Out of Options

  • Phoenix – Chestnut Quarter Horse Gelding – Born 1997
  • Entry Date – 11/12/19
  • Type of Rescue – Surrender
  • Reason – Chronic Neglect
  • Special Needs – None

Phoenix and Falcon (also departed) were owned by a prominent local person who was keeping them in a friend’s field. The owner died without making any known provision for his horses and the “friend” wanted no part of them.

Law Enforcement was called when the horse’s weight dropped to dangerously low levels. Sadly, no action was taken by the deputies and eventually Equamore was called.

The individual who had the horses claimed that he couldn’t lift hay and refused to feed them and was going to shut off their water supply so the pipes didn’t break in the coming cold weather.

Our initial visit found two sweet geldings desperate for feed and tightly bonded to each other. We brought them to our Sanctuary later that day.

Phoenix and Falcon both had serious dental problems which would have prevented them from maintaining proper body weight even if someone had fed them. Both were very thin, especially Falcon. Phoenix was also blind in his right eye.

Initially they joined the big gelding herd. All the other horses were curious about the new horses and naturally came to investigate. Phoenix guarded Falcon closely and was literally going in circles around Falcon trying to keep the other horses away – a tough job with only one good eye.

Both horses had their teeth cared for and gained back their healthy body weight. Phoenix, who was the most in danger of the two, responded well emotionally. His head is up, he is curious, and he has a very sweet disposition. Falcon, though younger than Phoenix, remained somewhat world weary.

A year after their rescue, Phoenix’s eye changed color revealing a dislocated lens in his blind eye. Soon after, his eye became painful and the eye was removed in February of 2021 to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

Phoenix shared the fields and shelters with The General who is blind, the minis (Jasmine and Ranger), and the ponies (Sampson and Poquito.)