These are the horses and donkeys that you are helping with your generous donations.
Included here are the Horse Stories, a short story of how each of our
animal friends came to live at the sanctuary.
Included here are the Horse Stories, a short story of how each of our
animal friends came to live at the sanctuary.
Nikki
Nikki is a 29-year-old MorganXArab, and belonged to a good friend of Debora’s who had passed away unexpectedly in 2014, leaving four horses behind. Her husband didn’t know what to do with the horses and was thinking of taking them to the horse sale. Debora knew none of them were trained enough to sell as riding horses and would end up on the meat truck. Debora took the horses and asked the board members to vote on adding “rescue” to the program, and the rescue function of Wings was born.
Homes were found for two of the horses, and Debora took the other two. One passed away from an embolism shortly thereafter, so Debora ended up with just Nikki. Nikki was trained but had a reputation as being a handful, although Debora never found that to be the case. Nikki and Debora went on many trail rides with no issues. Nikki turned out to be insulin resistant and foundered as a result. She also developed Cushing’s Disease and has chronic lameness issues. Nikki is the unoffical "grandma" of our herd of mini-horses and donkeys, and is always watching out for them.
Nikki is a 29-year-old MorganXArab, and belonged to a good friend of Debora’s who had passed away unexpectedly in 2014, leaving four horses behind. Her husband didn’t know what to do with the horses and was thinking of taking them to the horse sale. Debora knew none of them were trained enough to sell as riding horses and would end up on the meat truck. Debora took the horses and asked the board members to vote on adding “rescue” to the program, and the rescue function of Wings was born.
Homes were found for two of the horses, and Debora took the other two. One passed away from an embolism shortly thereafter, so Debora ended up with just Nikki. Nikki was trained but had a reputation as being a handful, although Debora never found that to be the case. Nikki and Debora went on many trail rides with no issues. Nikki turned out to be insulin resistant and foundered as a result. She also developed Cushing’s Disease and has chronic lameness issues. Nikki is the unoffical "grandma" of our herd of mini-horses and donkeys, and is always watching out for them.
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Dolly
Dolly was brought to Wings in February, 2022 after a rescue effort by a group of concerned people who bought a herd of mini-horses, mini-donkeys and mini-cows from a breeder who was not taking care of them. The herd was parceled out to people in the group who had ranches and farms. The couple who took several of these animals, including Dolly, contacted Wings because Dolly was pregnant and they didn't feel they could handle a pregnant mare and the foaling. When Dolly came to Wings we weren't sure when she would deliver as we didn't know when she was bred, but we watched for signs of imminent birth and prepared a foaling stall in our barn. Around the end of April it looked like she was getting close, so we moved her into the barn and started keeping a round-the-clock vigil, checking on her every few hours through the night. On May 1st, 2022, at the 2 a.m. check, Baby Ellie had appeared! Dolly managed the birth on her own and went right back to eating hay. Ellie was healthy and alert, and started charming us all right away. At seven months, Ellie was adopted by the couple who rescued Dolly and is happy in her new home. |
Freckles
Freckles is a 13-year-old Appaloosa pony that is blind. You may have seen him on Facebook as his owners were trying to find a home for him before moving out of the area. None of the other valley rescues responded, so the day before his owners moved Wings decided to take him even though we didn’t really have room for him. We were worried he would just be abandoned on the property by his owners.
Freckles was quite upset by the move, most likely because being blind he has to rely on his scenting and hearing to make sense of his environment. We put him in with Cisco and Poco, and after a few initial skirmishes they settled in well together. One of our board members is now fostering Freckles and Poco, who are companions with a mammoth donkey, Abe. Cisco passed away in the fall of 2022.
Freckles is a sweet horse but somewhat skittish with new people at first. Other than his eyesight he is healthy. He moves around well and is able to find his food and water.
Freckles is a 13-year-old Appaloosa pony that is blind. You may have seen him on Facebook as his owners were trying to find a home for him before moving out of the area. None of the other valley rescues responded, so the day before his owners moved Wings decided to take him even though we didn’t really have room for him. We were worried he would just be abandoned on the property by his owners.
Freckles was quite upset by the move, most likely because being blind he has to rely on his scenting and hearing to make sense of his environment. We put him in with Cisco and Poco, and after a few initial skirmishes they settled in well together. One of our board members is now fostering Freckles and Poco, who are companions with a mammoth donkey, Abe. Cisco passed away in the fall of 2022.
Freckles is a sweet horse but somewhat skittish with new people at first. Other than his eyesight he is healthy. He moves around well and is able to find his food and water.
Pegasus
Abigail
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Peggy & Abby
These two mini-horses, Pegasus (22) and Abigail (25), were rescued by a friend of Debora's in September, 2021. She saw them in a field and saw how overgrown their hooves were and stopped to ask the owner if he needed a home for the horses. He said he had rescued them from someone else who had a neglected mini-horse herd, and his farrier didn't know how to deal with the overgrown hooves. Debora immediately started working on their hooves after sedating them. Pegasus' hooves were easier to deal with than Abigails, who's hooves grew out to the side and are causing joint problems in her feet. Both minis are very sweet and approachable. Abigail is a dwarf mini, so she's about the size of large dog. They are both much more comfortable now, but both will need a lot of dental care. You can see more pictures on our Facebook page. Abby and Peggy have settled in nicely with the other mini-horses and the mini-donkeys. Debora continues to work on Abby's hooves and her ability to move around is improving. We even saw her run one day! Her abcessed ear, which required surgery, is completely healed and she now likes to have her ears rubbed. |
Poco
Poco, a 20-year-old mini-donkey, was rescued November 23, 2021 from a field near Wings. The owner, who lived across town, was found dead in his home and no one knew where his animals were. Poco and his companion Cisco were found in a pasture with very little grass and no water and Debora brought them to Wings immediately.
A generous Wings volunteer sponsored their immediate care, and their health and training needs are being evaluated. They were very attached to each other and are sweet and sociable. Unfortunately, Cisco passed away from impacted colic in early October, 2022. Poco is being fostered along with Freckles at the home of a Wings board member and is a very happy little donkey.
Poco, a 20-year-old mini-donkey, was rescued November 23, 2021 from a field near Wings. The owner, who lived across town, was found dead in his home and no one knew where his animals were. Poco and his companion Cisco were found in a pasture with very little grass and no water and Debora brought them to Wings immediately.
A generous Wings volunteer sponsored their immediate care, and their health and training needs are being evaluated. They were very attached to each other and are sweet and sociable. Unfortunately, Cisco passed away from impacted colic in early October, 2022. Poco is being fostered along with Freckles at the home of a Wings board member and is a very happy little donkey.
Patches
Patches is an American Paint in her 20’s. A senior couple from Idaho were selling their ranch and moving to the Bitterroot. Patches was their last horse and as they were getting older they decided it was best not to continue with horse ownership. They invited us down and donated all their hay (5-10 ton), 15 pen panels and 2 gates and all their horse equipment, which was very generous.
Patches is a very friendly horse and can handle light riding and could possibly be a riding therapy horse if we move into a riding therapy program.
Patches is an American Paint in her 20’s. A senior couple from Idaho were selling their ranch and moving to the Bitterroot. Patches was their last horse and as they were getting older they decided it was best not to continue with horse ownership. They invited us down and donated all their hay (5-10 ton), 15 pen panels and 2 gates and all their horse equipment, which was very generous.
Patches is a very friendly horse and can handle light riding and could possibly be a riding therapy horse if we move into a riding therapy program.
Dancer
Dancer is a 26-year-old mini-horse who was born and bred in the Bitterroot valley. A retired couple bought Dancer, her daughter Lucy and another mini sometime around 2008, and eventually became unable to care for them. They were adopted out to a family in Missoula who took very good care of them. Eventually that owner retired and ended up traveling a lot, and felt bad that the animals were not getting enough attention. She called Debora and asked her to find a home for them, so Debora brought them to Wings. Dancer is insulin resistant and can’t be on pasture, and has other special needs. She will remain at Wings with her daughter Lucy for the rest of her life.
Dancer is a 26-year-old mini-horse who was born and bred in the Bitterroot valley. A retired couple bought Dancer, her daughter Lucy and another mini sometime around 2008, and eventually became unable to care for them. They were adopted out to a family in Missoula who took very good care of them. Eventually that owner retired and ended up traveling a lot, and felt bad that the animals were not getting enough attention. She called Debora and asked her to find a home for them, so Debora brought them to Wings. Dancer is insulin resistant and can’t be on pasture, and has other special needs. She will remain at Wings with her daughter Lucy for the rest of her life.
Lucy
Lucy is a 16-year-old mini-horse who was born and bred in the Bitterroot valley. A retired couple bought Lucy, her mother Dancer and another mini sometime around 2008, and eventually became unable to care for them. They were adopted out a family in Missoula who took very good care of them. Eventually that owner retired and ended up traveling a lot, and felt bad that the animals were not getting enough attention. She called Debora and asked her to find a home for them, so Debora brought them to Wings. Lucy has Cushing’s Disease and is insulin resistant so she can’t be on pasture. She will remain at Wings with her mother Dancer until Dancer passes. After that, adoption may be a possibility if someone can be found to manage her special needs. Lucy needs a sponsor for her Cushings medication.
Lucy is a 16-year-old mini-horse who was born and bred in the Bitterroot valley. A retired couple bought Lucy, her mother Dancer and another mini sometime around 2008, and eventually became unable to care for them. They were adopted out a family in Missoula who took very good care of them. Eventually that owner retired and ended up traveling a lot, and felt bad that the animals were not getting enough attention. She called Debora and asked her to find a home for them, so Debora brought them to Wings. Lucy has Cushing’s Disease and is insulin resistant so she can’t be on pasture. She will remain at Wings with her mother Dancer until Dancer passes. After that, adoption may be a possibility if someone can be found to manage her special needs. Lucy needs a sponsor for her Cushings medication.
Honey
Honey is a 13-17 year old quarter horse dun mare who showed up on Craigslist, advertised at a $500 sale price. She had been bought out of the Missoula horse sale by an older gentleman who didn’t know much about horses. He wanted a horse for his grandkids to ride, but they didn’t come to visit very often, and when they did they weren’t interested in the horse. So he put her on Craigslist but didn’t like the people who were interested in her as he thought they were meat buyers and he didn’t want to sell to them.
A friend of Debora’s went to check Honey out and found she was lame due to a shoulder injury and her back end was tight and painful. She’s very sweet and not very old, so she asked if Debora would rehabilitate her. The owner relinquished Honey and transported her to Wings at no charge.
Honey is well trained and well behaved and can be ridden lightly, possibly as a therapy horse. We discovered that she was an outfitter horse and probably had some accidents. She benefits from PEMF therapy and massage.
Honey is a 13-17 year old quarter horse dun mare who showed up on Craigslist, advertised at a $500 sale price. She had been bought out of the Missoula horse sale by an older gentleman who didn’t know much about horses. He wanted a horse for his grandkids to ride, but they didn’t come to visit very often, and when they did they weren’t interested in the horse. So he put her on Craigslist but didn’t like the people who were interested in her as he thought they were meat buyers and he didn’t want to sell to them.
A friend of Debora’s went to check Honey out and found she was lame due to a shoulder injury and her back end was tight and painful. She’s very sweet and not very old, so she asked if Debora would rehabilitate her. The owner relinquished Honey and transported her to Wings at no charge.
Honey is well trained and well behaved and can be ridden lightly, possibly as a therapy horse. We discovered that she was an outfitter horse and probably had some accidents. She benefits from PEMF therapy and massage.
Hope
Hope is a 14-year-old pinto mini-horse who was relinquished by her owner, who moved out of state. Hope is one of our community outreach horses, and her calm demeanor has made her an excellent ambassador for Wings. She doesn't mind being dressed up like a cowgirl or Santa's reindeer and letting a lot of folks pay attention to her.
Hope is a 14-year-old pinto mini-horse who was relinquished by her owner, who moved out of state. Hope is one of our community outreach horses, and her calm demeanor has made her an excellent ambassador for Wings. She doesn't mind being dressed up like a cowgirl or Santa's reindeer and letting a lot of folks pay attention to her.
Penny & Ginger
Penny (on the left) and Ginger are 4-year-old mini-horses who come from the same rescued mini-herd as Dolly. They are both healthy and lively horses, and Ginger has participated in our community outreach programs, such as senior living visits, birthday parties and events such as the Celtic Festival.
Penny (on the left) and Ginger are 4-year-old mini-horses who come from the same rescued mini-herd as Dolly. They are both healthy and lively horses, and Ginger has participated in our community outreach programs, such as senior living visits, birthday parties and events such as the Celtic Festival.
Nell
Nell is a 16-year-old Appaloosa mini-horse that was relinquished by her owner, who was unable to continue caring for her. She was a bit food aggressive when she arrived, but after settling in she has become a lively and sweet horse. Nell participates in a lot of our community outreach and is particularly helpful during visits to the senior living facilities. She is calm and patient while walking through the facility and while people are touching and petting her. She is also one of our "costume" minis, whom we dress up and take to parties and parades.
Nell is a 16-year-old Appaloosa mini-horse that was relinquished by her owner, who was unable to continue caring for her. She was a bit food aggressive when she arrived, but after settling in she has become a lively and sweet horse. Nell participates in a lot of our community outreach and is particularly helpful during visits to the senior living facilities. She is calm and patient while walking through the facility and while people are touching and petting her. She is also one of our "costume" minis, whom we dress up and take to parties and parades.
Hallie & Dub
Hallie and Dub were brought in July 2022 with their companion Copper, who passed away at the age of 33 shortly after arriving. These horses belonged to a gentleman who was going into assisted living and was looking for a home for the horses to avoid having to euthanize them. Their vet recommended that he contact Wings, and he decided to relinquish them to us with a small amount of money to help with their care.
Hallie and Dub are 27 and 31, respectively and are well-bred (out of the Doc BAR line, a famous quarterhorse stud) but come with senior conditions - hooves overgrown, arthritis and they probably need dental work. Their body condition is pretty good. We can keep it that way with good grass hay and senior feed.
They are doing well on pasture and have made friends with the rest of the pasture herd. Your donations will keep them fed through the winter so they can live out their lives peacefully. They can be adopted out if they can go together. They need someone who knows about horse health since they are seniors, and they need shelter and heated water in the winter.
Hallie and Dub were brought in July 2022 with their companion Copper, who passed away at the age of 33 shortly after arriving. These horses belonged to a gentleman who was going into assisted living and was looking for a home for the horses to avoid having to euthanize them. Their vet recommended that he contact Wings, and he decided to relinquish them to us with a small amount of money to help with their care.
Hallie and Dub are 27 and 31, respectively and are well-bred (out of the Doc BAR line, a famous quarterhorse stud) but come with senior conditions - hooves overgrown, arthritis and they probably need dental work. Their body condition is pretty good. We can keep it that way with good grass hay and senior feed.
They are doing well on pasture and have made friends with the rest of the pasture herd. Your donations will keep them fed through the winter so they can live out their lives peacefully. They can be adopted out if they can go together. They need someone who knows about horse health since they are seniors, and they need shelter and heated water in the winter.
J.J.
J.J. is a 24-year-old Arabian who was brought to us by a kind soul who rescued him. He was severely underweight due to having no back teeth and being unable to eat enough hay. We started feeding him soft mash four times a day and he gained 130 pounds pretty quickly. J.J. is a sweet and sassy horse who likes to roam around the property and visit everyone. But he always heads back to his pen when it's lunchtime! J.J. has been trained to ride and could be adopted as a companion or a children's horse.
J.J. is a 24-year-old Arabian who was brought to us by a kind soul who rescued him. He was severely underweight due to having no back teeth and being unable to eat enough hay. We started feeding him soft mash four times a day and he gained 130 pounds pretty quickly. J.J. is a sweet and sassy horse who likes to roam around the property and visit everyone. But he always heads back to his pen when it's lunchtime! J.J. has been trained to ride and could be adopted as a companion or a children's horse.
Dreamer
Dreamer is a 10-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred, who came to us from someone who was unable to continue caring for him due to structural issues. Dreamer is big but gentle, and has issues with his neck and back end that have benefited from PEMF treatments and massage. He's a bit of a loner but has settled in with the pasture herd. He is still being evaluated for health issues and ridability before being considered as a candidate for adoption.
Dreamer is a 10-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred, who came to us from someone who was unable to continue caring for him due to structural issues. Dreamer is big but gentle, and has issues with his neck and back end that have benefited from PEMF treatments and massage. He's a bit of a loner but has settled in with the pasture herd. He is still being evaluated for health issues and ridability before being considered as a candidate for adoption.
The Donkeys
Wild donkeys are rounded up on government lands by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a method of controlling the wild population, not because they are sick, injured or starving. They are auctioned around the country, usually with wild mustangs who have also been rounded up for sale. Many times these donkeys are rescued from or relinquished by people who are not prepared to tame and train a wild donkey.
Wild donkeys are rounded up on government lands by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a method of controlling the wild population, not because they are sick, injured or starving. They are auctioned around the country, usually with wild mustangs who have also been rounded up for sale. Many times these donkeys are rescued from or relinquished by people who are not prepared to tame and train a wild donkey.
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Nate
Nate came from the BLM auction in 2019, along with Francis and Gibbs, who have been adopted. At the time, Debora had been getting a lot of requests for donkeys, so when she went to check out the donkeys they had those three left. Instead of leaving them to be hauled to another auction event, Debora decided to take them all. Although they turned out to be much harder to halter train than she thought they’d be, the goal was to get them to the point where they were gentle enough to be handled and can be adopted out. Nate will most likely stay at Wings because he is a character in a book that is used a Wings therapy program for children. He needs to be halter trained enough to be able to catch when he’s in the pasture with the other horses. |
Louise
Louise was rescued a few years ago, along with another donkey named Thelma, by a valley woman who drove a UPS truck up on the reservation and saw them in a field. They were in really bad condition so she called reservation police, who came out and confiscated them. A mare who was with the donkeys was too sick to be moved and was euthanized. The woman got the donkeys to her home in Corvallis and then asked Debora to take them. They could hardly get Louise to walk, but they got them both to the sanctuary. Debora fixed their feet, and within a year Thelma was adopted out. Louise had a much harder time, as she had bedsores and laid down all the time. Her blood work showed that she had Cushing’s Disease, so it was a long, slow rehab process. Her feet had a lot of abscesses, which took a long time to heal, especially because she didn't like having her feet worked on. Louise is in much better shape now but can’t be on pasture and is on prescription medication. She won't be adopted out unless someone is qualified to take care of her, but she is looking for a sponsor.
Louise was rescued a few years ago, along with another donkey named Thelma, by a valley woman who drove a UPS truck up on the reservation and saw them in a field. They were in really bad condition so she called reservation police, who came out and confiscated them. A mare who was with the donkeys was too sick to be moved and was euthanized. The woman got the donkeys to her home in Corvallis and then asked Debora to take them. They could hardly get Louise to walk, but they got them both to the sanctuary. Debora fixed their feet, and within a year Thelma was adopted out. Louise had a much harder time, as she had bedsores and laid down all the time. Her blood work showed that she had Cushing’s Disease, so it was a long, slow rehab process. Her feet had a lot of abscesses, which took a long time to heal, especially because she didn't like having her feet worked on. Louise is in much better shape now but can’t be on pasture and is on prescription medication. She won't be adopted out unless someone is qualified to take care of her, but she is looking for a sponsor.
Zoe
Zoe, on the left in this picture, is a 34-year-old mini-donkey who was rescued by the same owner that asked Debora to take Lucy and Dancer. She was together with her companion Ariel for all of Ariel’s life, so they weren’t separated when they were brought to Wings. They both had developed adipose fat pads from too much rich grass and couldn’t be on pasture. Unfortunately, Ariel passed away in August of 2022. Zoe will remain at Wings for the rest of her life due to her special health needs. She is a sweet and loving donkey, and she has now bonded with Gracie. Senior donkeys and horses can have a hard time transitioning to a new home, so we are glad to keep Zoe and give her a happy, loving life.
Zoe, on the left in this picture, is a 34-year-old mini-donkey who was rescued by the same owner that asked Debora to take Lucy and Dancer. She was together with her companion Ariel for all of Ariel’s life, so they weren’t separated when they were brought to Wings. They both had developed adipose fat pads from too much rich grass and couldn’t be on pasture. Unfortunately, Ariel passed away in August of 2022. Zoe will remain at Wings for the rest of her life due to her special health needs. She is a sweet and loving donkey, and she has now bonded with Gracie. Senior donkeys and horses can have a hard time transitioning to a new home, so we are glad to keep Zoe and give her a happy, loving life.
Gracie