MEET THE HERD
Chief
Chief was the first rescue for SSFS. A call came into the Miami-Dade Humane Society to send a vet to put a badly injured horse down along the highway. A mare, foal and a gelding had been in an accident with a cement truck hitting the mare. Ann was working with the Horse Rescue called in to take in the bay gelding and the 4 week old foal… now orphaned. The 3 horses had been the cause of a serious accident and no owner was claiming responsibility.
The adorable foal was quickly adopted but no one claimed the gelding. Naming him Chief, Ann took him in and began training him. It did not go well. Two trainers gave him back. Three people, including John, were injured by this horse. Although the Chief was beautiful, what lurked in his head was nightmarish.
Realizing he had been abused and was traumatized by men, Ann finally took him to a female trainer in North Carolina. After throwing and seriously hurting her, Chief should have been on his way to the rodeo as bucking horse or slaughter. Not one to quit, and after several years of work, Chief and Ann finally had attained a partnership.
He became her primary riding horse, riding on extensive trail rides and a regular in Christmas Parades. Now 29, Chief is the main attraction at Southern Sun Farm’s yearly fundraiser where he proudly stands in a kissing booth and charges $5 for a selfie as Chief gives you a big kiss. And yes…Ann and Chief still ride together.
Molly Mae
Mollie came to us from Cabarrus County, NC through a cruelty investigator. Animal Control had been called out to see her years earlier as neighbors noticed the little donkey was badly lame.
The owner said Molly had been hit by a car only a day earlier and he just didn’t get her to the Vet yet. Ten years later, that same cruelty investigator was called out together with sheriff’s deputies to the same farm. This time it was because neighbors said foul odors were coming from the property.
There, the deputies found 4 dead horses rotting on the property in the open. Eleven other animals in extremely poor condition were found still barely alive. Then they saw Mollie Mae….still holding up her broken leg and getting around on 3 legs. She had been left to suffer for over a decade. This time it was felony animal cruelty and the man served jail time.
Others took in the horses in better shape but no one wanted a 20 year old crippled donkey. We had her leg x-rayed which showed her leg had broken in 2 places. Attempting to repair it after such a long time was impossible. Her leg would need to be re-broken and then pinned. Still, there was nerve damage and no flex response at all throughout the entire leg and foot.
She had simply pitched her hip over so that her foot stayed up about 6 inches off the ground. Then she just moved on with her little life. Today she is queen of the farm…coming and going at will and doing what she pleases. She grazes with Doc and Pango and sleeps in the barn at night. A little life worth saving!
11/29/24: We recently had to say goodbye to Molly Mae. She developed a neurological condition that initially caused her to walk in circles. While there were moments of hope as she seemed to improve, her condition worsened until she could no longer stand or take a step. This is the hardest part of our work, but she was lovingly euthanized and laid to rest here on the farm. Molly Mae was truly one of our all-time favorites, and she will be deeply missed.
Dusty
Sweet Dusty is a retired rodeo horse that arrived at the sanctuary emaciated, the very day he was supposed to be put down. Dusty had spent years as a cutting and team penning cow horse. By 12 years old, with athletic injuries he was primarily a trail horse and taught many kids and adults to ride.
But at 25 years old he was found in emaciated condition and he was scheduled to be put down. We gave him a home instead. In horrific condition and near death, John and Ann thought they might just be too late to help this horse. Dusty had missing teeth and had become unable to graze normally.
He had not been given any grain so he was starving to death. We had Dusty’s teeth cared for (floated) and he was wormed for severe parasite infestation. We then put him on a strict regimen of 5 small meals per day which included shredded beet pulp and alfalfa pellets to replace the grass he couldn’t chew up and swallow.
Eventually Dusty would be the greatest success story ever, gaining more than 340 lbs. to regain his health. Dusty will live out his life with us, his home.
Big Boy
Big Boy came to us after being blinded in his left eye. A registered Tennessee Walker and a large horse at 16 hh, his owner was concerned he would hurt himself, other horses or a human because he had become so skittish without all of his sight ability.
He often panicked at a slight sound triggering the “flight instinct” in the animals near him. It was easy to see how a person could get knocked down and trampled when this occurred. Having experience with blind horses we realized it just hadn’t been long enough for Big Boy to become adjusted, if he could at all.
Some horses are so high strung they cant adjust and euthanasia becomes the right thing to do for all concerned. Ann turned out the the big black horse near the house so we could talk to him throughout the day. We’d say his name, wait for him to respond and nicker back to us. We’d call to him from different directions.
Soon he was nickering first to get his people to respond to him. This meant he was beginning to use his other senses to asses his surroundings. Turns out Big Boy had quite the personality! He nickered for treats, for his new friends and at feeding times he always called out to let us know he was on his way.
We soon paired him with another TWH and they are best friends in the pasture. Still somewhat timid in his basic nature, Big Boy is thriving and running towards life rather than fleeing. He just needed a little time.
Kat Before & After, Tess
Kat & Tess
The story was all over the Internet about 30+ horses near Lumberton, NC, that had been found in horrible shape. As it turns out, this situation was more about neglect of the horses combined with old age and dementia in the owner.
In any event, the effect on these starving horses was the same. There would be one bale of hay thrown out for 30 horses and the available water was green and putrid. The scene of these emaciated animals was hard even for seasoned professionals to take but the pictures tell the story.
Of the three we took in, two lived. One we named Tess, one Kat (after the cruelty investigator who helped us) and a little pony mare named Ruby.
Tess turned out to be over 30 years old and the stress had taken its toll on the poor girl. While here, she was blanketed, fed 5 small meals a day and watered. However, after only 4 days we called the Vet to put Tess down.
Ruby was in better condition. Little Ruby was adopted by dear friends who already had 7 ponies and lives nearby.
Kat was under the same feeding protocol and because she was only a 4 year old, was brightening within a few days. Kat, robust and healthy now, still has attitude problems stemming back to her starvation and will remain at Southern Sun.
Pango
Little Pango came to us via a dog rescue in East Tennessee. Her original owner was in Southern Virginia and unfortunately had died in the severe flooding in that area 4 years earlier.
Friends and family tried to take care of Pango by turning her out onto lush green grass…..a near death sentence for an older pony as they are prone to founder. Realizing they could no longer keep her they sent her to friends who ran the dog rescue.
They, in turn, found Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary. When Pango came off the trailer we were stunned. Her tiny hooves were like elf shoes curled and warped. She was badly foundered and rocked back on her her heels so much she could barely walk. Additionally, Pango had sustained a skull fracture to the bone surrounding her eye. It appeared that she could have been kicked. The eyeball, while still there was detached and sunken in the cavity. No one had mentioned this injury.
We began by having the farrier trim her feet every 4 weeks. Even then she had severe abscesses regularly. We knew she had Cushings disease and was receiving daily meds but this complication inhibited her ability to fight infection. One year later the little paint pony has hooves that look nearly normal. Her best friends are Doc the Draft Horse and Amos the Golden Retriever.
Doc
Doc is a 21 year old, 2000 lb. Belgian Draft Horse. He came to us through friends who run Equine Adventures on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Having suffered severe heat stroke when the beach temperatures reached almost 100 degrees, the owners tried mightily to save Doc. His lungs were scarred, respiration impaired and heart rate was too high.
They called us and asked about relocating him to the rescue. Doc was living in a sandy, dusty environment which wasn’t helping his breathing. We agreed, but when Doc wasn’t improving the Veterinarian recommended the big horse be put down.
We asked them to try to get him just healthy enough to travel and we would do the rest. Two weeks later Doc was making the long journey from Cape Hatteras to the NC Mountains. Within 3 weeks Doc was off all his Meds. The clean, crisp mountain air, open pasture and much cooler year round temperatures agreed with him. Doc is a volunteer and visitor favorite. He is stall mates with Pango the pony and Molly Mae, the three legged donkey. In fact, Doc is so popular that he has a children’s book written about him.
Duke
Duke is a registered American Paint horse. He is out of champion stock and is the only equine on Southern Sun Farm who is not a rescue. John and Ann purchased Duke as a colt and raised him in North Carolina. Duke is John’s horse and participates in the local Christmas parade, the Annual Happy Trails Cowboy Church Revival and Ride, and charity rides.
Prince
Prince came to SSFS in late Spring of 2011 through a local veterinary office. Alleghany County Animal Control had seized the horse when so many complaints were logged about a horse that was being starved.
The owner was cited and the horse was removed to receive veterinary care. During his weeks at the vet’s office, Ann saw the pathetic horse. Having only seen one horse in worse physical condition throughout her years in rescue work, Ann said that if the owner would surrender the animal, she would bring it to SSFS.
Instead, the owner wanted the horse back and, animal cruelty laws being what they are, the abuser paid the charges at the vet and the fine to the County and the horse was returned to him.
Two weeks later, Prince was badly injured when he had been turned out with another gelding who bit and kicked him to keep him away from the limited food and water.
Prince was returned to the vet with multiple, severe wounds, the worst being a bite at his withers which resulted in a severe case of fistulous withers. The painful, hot, spurting masses erupted continuously over 4 months. After multiple courses of antibiotic injections and twice daily expressing by Southern Sun Volunteers and cleansing of the wound, Prince finally healed.
Within 8 months, Prince had gained over 250 lbs. The pathetic, wounded, starving Bay gelding who painfully backed off of our trailer in May 2011, would not be recognizable now. Although sleek and shiny with a flowing black mane and tail, there will always be traces of the indentation at his withers. We lost Prince in 2020 at the age of 32.
Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary relies completely on the dedicated work of volunteers and the generous donations from supporters like you. To ensure we can continue providing the best care for our rescued horses, we depend on your contributions. From feeding and veterinary care to farrier services and shelter, the costs of caring for these animals are ongoing and significant.
To learn more about the expenses involved in equine care and how your donation directly supports our efforts, read our blog.
Alternatively, you can visit our donation page to make a difference today and help us continue rescuing and caring for these deserving horses. Your support means the world to us!