Horse and Pony Rescue Stories from Hidden Heights

Ashley Harris, Hidden Heights Horse Farm owner and principal trainer, on her commitment to the rescue and rehabilitation of neglected and abused horses:

"I find them, or they find me, and I bring them back to health. Then, I train them for hunters so they will have a skill, find good homes, and never end up back where they were."

"Here's a letter from my dear friend and co-hort in rescue efforts:

'What we are doing is a good thing. There are too many good ponies and horses out there who need to find their way to someone who will not only save their lives, but work with them. I am happy to be able to try to find the ones with the right temperament and soundness, but it is your dedication and skill that give these ponies the credentials to have a life long job in a good home. For those ponies, it is a win-win situation. They have won the pony lottery!' --Cindy, Fox Run Farm, Kentucky

The poem below is about rescued horses and it melted my heart! Thank you again for your interest in all the good things happening here at Hidden Heights."

Baggage

by Evelyn Colbath

Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked into my warm new bed,
I would like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget
There is so much to carry -
So much to forget.

Hmm, Yes, here it is, right on the top -
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my halter hides Fear & Shame
As I look on these things I have tried so hard to leave-
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.

I loved them, the others, the ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things
And take me right back?

Do you have the time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage,
To never re-pack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?

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We are passionate about saving abused and neglected horses and ponies. We've had so many success stories and below are just a few.
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Flow. Hidden Heights Horse Farm has taken in this Thoroughbred mare which was on a very nice Hunter Jumper farm and was used as a broodmare. For the past two years, she has been unable to get pregnant so she was turned out to pasture. Sadly, she is now pregnant, skinny, and covered in rain rot. We plan to get her healthy and fat so she can have a healthy baby in late summer 2009. We will update her pictures as she progresses and when she has her foal.

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Taylor. Taylor was a skinny bug-eyed pony when we first got her. Putting weight and training into her turned her into a lovely hunter pony with a successful show career.

This is after a little bit of weight gain and training:

This is her now:

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Got Milk. "Millie" has an especially sad story. She was covered in crusty old manure when my friend found her in Kentucky. She took Millie home and began picking the caked on feces off, but as she pulled it off she was pulling Millie's hair along with it. It was a very painful process. I took her home and as she gained weight and got healthier she turned into a beautiful milky white color. She is now a wonderful show pony who knows her job well and has many champions to prove it.
Before:

Pretty little show pony today:

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Joy. Joy was another skinny bug-eyed pony. She was truly a joy while I had her. As soon as she was healthy, though, someone in Ocala FL scooped her up! She is now at a top show barn there.

At her new home in FL:

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Panda Bear. Panda has one of the saddest stories I have heard. Again, my friend Cindy in KY who has made it her mission to save ponies, was looking for lost souls. Horses ran past Cindy and until a little stocking legged pony placed its head right in her chest. She looked the skeleton of a body over and the green snot running from Panda's nose and the swollen lip that the pony couldn't even hold up. She thought this one was too far gone, but the pony place her head on Cindy. Four white legs, she thought, this pony could be cute. She couldn't take the sick pony home to her farm and had to take Panda elsewhere to be quarantined until it was safe to take it to her home.When she finally brought Panda home to fatten her up, her bottom lip was in such bad shape she could hardly eat. Panda Bear is now at Hidden Heights fattening up and starting her training to be a children's hunter pony.

Here is a picture of her now, we will give you an update on this pony and continue giving you updated pictures.

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Lucky. We like to teach these ponies a skill and find them children to love them and make up for their early hard lives. There will be many more ponies pass through this farm to go to good home. One that will stay here and retire on 70 acres of rolling, relaxing pastures is Lucky. We got him over a year ago, 20 yrs old, skin and bones, hooves turned up from neglect, and long dull hair. A little senior feed, a good trimming and worming, and some good rubs to loose the hair and Lucky has become a barn favorite and a wonderful teacher to our young walk/trotters. When he is unable to help teach children he will retire on our place. He will never again have to worry about where his next meal will come from. Here are pictures of Lucky now:

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Hidden Heights Horse Farm has put up a blog site with a special focus on just our rescue stories and dedications to horses who have been loved here. Please visit and feel free to share with us there:
Hidden Heights Horse Farm Rescue Blog

--Ashley Harris, Hidden Heights, email: info@hiddenheightsfarm.com
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