when a coyote come too close, he runs at them to scare them off. We couldn’t believe it, we really expected him to continue acting like a baby at all times, but when it’s needed, he really steps up to the plate and acts like a full grown stallion.

This was the first time Ronan walked up to me in the field and sought out attention. He came back over and over after this because he finally realized what he'd been missing his whole life: Love.

Strider

Strider is a five year old Morgan gelding. Strider was pulled from a kill pen in Pennsylvania at the end of March, 2024. Our amazing supporters were able to help us raise funds to save him at the last minute. While he does have some injuries to his back legs and some tendon issues, he is young and otherwise healthy. After veterinary and farrier evaluation, he was also diagnosed with DSLD, the same ligament disorder that Ronan has. We had hoped it was just a bad injury, but it is congenital and something that will eventually lead to him needing humane euthanasia. He is on pain medicine and anti-inflammatory medication and currently not in any pain. Strider is wonderful for the farrier and the vets, loves treats, and adores being pet and groomed by our volunteers. He took a few days to warm up to us, but it was a very quick turnaround for him mentally. Strider is an absolute star and everyone who meets him falls in love with his silly personality and constant need for affection.

Update:

In September 2024, after his third veterinary evaluation, it was determined that Strider’s DSLD has progressed to the point of needing humane euthanasia. While his spirit is happy and he’s enjoying his days, with winter coming up and the state of his legs, the kindest thing we can do for him is give him a wonderful last month before the ice begins. Strider will be euthanized with Georgia on Halloween, 2024. His days will be filled with grooming, cookies, grain, and all the love he wants.

Update:

Strider’s last day was beautiful and filled with immense love. He was definitely ready, and his pain had passed what was possible to manage effectively. We had Strider for 6 months, and in that time he changed lives and brought so much joy and love to the sanctuary. We will miss him forever and are so blessed to have known this incredible horse.

Georgia’s story is long and hard, but far from over. Georgia is a 16 year old Tennessee walking horse. A gorgeous girl with a terrible past, Georgia was found in a horrific kill pen situation in Tennesee in January 2024 by a close friend of ours in Florida. Our friend was able to save her life and get her to their ranch, but Georgia had many battles to still face. Originally we were told Georgia was 8 months pregnant, and in her extremely starved condition was an emergency situation. What we thought was a pregnancy turned out to be something so much more dire. It was revealed that Georgia had actually very recently foaled (likely right before she went to the kill pen) and was suffering from a horrific uterine infection that needed to be drained and treated for weeks. Not only was she starved and extremely sick, she was so weak that her muscles gave out on her multiple times and she had to be lifted by a tractor. The phone calls and FaceTime’s with my friend trying to figure out ways to help her are still so vivid in my mind. There were days when we really didn’t think she’d make it through the night but Georgia had the look in her eyes that said “I’m not done yet. I want to keep fighting”. And fight she did. Now, almost seven months since her initial rescue, Georgia has put on some good weight, is moving like a 16 year old should, and is starting to get some personality back. As much as we would have loved for her to remain in Florida with the family she’s come to trust, the heat and humidity was damaging her health as she had been recently diagnosed with anhidrosis, which means she has almost no capacity to sweat and cool herself off. Because of this most recent diagnosis, we brought Georgia here to the sanctuary in Massachusetts where it is significantly better weather for her year round. We will keep updating as we get Georgia here and get her settled in. We do know she’s good for the vet and farrier. Whatever happens, we promise she’s never going to be hurt again.

Update August 2024

Georgia is gaining strength and putting on good weight. She’s become best friends with Strider and Ronan, and they’ve formed their own mini herd. She treats Ronan like a foal, which is pretty funny since he’s really only 2 and no where near full grown. The three of them share their food bowls and seem to have the desire to always be touching. They sleep together, drink water together, and even lie down in the sun together. Georgia has even started to sweat a little, which means she’s finally not constantly stressed. We know Georgia’s time is short due to the extreme amount of health problems she has, but right now, she’s happy and enjoying her very well deserved peace.

Update September 2024

After multiple veterinary evaluations for her legs and health, it has been determined that Georgia needs to be humanely euthanized with Srider on Halloween 2024. Her legs are in bad shape, and she likely has something internal going on as well. She is on pain medicine and is still happy to “run” to the barn for her morning grain, but we know that one day too early is far better than one day too late, especially for animals that can’t be easily picked up if they fall. Georgia’s remaining time will be spent getting even more spoiled, groomed, loved on, and cherished.

Update:

Georgia spent her last day getting showered with love and treats. She had a giant breakfast of her favorite grain and mash, she was groomed and kissed all over. She was told over and over how much of a wonderful girl she is and how she fought so hard and would finally be granted her peace. Georgia laid down hard, because her legs were so stiff, but once she was down, and the vet started the meds, she gave us the deepest, most peaceful sigh that seemed to say “finally, I can rest.” Georgia passed very peacefully, very calmly. There was no hesitation. She was very ready. We all know we did everything we could to give her the most comfort and happiness in her last weeks on Earth, she knew it too. Please don’t doubt that she was happy while here, she truly was. But Georgia’s health issues far surpassed what was able to be healed. She and Strider are running free in Heaven, and I’m sure Diego and Simon are the ones who greeted them at Rainbow Bridge as soon as they crossed over.

Georgia

Our Goat Herd

In June of 2024 we decided we wanted to bring in goats to the sanctuary to help with weed control and give people the opportunity to learn about these amazing and highly playful animals. While we had a lot of goat knowledge previously, we hadn’t owned them ourselves before and we were very excited to add them to the family. We adopted Jimmothy T. Bucket Head and his brother Winston Dwighttholomue from the MSCPA and three Nigerian dwarf goat babies and their mom from a local family. A few days later, the family had a situation occur and asked if we’d be willing to bring in the rest of the family so no one would be separated. Our male goats are all castrated which requires different mineral and food requirements than an intact male. The females will not be having more babies. Since there is no risk of breeding, all our goats live in the same area. (We do not breed any animals at the sanctuary.) Due to how small they are, the goats do not share a pasture or barn with the horses. Our goats have a custom made mini barn that keeps them completely safe from predators and the weather, and allows them to see the horses, but not be fully integrated with them. Goats are a steep learning curve and we enjoy teaching people about their nutritional and medical requirements. The goats also love to be pet and held, acting more like dogs than livestock.

Pumpkin Spice and Sugar Cookie

Pumpkin Spice and Sugar Cookie are our Juliana mini pigs who we adopted through Eastern Snouts Pig Rescue. We got Pumpkin in September 2025 and Sugar Cookie will be coming to us February 2026. Pumpkin’s mom and dad were found wandering in Pennsylvania and thankfully rescued before Pumpkin and her siblings were born. Their mom was very young when she had them, and Pumpkin was extra tiny when she was born. Julianas are already the smallest breed of mini pig, but she’s extra small even by those standards. The girls are inside animals and go out with the goats and chickens when the weather is nice. Otherwise, they have their own room inside and are happy being catered to every minute of the day. Pumpkin will be spayed in February 2026. We tried to do it in December 2025 but she was still too small to be safely intubated during surgery.

Sugar Cookie was a surprise to us. She was an owner surrender in PA due to a vaginal prolapse she suffered at only 3 months old. The owner was initially told to euthanize her, but Eastern Snouts stepped in and rushed her to the emergency vet who was able to fix the prolapse and save all the tissue. She is being temporarily fostered in PA while she recovers and awaits her spay in a few weeks. As we are familiar with prolapse in animals, it was determined it would be better for Sugar to come live with us so we can watch for any problems in the future and monitor her growth to make sure she grows at a healthy rate.

Both girls are litter box trained! Yes, you can easily litter box train pigs. They’re as smart as a 4-5 year old child at just a few months old, so training is an absolute necessity. Pumpkin knows sit, stay, come, spin, shake and we’re working on a few other tricks with her. I’m sure Sugar will pick up the moves quickly too! Both girls adore being cuddled and sleeping on people. Pigs are extremely emotional animals and need positive reinforcement, and cuddling happens to be one of their favorite rewards!