FalconRidge Programs

Rehabilitation

Nash: a colt of excellent Arab bloodlines, Nash was rescued from a barn in Syracuse, New York where he'd lived his entire life (five years) indoors with his parents and another stallion. The stalls hadn't been cleaned in years, the horses were starving and neglected. See the story and photos of his previous home »

Rehoming

Stories of horses that have found new homes.

Silver Moon the Mustang

Silver Moon was adopted from the BLM online adoptions site from Colorado. She was a grey yearling mustang filly listed under the "Special Adoptions" section. Silver Moon had severe nerve damage to her face after getting her head stuck in the BLM holding facilities at Canon City. One side of her face drooped and mouth was agape. BLM staff had to clean out her mouth daily to remove food. I looked at her picture and knew she would have a hard time getting adopted. I contacted the BLM, filled out the paperwork and arranged transport for her to come to FalconRidge in California. When she arrived, it was apparent the nerve damage to her face was healing and her mouth no longer hung open. She was put out in a pasture and allowed to run and grow and play. Later, she was trained under saddle with no problems. She grew and was blossoming year after year. Silver Moon was adopted out to a loving home in Livermore, CA where she continues to receive training and has competed at shows. She has turned from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan and we are so proud of her. Here are her before and after pictures:

Project Hercules

Project Hercules is in honor of a little miniature horse colt born at FalconRidge Ranch named Hercules. We rescued his pregnant mother from Oregon, Lil Bitty. Lil Bitty foaled on a rainy night one January and a little colt was born. We named him Hercules. As he grew, we played with Herky every day. You had to get down on your knees to play with him or hold him since he was only about 16 inches tall.

Two months later, Hercules became sick and coliced. We took him and his mom to the hospital after the veterinarian tried but could not help him here at the ranch. The San Luis Rey hospital expert, Dr. Joe Cannon, said he had an intestinal blockage and we had them operate.

Hercules appeared to get better after his surgery and came home. Ten days at home, he got worse. We rushed him back to the hospital and they did emergency work on him. His veterinary bills then totaled over $6,000. Vets informed us his intestines had gone too long without oxygen from the original blockage. Sadly, Hercules got worse and we had to euthanize him the next day. We were beside ourselves with grief.

We decided to create "Project Hercules" in his honor. This is a program where one or two miniature horses, including Lil Bitty, Hercules' mother, would be taken to visit terminally ill children at Children's Hospital in San Diego. The hospital staff would inform us which children need a special pony visit. Imagine a child's face as they look at the door and see a miniature horse walk in their room, a horse that can put its head right on the bed and be petted? Each child that gets a pony visit would also be given a book entitled No More Nightmares.

The book is about the legend of a mythical herd of mares that escapes man by fleeing into the sky and become stars in the Pegasus constellation, where they fulfill a destiny to light up the night sky. Each child would also be given one of three plush stuffed horses, Comet, Moonbeam, or Lucky Stars which has a nightlight of comet, moon, or stars in their blaze that lights up when the child wants so they can fall asleep. The Hercules Project would purchase these for the children and a part of the proceeds goes to help protect wild mustangs.

The horses brought to the hospital would be gentle, groomed spotlessly clean and certified as Pet Partner therapy pets by the Delta Society.

Here are the horses of Project Hercules:
Lil Bitty, Peter Pan, and Mighty Mouse (click to zoom)