Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary is located at 3500 feet and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mission of Southern Sun Horse Rescue is to provide a safe, secure place for abandoned, abused, neglected or unwanted equines. This mission includes providing feed, shelter, veterinary and farrier care as well as socializing. Some horses are adopted into loving forever homes. Some will have useful lives here such as trail horses. Some will live out their lives on the farm. Southern Sun is known to take those animals “least likely to find a home anywhere else. All are treasured!
Ann and John Lisk have over 50 years combined experience working in Animal Welfare. A lawyer by training, John took over the helm as Director of the Miami-Dade Humane Society and turned it around operationally with improved facilities, fundraising, community outreach as well as a newly donated building. While there John began the first ever Safe Families-Safe Pets Program. He found that crisis centers would not allow pets to stay with them. Through this program, women/families in abusive situations could leave their family pets safely at the Humane Society while they found better living arrangements. While serving on the Board of Directors for the Humane Society, Ann Lisk worked with two regional Horse Rescues. Whether administratively or operationally, there are not many scenarios that they have not experienced. That experience translated into Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary.
As Seabiscuit’s trainer, Tom Smith once said…” You don’t throw a whole life away just because its a little banged up”
Our Mission
Humbly, we share in each horse’s personal healing journey so that they may once again, feel safe and secure to live as the peaceful, majestic, free spirits they were born to be.
What Drives Us
Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit equine rehabilitation haven providing a safe, secure home for abandoned, neglected, abused, retired, unwanted horses. Our “herd” also includes various dogs, cats (as well as the curious raccoon, possum or fawn). Some of our rehabilitated horses are adopted into loving homes while others live useful lives at the sanctuary as riding horses, as “pasture potatoes” or simply enjoying life with their new family of other horses and volunteers.
We are dedicated to healing and restoring the body, mind, spirit energy of each horse with love, kindness, and genuine compassion for the traumatic life experiences that they have endured.
No matter their path ~ All are honored and treasured.
What We Do
Rescuing Horses
Some horses are subjected to cruelty and abuse but for a great number it is a case of neglect. If a horse can’t get out of a fence and go forage for their own food and water or drop by the feed store, then they are dependent on humans. With that in mind some people should never be horse owners. However another primary issue is horse slaughter.
From 2007 to 2011 Federal Appropriation Bills effectively banned horse slaughter in the United States. But the horse slaughter trade is still thriving. The issue did not go away. It is estimated that 80,000 to 100,000 horses are trucked across our borders to Mexico and Canada. It is a minimum of a 24 hour trip without food or water crammed into 18 wheelers. Due to the flight instinct in horses they are scared and often seriously injured or killed in transit.
The USDA documented that 92.3% of horses sent to slaughter are in good condition and are able to live out a productive life. Still, there are too many horses now with no place to go. Rural land is disappearing at an alarming rate and without pasture land, horses can be expensive to keep. When times are tough many horses simply become “unwanted”.
It is disturbing, but outlawing horse slaughter in the US simply showed how many unwanted horses had no other place to go. It can be a long and expensive journey to bring a horse back from abuse and starvation to good health. Southern Sun Farm uses the methods developed by the University of California- Davis Veterinary School, considered the “Gold Standard”.
For some horses this may be their first experience with proper nutrition and human kindness. Getting horses basically healthy with proper immunizations, worming, teeth floating and farrier care are the foundation to build from on the path back to a sound body and a sane head. But if you can soften them and touch their heart the rest of the horse usually follows.
“Saving one horse won’t change the world, but it will surely change the world for that one horse.”
Finding Horses A Home
Southern Sun Farm will average 16 to 22 horses, ponies and donkeys at any given time. Some are suitable for riding and are adopted quickly and some will be wonderful companion horses even for those folks who don’t need to ride but they like to see horses graze on their property. Others are not well suited for either placement due to age, disabilities or temperament. They will live out their lives at the Sanctuary.
We are very careful about our placements and require veterinary references and a site visit. Our only concern is that the horses do not end up back in the condition they were in when they arrived. More than anything, they deserve loving forever homes.
If you are interested in adopting a horse, please contact us so that we can discuss your needs.