Today's Residents and Rescues

Our physical capacity for horses is currently 16 stalls but our care capacity and financial capacity allows for 10 horses.  We do reserve horse stalls for urgent or emergency situations in which the authorities need assistance in humane cases.  As of November 2007 AERO has 2 private horses on loan (one a prior rescue), 4 sanctuary horses, 4 horses in rehab, 1 horse in foster care (A Healing Hearts Sanctuary horse) and 1 horse out in pre-adoption leases for a total herd of 11.  Special thanks to our foster caretakers for the dedication in helping AERO horses.

Ruthie	Ruthie's Feet	Ruthie	Ruthie
Ruthie	Gus	Ruthie's Feet

Ruthie and Gus are two donkeys that AERO was alerted to by a concerned citizen.  Their feet were overgrown and they were in a pasture with lots of horses so it was difficult for them to get proper care.  Ruthie showed signs of pain and it was determined that both donkeys needed to be removed from the situation before their health moved to a dangerous level.  AERO and Painted Promise teamed up with  the Arizona Back Country Riders forum to sponsor these donkeys, get them moved and Painted Promise is now rehabbing them.  Painted Promise specializes in donkeys and minis and had room for them when AERO didn't.  Donations for the donkeys can be made thru the Donate Now buttons on the AERO site - be sure to add a comment if you want your donation to help these cuties.

 

Angel	Angel's foal tear area that will require surgery.

Angel is 4yo Blue Roan QH that has been bred twice.  Her first foal broke it's neck in an accident and her second foal was a stillborn.  In her second pregnancy birthing process she experienced a significant foal tear that has left her injured and needing surgery.  Her owners opted to have her placed in specialized care to be properly rehabilitated rather euthanatizing her.  AERO teamed up with Healing Hearts Sanctuary to help Angel.  Healing Hearts will own and be responsible for Angel but AERO, thru a foster situation, will oversee rehab care and assist Healing Hearts with finding placement.  Like Sammy, this is a great example of two rescue groups coming together to help a horse in need.

Allie is a tovero palomino paint filly with two blue eyes that was born with crooked legs.  She has had several surgeries already even though she is 10 months old.  There is a small window of time as her growth plates close to get her legs on the right track because they are still not straightening out.  In cases like these timing is everything.  Allie is a sweet filly and loves people since she was weaned very young.  Solstice has taken up the important job of being her mom and teaching her horse things.  We are raising funds for Allie to use a device to straighten her front legs - we need to raise $1320 and this will ensure productive life for her.  Everyone who meets Allie is charmed by her loving personality.

Draven 8/28 on his first day at AERO

Draven (which means Child of beautiful shadows, True defender of Love) is a 12-year old AZTECA horse that is 15.2H...he was donated to Horses Help! as a candidate therapy horse but long term lameness issues made it impractical for him to continue in the program.  AERO was requested to assist since he has had many tests and vets evaluate him and he is not realizing results from conventional methods.  Draven will have our expert farrier assist as well as receive PAP-IMI treatments from Koala-T-Life and Sound therapy from The Sound Horse.  We have discovered his side bones are so extensive they are interfering with pastern bones and we believe it is from a shoulder imbalance likely a result of injury.  We're working on his shoulder alignment to help slow or stop sidebone development and we are using a massage technique to bring his sidebones down (can take six months to see a difference).  Draven only needs minor changes to make him more comfortable and special shoes will be the last step in his program.  Draven also needs some nice ground training which he'll be started on right away!  Update 11/16/07:  Draven had his first session with the kids go extremely well and has the paint on his sides to prove it.  His ground manners and trailer loading have improved and we are continuing his therapy Draven is eligible for the Sponsor-A-Horse program and is getting ready to participate in a busy fall fundraising season. (Click on the pictures above to enlarge.) 

The above pictures of are Misty and Doc (Socks) the days that they were seized by the ADA.  It helps to see how quickly horses can come back from such a dire condition.  All of the progress pictures below can be seen in a larger format by clicking  on them.

Doc on his arrival on 3/10/07 ADA put weight on him since his pick up on Valentine's day....his jaw hurts and he has hind leg arthritic conditions but his coat is amazingly good.	In starvation cases we give them an easy to digest high calorie diet of free choice alfalfa hay, beet pulp, rice bran, equine senior, and black oiled sunflower seeds plus soaked rabbit chow or hay pellets. The horses graze on what they need.	Socks on 3/17/07 Even with only a week at AERO he is continuing to improve. His changes will be easier to see in the coming weeks. He had a blood draw on 3/23 to test for infections and organ function so we can get his teeth done.	He eats like crazy and whinnies every time he hears the grain in the tack room....he's very happy with his plentiful food and is free grazing on alfalfa every chance he gets.	Socks on 4/5/07 He's continuing to gain weight and getting ready to drop his coat like Misty did. It is harder for him to chew so we are working on getting him to the dentist and in the meanwhile he gets rabbit chow since it is a small pellet!	His hind end fills in a bit more each day. He loves to run around and looks quite dashing doing so.
5/11/07 Doc is up to 1000 lbs after getting his teeth done on 4/23/07.	5/11/07 - Doc loves to run and play in the arena.	6/5/07 - Doc has a couple hundred more pounds to go!	6/5/07 - He's looking much better after just a few short months.	6/5/07 - Most of his curves in his haunches is due to lack of muscle here.

Doc (Socks) is a 27-year old 16H Sorrell with Bald face that was purchased at public auction.  The Livestock Board recovered him when he was reported loose in the desert estimated to be 350lbs at that time.  He was not interested in food and had given up on life by the time he was found.  The evaluating vet said he would be best euthanized.  However the Livestock Officer was able to get Socks to eat and he made such a remarkable recovery that they asked if we could assist Doc.  Doc now eats like crazy, is very talkative and acts like a puppy.  He came in older with significant arthritic changes and sort jaws so he'll take longer to bring back. Both Socks and Misty are expensive to rehab because of their high calorie and extra food so sponsors are needed! 7/11/07 update:  Doc is having trouble in the heat and he is being monitored for mild colic symptoms.  8/26/08 update:  Doc has recovered nicely and has been put under saddle with young kids...he is a perfect gentlemen and quite a special teacher.  He has been moved to foster care.  11/26/07 update:  Doc was returned from foster care and is back in the AERO barn.  He will be used in the children's program until further notice.  Doc is eligible for the Sponsor-A-Horse program .  (Click on the pictures above to enlarge.) 

Misty on 3/6/07 Misty has gained weight in the care of the ADA - she was picked up on 2/15/07 with all of her hip bones clearly visible. She is strong in spite of her lack of body condition.	Misty also gets Red Cell for anemia and Vitamin B12 to help her absorb nutrients. She is on medicinal mushrooms and fiber/apple cider vinegar to get rid of any potential sand or infections.	Misty on 3/17/07 Her back and hind end are filling in nicely - she's dumping her coat in this picture which is normal for a severe malnourished condition. New hair is growing in behind it rapidly.	4/5/07 - Misty is showing awesome progress and other than her hip bones she is looking like the pretty little arab that she is.	Most of the remaining underdevelopment is due to muscle atrophy so we're giving her room to run in deep sand to get her strength back.	05/11/07 - Misty is filling in with more muscle - she is showing some pain in her right hip which is being evaluated.
05/11/07 - She loves to roll in the arena.

Misty is a 18yo Arab that was purchased at public auction.  The Livestock Board removed her from her prior situation where another horse (her friend) had to be euthanized on the spot.  Misty was often left without water for days and food was only given as remembered even though she was in an affluent home.  She is experiencing hind end lameness due to muscle weakness.  The referring vet has asked that we work to get Misty in our care.  She is rapidly gaining weight and we are working on providing her with opportunities to build muscle.  Misty's rehab time is estimated at 6-8 months at which time she will be eligible for adoption.  It is easy to see she will be very strong and athletic.  7/11/07 - Dr. Lucas evaluated Misty and found a compressed fetlock limiting her to light riding with a light rider.  It is believed this is due to an old injury left untreated. 7/14/07 - Misty was put under saddle and has beautiful western pleasure training and is very responsive.  She will continue to have very short riding sessions frequently to gradually build some muscle but is a pleasure to ride.  8/26/07:  Misty has been moved to foster care as well...she still needs to fill in a little muscle but is otherwise healthy as a horse!  11/26/07:  Misty has returned from foster care and will remain in the rescue until further notice as a participant in the children's program.  As everyone knows that has been to the barn, Misty and Doc are inseparable.  Misty is eligible for the Sponsor-A-Horse program .  (Click on the pictures above to enlarge.) 

Dremal is a 10-year old Arab that was a high level performing reining horse.  Due to unknown circumstances he has a condition in his hamstring that makes him unable to perform at competitive levels any more.  He also was showing signs of axtaxia and other lameness issues that made him unsuitable as a schooling horse.  His concerned owners and trainer sought out a rehab option for him that would be in his best interest.  Dre, as he is called, is in foster care and has been checked out by our specialists.  He is looking and feeling great and his gaits are near normal but he is not currently ridable and in rehab.  He will make a great trail riding adoption candidate once he has worked thru some of the damage to his hamstrings.  We're happy to have Dre in our fold.  Dre is not a candidate for Sponsor a Horse at this time and is in the final stages of adoption.

Cheer's Gold is a 11-year old Holsteiner/TB that was campaigned too heavily at a young age in the jumping community.  His owner wanted to put him down at 8yo because he couldn't jump any more and they thought he had EPM.  The attending vet called AERO because he believed it was an arthritic condition and lucky for us he was right.  Cheers rehabbed in a month and we've been riding him ever since.  Cheers was adopted out for several years and is back to work in the children's program indefinitely.  We're very excited that he has come back to us!  Kids love this big guy!  He is not an adoption candidate at this time as we are working thru additional physical and mental issues.  He is actively under saddle being tested in various circumstances before he is declared safe to ride again.  Cheers is eligible for our Sponsor-A-Horse program.

Zephyrus (name coming in was Ricky) is a 5 year old Thoroughbred that was a severe neglect case.  He badly needed nutrition, food, footcare, dental work, and deworming upon arrival in January 2004.  In addition Zephryus had not been handled properly and was afraid to be touched or approached....the good news is that with all of the visitors at AERO he loves the attention and is happy to receive all of the kisses he gets!  Zeph has undergone three surgeries while in our care and has a thyroid imbalance making it difficult for him to maintain weight.  His birthday is Valentine's Day! Zephryus will be returned to training in March 2007 for an evaluation of whether he will be ridable or not (his medical conditions make this necessary to determine).  His rehab has been the longest of any horse at AERO but worth it as his intelligence and personality have charmed us all!  Update: 12/1/07:  He has shoes on and will now return to training under saddle to see if he can hold weight although it is doubtful.  If he is unridable he'll be trained as a liberty horse.  Learn more about Zephyrus by clicking here.   I want to sponsor Zephryus!

Elizabeth's Star arrived three years ago at 7 weeks of age....she had 18% carpal deviation on her knees and because her breeders were looking for paint coloring she was going to be put down.  Thanks to Dr. Lucas at Southwest Equine performing surgery on both knees, Lizzy is sound today and just passed her final (August 2005) x-ray check on her knees.  She is being used in the children's program and has been started under saddle. Lizzy has been adopted by AERO's founder and will be loaned back to the program!  Lizzy is no longer eligible to be sponsored.

Sundance is a 30yo Quarter Horse grade used for trail riding for many years.  His owners suspected he was navicular (a painful foot condition) but never sought treatment.  Sundance was in so much pain when he was first rescued that he only weighed 700 lbs and could barely walk.  With treatment and an exercise program Sundance is happily back up to weight and being used in the Children's program.  More amazingly Sundance has been trotting sound.  Due to his ongoing care for blindness, hearing problems, and missing teeth he is not an adoption candidate.  I want to sponsor Sundance!

Solstice is a 13 year old Chocolate Silver Palomino who was rescued from severe neglect by another party.  She came to AERO with pain in her hocks from poor shoes and a hormone imbalance making her difficult to handle.  With some Chinese herbs and proper foot care Solstice is the most versatile horse at AERO today.  She is actively being used in the Children's program and loves every minute of it! She continues to rehab after losing a foal from malnutrition at less than three years of age. Many of her pituitary and leg conditions are a result of this and she is not a current adoption candidate due to her special needs. She has a degenerative condition in her hind legs and is ridable at a walk only.   I want to sponsor Solstice!

SCH Impressions is on loan to AERO for the children's program.   Although not a rescue herself, Impressions was born and raised by at-risk youth in a children's home located in Illinois.  She is a 10yo old Arab that has been ridden dressage and western pleasure and has incredible bloodlines.  She loves to show everyone those fancy Arab steps!  Impressions is not eligible to be sponsored as she is privately owned.