A Fairy Tale Gone Wrong:
- Breed – Grey Percheron Gelding
- Entry Date – At 12 years of age
- Type of rescue – Surrender
- Reason – Part of a feral Percheron herd
- Special needs – Taming/Training
His story before being surrendered to the Equamore Sanctuary is a fairy tale gone wrong. Named after characters in “The Lord of the Rings,” a herd of horses were the innocent victims of an owner who dreamed of a tranquil herd of Percheron stallions and mares living freely on a large property in northern California. Unfortunately, as Flint’s scarred body bears witness, allowing stallions to breed indiscriminately with mares who inhabit the same field is folly.
Flint had claimed Diamond, one of the Percheron mares, as his mate. We have no idea how many years Flint or Diamond spent in that field – Flint defending Diamond from the other dominant stallions and Diamond bearing foals. We first learned of these herd mates in 2012, at which time the owner agreed to surrender a portion of his untrained and now unmanageable herd. A pregnant mare, her two-year-old filly, and her yearling colt were taken to northern Oregon and re-homed in January of 2013. Three stallions, including Flint, remained on the property with Diamond and another mare named Agate, who died in an unfortunate accident before she could be rescued.
Finally, after Agate’s death, the owner agreed to surrender the remaining three stallions and one mare. With much effort two of the stallions, Gandalf and Flint, and the mare Diamond were loaded and transported to the Equamore Sanctuary by a crew of Equamore staff and volunteers. The other stallion refused to be captured that day and was retrieved and rehomed at a later date.
Both Gandalf and Flint were gelded and Flint remained a loyal guardian to his mate, Diamond, who was 10 years his senior, until she died in September of 2022.
The stallion fights he engaged in to keep the other stallions away from Diamond left many scars all over his body, plus severe nerve damage in the left side of his chest that caused some muscle atrophy. Because of that damage and the enormous weight those muscles support, Flint has fallen down several times but recovered from those falls unscathed.
There has never been a more loyal companion than Flint. We are all concerned for his welfare since Diamond passed. He is stalled at night in the “couples’ barn” next to Sugar – a gelding that Flint seems to have taken quite a liking to – and he spends his days in the “couples’ turnout field” socializing with Sugar and the rest of that herd.
The gallery below gives some indication of how large these Percherons really are as compared to a normally sized horse.
Flint and Diamond dwarf a regularly sized horse.
Flint introduces himself to Toiy.
And to Star, who is very curious.
Here is how you can help:
- Join an already established rescue team with a monthly contribution level that is comfortable for you.
- Become a “Team Captain” by collectively organizing your friends and relatives to join you in sponsoring one
of Equamore’s residents. - Pledge $450 monthly to fully support an equine of your choice.
If you would like to join this crucial program, please contact us for more information.
