foSTERED!

SNOWflake

Breed: Arabian
Sex: Gelding
Age: 28 yrs old
Suitable For: Companion
Handler: Intermediate
Sponsor: Has been fostered
 Snowflake has been fostered by one of our long time volunteers and friend, Melinda Moros.  Mindy has always had a special place in her heart for Snowy and is now living out her childhood dream of owning her perfect horse.  Snowy is living in a beautiful facility over in Walnut Creek.  We are so happy for both Mindy and Snowy!

His story: Snowflake was rescued by Marlene Dodge (Valley View Ranch Rescue), from Fallen, Nev. Oct 2010.  Betsy Bueno, (Lost Hearts and Souls Horse Rescue) helped to pay his 'bail' to get Snowflake off the Truck destined for the Canadian slaughterhouses the next day (many horse rescues work collaboratively).  The treatment at the auction yard and trucks can be pretty abusive and distressing.  Marlene was told he came from a riding trail ranch in the Sierras that went out of business and they needed the last dime out of their horses so they were all sold to the slaughter buyers.  Given the old scars on his nose, it was most likely a spiked noseband that was used on him.  A most brutal method in horse handling.

​In addition, over 6 inches of his dorsal bones in front of his withers were broken which is usually from falling over backwards with a saddle or pack saddle on a horse.  Having been used as a pack horse in the rocky Sierras, Snowy very well could have fallen off a trail with his gear on his back, tumbling and cracked his dorsal bones.  And apparently, from the condition of the healing, was never even given the opportunity to rest and heal.

Betsy only had him 3-4 weeks before a home came forward to foster Snowy for a year.  He roamed 60 acres in Rincon Valley with other horses and grazed.  However, the foster home did little schooling with him in the year+ that they had him.  So, Snowy came in with apprehension about humans working around or with him.  But many thanks to the horse's natural need to have a leader, Snowy now very much wants to be accepted into the human herd.  Little by little, Snowy is trusting us and allowing his humans to care for him.  (Remember, horses don't care how much you know, they want to know how much you care).