Spirit, and her herd mate Sugar, were part of a herd of horses living in the mountains who were used for giving rides on the beach to tourists. Their previous owner’s son and a grandson were reported to have struggled with substance abuse. Unbeknownst to the owner, these family members had begun to sell off the family’s horses for meat. The day prior to our finding out about Spirit and Sugar, four of their herd mates had been hauled off to be slaughtered. We knew we had to act quickly to spare Spirit and Sugar such a fate. The owner agreed to sell Spirit and Sugar to us in the hopes that, with the money from the sale, her son and grandson could have a better life. We purchased Spirit and Sugar to save their lives and to bring them back to health and happiness.
When Spirit came to the sanctuary in late 2021, she was very thin, with a bloated extended belly. We thought she was pregnant but it turned out to be a belly full of worms. She seemed super sad, as if she had lost all capacity for joy. Now full recovered, she’s healthy, muscular and quite a happy girl! She relishes in giving and receiving affection and is always ready for a hug, a scratch or a kind word. We think she’ll be an excellent therapy horse due to her kind and loving nature.
Spirit is being sponsored by Farah L, who donates monthly to Spirit’s care. When Farah is in Baja, she walks Spirit on the beach and will begin honing her riding skills in the coming months. Calm, responsive and comfortable, Spirit is an amazing horse to ride.