Sunrise Horse Rescue

09/06/2025

Raven 🥰 entered the Sunrise Sanctuary in December of 2022. The first photo here with volunteer Paula was taken in January of 2023.

Now, Raven lives in a nearby pasture (second photo) that is lent to us with her BFF Koda. She had some minor swelling in her eye last week and her friend Paula went out to put eye ointments in. Raven and Paula resumed the bond which they had established and were delighted at the reunion.

Some horses and some people just have a special bond- no one predicted that Koda and Raven would immediately form a bond, but they did and now they are a little herd of two in a very special pasture that is perfect for them.

09/03/2025

Refeeding is risky for horses who are emaciated as well as horses who have been deprived of feed short-term. If you're working with a horse that has been subjected to this, remember to consult your vet, use alfalfa, and refeed slowly!

After an emergency, animals may not have access to food for days at a time. Their bodies respond to this starvation by mobilizing energy stores to meet their needs, but this can cause major fluid and electrolyte abnormalities.

Upon rescuing an animal after a disaster, it may be your immediate instinct to offer them food as soon as possible. However, if these animals are offered free choice feed after being rescued, these imbalances can drastically worsen and result in respiratory, cardiac, and neurologic complications. This group of clinical signs in response to introducing feed after starvation is termed “refeeding syndrome”.

To prevent refeeding syndrome, follow the guidelines outlined in the graphic and be sure to work with a veterinarian to address any concerns specific to your situation.

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Commitee for providing this information.

08/31/2025

When horses are denied regular contact with other horses, they can experience increased stress, which may manifest as restlessness, stereotypic behaviours (such as weaving or cribbing), and even health issues like digestive or musculoskeletal problems.

Social isolation has also been linked to heightened anxiety, learning difficulties, and a greater risk of injury, as horses deprived of companionship are more likely to become despondent or withdrawn.

Humans can offer comfort and support to horses during periods of social isolation, but cannot fully substitute for the social bonds horses form with other horses.

A recent (2025) study by Janczarek and colleagues examined this issue by measuring heart rate, heart rate variability, and behavioural responses in 12 horses during brief isolation periods.

The researchers found that even with attentive human support, horses still show physiological and behavioural signs of stress when isolated from other horses. Mares, in particular, remained stressed regardless of the type of human interaction.

Janczarek, I., Gazda, I., Barłowska, J., Kurnik, J., & Łuszczyński, J. (2025). Social Isolation of Horses vs. Support Provided by a Human. Animals

08/29/2025

The sense of smell in horses is exceptionally acute, thanks to the vast amount of tissue dedicated to olfaction within their nasal passages.

When a horse inhales, air is warmed and circulated under pressure, allowing scent molecules to condense and settle onto the sensitive lining of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) for processing.

This enables horses to analyze and remember complex scents with remarkable precision—the VNO’s sensory cells can separate chemical cues almost down to the individual molecule, performing like a biological mass spectrometer.

Horses often display the flehmen response—curling back the upper lip and drawing air into the nasal passages—to intensify their perception of certain scents, especially pheromones and markers of other animals.

This action, apart from being a sign of olfactory investigation, may signal abdominal discomfort such as colic.

The ability of horses to differentiate between myriad scents supports their advanced recognition memory and plays a crucial role in their behaviour and communication.

This ability also is the reason why horses are increasingly being trained and used for scent-based search and rescue (SAR) as "air scent detection" animals in wilderness and missing person searches.

While historically valued for covering rough terrain and offering searchers a higher vantage point, horses’ natural olfactory abilities are now also being actively harnessed through dedicated scent detection training, similar to methods used with dogs, with progressive training methodologies and emerging certification standards guiding their deployment.

📖 Adapted from information in Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 1 by Andrew Mclean

🛍️ Available for purchase from our webshop

08/27/2025

Cee Bud, Rosemary, and the whole Sunrise herd made some new friends and provided them with blood samples over the last few days. Why?

To help the California Veterinary Emergency Team - CVET study the effects of smoke exposure and evacuation on horses' health. We are proud to help advance veterinary science! And get cookies 🐴🐴🍪.

Seriously, after the heavy smoke our herd experienced Friday morning, it was a huge help to have this experienced vet team check over all our horses. Although most of our horses did not need to evacuate, a few of our foster horses did. and they were able to see them as well.

08/26/2025

Have you ever been told that alfalfa makes horses "hot"?

Well, when we take a closer look at this statement, the truth is much more nuanced, and it depends on several factors.

First, it's important to discuss which definition of "hot" you are referring to. The horse's core body temperature? Or, "hot" as in the horse's behavior?

Taking a look at the nutrient content of alfalfa hay vs. grass hay, alfalfa hay has higher digestible energy; meaning it will have more energy per pound, but less fiber. In addition, it also has lower hydrolysable carbohydrates than grass hay, thus lessening its effects on insulin levels.

Alfalfa hay is also higher in protein. This is where an increase in core body temperature comes into play, because protein increases metabolic heat generation when used for energy compared to fats and carbohydrates.

However, protein conversion to energy is less efficient, therefore horses typically aren't utilizing protein in large amounts as their energy source. Excess protein will be excreted through the urine instead of being stored in the body.

In terms of making a horse "hot" in behavior, as mentioned earlier, alfalfa does have more energy per pound than grass hays. So, if alfalfa is introduced to a horse's diet WITHOUT properly balancing for energy (calories), there is a potential for increased reactivity.

In addition, feeding alfalfa alters the gut microbiome compared to grass hay. Alterations in the gut microbiome can be linked to changes in behavior. Therefore, owners may observe behavioral changes that are reactions to the change in the gut microbiome and not the alfalfa itself.

All this considered, IF the diet is balanced properly for energy and protein, there is no evidence that supports that there will be alterations in terms of horses becoming super reactive and "hot" behaviorally when they are on alfalfa hay. However, it can slightly increase their core body temperature due to its high protein content.

If you have questions regarding your horse's diet and feeding alfalfa, contact your veterinarian.

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.

08/24/2025

Katie and her buddy Rosita came for a sleepover for a night or two, just in case the headed their way. We’re tremendously grateful to for controlling the progression of the fire.

Katie and Rosita are guests of All The Kings Horses above Calistoga, and are being watched over very well. Thanks to everyone in the community for keeping all the horses safe!

08/23/2025

08/23/2025

Sunrise foster horses Flint and Louie and their friend Jake needed to come out of an evacuated area near Angwin, and we were extra lucky that Tamber Bey Vineyards was able to house them for us!

Huge thanks to Tamber Bey for providing their lovely shady pastures and excellent care- including a ride down the mountain- for these horses. Jake is 33 and being near his herd and having a cool place to shelter has made all the difference for him. It’s not easy to evac when you’re a very old gentleman!

We’re thankful there is less smoke today and very grateful to CAL FIRE.