Raven was abandoned by her owner with a neighbor in Napa. She lived with the neighbor for 2 years, alone in a small pen most of the time. The neighbor realized that the owner was not returning and it was not sustainable to keep her.
Roxy came to us in 2015 after being diagnosed with narcolepsy. She was a lesson horse, but had become increasingly unsafe to be ridden due to her condition. Lesson programs typically cannot afford to keep horses that can't be ridden, a system that we hope will be changed one day to be more humane.
When we learned of Mirage and Adonis, they were underweight and had been abandoned at their stable for several months. Despite receiving large portions of hay, Mirage and Adonis were not gaining weight. At that point, we began paying their board, provided vet and farrier visits, and ordered the sacks of grain that were recommended by the veterinarian to supplement their hay...
Far Son is an Arabian gelding who was owned by the same family for most of his life until they experienced some severe health challenges. At a loss with how to care for their two aging horses, Far Son, and Sonata, they worked with Sunrise for an extended period until an appropriate foster home opened so that the horses could stay together.
Jake came to Sunrise when his owners, who had him for years after giving him a home when they saw he was significantly underweight, were finding it hard to care for their animals as they aged. They lived in a high, remote area in the Sierra foothills of Northern California, beyond the range of veterinary and farrier care.
Arthur is an Andalusian horse, and he came to us on an emergency basis without a name in December 2022. Given to a friend when his owner left the country, the friend had him for 18 months before finding that he could no longer use the pasture Arthur was on. He had to have a new place for his horse by the following day, and he knew that a horse offered for free often goes to auction or is put at risk in a home that might misuse him.
Hayleigh was a Quarter Horse mare and is approximately 26 years old. She was used as a trail horse but developed severe neck arthritis and is now retired. Hayleigh came to Sunrise when her owner could no longer care for her and her buddy Gazor. Hayleigh and Gazor enjoyed getting groomed and getting love from all the volunteers at Sunrise.
Rio was a Quarter Horse that was born in 1990. He was a ranch horse, privately owned, who was diagnosed with EPM, a rare disease caused by parasites that produces neurological symptoms including lameness and muscle atrophy. The disease is manageable but not curable, and in Rio’s case it meant he could no longer be ridden.
Every year thousands of wild American Mustangs are rounded up and put up for adoption. If not adopted, these horses may end up sitting in overcrowded holding pens for the rest of their lives or may even be sent to slaughter. Dusty was an American Mustang that was born in 1997. After many unfit homes, she found Sunrise as a place where she could just be a horse again with her good friend GG. Dusty passed surrounded by her loved ones. Now she is together again with GG. We will miss her dearly.
Ged was a Paso Fino gelding and was born in 2004. Ged came to Sunrise as a pasture mate to Quincy, a mare in her late 20s with severe arthritis, when their previous owner could no longer care for them. Quincy has since passed away and Ged had made many new friends horse and human. Ged certainly was one of our most handsome and easy-going guys which is why everyone loved him.
GG was a Quarter Horse cross that was born in 1996. The letters in her name stand for “Good Girl,” and that only begins to describe this sweet, mild-mannered mare. She spent some of her career at a children’s camp in Santa Rosa, where she taught kids their first lessons in groundwork, and patiently allowed them to groom her. There she lived with a young woman who loved her dearly, but her foster family, who ran the camp, then lost their land. In urgent need of a new home, GG came to Sunrise where she quickly made fast friends with Dusty Rose. Affectionate, gentle, and willing, GG was a favorite with many of our volunteers
This big guy was rescued from a farm in Napa and was near starvation when we were contacted by a concerned stable-hand. We got there just before his owner was planning on using a rifle to put him down. Barney touched the lives of many in his short time with us, but unfortunately he was so unhealthy that he was beyond the point of possible recovery. He was humanely euthanized surrounded by people who loved him.
Comet was used in a Mexican rodeo sport known as “tripping” where the horses are made to gallop and then their front hooves are roped, causing them to flip and crash. He sustained many injuries as a trip horse before ending up in a hoarding situation in Napa where there was little or no food for him to survive on. He was sweet and grateful for his rescue, and he quickly regained weight and life in his eyes. Sadly, he had only a few months of the good life at Sunrise before he succumbed to his injuries.
This pretty little horse was a 24 year old Peruvian Paso. He had a lot of rough training and mishandling in his life. Before coming to SHR he lived all alone with no other horses to interact with. His rehabilitation had included time with his equine friends and lots of gentle handling by our faithful volunteers.
Quite possibly the oldest horse in Napa County, “Capi” was over 40! No one is sure of his breed, though we speculate that he could have been an Icelandic Pony. Many years ago, this old man was rescued from a slaughter yard and brought to Sunrise to enjoy life in peace and comfort. He has touched the lives of many and will be very missed.
Sunrise Horse Rescue is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, # 42-1746834
