Meet Our Horses
Rescued from slaughter, abuse, neglect or homelessness, each of our residents is provided with the best quality of life possible. We set a high standard of care, with our barn staff, veterinarians, and farriers working together to create the conditions where healing unfolds.
Willow
Willow is a blind Appaloosa mare who arrived at the sanctuary when she was about 20 years old. Willow worked as a trail and lesson horse until her eyesight failed and she was sent to auction. At the sanctuary, surgery was performed to remove a necrotic eye. We named her Willow because like the tree, she is graceful and flexible, adapting to her loss of vision with equanimity. This gentle mare was mustang Hidalgo’s love. With his passing she has a new admirer and companion Jake. They are an affectionate, sweet couple. She has lived at the Sanctuary for over a decade.
Jake
Willow’s companion Jake was a trail horse and therapeutic riding horse who came to us after many years of work. Jake is a most kind and gentle soul. He is solicitous and protective of his blind friend, but Willow is the boss!
Sage
Sage is gentle and kind, so forgiving of the mistreatment she endured for over a decade. She was exploited by the pharmaceutical industry to produce the drug Premarin. Sage was a twelve year-old quarter horse mare when she arrived, nine months pregnant. She did not know how to walk on a leadline and her feet were in terrible condition from years of standing in a narrow stall with dirty concrete floors, unable to turn or move.
She gave birth to her final foal Mountain Thyme on July 16, 2010. Sage was an excellent mother and was proud of her beautiful son, the first baby which she had been permitted to keep. Thyme or Ty, as he was affectionately known, was born with a congenital malformation of his spine which impaired his balance. He lived only six months. Ty was intelligent, curious and brave. He taught us to meet adversity with courage and equanimity.
Sage has lived at the Kaeli Kramer Foundation for over fourteen years. Her best friends are Ferdinand the steer and Sweetie, a senior mare. All the animals love Sage and she is known as the queen of the Sanctuary.
About Premarin
Premarin is a widely prescribed drug that is used to treat the symptoms of menopause. The main ingredient of this drug is the urine of pregnant mares, thus the name “Premarin”.
Premarin mares like Sage are forcibly and continually impregnated in order for them to produce estrogen – rich urine. The babies are taken from their mothers and most wind up at the slaughterhouse. The mares must stand 24 hours a day in narrow stalls, attached to urine collecting machines. For many years Sage would not wear a winter blanket. She was terrified of the straps which secured the blanket as it reminded her of the urine collection equipment. The Premarin mares are unable to lie down or turn around. They are denied adequate water to produce concentrated urine.
What you can do
Tell every woman to avoid taking Premarin and other similar drugs. Studies show that these drugs are associated with increased risk of stroke and cancer. There are safer and better alternatives to deal with menopausal symptoms. Share your knowledge with your gynecologist. Many are shocked to learn how the drug is made.
We need to take a hard look at the
racing industry.
Horses are raced at the young age of two and three. Their immature bodies cannot withstand the stresses of racing. The bones in their feet, spines and necks have not grown and fused; this does not occur until the age of six. Many two and three year racehorses die of chronic conditions like osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. These horses are forced to live in small twelve by twelve stalls where they are confined for twenty-four hours each day except for the hour that they race or train. Since all horses are social herd animals, living in these conditions causes them to suffer emotional stress and anguish.
A myriad of legal and illegal drugs are routinely administered to mask pain and enhance performance. Thousands of American racehorses die on the track of pulmonary hemorrhage, broken necks, severed spines and shattered legs and tens of thousands more meet a horrible death at Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses.
Darci
Darci is a beautiful bay Thoroughbred mare who raced at Belmont. At the age of three she suffered an injury while racing which ended her career as a racehorse. She has a kind temperament and loves to be groomed and doted on. Darci was retrained as a dressage horse and she was adopted, but after eight years was returned when she became lame and could no longer perform. She will remain at the Sanctuary for the rest of her life.
What can you do?
Don't support horseracing in any way- do not bet, do not attend. Support legislation to eliminate this cruel "sport."
In New York and many other states horseracing is subsidized by the government. Contact your elected officials and tell them to stop subsidizing this inhumane and nonessential industry and support legislation to eliminate this barbaric sport. https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials – to find your representatives
Gov. Kathy Hochul
170 State Street
Albany, NY 12224
Phone number:
(518) 474-8390
Website:
governor.ny.gov
Facebook: @govkathyhochul
TJ aka Total Joy
TJ was a lesson horse and talented hunter-jumper. He gave his best effort and always cleared every jump. But years of jumping took its toll and left this kind and honest horse lame with navicular disease. He is enjoying a new chapter at the sanctuary. He is a gregarious, curious, highly intelligent and playful fellow. His stall has two locks and if the lower lock is inadvertently left open he can be found socializing with his friends or grazing on the grass watching the sunrise.
TJ, also known as Total Joy, was best friends with Peter. They both lived at the sanctuary for over 13 years. When Peter passed, TJ grieved the loss of his friend, not eating and losing his happy disposition. He was introduced to Sassy, a gentle mare who is blind. He is protective of his new companion and they have become an affectionate couple.
Sassy
Sassy arrived at the Kaeli Kramer Foundation when her barn was shuttered by authorities. Contrary to her name Sassy is a quiet, gentle mare who is now blind. She suffers from laminitis, a disease that affects the coffin bone of the hoof. Sassy is on a special diet to keep her feet strong and healthy. She loves her new partner TJ who is devoted to her and guides her around the farm.
Chandler
Chandler was a therapeutic riding horse from Long Island who came to us with an inoperable tumor. We expected a quiet horse, but he is far from quiet. Three days in a row, he managed to jump out of his stall unscathed – a first at the sanctuary! He has lots of opinions but is gradually settling down to enjoy this new chapter in this life. His health is good. He has lived here for over two years.
Chandler was purchased at an auction by the director of a therapeutic riding program. He was looking rough, thin, distressed and in need of a second chance. She brought him back to good health and trained him. Chandler became one of the most popular horses in their program, taking good care of his young riders and making sure they were safe and secure.
He has found a good buddy at the sanctuary, Simon, another therapeutic riding horse. Both have strong personalities but they have developed a respectful friendship.
Simon
Simon, Chandler’s buddy, came from a NYC therapeutic riding program. He could no longer work as he suffered from navicular disease and languished in his stall alone. A volunteer began to take him for short walks on a lead line and gave him lots of TLC. She visits him regularly and he is always so happy to see her. They are kindred spirits. Simon has a dominant personality with other horses but he has found a good friend in Chandler.
Pumba
We don’t know much about Pumba. He came to the sanctuary at the height of the pandemic when his owner became ill and could no longer care for him. He is a draft cross and a gentle giant. He is a quiet guy with a laid back personality. His current buddies are TJ and Sassy.
Koda and Lily
Koda and Lily are a happy, rambunctious bonded pair. They are inseparable, fun loving and devoted to each other.
Lily was purchased at an auction as a foal. She was born with severely sloped pasterns, a leg deformity. The veterinarians gave her a poor prognosis, but she is a spunky girl who has been living at the sanctuary for eight years. Koda sustained permanent injuries as a barrel racer. He has lived at the sanctuary for fourteen years.
Deaglan
Deaglan, a fifteen-year-old gelding, was purchased at an auction by a horse dealer who was impressed by his conformation and schooling. He hoped to make a substantial profit reselling him. Unfortunately, this handsome horse had been given drugs to mask the symptoms of lameness. He traveled to many barns as a sale horse, but could never pass a pre-purchase examination administered by veterinarians. Efforts were made to rehabilitate him to be used as a lesson horse. After many health and soundness issues, he has been part of the Kaeli Kramer Foundation’s equine family for thirteen years.
Sweetie
Sweetie, like many horses, became an unwanted horse when her owner could no longer care for her. The property she was living on had been sold. The twenty-five year old mare, who is lame and unrideable, could have ended up at “auction” which for most elderly horses is a death sentence. She is a friendly mare who has found her forever home at the sanctuary. She lives with Ferdinand, the steer and Sage, a former Premarin mare.
Helenita
Helenita came from an auction and suffered abuse. She was head shy, aggressive and distrustful of people. This resulted in behavioral issues, some of which still remain today. She lives with Sundance, Kaeli’s beloved palomino and Herbie the calf. We do all we can to help her live a happy life.
Snickers
Snickers is a gregarious, gentle pony with a twinkle in his eye. He lost his home when the land he lived on was sold to developers. Snickers is outgoing, playful and just a touch mischievous! He has many friends at the sanctuary.
