We invite you to meet some of the animals we have rescued to date and hear their stories.
Our rescues 2024
Hannah and Abigail
Rescued January 12, 2024. Hannah is the tall bay Oldenburg and Abigail is the darker Percheron and Quarter Horse mix. One is an ex-show horse that can’t jump any longer due to going blind in her right eye and the other had been used as a broodmare, depressed from the loss of her baby this past summer. These two big, beautiful girls were in need of a safe place to land so they came here to ODF.
Hannah and Abigail are truly a wonder to look at both in size and beauty! They are the biggest horses we have had at ODF, so far. While Hannah welcomes attention and scratches, we are slowly teaching Abigail that we are here to love her.
The girls also struggle with the habit of cribbing which was not disclosed to us and is a new battle for us to figure out. Cribbing is a learned behavior to help soothe horse’s anxiety. We have chosen distraction techniques and daily interactions as a way to curb their need to self-soothe using this repetitive behavior. We have noticed a decrease and believe that with more time here at ODF, this habit will soon be a part of their past.
Ruth
Rescued February 7, 2024. There is no telling how many people have let this poor girl down. She was taken to auction, bought by a kill buyer, in a kill pen, bailed by a kind soul who got her out of that excrement-scalding muck and into quarantine, then to a temporary home, and now here at ODF. She was labeled as a “babysitter” by the kill pen, meaning she has a very calm and nurturing personality and she sure lives up to that label.
After only 2 ½ weeks here, Ruth has already become a wonderful companion to ODF’s senior, Classy. She is so easy going and has given us no hassle since her first day here. She knows when it’s feeding time and waits by the gate for us to come in. Ruth is incredibly patient and such a mellow, sweet girl. She is fitting right in here at ODF!
Our rescues 2023
Benjamin and Berea
Rescued December 18, 2023. Benjamin and Berea came to our attention through a call to action on Facebook and after days of trying to help from afar, I made the decision to go get them. We went in blind not knowing anything about the owner, would the horses be easy to catch, would they respond well to us, or would they trailer. All went smoothly on the day of pick up but it was obvious there was an immediate need for groceries and rebuilding muscle. Additionally Benjamin has bad teeth making it difficult for him to chew properly, one factor leading to his low weight.
After just one week of being at ODF their personalities really started to shine and it is obvious the bond that these two share. After three weeks here they had already gained about 60 pounds! We discovered that Benjamin eats slower than Berea so we separate them for only about 30 minutes a day so they can each get their proper portions. After seven weeks they are completely a part of the ODF herd and every day Berea greets us with the sweetest knicker at feeding time.
They both love scratches and getting a brushing however Benjamin is still a bit skittish and spooks. Slowly but surely he is learning to trust us though! They truly are a wonderful pair and we are grateful to have given them the chance they deserve.
Anna
Rescued September 28, 2023. “Oh Mom! Tell them we will take her.” Poor Anna’s picture showed a sad horse in a lot of pain with an old untreated leg injury. We couldn’t say no. Anna arrived here on September 28, 2023 and I knew when she stepped off the trailer, it was going to be a long road to get her back to healthy or at the least, give her a chance to improve knowing the Last Act of Kindness may ultimately be what she needs.
In 5-weeks, she has gained about 60 pounds and pain seems to be more manageable. She receives 4 small meals a day, daily pain management, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and tendon support. Our biggest concern is she needed to be able to lay down to rest something she wasn’t able to do. After receiving much needed farrier care and tendon support, she was able to lie down and get up!
Despite all of our efforts to heal Anna, she unfortunately was just in too much constant pain and her joints were too far gone. Anna received the Last Act of Kindness on December 8, 2023.
Zephaniah
Rescued June 2023. At 19 horses and all the reasons not to take in another one, especially an emaciated one that needed a lot of attention, we answered the call to bring Zephaniah (Zeph) here on June 30, 2023. He arrived about 300 pounds underweight, lame, rain rot and sad. To our surprise, it didn’t take long for this boy to bounce back! Feedings were 6x/day of small meals, daily anti-inflammatory given to reduce swelling in his legs and knee, a much needed bath and lots of scratches brought this boy out of his shell and on the way to recovery. Happy and healthy, Zeph is enjoying retirement at ODF.
On December 29, 2023 our sweet Zeph came down with a severe case of colic and was laid to rest. We sure do miss this boy and his personality around the farm.
Sweetheart
Rescued June 2023. In February 2023, I saw this girl in a kill pen and began advocating to get her out. A home had been found and one of our donors paid her balance. She went to that home in March where I visited her. Standing in the urine-scalding mud of the kill pen had eaten the flesh around her ankles leaving a hole that was obviously painful and would take time to heal. She was skinny and absolutely pitiful! Her new home was not sure how to best take care of her believing she exhibited dangerous behavior and contacted me to take her. I didn’t at first because we were full and had been full for a long time. I knew this girl needed a lot of attention and I was already stretched.
On June 26, 2023, Sweetheart arrived here for us to help her begin her recovery from fearful to trusting. She has learned not to fear a halter and can walk easily now relaxed. Our goal continues to be that she can let her guard down relaxing knowing she is safe.
Katie
Rescued February 21, 2023. The phone call came in a week before Christmas asking us to take an elderly horse that he had taken care of for several years. He explained that Katie was about 35-years old and had been living in a pasture by herself for most of her life. His deep concern for this old Appaloosa was that he didn’t want her to die alone. The solid reputation of our rescue is why he contacted us saying he wanted her to spend her final time at our farm surrounded by horses. As I listened, all the reasons not to move this ole gal at this point in her life flooded my thoughts. Little was known about her past so he couldn’t tell me if she was halter broke, could be led, or trailered. All the things that would prove over the next 8-weeks to take time to develop but trust had to be developed first.
For two months, I committed to work on building a relationship with Katie. On February 21, 2023, we took the trailer to see if it was time. We both agreed that we would not force her. It was up to her. Haltered and led out of her field for the first time in years, she loaded onto the trailer as though we had done it a hundred times before!
The next 5-weeks were remarkable! She loved for me to lean against her big broad shoulders, to be brushed, loved on and socializing with the ODF Herd. Her favorite girl was Classy, our 35-year-old blind Appaloosa. It seemed as if they had known each other from another time. Unfortunately, March 28, 2023, Katie had to receive the Last Act of Kindness after going into some type of neurological episode that made it impossible for her to stand. It was sudden and it was horrible to watch. Our hearts were broken knowing she waited years for companionship and only got 5-weeks.
Daniel
Rescued January 2023. We loaded up our trailer and took a 6-hour trip to rescue Daniel. He is a 5-year-old, Leopard Appaloosa rare in the horse world and he is also blind. A social media post caught my attention about this fella being for sale. The owner was honest that he is blind in the post. I knew in my spirit that this boy was going to wind up in the wrong hands and reached out to the owner. Before I could act, the post was gone and she had decided to trade him for another horse.
What happened next was a nightmare for this fella. He did wind up in the wrong hands. The man tried to sell him a day later to a horse dealer. That horse dealer took him to an auction in Pennsylvania where he sold for a high amount. The person had a Vet check to find out he is blind and they backed out.
He was then transported back from PA to NC where the man contacted the original owner saying he wanted money for the horse. She made a deal with him to help him sell the horse trying to get Daniel into the right hands. She contacted us to see if we could help.
In a matter of minutes, we were on our way to get him. We paid what the man wanted as our only concern was getting him out of the slaughter pipeline. He had already been tossed around at least 6 times and had been in 2 auctions since last May. Daniel’s story is not unique and he is one of the fortunate ones. He will spend the rest of his life safe, happy and with people who cherish him.
Our rescues 2022
Elizabeth
Rescued November 2022. Elizabeth was brought to our attention by a horse dealer. They said she had gone lame and was just laying around. When we asked why they wouldn’t call a Veterinarian to have her checked out, they said if they called the Vet, it would be to have her put down because they were not going to put money into her. We loaded up the trailer and she was on ODF soil in less than an hour.
Our Veterinarian came the next day. She was in a lot of pain so we moved forward cautiously with a plan of managing her pain before we addressed any other issues. Our Farrier also came out and placed a fitted horseshoe to try to alleviate some pressure off her joints and ligaments. She began to turn around quickly and we had much hope for her. Unfortunately, only 6-weeks later on December 21, 2022, she developed a high fever, began to seizures. We had to make a quick decision to give her the Last Act of Kindness. Our hearts were broken for her for what was preventable but too many years of neglect at the hands of humans.
Leah
Rescued September 2022. Leah came to ODF as a Kill Pen save. Her lineage did not keep her from landing in the wrong hands. As a matter of fact, the show barn where she was used as a broodmare sold her directly to a Kill Buyer knowing where she was going and what her fate may be. We networked to help find her and her 5 friends also sold to the KB. All of her friends found homes but she still stood in the urine-scalding mud waiting for someone to show her mercy. She was a day away from being loaded on a slaughter truck. We couldn’t let that happen so Leah came here on September 14, 2022. Her legs and hooves took several weeks to heal. Despite how humans discarded her, she is one of the sweetest horses here. I call her my Big Puppy Dog. Rehomed on August 19, 2023 with Mercy to a wonderful couple with 17 acres to run.
Lydia
Rescued June 2022. Lydia’s current family’s health was failing and they were concerned with where she may land. We also were concerned knowing that greed would find its way to her leaving her vulnerable to entering the slaughter pipeline.
She is AQHA registered with one of the most famous Halter Horse bloodlines. Her great grandfather was Impressive making her worth thousands of dollars on the front end of her life. On the back end of her life at 20-years of age, she is now past her prime and worth nothing according to the horse industry built on making money off breeding horses. She is one of over fifty-thousand Impressive descendants bred for their aesthetic muscular build produced by a genetic defect. Many of the horses were dumped due to the health issues the defective gene caused such as paralysis or uncontrollable movements. In 2007, AQHA had to finally recognize there was a problem and require testing as well as disclosure if a descendant carried the defective gene.
Camillia’s Miracle
Rescued April 19, 2022. Camillia was barely alive when we answered the cry for help on the cold Tuesday morning of April 19, 2022. She had been intentionally starved, laying in a pile of mud too weak to get up. By her side was her baby, emaciated and trying to survive.
Camillia was immediately rushed to the animal hospital. The other five horses on the property, Animal Services seized two days later. They all came here to ODF for their recovery increasing the number of horses here at ODF from 9 to 15 overnight.
We didn’t know at the time that Camillia’s little girl was a year old because she was the size of a three-month-old foal. Her growth was severely stunted due to inadequate nutrition the first year of her life. She was unhandled and completely distrusting of people. It took daily handling, love, and creative new ways to train in order to gain her trust.
Today, this girl is a happy, easy to handle, growing at a healthy rate, and enjoys a field with her Mom. We knew all along that this beautiful girl was a miracle with all she had endured in her short life. That is why her name given is Miracle.
Miriam
Rescued April 21, 2022. This beautiful black mare was one of the five seized horses from the animal cruelty case. She arrived on April 21, 2022 with a brand new baby- severely underweight and had just given birth.
Painful rain rot was all over her body but even in pain, abused and malnourished, she was calm and trusting of us to help her care for her newborn. She had taken on the role as the matriarch of her small family also trying to care for Miracle too since her Mom was too weak and fighting for her life. This black beauty flourished over the next year shedding her old dull coat for a shiny one, gaining weight while nursing her foal, enjoying brushing and attention from kind humans.
After the year-long court case was over, Miriam and her four horse friends were released to ODF on June 1, 2023. On August 26, 2023, Miriam got her forever family.
Genesis
Rescued April 21, 2022. Only a few days old when she arrived at ODF. We have had the privilege of teaching her everything she knows from learning a halter, to leading, to picking up feet, to simply enjoying being a horse. We had never raised a baby before her, all we have known is traumatized, abused horses. There is a big difference in how she acts in comparison to the ones who have known trauma. She has no reason not to trust and is carefree exploring her surroundings. She is confident, trusting, curious, sweet, and a well behaved yearling. We adore you Gen!
Sarai
Rescued April 21, 2022. As one of the six removed from their cruel owner, Sarai arrived anxious and extremely food aggressive. Her body score was a 2 on a scale of 1-10 (1 dead – 5 healthy – 10 obese). She learned over time that she didn’t have to fight for her food and that she could trust that we would feed her daily twice a day. In a few month’s time, she gained to a healthy weight, her food aggression subsided and she learned to relax confident she would be loved and valued.
Kind! So kind! In spite of the abuse she endured, Sarai is an absolute sweetheart. She is kind to everyone as if she hoped someone would accept her and be kind back. This girl just wanted to fit in and not cause trouble. Sarai is a resident of ODF sponsored by one of our family members. With this bond she has found her perfect person who truly gets her!
Dove
Rescued April 21, 2022.This precious girl was also one of the six horses part of the animal cruelty investigation. Thin and unsure of herself, it took months for her natural sassy, spunky, sweet, curious, nature to come out in this young Appaloosa pony. She became known as the instigator enjoying getting the other horse herd members wound up, running and romping. Dove found her perfect person in August 2023 where she now totes little ones around as a therapy pony.
Levi
Rescued March 2022. Levi came to ODF in a most unlikely way. We were simply going to board him for a friend. He had landed in a Kill Pen and had recently been bailed by another person. We found out that he had kicked her, would not lead on a halter and was food aggressive. His behavioral issues began to surface even more after his arrival. We knew it was going to take a lot of training to help him unlearn the dangerous behavior of wanting to kick when he didn’t get his way.
For several months, I worked with him teaching him appropriate horse behavior as well as helping him to overcome the obvious fears he had of being beaten. He is now a happy, healthy, well-adjusted, and well-behaved fella. He is proof that all horses deserve a chance. Levi was rehomed on August 13, 2023.
Our rescues 2021
Asher
Adopted December 2021. He was on his way to auction with the label of being difficult. He was taken from the wild at four years old and was 12 when we brought him to ODF. He had been trained to work cows but passed around to several places because didn’t live up to human expectations. He was sent back to North Carolina where he had been in a pasture for two years because no one wanted to work with him. When we got Asher, he was skittish; it took us three hours to load him into the trailer. It was a lot of work, but we are glad we did. He is now getting adjusted to his new home and starting to fit right in.
Classy
Rescued November 2021. A blind horse that needed a home made her way to us on November 19, 2021. We awoke to multiple notification dings one Saturday morning in November. The messages were all the same. Please consider taking in this blind girl before she is euthanized! A week later she was here with us at ODF. Classy has been an amazing addition to our farm. She is kind, gentle and loves scratches! She is estimated to be about 32-years old. A blind horse needs extra care and detailed attention to ensure she remains safe and secure. To meet her needs, we built the ODF Senior Center for her to finish out her days in peace.
Abraham
Rescued October 2021. Abraham was an at-risk horse that a very kind person took on without fully knowing everything wrong with him. After two months of trying to rehabilitate him, she realized that it was a bigger job than she realized. We picked him up on October 10, 2021 with the understanding that he had been diagnosed with Cushings disease but not treated for five years. In addition, he was underweight by 400 pounds. Since his arrival, we’ve added 230 pounds back to his frame with proper nutrition, supplements and daily medication needed for his Cushing’s disease. Unfortunately, on September 5, 2023 Abe had to be euthanized as his health declined over the summer.
Naomi
Rescued June 2021. She was rescued from a kill pen on June 29, 2021. We had not planned to take on another horse but she was only a couple of days away from being shipped to slaughter. Blind in one eye and not sure what type of behavioral issues she may have, we took a leap to bring her to ODF. She has been a handful! Most of her training has been to help minimize being easily startled and learning to trust on her blind side. She is now the sweetest and best girl! On July 28, 2023, Naomi was rehomed to a lovely, recently retired couple who waited until retirement to get their first horse. It was a match made in heaven!
Lil Arlene and Sailor
Rescued June 2021. These two cuties were dumped in a kill pen and we rescued them at the same time on June 9, 2021. For mini-horses, kill pens are death sentences for many as they are tiny and do not have the immune system to fight off all the diseases that fester in excrement-filled pens. We took on these little ones sight unseen.
Lil Arlene was teeny tiny standing at about 29” and extremely skittish. With time and handling, she has overcome her distrust and seeks out attention. Spunky and confident is how we describe this little ball of sass! She was rehomed on July 6, 2023 to an amazing woman who made an instant connection with her.
Sailor, estimated to be about 35-years old, has asthma that had to be treated as soon as we unloaded them here at ODF. His breathing was so labored that we were not sure if he would survive. Our little fella has not only survived but is full of life again. We let him go wherever he wants to go on our Farm. Our little senior man has earned it!
Mercy
Rescued April 2021. We picked Mercy up from a kill pen and have learned so much about her once we got her to Oaky Doak Farm! We discovered she had been recently blinded in her right eye and was unhandled with the result being she needed an experienced home. An unhandled and blind horse takes even longer to train; instead of the original owner working with her, she ultimately arrived in a kill pen. Trust was built one day at time singing to her at feeding time. She was rehomed on August 19, 2023 along with Leah.
Jonah
January 2021. He was a free ad on Facebook. Free horses are vulnerable to winding up in the slaughter pipeline. As a matter of fact, the owner had already been contacted by well-known horse traders seeing this ad as an opportunity to profit — not to offer a quality home. She knew what his fate would be and allowed us to take him. Jonah was such a good boy and was our son’s best friend! Unfortunately, on March 27, 2022 Jonah had an intestinal impaction that took his life. He will be forever in our hearts.
Our rescues 2020
Gloria
Adopted December 2020. Gloria was adopted from a kill pen and listed as a 911 due to her deteriorating condition. This brood mare, who had spent her life giving birth, was branded #32, Auction Tag #69, and Kill Pen Tag #1270. She had old braids indicating she was loved at some point, but when she could no longer do the job humans gave her, she was tossed. Last Chance Volunteers saved this horse. We drove two hours each way to meet a volunteer who saved her from standing knee deep in mud, fighting for food. When she arrived at Oaky Doak Farm, her eyes were vacant, indicating she had mentally shut down; she was underweight as well as exhausted; and though she was no longer being bred, her teats leaked for months after arriving here. After months of working with her to instill trust, Gloria is now a happy and healthy part of our horse family.
Job
Rescued November 2020. We first saw Job in a kill pen on November 9, 2020. There was something special about him, so we decided we had to go get him. Since then, we have uncovered a lot about him. He has had trauma beyond what we will ever know. It took him a long time to be calm and confident. He flailed his head around at any noise he heard. He was always on high alert as if waiting for any minute to be beat. The equine dentist discovered he had endured a broken lower jaw that healed improperly, had two broken off teeth, and lower teeth growing up into the spaces left by the broken off teeth and that’s just his mouth. He has scars on his face. He came with what we thought were bite marks all over his body. And he was caked in mud so thick that it took weeks to brush out. Our boy is happy and healthy now. He trusts and knows he is loved!
Lil Bit o’Grace
Rescued August 2020. We saw a picture of this little face and knew we had to get her out of that kill pen! On August 23, 2020, we took the two hour drive to rescue her out of the slaughter pipeline. She had been overlooked for a couple of weeks because she was not able to be advertised as a “kid’s pony” due to her unhandled behavior. She is a quiet girl who responds well to gentle interactions. We have had to learn that she is happiest when hanging out with the other mini-horses. Lil Bit o’Grace was rehomed on September 3, 2022 where she has other mini horses to run with and her own little human to be spoil her.
Okey
Rescued March 1, 2020. We saw Okey’s picture featured by a rescue group trying to help him stay off the slaughter truck. He was only four years old and had a back leg injury. He was American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) – registered and trained as a racehorse; just the year before, he had earned over $10,000 in several races. At some point, he suffered a leg injury and was sent to auction where he was bought by a kill buyer. He was only a day away from being loaded onto a slaughter truck when we decided to step in. Once at our farm, X-rays were taken. Sadly, the images revealed his injury was caused from the tremendous stress on his body from racehorse training at such an early age. His bones had not formed properly from all the stress; he literally had holes in his femur bone! The best thing that could be done for him was giving him daily pain medication and letting him live out his life here as a pasture pet. He died only six months later at the age of four.
We find this story eerily similar to that of Medina, the three year old Kentucky Derby winner that dropped dead of a heart attack after a workout. Okey’s and Medina’s stories highlight the dark underbelly of the racing world – one where these beautiful animals are pushed to the brink, winning thousands of dollars but suffering greatly.
Our rescues 2019
Love & Joy – Mini Horses
Rescued December 2019. They were six months old and very sick. They were saved from an auction in North Carolina and taken to a rescue in South Carolina. When we finally took them in, they were unhandled, and it took a lot of time and patience to get them to trust us. Today, they are Oaky Doak Farm ambassadors! They love all the little folks who come to visit. They are mischievous and full of life, making us laugh daily.
Faith
Rescued November 2019. Our first rescue! We first saw Faith when her picture came across a newsfeed in October 2019. The image of a beautiful black Morgan mare sitting in kill pen featured by a rescue group caught our attention, and we knew we had to do something. Although we were concerned it was a scam – we could lose the money that would be sent for her bail, for someone to pick her up and quarantine her, and for transporting her from Texas to North Carolina – we decided we would take the gamble. Every step was a leap of faith! When the mare finally arrived a month later, she came off the trailer kicking and put dents in her pen.
We quickly realized we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into! With no horse experience, the road ahead was a long one, and the only name that would fit her was Faith. It was going to take faith like we had never had before to get her to like humans. Today, Faith is the horse that craves attention and is the one children ride when they visit.
