August horse of the month - Indy

Due to a busier than usual month - poor Indy didn't make it to the blog on time.  None-the-less she was represented here at the ranch and we share her story with you now.

Indy came to Redwings from another rescue facility.  She seemed sweet and fine when the rescue picked her up, and tested her for riding.  She did well so they fostered her.  But something unknown happened after her placement that caused Indy to become extremely fearful of being ridden.  Her behavior meant that her foster home and Indy were no longer a good match although she remained sweet when being handled on the ground.  The rescue, upon her return, decided that the best thing they could do to insure Indy's well-being, was to approach Redwings as a potential forever home - and we said yes.

Indy has been a teacher for our volunteers who only handle her from the ground.  She loves her pasture mates and is a horse that is highly social in her herd.  Here at Redwings, she never has to fear being saddled again.

July Horse of the Month

This handsome horse is named Stryder and he is July’s horse of the month. He was found when officers arrived on a property to serve a warrant. What they found was a sick and emaciated horse in a nearby pasture. They quickly realized that the owner had gone, leaving the horse to fend for himself. The officials seized the poor sick horse and transported him to a local veterinary office. There he was cleaned up, his hooves trimmed, he was vaccinated and his teeth floated. Then the SPCA took over.

Due to the criminal case against Stryder’s owner, the SPCA contacted Redwings in hopes of finding him a safe place to live. To protect Stryder from his former owner, his name was changed and he was quietly moved to the sanctuary.
Little of Stryder’s history before the seizure is known. He does have a tattoo, but we can find no evidence that he was competitive. His story is a great reminder to all of our visitors that racehorses should not just be thrown away when they cannot race. They are beings that have just as much right to a good life as any living being. He also is a reminder of how cruel humans can be to animals and that we need to do what we can to protect these wonderful creatures.

Stryder now lives very happily at the ranch, safe from those who wanted to hurt him, enjoying the peace he so very much deserves. If you have the time during your visit today, go by and say hi to him. And if you are lucky, you will see this handsome horse in full stride, running across his pasture, and you will know why the Arabs have a proverb that says, “The horse is God’s gift to mankind.” He moves with a grace, beauty and speed that is breathtaking.

Small to large - tons of fun! Soledad YMCA visit

Our 26 visitors arrived - enthusiastic and excited - on Thursday, June 21, 2012. 

Ages 5 to 11 were treated to meeting our smallest residents (Penelope pony) to our largest (Calypso - one of our Belgium workhorse cross horses saved from slaughter).

The visit flew by quickly.  In their time with us, we were able to introduce the youngsters to many of our equine family, demonstrate hoof trimming, massage, tell the stories of some of our special horses, and get them up close and personal with the ponies, horses and burros of Redwings.

The youngsters left knowing that these animals are indeed wonderful creatures - and that they deserve the same loving care and respect that all living creatures deserve.

This was their second year visiting - and they said this year was even better than last year.  Hope we'll see the Soledad YMCA again next summer!

June Horse of the Month: Champ

Although the traditional birthstone of June is the Pearl, Alexandrite is an alternate birthstone for June. This unique gemstone changes color depending on the lighting conditions and is a symbol of joy and good fortune. Another alternate birthstone for June is moonstone. It is considered a sacred stone in India. Moonstone varies in color from clear to bluish white or peach. It is a symbol of health and longevity.


At Redwings we believe all of our horses represent joy, good fortune, health, and longevity. One of our oldest horses, Champ has been fortunate to relish joy and good fortune during his later years of life.

Champ is approximately 32 years old, a cross between a pony and Arabian horse. What is known of his story begins in San Miguel where he lived next to a winery. He had a fickle owner that lived nearby who occasionally fed Champ, but did not provide him with the complete, quality care that horses require. When the land Champ was living on was sold to the winery that wanted to build a tasting room, Champ could not stay. A kind lady that heard about Champ’s situation took him from the owner, who did not want to deal with re-homing Champ, and paid for his boarding until she could place him in the right hands. With 5 horses already in her care, she knew she could not take another, and since Champ was very gentle and well behaved, she knew she could find him a loving home. She contacted Redwings and explained his situation.

Redwings was happy to take in this handsome guy, although we knew nothing more than the few sentences mentioned above. He now resides in his own are next to the front office where he gets lots of attention from the office staff, visitors, and volunteers. He adores his herd mates that include the ponies, and Apollo, a young gelding. You can frequently find the crew galloping, playing, rolling, chasing, and peacefully grazing in the open pasture that they enjoy daily. He is one of the first horses in the front pasture to greet you upon arrival. He is very curious, sweet, and is truly enjoying his later years of life with good friends, good food, and a beautiful place to call home.

San Lucas Girl Scouts visit us June 13, 2012

What a day!  The Girl Scouts were treated to a day of demonstrations and hands-on opportunities at Redwings.

Top left, the girls and leader get to visit with our very friendly burros.  Top right, volunteer and massage trainee, Nita Tulley demonstrates how the techniques she uses on the horses, feel - the girls thought it was really a good feeling and that's what we hope the horses feel too.

And last but not least, farrier and Redwings Board member, Mark Sindel, showed the scouts how to clean feet and even let them try their hand at it.

Following the demonstrations the troop enjoyed lunch and visiting with staff and volunteers under the large oak tree by our office.

Posture Analysis Class by Jeannette Burrows CMT

On Saturday, May 12, Jeannette Burrows treated our Level I class to a special presentation on "posture analysis."  Jeannette took two of the horses from Redwings herd and demonstrated how she identifies trouble spots through posture analysis.  Then she shared her skills with willing volunteers to treat these horses.  Several volunteers have committed to seeing that treatments are performed on the two horses and there will be follow-up by Jeannette in the coming months to ensure that both volunteers and horses are progressing.

                         We (board, staff, volunteers and horses) are most grateful to Jeannette!

Leo: May Horse of the Month

Leo: May’s Horse of the Month


Leo’s story begins in Santa Barbara County in 2008 when Animal Services rescued him and another equine friend from a neglectful situation. Leo was fed, cared for, and had surgery to fix a fractured foot. From this, his condition was described as, “mechanical lameness with a permanent limp, but no pain”. In 2010 Leo was legally adopted out to a woman who had fostered him from the county when he first arrived. However, the caring woman fell on economic hardships within a year of owning Leo. Since Santa Barbara County knew they could not keep Leo long term and with a compromised foot, adoption was a long shot, they contacted Redwings.

In 2011, at about 8 years old, Don Leonardo, affectionately called Leo, arrived at his permanent residence at Redwings. He enjoys grazing in the afternoons, frolicking with his dear friends Pegasus and Coco, and splashing in his water trough on hot days. As his previous owner said in good humor, “he enjoys breaking water pipes and sticks his face in the fountain of water. He’s like Houdini with his lips and can open gates. It’s my only complaint, if I had to call it that”. Redwings’ staff can attest that Leo frequently smacks his lips and splashes his water, but fortunately he has not performed any Houdini acts on the ranch.

For such a young man, with a fickle beginning, Leo has maintained good humor, good looks, and cherishes his good friends. As humans, we hope to take lesson from Leo and his humble adventures: despite all trials and tribulations- have fun, win friends, and influence others.

Thank you, Leo.