• Liver Chestnut Arabian Mare
  • Entry Date – 8/15/08 at age 18
  • Type of rescue – Seizure by Jackson County Sheriff’s Department
  • Reason – Sever neglect and abuse
  • Special needs – None

Sara, a beautiful Arabian mare, came to the Sanctuary at age 18 as part of a four-horse seizure by Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in 2008.  Of the five horses on the property, one of whom had died of starvation, Sara was in the best condition.  After she regained her physical health, Sara was moved to a foster home, but was returned one year later.  She was adopted by a family in 2009 only to return again three months later. While Sara had regained her health, she was a loner, and disengaged.  While lovely, it seemed there was “nobody home.”  The expression on her face at rescue told the sad story of the emotional toll her neglect and abuse had taken.

In late 2011, nearly two years after her last return to the Sanctuary, Sara began to make a human friend.  Later, in 2012, Sara made a horse friend, the wonderful pony mare Sandy.  In the summer of 2014, we saw for the first time Sara engage in grooming another horse – an emotionally healthy and natural horse behavior.

Eventually, Sara came from the field when called by name!   She was often affectionate to humans, interested in her world, sometimes comical and sometimes demanding.  In short she was year by year recovering and becoming an emotionally healthy horse.  This is why we no longer adopt out our horses.  Even when a horse’s physical needs have been met after serious neglect or abuse, the journey toward emotional health takes years. Sara spent the rest of her life at our Sanctuary, continuing on her journey, with both people and equine friends at her side.