One thing that always fascinates me about our "open herd" setting is how the horses decide for themselves who they want to spend their time with. There are pros and cons to this management style, but this is definitely one of the pros.
Anecdotally, horses seem to seek out other horses that are the most similar to themselves, with the Thoroughbreds sticking together and the Mustangs, and so on. The one exception to this is with the mini mules, who are by far the most socially versatile friends at the party! They move from group to group and often change who their preferred buddies are, although they always stick together (their trio contains Paisley, Mia and their bestie, Tater, who is a mini donkey).
On this day, BLM mustang Valor and Mia were enjoying a mutual grooming session, and it was a rather unexpected interaction as we don't usually see them hanging out together. Watching them have the freedom of choice, expression and independence is extremely satisfying. ❤️
We are an equine sanctuary, but pigs will always have my heart! Meet Tiramisu aka "Tira" 🩷 Tira is a young lab pig who needed immediate placement after being discharged from a research program, where she was used as a test subject for 2nd and 3rd degree burn treatments.
Usually animals used for medical testing are euthanized at the end of a study, and we recognized the incredibly special opportunity Tira had to live a real life. Instead of letting her be put down, we brought her to sanctuary where she will be pals with Tapioca, our truck jumper who was rescued earlier this year.
Tira loves to do pig zoomies and we adore her!!
The alfalfa hits different when it's right off the bale 🌾
Ali + Maddox, mom and baby. He is not quite two years old but he is already bigger than mom with plenty of growing left to do. 💗
Katsina and Chico are both super friendly now. Today was the first time Josh got to pet little Kat and you can probably see the fireworks flying - Josh is in love 💗 We are preparing to move the four Alpines to Red Feather soon, but first they will get their hooves done and dentals while still at Laura's.
We continue to receive a steady stream of owner surrender requests but we will have to scale back on intakes until our facility needs are addressed, which includes fencing and an expansion that has been underway for many months! That said, we do have one last intake planned for the year so be sure to stay tuned for the very special case we are expecting.
Patreon subscribers are always the first to hear big news so please consider joining us there to get the most current information. Subscribing is a great way to support our rescue work with a monthly contribution.
www.patreon.com/redfeatherfarmnc
Thank you for being a part of the Red Feather community. We can't do it without you.
Siri 😂 There's never a dull moment with horses, folks!
Buck the bulldozer!! He is such an enthusiastic eater 😄 His full vetting appointment is on Friday, where he will get a dental float and a rabies vaccine. We are still dialing in the management of his arthritic discomfort and will revisit this with our vet on Friday. We are also going to pull blood work and make sure his systems are all working properly.
No matter how much time his body gives us, we are so thankful to have had this joyous old man in our lives! He is such a bright light on the farm. Forever Team Buck 💙
#BuckOff #TeamBuck #WNC #appalachia
If you have been following the journey of the Alpine wild horses, you will enjoy this behind-the-scenes content of Laura working with Sundance on releasing tension and continuing to reinforce that not all humans are scary.
We normally post these videos for our Patreon subscribers but wanted to share it here so you can see the type of gentling that we do with wild, unhandled or traumatized horses. Sundance and the other Alpine mustangs we rescued from auction this summer have been in our training program with @bushelbarns learning to halter, lead, and pick up feet, in preparation for vet and farrier work.
It is our responsibility as an ethical rescue to prepare these horses for a domestic life. Many people do not realize that rounded up mustangs cannot simply be rewilded by turning them loose in a large field - they either need a program with infrastructure like @skydogsanctuary (which includes chutes and expertise to manage routine and urgent medical care) or they have to be gentled for safe handling by humans. Anything less leaves them vulnerable to prolonged neglect and the ever-present risk of flipping through auctions and the slaughter pipeline.
Consider joining us on Patreon for more videos of Laura working with the Alpines and other BTS content ❤️
www.patreon.com/redfeatherfarmnc
Today marks the 4 year anniversary of Topanga's freedom ride!
The very first time I ever went to a horse sale, I saw this sweet horse standing in the corner of an auction barn stall with mice scurrying about her feet. She was obviously scared and shut down, plus she was visibly pregnant. I wasn't even registered to bid so I had to watch her be sold while I said a silent prayer for her safety.
Over the weekend, I could not get her out of my mind. By Monday, I decided to call the auction and ask them to pass along my name and number in case the buyer changed their mind. The employee responded by saying, "oh she's for sale," and I knew we had to get her. Apparently a trader/flipper had been the one to purchase her from the auction, and so I got his number and told him we would be there to pick her up that evening after work.
We had no idea how far along she was in her pregnancy, and every night of the following seven months was sleepless as we anxiously awaited the baby's arrival. Topanga grew and grew and grew. Finally, in May of the following year, baby Capri arrived and brought infinite joy into our pasture!
Our team of volunteers spent many months assuring Topanga that she would get to keep her baby, and that is a promise we continue to honor with love. Capri is now 3 years old, and has found her own friends and life away from mom - but Topanga is never far.
Being able to provide this safety for Topanga and horses like her is priceless. Thank you all for being here and helping create this reality for horses in need. We are eternally grateful. 💗
Video by @_anotheranimal
Aannnd this is why horse rescues need your ongoing support.... Also Facebook is wild 😵💫
Help us protect horses from these people by leaving positive comments and spreading KINDNESS for all of your favorite animal rescues.