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.
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.
Mickey is a Quarter Horse/ Thoroughbred cross that was born in 1999. He was slaughter-house bound when a friend of Sunrise bought him at an auction to spare him that cruel fate. While it appeared that he would make a good riding horse for someone and would be easy to re-home, it became obvious that this would not be possible due to his overall unsoundness resulting from unknown causes in his past.
Mini-Moo is a miniature horse and was born in 2011. She is the young mom to Ronnie and as such, she is fiercely protective. Some might say she is a bit of a helicopter parent, although she is learning to let her baby have some independence. The lively mini is very close to her baby, and they never stray too far from each other.
Ronnie is a miniature horse that was born in 2016 to her mom Mini Moo. She is youngest of our herd and is up for anything anytime. She closely investigates everything and doesn’t hesitate to stick her nose in your pocket in search of treats. This bad habit qualifies her for the “No Hand Feeding” rule, although she will do her best to get visitors to break it. She is responding well to halter training and will happily follow her leg rehabilitation exercises as long as there is the promise of a low-carb cookie.
We teamed up with two other horse rescue organizations to save Donya and two of her pasture mates from terrible neglect and starvation. When we found them, they were eating rotten vegetables, some of which were toxic for horses, they had limited access to water, and were covered in ticks. Despite over two months of extraordinary efforts by veterinarians and dedicated volunteers, two of the three horses we rescued that day were not able to recover from their severe maltreatment.
Pace is a Quarter Horse cross that was born in 1991. He was a packhorse in Supai, Arizona, used to carry tourists gear in and out of the Grand Canyon under unspeakable conditions of abuse and starvation. Two friends of Sunrise were on vacation when they witnessed this, and worked tirelessly to rescue Pace and raise awareness about the abuse of Havasupai pack animals, which has been occurring for over 40 years.
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
A 28-year-old Arabian, shy but sweet-natured Sun-E served for many years as a brood mare before coming to Sunrise to live out her last years. When she grew too old for the job, she and her good friend Dreamer were taken in by a compassionate couple who kept them for eight years. But when those owners lost the lease on their land, both mares needed to find a new home quickly. At Sunrise, Sun-E lived with her long-time companion and was cared for lovingly until she reached a peaceful end of her days.
Emerson an American Quarter Horse that was born in 1989 he served many years teaching equitation to kids and adults at a local riding club. When his age and arthritis made him unable to work, he was slated to be sent to auction. There he would have been vulnerable to being shipped off for slaughter, but luckily he came under Sunrise’s radar before that could happen. He spent his final years happy and well-deserved retirement along with his buddy Roscoe where they both were fostered by the Clif Family at their beautiful Clif Family Ranch in Angwin, California.
Moe was a 29 year old Quarter Horse with a gentle and sweet spirit. After serving his owners for many years as a long distance trail horse, Moe was sent to a livestock auction where the only ones bidding on him were meat buyers. He finally found a safe home at Sunrise, where he made many friends that will miss him dearly.
Sunrise Horse Rescue is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, # 42-1746834
