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River Pines Horse Sanctuary
Welcome to
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EQUINE FACILITATED EDUCATION CENTER
& HORSE SANCTUARY
At River Pines Horse Sanctuary, we give horses in need a forever home. Most of our horses come from situations of abuse and/or neglect, or are surrendered due to an owner’s inability to continue caring for them. They often come to us untrained, elderly, or unhealthy and underweight.
They’re horses with nowhere to go, and that’s where we come in.
We provide a peaceful, herd-based environment offering safety, companionship, and the freedom and space to play and recuperate in Missoula, Montana.
In Memory of: Sunny
Our newest herd member, Sunny, a 20-year-old mini, came to us from a situation of extreme neglect. His owners had both Alzheimer’s and dementia, in addition to being wheelchair-bound, and had stopped caring for Sunny and his five pasture mates, all of whom were dead in the pen with him. His body and organs were shutting down, and he was starving, dehydrated and unable to walk.
After Missoula County stepped in and confiscated all animals on site, Sunny ended up with us.
Over the months he was with us, Sunny made slow and steady progress. He received veterinary and farrier care, and started gaining some weight and being able to bend his knees. He also started becoming a bit more comfortable receiving love and attention.
Unfortunately, the weight he was gaining put too much pressure on his already severely-damaged joints, and our veterinarian felt there was no hope for pain relief for him, now or in the future. We made the difficult decision to euthanize Sunny and put him out of his pain.
Our mission is providing a safe home for horses in need. Sometimes providing a safe home means doing the hard things that are ultimately in the horse's best interest.
We're so glad we were able to provide a home for Sunny in his last months, and we couldn't have done it without your support.
“and I whispered to the horse:
Trust no one in whose eye you don’t see yourself reflected as an equal…”
Don Vincenzo Giobbe c.1700 a.d.
