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.
A 19 year old Quarter Horse, Molly was Captain’s sweetheart. She was one of the many, many horses who are over worked and then discarded by those who have used her up. This sweet lady could barely walk due to the injuries and arthritis she sustained from her work as a roping horse. With anti-inflammatory meds & special corrective shoes, Molly would often be found trotting around the pasture with Captain. We know that she is now running free with no pain and is grateful for her second chance.
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.
Rain was a loving, sweet Arabian mare who was near starvation when she found us. After a life of being over-used as a brood mare and then cast aside when she was too old for the job, she spent the last year of her life grazing in the vineyards and being doted on by many young volunteers at the rescue before she took herself on her last vineyard stroll and was defeated by cancer.
Born with crooked front legs, Stryder was a 16 year old Thoroughbred who was unable to race and so was thrown away from the racing industry. He was found in a muddy dog kennel with infected wounds in all 4 legs. Stryder was a gentle giant who would follow you like a puppy dog and stand quietly while volunteers brushed his beautiful coat. He had a huge heart and personality and had made very special bonds with many of our volunteers. He will be missed by all.
Miss Rita was a 19 year old former racehorse who went on to have a long career as a show jumping and lesson horse. Until she could no longer jump that is, and she was scheduled to be euthanized before she was rescued. She had given her life in service to man... until she came to Sunrise Horse Rescue for a long-overdue break, where nothing was expected of her but to just be a horse. Rest in peace, pretty girl.
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.
Tazz, among many other roles, was the Spokes-pony for SHR. He was a 29 year old Arabian and due to his incredibly calm and outgoing nature was the perfect horse to represent Sunrise at various events around the valley. Having had only 2 homes in his long life, he represented the kind of care we believe all horses should receive. He was a friend, teacher and an inspiration to many.
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.
Charlie was a twenty-five year old Arabian mix gelding. He came to us in 2012 after he had served as a trail horse and a children's lesson horse for many years. Charlie was a fun horse to be around and formed strong attachments with his pasture mates and his human friends. He was very intelligent and communicative, and his curiosity and friendliness never ceased to entertain. He is missed by many!
Pete was a 17 year old, 16 hand Palomino gelding. He was a former police horse who sadly found himself neglected and starved with 100 pounds of sand in his stomach. Pete was well-mannered and very sweet despite being neglected for so long. Sunrise became aware of Pete's situation and agreed to take him in to the rescue. Pete was a 1 out of 10 on the body scale, 1 being the worst condition. In his last months at Sunrise, he received the best care available and was surrounded by people who loved him.
Quincy was a beautiful Paso Fino Mare in her late 20's who was a show pony. She came to Sunrise when her previous owner could no longer care for her and her best buddy Ged. Due to her severe arthritis she could no longer be ridden or re-homed, so rescue was her only option. Quincy was comforted around the clock by our dedicated volunteers until she was humanely euthanized due to colic.
During a very stormy winter in 2010, concerned neighbors called SHR about a pair of horses that were in a desperate situation. Blitzen and his pasture mate, Comet, were living in a debris-filled yard with no shelter, food or water, they were eating the bark off of fallen trees and drinking dirty water to stay alive. Sadly, Comet passed away. Blitzen became a healthy and handsome favorite of Sunrise and loved his best friend Blue. Blitzen was an American Mustang that was born 2001 who was incredibly smart, and, despite his rough life, responded quickly to natural horsemanship training and human kindness.
Pippin, a 29 year old Welsh Pony, was a championship show jumping pony for many years but the pressures of training and competing got to be too much for him and he had a nervous breakdown. When he arrived at Sunrise, Pippin couldn’t be approached by men without attempting to bolt for safety. It took many years and his special friendship with Cupcake for him to learn to trust people.
In California alone, 186 horses died in racing related accidents in 2012. In the US, 24 Thoroughbreds die every single week on the race track. Had Richie not been rescued after fracturing his fetlock (ankle) he would have been one of these sad statistics. Richie was a Thoroughbred that was born in 1998 and although his injuries prevented him from ever racing or being ridden again, he still had many years of quality life left. He was a sweet and gentle horse who loved to be loved and enjoyed hanging out with his good friend Mickey.
Hero’s story is nothing short of a miracle. He came to us in August of 2013, the worst case of animal abuse that Napa Humane had seen in 27 years, “a walking skeleton.” He was found abandoned and alone, starving, and desperate. Hero fully recovered and thrived at his forever home at Sunrise Horse Rescue for many years. He gained 170 lbs and made many friends, both equine & human, and his sweet and forgiving nature was a magnet to anyone who met him.
Spirit was a Mustang in his late 20's. He was neglected for 10 years at his previous home and came to Sunrise with severe arthritis in his front legs and hoofs that were in horrible shape. He was not trusting of humans when he first came to Sunrise, but he made a lot of progress because of the love, time and attention he was given by some very dedicated volunteers. He was often called "Spirit the Wonder Horse" by some of his closest friends. We will all miss him dearly.
Star was a 29 year old Thoroughbred who was abandoned when her owner was deported from Napa. Our veterinarian gave her a body score of 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 using the Henneke horse body condition scoring system (1 being extremely emaciated). Despite her poor condition, she had an extremely sweet disposition and has made a full recovery at Sunrise.
Shorty was a handsome 21 year old Thoroughbred, and was 17 plus hands with many admirers. He was a retired dressage and event horse who ended up injured and neglected by his previous owner. Unfortunately, he always had pain when he would run or even trot due to his previous injuries and his severe arthritis. Shorty lived out his last years being loved and cared for at Sunrise.
Sunrise Horse Rescue is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, # 42-1746834
