The Equines of ESS

Bindy
Bindy is an adorable, sweet, loveable little mini-donkey that was donated to ESS in 2005. After spending most of the first 6 years of his life as a companion to his equine friends, little Bindy embarked on a new career with the equine assisted activities for the disabled and as an ambassador for the Equine Spirit Sanctuary. He has made many friends, both children and adults, at ESS. His manners are excellent, especially with little people. He's proving to be very patient and friendly, and is very polite. He's not quite as serious as he used to be, and occasionally cuts loose and runs and bucks and jumps just for the fun of it.

For the winter months, Bindy has another miniature donkey friend who stays at ESS. Marley (the donkey with the feed pan) and Bindy are good buddies and provide endless entertainment as they play, running and bucking and chasing each other around. Marley and Bindy were quite the hit at the art show in February 2009, where they got to meet the public, and will be back at the Stables Gallery on Feb. 13 and 14 for the 2010 art exhibit.

We wish Marley could stay here all the time, as Bindy's buddy, but he does have a home of his own. So we are hoping to find another really special, gentle, well mannered mini donkey that will fit as well in our programs as Bindy and Marley did.

Bindy is seeking a sponsor to help with his expenses - hay, hoof care (vital for his new job, you know!), routine veterinary care (vaccinations and deworming and health checkups), and new equipment. We would also like to have a small cart made specially for Bindy to pull, filled with treats and goodies to share when he makes visits to nursing homes and schools and special events.

Star
Star came to ESS in the fall of 2009. The handsome paint horse was four years old and still a stallion. He had suffered a horrendous ankle/pastern injury on his hind leg, with lacerations and a cut that was infected, thick with proud flesh and an oozing hole that went clear to the bone. He had also tore off the back quarter of his hoof on that foot. For him to have any chance at all of survival and healing, he needed immediate veterinary attention, wound care, antibiotics and pain meds. The wounds were severe enough that he also required stall rest and ongoing bandage changes for 6 months or longer.

After a couple weeks of bute and SMZs and wound care, it was obvious that Star had a tremendous will to survive and a strong personality and sweet dispostion. We had him gelded in November and he is now slowly, but surely, healing nicely. Watch for Star to become our next "SuperStar" in the coming year!

Mateo
Mateo came to ESS in the fall of 2009 also. He is a sweet little Arab/Quarter horse gelding, in his mid to late 20s. He had become extremely emaciated due to dental issues. He simply has no teeth in the back of his mouth that are in good enough shape to chew hay. He was put on a diet of soft mashes - soaked beet pulp pellets and alfalfa pellets, electrolytes and pre- and probiotics. After his system became adjusted to this, we added Triple Crown equine senior grain, corn oil and rice bran also. He also now eats several pounds of an extruded complete horse feed, Nature's Select, which is made up of soft enough pellets that he can chew these.
After a couple months of simply eating, sleeping and snoozing in the sun, Mateo has regained his weight nicely and enjoying life at ESS with his newfound buddy, Bindy the donkey. He now is becoming integrated into the day to day routine, which includes grooming and occasional visits from school kids and disabled persons.

Klassy Kat
Kat is an 13 year old Arabian mare that was donated to ESS in October of 2007. She enjoys greeting visitors and enjoys being brushed and loves all the attention she gets as an ESS program horse.

Kat loves to be groomed, and is very gentle with children and the disabled persons who brush her and take her for walks. She is such a pretty horse (and she knows it!), she really enjoys posing for photographers and artists.

For more information about Kat, contact Ruth.

Mariah
Mariah is a 6 year old Arabian mare that came to live at ESS in November of 2008. She has had some bad experiences in her past, resulting in her being extremely headshy and overly sensitive about pretty much everything. She is gradually becoming more trusting with people and interested in everything that goes on around her.

Mariah is currently in a foster home, enjoying her new role as a companion horse to a handsome big black gelding. She is available for adoption.

Soxy
Soxy is the beautiful little bay mare that came to ESS with Ginger in May of 2006. She, along with her colt Baylee and Ginger, had a new owner for a couple years but now have come back to ESS. She is in training now for riding and is available for adoption.

Ginger
Ginger has come a long ways since the day she arrived at ESS in 2006. She has mellowed out into a happy mare, well mannered and secure with herself and her life here. She is in training now to be a riding horse and is available for adoption.

Baylee
Baylee, Soxy's colt, is now almost three years old and growing up to be a fine, handsome horse. Baylee has never known a day of hunger, neglect, or need of any kind. You might say he's spoiled rotten! Every horse should be so lucky. Baylee loves attention and wants to be in on everything that's going on here at ESS.

Scribbles
Scribbles was donated to ESS to be a program horse for the Learn About Horses program. He is also enjoyng being included in the Arc program with the advanced participants, who take him for walks and do leading exercises.

He is a good looking buckskin paint horse.

Comet
Comet, formerly known as Comanche, was donated to ESS in 2006. She has been adopted out twice and come back to ESS twice. This lovely mare has a few "quirks" that require an experienced, understanding handler. She is now working well under saddle and is coming along nicely.

Buck
Buck was a rescue who came to live with Ruth the fall of 2004.

Buck died in June 2009, after a massive seizure. This beautiful horse is greatly missed.

For his full story, click here.

If you would like to help out with sponsorships for any of the ESS horses or Bindy, please contact ruth@equinespiritsanctuary.org. A full month's sponsorship for each horse is $150. For Bindy, it's just $75 and a tiny bag of peppermint horse treats (the treats are his special request - the little fellow just loves them!). The equines will be most grateful for your generous contributions!

The Equine Spirit Sanctuary - For Horses and People!

Contact ESS: info@equinespiritsanctuary.org