Kataluna Horse Rescue

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Kataluna Horse Rescue

Kataluna Horse Rescue Is dedicated towards rescue and rehabilitation for equines in need!

This page was created to share our horses life changing journeys through rescue of slaughter bound horses. As well as embark on the amazing opportunities to allow humans be the student, and learn from the horses point of view.

01/22/2025

It really is all in the emotion🥹 the light coming back into her eyes, the curiosity of being able to know what it’s like to have a voice and to have a choice. These three pictures are Pocus the miniature donkey originally back in October when we first rescued her, after her and her family were brought to auction in a herd disposal, to now. A picture really does capture a thousand words. And you can see how much her little baby belly is growing💕

I am so grateful to for spending such good quality time with Pocus these last several weeks. She’s helped gain so much confidence and enjoyment in being around people when originally she was trying to climb the fence to get away from people. From a donkey who was terrified anytime someone came close, to now greeting us every morning, meeting you at the gate for scratches, learning and to walk on a lead and truly getting to enjoy her life! This is what we strive for in all our animals and seeing the breakthrough is truly what makes it all worth it.

01/19/2025

Good morning from sweet little Glinda💕
Glinda is recovering so well from her surgery and can officially start her introduction into our training program as she waits to find her perfect adoptive family when the time is right❤️

In honor of little Glinda today, I would like to start bringing back our fundraising goals of “$6 Saving Lives Sunday”, we started this fundraiser last year but took a break for a bit of time. Although running a rescue requires non stop funding, ironically asking people for money is not one of my strongest suits, but I’ve learned to adapt and only ask when I know we need it, because I know it truly wouldn’t be possibly to do what we do here without our incredible donors and supporters like you!

Today I am reaching out to our community asking if anyone would like to contribute only $6 to raise funding for hay and grain in honor of Glinda!

It could be considered sparing a coffee for a day (actually less than what most coffees cost now days😂) and in return you’re helping feed an animal like Glinda for a month when we all come together❤️ Thank you all so much for your support in this every day!

$6 Savings Lives Sunday Goal: $662/600
VENMO-
PAYPAL- Horse Rescue
ZELLE- [email protected]
DONORBOX (card/Apple Pay)- donorbox.org/donate-today-257

01/16/2025

Another before and after because I can’t stop sharing these🥹 This is Jerry, a roughly 24 year old grey gelding who we found squished in the midst of hundreds of horses at the auction we attended in October. He was about 200lbs underweight, had large melanomas on his face and his mane and tail were covered in burrs. He just has this look to him like he’s been here before and he’s just tired. When horses get to be seniors they’ve seen quite a lot in life and are usually pretty adaptive to change. You could just tell Jerry has moved around a lot and my heart broke for him. I wanted to make sure this was the last time he ever ended up in this situation again. We brought him home and got him all cleaned up, he’s been eating really well and has been vetted and seen by our farriers! This guy has a heart of gold and nothing short of it. You just know he’s tried his heart out for people over the years and given them everything he’s got. It’s time for us to take care of you buddy❤️

Thank you for these wonderful photos yet again🥹

01/12/2025

One thing I love to see most in our horses as they spend more time here on the farm, is the power in change of their expressions.

This is Steve the horse. When we met Steve he was degraded to a number, dumped at auction yard, and about 250lbs underweight. He was shy, shutdown, & mostly kept to himself, but there was something about him that caught my eye. I noticed parts of his mane and tail were matted, but amongst the tangles I noticed once singular perfect braid. A braid that was put there intentionally I’m not sure why, but wanted to believe it was because someone knew his value and his true heart of gold. There’s countless reasons why horses end up at auctions and in the slaughter pipeline, but I feel like this was a way for him to have a chance maybe someone else couldn’t give him. A chance to be noticed.

I spent a some extra time with him that night just loving on him and letting him know we were going to do our best to help. The next day when he went through that sale ring my hand went up and you bet it didn’t go back down until he was coming home with us.

We don’t often get paperwork on the horses that come through either, sometimes they’ll have a scribbled paragraph with info but even that is rare. However, when I went to checkout and collect our paperwork of what horses we got, I was handed a veterinarian inspection with a picture of the horse with the braid, brought in with him by his previous owners. It wasn’t much, but it did have a name, Steve. I thought to myself how funny, never have I met a horse named Steve, but also, my life partner who is the most supportive person in my passion of helping horses, is also named Steve! I knew there was something that stuck out about this guy, I just didn’t know what until then😉

Since arriving, Steve has really started to come out of his shell. He’s still reserved, but you can see the light coming back into his eyes, his curiosity to engage and say hello to people as they walk by, and his little nickers when he knows it’s feeding time. Some horses come around rather quick, others can take weeks, months or even years, but without fail, I think each of them feel the sense of peace and love here❤️

Thank you again Sarah Stanley for capturing these beautiful photos🥹

01/10/2025

With 2025 off to a rocky start for some, I thought what better time than right now to share some happy news❤️

Here are a few of the faces and *names* just within the last year or so, whose lives SAVED and completely changed for the better thanks to you all. Kataluna adopted horses, donkeys, dogs, and cats, each of these animals got a second chance in 2024 and THIS truly is what makes the long days, the sleepless nights, the back to back meds, vet visits, farrier appointments, fundraising, rallying volunteers, coordinating haulers, training, rehab, and so so so much more, THIS is what makes it worth it.

In 2024, the animals adopted by Kataluna: (note this is ONLY the names of adopted animals, not all impacted animals or animals still residing in rehab & training):

Noel
Ghost
Dahlia
Cotton
Willard
Elton
Sylvester
D’Lo
Aretha
Louisa
Millie
Chip
Napoleon
Maui
Rado
Cowgirl
Merle
Shock
Shania
Waylon
Willie
Strawberry
Coco
Salsa
Mocha
Penelope
Lou
Five German Shepherd Puppies, Cody, Lenny, Audrey, Nola, and Olive
Four Husky Puppies and their Mama, Huckleberry, Shasta, Axl, Fenris and Sugar

01/09/2025

I really want to share and express my gratitude for each and every one of you these last few days as we’ve been processing and grieving everything that’s been going on around the farm❤️‍🩹 I truly couldn’t do this without the support and love you all share on the day to day. This place, this farm, the animals, and these people are all so special, and even on the toughest days I reminded why we do this and why it is so important to continue doing this. So truly, with all of my heart, thank you❤️

I took a couple days off social media just to try and gather my thoughts and feelings and there has just been so much weight it’s been challenging to figure out how to navigate through it all. So I appreciate everyone’s patience as well, today I wanted to share something a little more positive with some of my absolute favorite photos of little Dually taken by my very good friend Sarah ❤️ I just love his adorable little face and the joy he brings to everyone he meets! The first three pictures were taken just the other day, he is now 3-4 months old and the very last photo was of him when we met at auction just a mere eight week old baby. He is here and he is thriving because of YOU and because of everyone who helped support him to get here❤️

01/04/2025

Our Aurora Borealis💔 I cannot believe I am writing this.

Rescue means sometimes our hearts break, so that theirs never have to break again. But broken for this one is an understatement. We’ve had such back to back loss recently, but this one hit on a much deeper level. We gave her absolutely everything we could, but the damage that was done was just too far progressed.

I’ve loved the name Aurora since I was young, but for some reason never found it fitting for any of our former rescues. I didn’t know why, until my path crossed with her. We had a once in a lifetime phenomenon on our home farm, where for the first time in my life got to witness the “Aurora Borealis” otherwise known as the Northern Lights with our herd. A special dancing of colorful lights across the nighttime sky. That exact same day was the day our Aurora came into our lives. From an ex plow horse dumped to slaughter who could barely walk, to a horse who’s spark came back and passion to live bloomed again. She changed the lives of hundreds, simply from her peaceful presence she offered to everyone around her. She touched the lives of so many people and of course, myself. She truly took a little piece of everyone she met up there with her. Her stoicism and grace reminded me so much of my Luna. Countless vet and farrier appointments, X-rays, medicine, therapy, and hand walking, but of course even more love, light and kindness for her, specially for *her*. I believe she knew we were here to give her that. A life worth fixing so she can enjoy it, not so we can use it.

I am devastated, but I know this was the best decision for her moving forward. Her health was declining and she was in so much pain. There is no doubt in my mind our heavenly herd was there to greet her with open arms. We’ve had nothing but straight rain for nearly two weeks here, but just for the night as she was laid to rest, the rain stopped and she gifted us with the most beautiful sunset to match her beautiful flowers. I think this was her way of letting us know she made it❤️‍🩹 Just as I went to take this photograph, my dog Cali went over and sat right in view. She looked at the sunset, then back to Aurora and laid down as if to pay her respects which she has done with every horse who has passed on this farm. Thank you for the honor of letting us love you sweet Rora. We will miss you immensely down here.

01/02/2025

Today feels like a good day to share a good update❤️‍🩹 Remember sweet little Glinda named after “Glinda the good witch”, our six week old filly with leg deformities who was dumped at an auction without her mom and crammed into a pen with dozens of other babies and pony’s? Well look at her now🥹❤️ Little Glinda has been through one heck of a journey in her 3-4 months of life already. Her surgery on her left hind growth plate went as well as we could have hoped and he has been on such an incredible road to recovery since then. She is the sweetest little thing and gone from being terrified of people to running when she sees my truck pull in. Something special this little girl is and to see her thriving fills my heart more than I can put into words❤️

01/01/2025

I hope, big or small, no matter what hurdles or adventures this new year bring to you, you are proud of yourself every step along the way because you did it, and you deserve everything good that comes to you❤️ Boo and Aurora, our smallest horse and our biggest horse on the farm, wishing a very warm & happy year for everyone!

12/31/2024

Happy New Years Eve everyone❤️ I apologize I have not shared more updates recently, in all honesty there’s been a lot I’ve been trying process mentally, emotionally, and physically over the last few weeks. I’m trying to my best to keep up but there’s just so much to manage and I find myself struggling, without knowing where to seek help. My whole life I’ve never been very good at asking for help, even though I know I am surrounded by an incredible community and family who would be there in an instant to lend support. This life is hard. For anyone who lives it, it’s hard. There’s so many ups and downs, so many beautiful things to be appreciative for but so many heart wrenching things that bring sorrow. It’s a constant balancing act for each of us I know. Going into this new year, I just hope that each of you remember to give yourself the important gift of *patience* and grace. It’s okay to not know. No one is given a “how to” manual on what to do next, and I know it’s something I need to remind myself constantly.

Taking care of and changing the lives of so many animals is nothing short of my dream “job” and I cannot imagine doing anything else. I do believe this is my sole purpose on this earth. Although, I’d be lying if I said my heart hasn’t been heavy lately. I know everything will be okay, and I lean on my close people and animals during moments like these because it’s so important to know they are there for you❤️ thank you all so much for always being so supportive and encouraging to keep going. Even if all you did this year was keep going, you should be proud of yourself. The new year will bring so much good❤️

12/27/2024

Last night when the stars came out during a break in the rain, I went to say goodnight to the horses. Aurora was lying down in her paddock although she had open access to the pasture so I went and sat with her. She’s been lying down a lot more lately. I just wish more than anything I could take her pain away. Fix everything that someone else broke so she could run and play and be happy and free with the others. She is one of those horses whose soul is just so true, you feel honored to be apart of her presence.

Recently, I’ve been worried about her. I always am, and since day once she’s been a horse I worry about on the daily just wanting to make sure she’s okay. The last few weeks have been harder for her, not significantly but any change in our horses better or worse is a change I am constantly thinking about. Last night when I sat with her, she slowly brought her head over to my arm and ever so gently rested her nose on my hand. She took a few deep breaths with me and we just sat together. My heart felt so vulnerable in this moment, because she reminded me so much of my Luna. No matter how worried I was about *her*, she was always trying to comfort *me*. It was as if she was telling me “I see you, I feel you, and just know that everything will be okay”.

If you took the time to read this today, I would just love to ask if you could take one more extra moment to send Aurora your love, your good thoughts, your prayers, and just help her feel from all of us that she is right when she is letting us know everything will be okay❤️

12/23/2024

❤️ADOPTABLE HORSES❤️
It’s about time I shared some of our adoptable herd members who have officially graduated and are ready to find their forever families! As much as we would love to keep every horse who comes through our doors here at Kataluna, our mission and goal is rescue and rehabilitate to find forever loving homes. The more we keep here the less we can help moving forward.

I’d like everyone to meet:
❤️Hank- 10.2hands 6 year old Shetland pony Gelding! Hank is a spunky character with a lot of personality, he was basically feral with minor handling when we first welcomed him. He was gelded in April and has come a long way in his training. He’s been on hand walks through town and through the trails. He is not a kids horse at this moment in time and we feel would do well as a buddy to some other playful ponies!

❤️Sable- 14.2 hands 6 year old Morgan Friesian Cross Mare! Sable was another horse who was basically unhandled when we first brought her in. She wanted nothing to do with people and has turned into the complete opposite in your pocket love bug. She does have a genetic sway back which has been evaluated by our vet without any issues or pain, just “cosmetic”. Sable is *incredibly* smart and loves to learn, and is ready to go in any direction! She has been started on the ground but not under saddle yet.

❤️Prim- 13.1hh 6 month old saddlebred cross filly: her birthday June 25th born at 6:26am! Prim is growing fast and going to be a big girl, she is gaited just like her mama and is halter trained. She’s everyone’s best friend and has been the most affectionate, friendly baby we’ve ever had on the farm. Everyone here just adores her and her incredible personality.

❤️Salem- 15.3hh 20-22 year old Saddlebred mare and Prims mama! Salem is incredibly sweet but needs a special person to call her own. She’s got the biggest heart once she feels she can trust you, but will likely need someone more experienced than a beginner to help her progress in her training. Salem can be cautious of her new surroundings but is actually more confident under saddle than on the ground. We’ve ridden her at a walk and a trot but no loping yet due to wanting to make sure she’s got the proper muscle built up first!

❤️Dually- 13hh at 3-4 months old! Dually is curious and friendly but with being so young, we don’t know much about his breeding, aside from the fact he is going to be a big boy. We rescued him at only 8 weeks old without his mom. Dually is still quite young and in no hurry to leave the farm, but to the right home we are open to him starting his new journey as otherwise he is healthy and thriving!

❤️Boo- 20 year old, 30 inch tall mini mare! Boo is just cute as can be! She’s set in her ways as a sassy little mini mare and we love her for it. She does have a twisted foot but has been evaluated by our vet without issues. She’s happy, healthy and ready to find her family!

❤️Strawberry- 6 year old, 31 inch tall mini mare! Strawberry was actually a former Kataluna Rescue alum who due to unexpected life changes has found herself back at the rescue which we understand happens from time to time. Strawberry is as sweet as her name and been a companion mini for another mare. She does have a permanent limp for reasons unknown before coming into the rescue, but has been evaluated by multiple vets with no issues and no pain. She’s happy & healthy!

If you are interested in learning more about any of our adoptable horses, seeing more pictures or videos, please feel free to message us or send us an email! Each horse is up to date on their farrier & vet care. A small adoption donation to help go towards their care.

12/21/2024

I’m hoping to bring a little more brightness into todays post with our sweet Aurora and these (yes they are real😱) giant candy canes❤️🤍❤️🤍

I’d love to hear some of your favorite holiday traditions whether it be with family, by yourself or with your animals?! One of my favorites is always dressing up our horses in holiday cheer and walking them through town to our local drive through coffee shop. It’s always so much fun seeing the smiles on peoples and kids faces, and such good quality time with the horses and wonderful friends❤️

12/20/2024

I’m sorry💔 This was not what I wanted to share today. I had planned to share exciting adoption announcements, not another loss. Another loss so close together of one of our eldest herd members Francine, and then just last week our youngest sweet Herbie.

Our vet had come out yesterday for our routine check ups, we had several horses on the list (which did all get done and seen) including Francine because she hadn’t been feeling well prior to the vet. It was minor symptoms up until yesterday when she took a turn for the worst. I am still in shock at how quickly she declined because it was just so fast. She couldn’t breathe, her lungs were filled with fluid and blood, and she was miserable. After we made the call, we decided to look further into what had happened to make sure there was no risk to the rest of our herd, and our vet determined it was congestive heart failure. There was literally nothing we could have done and her body was shutting down from the inside out. We knew Francine was older (at least 30s+) and although my heart breaks she is no longer with us, I am just so grateful she was able to enjoy a happy retirement for the last few months she was here in a big pasture with endless food, friends, and love. In the pens when we first met Francine never left our side. She pushed off other horses and positioned herself right in our path as if to say “I picked you, now take me home” and there was no hesitation my hand flew in the air the second she came in the auction ring. I truly feel she enjoyed every moment here in her forever home just as much as we enjoyed welcoming her with open arms❤️‍🩹 I just have no other words right now so thank you all for understanding. We love you Francine. Give little Herbie a kiss for me.

12/19/2024

Just a reminder there is still time to get your 2025 calendars HERE: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Store/Horses+of+the+PNW+2025+Wall+Calendar-4424028535 💛✨🌻

Thanks to Beyond the Stables Photography who put so much heart into creating this calendar, with proceeds benefiting the rescue horses here at Kataluna, you can have one to celebrate beautiful horses all across the PNW all year round!

12/16/2024

I know this isn’t our typical post here on the rescue page, but I couldn’t help but share the amazing photographs Spirit X Images captured of my sweet Piper and I earlier this fall✨💛 my beautiful best friend of eight years going on forever more. We used to do a lot more photography together, Piper and I, but with the rescue growing and more horses needing help, I haven’t been prioritizing my own herd as much as I would like to. So spending this time with her and having these images mean the world to me. Thank you Juliette!

12/09/2024

New merch just in time for Christmas🥹🎄❤️

Every few months I love to collaborate with the incredible who helps us create these beautiful works of art inspired by our horses to share with you all, and also to help raise awareness and funding for horses in need. A few weeks ago I read this quote “we cannot change a horse’s past, but we can rewrite their future” and it really stuck with me. Especially with our three babies Glinda, Dually, and Herbie who were only 6 weeks old dumped at an auction. Nica and I collaborated and this piece was created in honor of them❤️ something I thought was special, was that the day our little Herbie crossed that rainbow bridge, just so happened to be the same day Nica finished this design and shared it with me🥺 Up until that moment we really didn’t know what to expect for his future. His little story was meant to live on before we even knew how his story was going to be told. My hope is this design can help cover part of his end of life care, as well as support Glinda and Dually for their futures. So this one is for them❤️

You’ll also see our new “Horses make me Happy” design on there as well! If you’re looking for a fun gift to put under your tree and support our rescue horses then this is a great way to do so! I know sometimes our distributor can take a few weeks to ship so If you’d like them by Christmas I would recommend ordering soon!

ORDER HERE: https://www.bonfire.com/we-can-rewrite-their-future/ (or use the link in our bio)

Thank you all for always being so incredibly supportive, kind, and caring during these times. I cannot tell you enough what that means to me❤️

12/08/2024

What does it really mean to "let them go on a good day?"

It means it will be your hardest day. It won't matter if you've never done it before, or if you're gifted a dozen good days, each good day is always the hardest one.

It means they won't know what the fuss is about, why they're getting so many treats and extra belly scratches and hugs.

It means you will second guess your decision right up to the very last moment, the very last breath. You'll second guess yourself afterwards.

They'll knicker at you when you arrive, just like any other day.

The weather, perfect. They are content. They look sound today. They are breathing well, eating well, they get up easily enough from a nap in the sun....the list goes on. Whatever issue they struggle with, today they aren't.

Today you euthanize them.

This is what going on a good day means: sending them out while they are happy, while they are healthy, while they are eating well, walking well, etc. You make the choice to do it before an emergency takes the choice away from you, before your horse has to experience any more trauma or pain.

Their last memory will be filled with love.

It'll rip your heart out every time.

We can see the patterns and the increasing trends. We can predict it a little. We can obsess over the past and worry about the future.

Fortunately, horses, all animals, live in the moment. They don't worry about those things. They aren't worried about winter. They aren't worried about July, or allergies, or progressive diseases like cushings or dsld. They don't think about the close calls they've had before, and they certainly aren't thinking about the close calls that are destined to come, as their body continues to age and break down. They just are. They are happy and healthy, or fearful and in pain, on that day, in that moment.

It is the most difficult, most loving gift we are blessed to be able to give.

And that first ice storm will come, that first deep snow, that first heat wave....and you will find a little relief, no longer doubting the choice you made.

They were happy, and safe, and loved. That is all that matters.

It is never easy. ~Kelly Meister, author

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3807 324th Avenue SE
Fall City, WA

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https://linktr.ee/Katalunahorserescue

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But in all honesty it’s also the absolute best thing about what goes on here because we love each and every one of them so much😘

Can you believe baby Prim will be six months old on Christmas Day🥹 I just can’t believe our little surprise baby is so grown so fast💜

Happy National Day of the Horse!🐴 to celebrate the life of all our horses, past, present and future, who we have loved for every ounce of who they are and what makes them so truly special in the deepest parts of our hearts💜

“Let them go. Let them have their opinions and judge your decisions. Let them think the very worst of you. Let them make fun of the great things you do. Let them have it all wrong. But never let them make you feel that you don't belong. Never let them make you question your worth, because you deserve to take up space on this earth. Let them be whoever they choose, because it's absolutely nothing to do with you. Let them believe whatever they think they know. Let yourself be free, just let them go.”-Author Unknown. The thing I love most about these animals is no matter what you look like, no matter how you dress or do your hair, no matter how much money you have in your bank account or how many followers you have on social media, no matter anything of those sorts, these animals love us. They love us with every ounce of their heart with room to spare. It’s a type of unconditional love that cannot be bought or bargained for, but one that is earned by trust and time. An animal will befriend you for your sense of character, even having never shared a conversation, and that speaks louder to me than any words.

Our baby’s final moments❤️‍🩹This is something very special I want to share with you, but I know may be sensitive to some readers. Yesterday I wrote, no matter what we go through here at the rescue, being with them in their final moments is always the hardest part. A blessing and a curse all wrapped up in one, because sending them off with their new wings is heartbreaking when you know there was nothing more you could do for them to stay, but so special at the same time knowing we are there to shower them with unconditional love as they cross over, which is something they may have never known before. As I pulled in to greet Herbie one last time yesterday morning, he was enjoying his favorite time of the day, sleeping in the warm early sunshine feeling the light winter breeze through his coat. He has been laying down a lot due to his pain. I sat with him a while as we have done many days before, while we waited for our vet. He rested his head on my lap a few times, and I took in every moment. The fact he trust me enough to sleep while I held him is more of a gift I could ever ask.Our vet arrived and quietly walked over. Her and her assistant greeted him softly, he knew he was safe. Upon his initial sedation my vet warned he may jump up as it is a poke in his neck to help him fully relax and not feel a thing. He jumped slightly but stayed lying down and remained calm, slowly sinking back down into our lap and hands as we hugged him, pet him, and told him what a good boy he is. He fell asleep in our lap like he’s done many times before, but this time he slept and dreamed a whole new dream. Both Glinda and Dually, his friends he was rescued with, came over to pay their respects. A short while later, Glinda lied down and continued to sunbathe next to her friend while Dually stood watch. I truly feel Herbie knew we were there to help him, and as hard as it can be, it was honestly one of the most peaceful transitions I’ve ever experienced. I will never take t

Not my most creative content but still too cute not to share😂 Wonka really enjoyed his new toy thanks to one of our amazing followers💜

What a night. Everyone is exausted😅 Last night we had a major wind storm or “bomb cyclone” as they called it with winds as strong as 50-70mph in some areas including ours. We prepped the farm and the animals as best we could but I don’t think anyone really knew the extent of what to expect. As the night went on, things got worse so I decided to evacuate my home which is lined with a massive wall of trees and hunker down in my neighbors/best friends house next door. We watched trees and branches come down left and right through the window, and sirens blaring by every few minutes. Around midnight I went to check the animals and found five of our temporary shelters (which we very securely posted into the ground on all corners before the storm) absolutely demolished. Panels bent, broken boards and three pastures of fencing ripped away. With the help of my amazing partner we managed to get the horses moved around to different paddocks safe for the night. The donkeys shelter was also obliterated and they were loose in the front yard, but for a split moment my heart sank when little Charlie (the formerly sick 7 week old donkey) wasn’t with the herd and was no where to be found. I was so worried he was stuck or hurt but luckily we finally found him tucked behind one of our sheds and reunited him with the others. As of this morning everyone is doing well and resting since no one slept last night. As for the shelters, we are working on cleanup duty major of the day. I don’t usually ask for funds unless it’s somewhere we truly need for the animals, however this is likely going to be $2000-$3000 of damage between all the shelters, panels and fencing carnage. I am hopefully to gently put it out into the universe, if anyone would like to help send a donation towards new shelters for the animals it would be so greatly appreciated.We have several different platforms for donating, thank you all so so much for your continued love and support💜Venmo/Paypal: @ Kataluna

Watch as the winds get stronger and eerier throughout the day today🍃 There’s a supposed “bomb cyclone” visiting our beautiful state of Washington tonight, but rest assured all the animals are tucked away safe and sound for the evening. I’ll be going out in a few hours to give an extra bit of dinner to everyone just to keep nerves settled. So far it’s been minor compared to what weathermen predicted but will continue into the night. Neighbors already have power outages and downed trees blocking roads but we are still doing alright here🤞

Our sweet Aurora, when she first arrived to Kataluna we had no clue what her outcome would be. It’s been a lot of ups and downs in the process but right now in this very moment, she is enjoying life. And enjoying life for *her*. I had several people reach out to me initially when we first brought Aurora in, requesting to be on a waiting list to adopt her as a riding horse or a work horse. This was before we even knew what was going on internally, and as for all our animals, their needs come first. As we started to learn more and I started to share the extent of her situation, that potential adopters list got smaller and smaller until it completely vanished. I understand completely when people have dreams and desires for their equestrian journeys and we support that for horse and human best we can, but it saddened me a bit for Aurora because I knew that’s how she’d been viewed likely her whole life. A tool, for someone else’s desires despite what she was going through. So when our volunteers take the time out of their busy days to come give her love and cookies *for her*, and our herd invites her to join them in the pasture *for her*, and our vet and farriers work their butts off to find ways to keep *her* comfortable, despite the outcome, I know she’s found her place. She’s happy. That’s all I could ever ask for.

Today marks a hard day, to put it lightly. Seven years ago today I had to say goodbye to the most special man in my life, my father. And just a few years later, on this very same day I had to say goodbye to the most special horse in my life, Luna. November 9th, my hardest day of the year. Not only are we marking seven years without my dad, but this is the first whole year without Luna. One whole year. Honestly it’s still hard for me to believe it’s been that long without her presence on this earth. In my head, I wanted to make this big tribute video for you Luna. I had an entire year to put one together, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t look through our memories without my heart hurting so much, and when I did, I kept going back to these moment. These moments right here when time was frozen except for you and I. Nothing else mattered in the world as long as we had each other. I think about these moment a lot. I knew there would come a day your body would not be here, but I had no doubt I’d still feel your heart and soul every day moving forward, continuing to be my guardian angel like you always have. I miss you immensely Luna, but I see your signs. I feel your love from our heavenly herd and family up there with you. It’s that love that keeps me going. Thank you for that.

I cannot thank you all enough for everyone’s support this weekend❤️‍🩹 This was definitely a weekend filled with every type of emotion you could imagine. I’ve been trying to update our stories as often as I can, but we definitely hit the ground running full speed yesterday. I am headed out this morning to feed everyone breakfast and regroup with the herd, and then I will share more about who came home with us this weekend. For now, just know because of you guys, we managed to bring home *seven*. Seven lives changed forever. Here is a video of the first three. Our three little babies with leg deformities, bred for color and profit, but pulled from their mom’s way to early and dumped at auction because they were “imperfect”. They are home and settling in well. We love them so much already. You’re safe little ones.

‼️URGENT FUNDRAISER‼️

❤️‍🩹FUNDRAISER STARTED❤️‍🩹 🚨Pregnant Donkeys & October Auction Saves🚨Going into winter, we haven’t taken in any new rescues as we’ve been focusing on rehabbing the ones we currently have in our care, as well as working day in and day out to prep as best we can for our winter rain season. With everything under wraps, it’s time to jump back in. I was contacted by an auction yard in Texas about seven mini donkeys coming into their weekly sale on Wednesday. Four of which are heavy bred, one is a mama with a 3 week old Jenny foal, and one jack who’s been running with them. We see a lot of mini donkeys who sell at auction for higher dollar amounts because horse flippers know they can bring in more money elsewhere. Moving them from auction to auction which is no life for any animal, especially carrying a foal and being so close to delivery. Having Beansly and Prim born here on our farm, it just breaks my heart wondering what would have happened to them had their mamas not been rescued. So we want to do the same for at least some of these donkeys where we can. We are working to collaborate with another sanctuary on the herd, but our funding efforts will really determine how many of these little pens we can bring in. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE, I promise every single donation matters, no matter how big or small!❤️Venmo: @katalunahorserescue_ ❤️PayPal: @Kataluna Horse Rescue❤️Zelle: [email protected]❤️Card/Apple Pay: link in bio (donorbox.org/donate-today-257) ON TOP OF THAT‼️We have decided to attend a new auction out of state at the end of October. I’ll be sharing more details on this soon but this auction tends to have 200-400 loose sale horses on average *every month*. There’s a lot of reasoning as to why I am feeling called to visit this auction in particular, but we truly hope the outcome will be change the lives of a few horses that we can. For now we will focus on getting our donkeys home and I will

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Our Story- Living through Liberty

This page was created to share the amazing opportunities that allow humans be the student and horses to be the teacher, and for us to learn from their point of view.

I grew up working with rescue horses using the “typical” type of horsemanship training, until when I was twelve years old one horse in particular came into my life and turned all that around. These methods that I always considered to be the only way of working with horses, were being shut down left and right. This horse was scared, frightened of humans and not ready to trust. Others had tried their methods on her, some helped, some did not, but I was at a loss. Honestly, I was scared. I had made all the choices I thought I knew how, until I soon came upon this idea of letting the horse choose, and letting the horse be completely FREE rather than forcing her to engage. I will admit, I was hesitant. I was scared if I took off the ropes, she would run, that if I gave her the choice, she would choose no. But that is the reality we had to face. Five years later, by using this method of FREEDOM, we developed a trust, a team, and most importantly a friendship. My ways of working with horses changed forever.

Since then, I have come across so many amazing horses through fostering, adoption from feed lots, etc. I am currently working in Washington to grow and exploit this “training” technique to share with the world of equine. We appreciate everyone who comes through to our page and hope to inspire you and your four legged friend to try something new in honor of them!