Aspen

A Registered Thoroughbred:
 “Operation Justice”
a.k.a. ‘the Puppy’ or ‘Aspen’

This eight-year-old registered Thoroughbred is looking for sponsorship and possibly a new home (his handler should have PHN - Parelli Natural Horsemanship experience). He was born with impressive racing bloodlines (Native/ Northern Dancer) and very unimpressive club foot in the front and hip problems in the back. His conformational shortcomings have left him with reoccurring lameness issues that prevent him from any competitive sports or regular riding. A loving home coupled with Natural Horsemanship practices will bring out the loving ‘Puppy’ in this statuesque Grey.

Tootsie

“Tootsie” a.k.a. ‘The Baby’

Tootsie is a 2002 PMU foal out of a registered paint Mare by a Mustang Stallion.  She represents a unique type of horse in American Equine Culture, the PMU horse.

PMU, which is an abbreviation for Pregnant Mare’s Urine, is used to make estrogen supplements for menopausal women. The industry leaves tens of thousands of foals as by-products each and every year. Although most end up slaughtered, many are suitable for competitive sports.  

Tootsie has been trained using Parelli Natural Horsemanship since she was six months old and is used to teach others about PMU foals and Natural Horsemanship practices. Growing up on a retirement farm has certainly left her with a personality that fits her nicknames of ‘the baby’ and ‘Punky Brewster’, as she is playful, witty, fun-loving and sometimes just a bit too much.

Mel

Mêlée our ‘Little Diamond’
a.k.a.’Mel’

Mel is a 2007 Miniature Horse that was donated to DRFarm at 6 months old when his owners became victims of the real estate crisis and lost their farm. Lucy, our bow-legged QH mare, adopted him as her own and he, in turn, brought her out of a depression she entered from the loss of her companion, Orion. He has replaced Lucy as our ‘visiting horse’ and is used at events like Earth Day at Murray Middle School. Much like Tootsie, this little guy is playful, fun-loving and often just a bit too much.

Zip & Gem

Zip came to DRFarm in 2007 while Gem has been under the organization’s protection since 2004. These Registered Thoroughbreds were started on the racetrack, as both are descendants of Racing giants Man O’ War & War Admiral. Zip, like many grey horses, has developed melanomas and the old leg injuries (evidenced by the markings on his lower legs from a now rarely used remedy called pin-firing) restrict his activity. Gem was used extensively as a brood mare with 16 breedings & 13 live foals that brought in over $275,000 for her owners. It left her abandoned and a 1 (the lowest score) on the Henneke Body Condition Scale.  

EVE

A Registered American Saddlebred:
“Mountain Enchantress”
aka ‘Eve’ or ‘The Princess’

This mare, was saved from severe abuse in 1997. Her hero, Dr. James H. Rogers, saved her from a sanguinary past and covered her expenses for over 3 years. She sustained damage to both her back and psyche and is able to carry limited weight for only just a few minutes but enjoys greeting visitors and teaching horsemanship.

Honey

Originally bred in Argentina for polo in the early 1990's, this Thoroughbred gelding was brought to the USA in 1999. He competed successfully on the ‘A’ rated Jumping circuit in Wellington, FL for three years before being abandoned in a field. The director of DRFarm, Marie Matte, cared for him through a bout with Lymes disease (that was originally falsely diagnosed as EPM - a degenerative neurological disease), hyperthyroidism and later a case of intestinal displacement over the spleen. He thankfully came through his maladies successfully and is maintained with a special diet and medicinal supplements. He has been sentinels for Tootsie, the PMU Mustang Paint, from the start.

Lucy

This hardy little Quarterhorse has a heart of gold & unparalleled determination. Named for Lucille Ball, she brings as much joy and humor to her caretakers as her namesake did her fans. Lucy along with Soxx and Gem were turned over to DRF in the summer of 2004. In her 20s, she is permanently retired because of age & major trauma to both her front legs. She loves to meet our two-legged visitors & can be found with our little miniature horse (Mel) as she has become his surrogate mother.   

Soxx

While this mare’s true identity is still unknown, there are a few things we can deduce about her. She is in her early 20's, shows signs of having foaled and has a lip tattoo, which means that she was more than likely bred for racing. There is significant scar tissue in one of her hind legs which could be due to many things but does leave her achy and in need of certain dietary requirements. She has recovered nicely from a ‘2’ on the Henneke body condition scale and is currently helping Gem and Eve baby-sit ‘the Puppy’, Aspen.