Manny is a 28-year-old Quarterhorse-type gelding who came to us (along with his pal, Diego) through a law enforcement seizure. Manny was emaciated at 1 of 9 on the body condition scale, infested with lice and hadn't seen a farrier in quite some time.

Despite all that, Manny is a very sweet horse and easy to handle. He is steadily gaining weight and doing well, following his foster mom around like a little puppy. We've dealt with his lice infestation, much to his relief! He has also had a pedicure and will soon have a much-needed dental float.

Diego, a 24-year-old gelding, came to us through animal control, along with his pal Manny. Diego was a 3 of 9 on the body condition scale, was badly in need of a farrier appointment, and was infested with lice. Fortunately, he's now putting on weight, has had a proper pedicure and we've dealt with that infestation.

Diego is part Arab, and looks like he could have some draft in him.  His feet are large for his size, and he has quite a bit of feathering.  He is well-mannered and easy to handle. We think he has had a fair amount of training in the past.

Next up for this sweet boy--a dental float.

No, your eyes aren't blurring...that's just Smudge, an 11-year old Appaloosa gelding who came to Skagit Animals in Need via a law enforcement seizure. He has recurrent uveitis and we are treating that condition, which is an inflammation of the layer of tissue that lies between the eye’s outer layer (including the cornea) and its inner layer (the retina). As a result, he has suffered some vision loss.

UPDATE 3/17/2024: Happy news for Smudge! He recently saw an equine ophthalmologist to evaluate his uveitis. Turns out that it is not the progressive, autoimmune type. And he doesn't appear to have cataracts or glaucoma. We're awaiting the results of some tests that will help us determine the best course of treatment for him.

UPDATE 6/27/2024: Great news for our Smudge! The infection in his eyes is completely gone now. The not-so-great news is that the infection caused a tear in the retina in his left eye. This partially detached retina means he has permanent partial vision loss in that eye. In his next ophthalmologist appointment, he'll have a laser treatment to preserve the rest of the retina and prevent complete detachment. And while you may have human friends who have had retinal repair surgery, it doesn't work well in horses. But the laser treatment should be protective of the rest of his retina. He also has some damage to the retina in his right eye and, as a result, some minor impairment to vision in that eye. However, the retina is intact and not in danger of detaching.  All of this explains his occasional jumpiness or random startles, especially on his left side. For ongoing care, the ophthalmologist has recommended keeping him on a low dose of Bute and eye ointment, currently twice a week, but possibly reducing eventually to once a week, for his lifetime, as a preventative measure to keep inflammation to a minimum, as his left eye will be especially susceptible to any kind of trauma.

Hazel is a Morgan cross mare, approximately 25 years old. We don't know all of the details of Hazel's prior life but we're sure it wasn't all peaches and cream. She was at a 1/9 on the body condition scale (BCS) when she was initially seized by law enforcement (1 being severely emaciated and 9 being severely obese). She had gained enough weight to reach a 2 on the BCS scale when we first met her. She has had very little handling in her life, spent her entire previous life on one property, had not been seen by a vet or a farrier in a very long time, and had never been hauled anywhere.

She has settled in quite well with us in foster care and is eating well -- which is a good thing because, as you can see from the picutres, we still have some work to do to help her reach a healthy weight AND to help increase her ease with people. It's imperative that she is able to be safely handled before we can consider her adoptable. It's going to be quite a journey for Hazel.

This cute bay roan mare has made slow but significant progress while in our care. With the help of knowledgeable trainers, we are building trust and teaching her that not all humans are scary. Though she is still cautious about humans, she is very curious.

This courageous gal continues to make progress that frankly brings tears to our eyes. In early February, with the help of some sedation (Dormosedan), she had her first pedicure. Overall, she handled it well, and we hope to be able to trim her next time without sedation. 

Hazel can now be caught, haltered, and led.  She can be brushed all over her body, and the old matted hair in her tail has been cut off and the rest brushed out.  She still doesn't love being touched, but tolerates it once she is caught.

Once she can be handled reliably, she will be available for adoption as a companion/pasture pet.

Handsome Khalil, a gelding, is one of two Arabs who came together to SAIN on June 16, 2023. He and Shakira were both born on their prior owner's property and have lived their entire lives there. Neither had seen a vet or farrier on a very long time. We are told that 17-year old Khalil had 30 days training to get started under saddle many years ago, but nothing further.

Khalil is the thinner of the two but is now putting on weight. We've had a trainer working with both Khalil and Shakira, gettting them reacquainted with picking up their feet in preparation for their first farrier appointment in some time and -- success! -- the appointment went great. Khalil is adjusting to the new environment and is becoming more interactive.

Stay tuned for updates on the handsome Khalil.

January 2024 Update: Khalil has become much more social since coming into our care, and is currently in training for basic handling and trailer loading.

Once he has learned a few more life skills, he will be available for adoption as a companion/pasture pet.

Spring 2024: We recently received new information about Khalil’s history, including his registration information. He is registered as Cygnd Seald Delivered, and was foaled on 6/12/06. Khalil’s granddam was also Shakira’s dam, making her his aunt. He has Bask, a major sire of significance in the Arabian breed, in
his bloodlines on both sides (his great-grandsire on his sire’s side; two generations farther back on his
dam’s side), and Desperado V is his dam’s sire (another legend in the Arabian world). Khalil had a
very hard life, never was really doted on or provided groundwork, and spent long periods stuck in a
filthy stall. He did have about 22 days of training in about 2014, in which he was introduced to a
saddle and bridle with snaffle bit, and learned w/t/c in long lines, but was never ridden. His owner tried
to rehome him a couple of times, but nothing came of it and she gave up quickly each time. He just
never really had a chance.