Author: roancharranchrescue@outlook.com

Welcome Solomon

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
Welcome Solomon

This Spring, the rescue embarked on an initiative to reach out to rural communities that still use draft horses by placing an ad in a newspaper. Honestly, the result was a little overwhelming. Calls came from all across the state, with many locations being more than four hours away.

One call did come from a local family that we were able to visit. When we arrived, we were greeted by an underweight, Belgian gelding with an incredibly sore right front knee.

After negotiating a price, Solomon arrived at the facility and is currently in our new quarantine area.

Dr. Lauren will see him on Monday, and hopefully, we will learn why his knee is bothering him so much and come up with a pain management plan.

Solomon in owner's barn

Welcome Pumpkin

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
Welcome Pumpkin

2025 has brought a new herd member, Pumpkin. Pumpkin is a 15-year-old Haflinger whose owner could no longer care for her because of medical issues.

Pumpkin has a sweet disposition. She loves getting attention and is the first to say hello. We are looking forward to learning more about her.

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Every Horse Deserves to be Pain-Free

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
Every Horse Deserves to be Pain-Free

For Louie, it’s his tilted head and outstretched neck.

For Apollo, it’s his undeniable limp.

For Ellie, it’s the slight, constant shifting of her weight.

For Abe, it’s the loss of his happy-go-lucky attitude.

Every resident at Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue suffers from chronic pain that is only eased by their daily medication.

The critical treatments cost $42.11 daily and ensure that Ellie, Apollo, Louie, and Abe are pain-free.

Please help Louie, Ellie, Apollo, and Abe to continue to thrive.

Yes, I will help Ellie, Apollo, Louie, and Abe be pain-free

Thanks to a generous group of donors, your gift will be doubled up to $4750.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

Fifteen months ago the atrocities against hundreds of animals at a farm sanctuary in New Jersey came to light. For many, it was too late. For Ellie and Apollo, they were some of the lucky ones.

This week, the woman responsible for the deaths of hundreds of animals and the abuse and neglect of hundreds more was to appear in court and finally receive a verdict.

Instead, the prosecutor requested a delay so that additional charges could be filed against the woman in addition to the 17 that she is currently facing. The additional charges that the state is seeking would be indictable and would be at a county level, instead of the municipal level that the case was previously assigned to.

An indictable offense is “a crime that a prosecutor can charge by bringing evidence of the alleged crime to a grand jury. It is a crime for which a grand jury determines that there is enough evidence to charge a defendant with a felony.”

The hope is that a higher court means a harsher sentence. We will have to wait until November 2nd to find out.

If you would like to sign the petition to demand justice for Ellie and Apollo, please go to https://www.change.org/p/demand-justice-for-dozens-of-animals-starved-to-death-at-a-former-sanctuary.

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Ellie Feels the Power

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com Horse Health
Ellie Feels the Power

A hoof abscess is one of the most painful conditions a horse can have. They can go from being perfectly fine one day to looking like they broke their leg the next.

Good Monday Morning

Ellie woke up barely able to put any pressure on her right, front hoof. She gingerly walked across the hard pad in front of the barn to eat breakfast. Every step was an effort as she tried to distribute her 1800 pounds on three legs.

The Diagnosis

The warmth of her hoof told the tale, that she had an abscess. The infection was causing extreme pressure to build up. Relief would only come when the abscess broke through the hoof wall.

Treatment

Ellie receiving red light therapy

Immediately, we started using red light therapy on her hoof. By Wednesday, Ellie was starting to feel better and was putting more weight on her leg. By Friday, she was back to her usual routine of confidently walking her pasture.

For more information, go to Photonic Health

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Red Light Therapy Stops Pain

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com Horse Health
Red Light Therapy Stops Pain

Horses, while large in stature, are very delicate. It does not take much for them to get injured or get sick. For years, Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue has been using red light therapy to help residents heal after an injury or sickness.

For example, when Louie severely cut himself trying to jump a gate it was used. By treating him every day, we were able to reduce the swelling and pain. Now, you can barely see the 18-inch scar on his leg. Today, we use it on Abe to increase his mobility because of the effects of Lyme disease.

Abe receiving red light therapy

What is Red Light Therapy?

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), uses light wavelengths to stimulate cells. The increase in the blood flow makes it possible for oxygen and nutrients to reach the cells, enabling them to function properly and effectively. This results in tissue repair and regeneration, a reduction in pain and inflammation, and clears out dead or degenerated cells.

What is Red Light Therapy Used for?

  • Muscular injuries
  • Tendon injuries
  • Ligament injuries
  • Bruising
  • Wounds
  • Arthritis
  • Fractures
  • Muscles Recovery
  • Back Pain
  • Neuropathy

For more information, go to Photonic Health

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A New Addition

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General, Program
A New Addition

The Winds of Change

The winds from the blizzard of 2022 not only brought in frigid temperatures but the reality that the rescue had outgrown its facility. As the winds howled, we watched the horses rotate who would be allowed in the shelter. We knew that something needed to change for the next winter.

Options

To properly protect all the horses from the elements, a plan needed to be developed. Building a new barn was far too costly so we did the next best thing. We devised a plan to double the livable space for the horses and make the overall structure more weather and wind resistant.

The End Result

A 648-square-foot lean-to was built. It includes a large opening that allows air circulation in the summer and protection from the wind in the winter by inserting a framed window. In addition, the wind side of the barn was covered in metal siding. This protects the horses from the wind and increases our hay capacity by allowing us to use the first floor of the barn for hay storage.

Outside of the new lean to

Horse Approved

It took a few days for everyone to become accustomed to the new accommodations, but everyone is now enjoying it. There is now plenty of room for everyone to stay out of the elements and enjoy a meal.

Louie and Abe standing in the new lean to

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Massages aren’t Just for Humans

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com Horse Health
Massages aren’t Just for Humans
Louie gets a massage from Allison

Do Horses Need a Spa Day?

You bet they do! They say that equine massage has been around for approximately 200 years! However, beginning in the early 1990s, it has become much more widely understood, studied, and utilized.

Just like humans, horses have muscles, tendons, and nerves. From time to time, these may be out of alignment or in need of massage or adjustment. Sometimes, it is just relaxing and good for the mind and soul!

From the fine-tuned athlete, show horse, barrel racer, trail horse, jumper, dressage, workhorse, or your backyard pasture pet, massage can have positive results! Did you know that horses have approximately 700 muscles in their body? We, humans, have approximately 600! That’s a lot of muscle, or what I call, “horsepower”!

Not Just an Average Massage

Have you ever been on a massage table and the masseuse does their work and you melt into the table? Well, there are people that specialize in equine massage. There are also equine chiropractors and acupuncturists. These highly trained individuals work on the horses’ muscle groups to help relax, loosen, manipulate, and strengthen specific areas.

There are different types of massage techniques used by the equine massage therapist. These techniques are called effleurage, petrissage, compression, cross fiber massage, tapotement, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release. This therapy can encourage blood flow and bring in oxygen and other nutrients, at the same time removing lactic acid buildup. Just like us humans, we have different techniques depending on what we are needing.

Who Needs a Massage?

At Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue, we use OnPoint Equine Services to help Louie. Because of the lasting effects of having Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, Louie’s muscles become tight and restrict his movement.

During a session, Louie displays tension release by licking his lips, yawning, and dropping his head. When the session is over, Louie usually is not as stiff when he walks and starts trotting a day or two later.

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Spring Fresh

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
Spring Fresh

The days are getting longer and warmer. The birds are singing. The grass is beginning to grow. Finally, spring has sprung.

You are not the only one itching to enjoy the change of seasons. Horses do too.

What is a fresh horse?

If you have been around horses long enough, you know that even the calmest horse gets “fresh” in the spring. All of their senses are magnified and anything that is different elicits an over-the-top reaction.

The change in personality can be due to their diet. In the Spring, horses eat more than they do in the summer. Spring grass is full of sugars, which in turn gives horses more energy. That energy is released by horses bucking, galloping, and overall being on edge.

How to deal with a fresh horse

There are some things that you can do to help your horse get through spring fever:

  • Limit the amount of access to spring grass
  • Work with your horse on the ground prior to riding to get some of the energy out
  • Provide a large area for them to stretch their legs

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What’s in a Name

roancharranchrescue@outlook.com General
What’s in a Name

Many times when a new horse arrives at the rescue, he or she does not have a name. We try to match the horse’s name with their personality or the circumstances that they needed to overcome.

Abe eatingAbraham

As the first horse rescue by the organization in 2013, we wanted a name with meaning.

We decided on Abraham because it means the Father of many nations. Abe is seen as being the seed that birthed Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue.

ElijahElijah

When we first saw Eli, he was cowering in a stall at an auction with several horses that were pushing him around. He had the most soulful eyes and an air of humility about him.

The name Elijah means The Lord Is My God. According to history, Eljah was a religious figure of great personal dynamism and conservative zeal and the leader of resistance to the rise of Baal worship in Israel in the ninth century BCE.

MaggieMagdalene

Maggie came to the facility with the name Gwen, but it needed to be changed to protect her identity. She came from a severe abuse case where the people who abused her were trying to track her down.

Magdalene was chosen because it means Watchful and Maggie was certainly that way when she first arrived and in new situations.

Toby head shotTobias

Toby came to the facility with the name Goliath, which he did not acknowledge. He was only given that name because he towered over everyone and everything.

The name Tobias is of Hebrew origin and means God is good. It is the Greek form of the name Tobiah, who was a hero in the apocryphal Book of Tobit. Since Toby was larger than life we thought it was fitting that he was named after a hero.

Gabriella

Gabby came to the rescue with the name Bay Mare. Definitely not a name appropriate for someone with her soft demeanor and loving personality.

Gabriella fitted her well because the name means Heroine of God.

Ellie standing in the snowEllie

When Ellie came to the rescue as part of a severe neglect case at a farm sanctuary in New Jersey, no one knew her name. She was one of 30 horses that needed a soft place to land.

Ellie in Greek means Shining Light and she is most certainly that. She brings joy to everyone that she meets.

Apollo running in the snowApollo

When Apollo arrived at the facility he was skin and bones. He, like Ellie, was part of a severe neglect case at a farm sanctuary in New Jersey. We knew that once he was nursed back to health that he would be a sight to be hold.

It was only fitting that he be named Apollo; the ancient Greek and Roman god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and manly beauty.

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