Touchstone Farm
Quarter Horses * Miniature Horses
Manager: Kim Kulenguski
81 Jones Mountain Road
Madison, Virginia - 22727
Farm: 540-948-6085
Cell: 540-407-0298
Email: touchstonefarmva@aol.com
Touchstone Farm Horse Rescue Information and Links
Links to Virginia Equine Rescue Facilities and Adoption Programs...
Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue
Patricia Muncy, President/Founder
1725 Edwardsville Road
Hardy, VA 24101
Phone: (540) 797-1999
Email: Pat@rvhr.com
Web site: www.rvhr.com
Kids & Kritters of the New River Valley, Inc.
Virginia Gilfillian
Oakwood Stables
P.O. Box 443
Christiansburg, VA 24068-0443
Phone: 540-731-9577
Email: Vgilfillian@aol.com
Web site: www.kidsandkritters.org
Lost Fantasy Stables & Animal Rescue, Inc.
Sarah Dutton, Founder
Visitation is by appointment only
P.O. Box 42
Ceres, VA 24318
Phone: (276) 682-3729
Email: lostfantasystables@yahoo.com
Web site: www.lostfantasystables.org
The Laughing Horse Sanctuary
Tom and Julia Durfee, Founders
8317 Grassland Drive
Sandy Level, VA 24161
Phone: 434-927-5298 or 434-927-5297
Email: tom@laughinghorse.org
Web site: www.laughinghorse.org
Blue Horse Mukwa Equine
Retirement & Rescue Center
Rabiah Yazzie Seminole, Founder
Visitation is by appointment only
25859 Highway 49
Chase City, Virginia 23924
Phone: 434-372-2389 or 757-439-4206
Email: bluehorsemukwa@yahoo.com
Web site: www.bluehorsemukwa.org
White Bird Appaloosa Horse Rescue
Jorg Huckabee-Mayfield - Founder
1688 Burkes Tavern Road
Burkeville, Virginia 23922
Phone: 434-767-2838
Email: info@whitebirdapps.com
Web site: www.whitebirdapps.com
Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary
Christine Smith
P.O. Box 2260
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Phone: 540-972-0936
Email: info@equineelders.org
Web site: http://www.equineelders.org
More Horse Rescues in Virginia CLICK HERE
Blaze's Story - Rescued November 2004
November 2004 - Photos of Blaze just after she arrived here
July 2005
December 2004
November 2006 (2 YEARS LATER)
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This page was last updated: November 14, 2009
HORSE RESCUES AND ADOPTION PROGRAMS
A little background about Blaze...Blaze is registered with the Jockey Club Florida. She was raced in Tampa several times, 3/4 of a mile being her best distance. She was sired by the famous Commodore C and is out of Mizpah's Queen. She is a descendent of Man O War, Bold Ruler, Nearco, Sir Gallahad, and many other great racehorses. This is her story...She was raced in 1992, 1993, and 1994 at claiming races and small tracks around Florida. She won three races to date at 3/4 of a mile in Tampa. She has evidence of multiple pin-firing to her front cannon bones. Pin-firing is it's an old, barbaric, and useless practice that was originally intended to speed up the healing of whatever injury (e.g., bowed tendon) the horse had sustained. For a very long time, "everyone" accepted the idea that causing additional injury to the leg through pin-firing (the new injury was referred to as a "counter-irritation") would increase the circulation in that area and lead to healing of both the pin-firing and the underlying injury (http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/20031028043247.phtml). She was not only pin-fired, but after raced, her tendon on her front leg was cut to insure she wouldn't race again. She is still pasture sound and loves to run, but limps in cold weather and can not carry a rider.Blaze was passed around the track and eventually made her way up to VA through unknown circumstances and sold at auction to a man named Rae Carpenter who lives in Orange County, Virginia. She was thrown into a herd of 15 or so Appaloosa broodmares, who were crammed on a 1.5 acre lot in a pasture of a neighbor who was graciously doing her best to help him by providing fencing, land, and storage space. The appy mares were either in-foal or had a foal with them, and were not in good condition themselves. None of the horses owned by Rae have ever seen a de-wormer, vet care, or even something as trivial as clean hay and feed. They are fed beef cattle grain (it's cheaper than horse grain) and moldy hay left out during the bad weather. There is no shelter - though the owner of the property repeatedly offered to help him build a run-in, and no grass due to over-crowding.
I knew of Rae through purchasing an appy filly, one he had bred, from a friend of mine. I went over now and then and would see how things are doing, I even sold many horses for him in order to help relieve him of the numbers (and yet he still bought and traded more and still breeds some to this day). He has had animal control from Madison and Orange county ''investigate'' his property. All he's been asked to do is sell a few, despite handfuls or foals and mares dying each year due to his negligence.
The owner of the property knew Blaze was getting sick, she would gain and loose weight according to the seasons and the winter of 2004 she lost a tremendous amount of weight and all she did was crib on the trees all day. We went to Rae and bought her from him for $300 and delivery to my farm. She has been boarded here since then.
When she arrived she was vetted and the vet was amazed she was still standing. She had just about every type of worm in her system imaginable, not to mention very sharp teeth, rotting hooves, rainrot an inch thick covering her whole body, and several hundred pounds underweight. Despite her condition she nickered at everyone and loved to have her head scratched. We started her on antibiotics, daily dewormer, and fresh water and hay, and worked her up to grain. Now she is a full 1150 lbs, a beautiful, shinning chestnut, loves to run and play.
Below are pictures of Blaze throughout her two years here. Click on the thumbnails to view a full-size image, click the browser BACK button to return to this page...
Due to the overwhelming amount of un-wanted and free horses out there, we do not have room for anymore FULL-size horses. However.....I do have room for more miniature or small ponies to take in no matter age, sex, health, soundness, ect. Please think of us before a small equine you know goes through something one of ours or others have gone through. I am always there to help and if you'd rather try and find room available at a certified organization where you can get a tax write off, there are listings of those around the area below.Below are a few of the horses and ponies I have rescued and helped recover; either mentally, physically, or other various reasons.________________________________________________________________________________
"Tims Tiny Trademark" - 1980 Miniature Sorrel Gelding
Logo was one of the sweetest ponies I'd ever worked with. I got him in 2001 as a buddy. He was a rescue mini from abuse and was very shy around adults, especially men, he just never reconnected with them. I got him as a buddy for my 1st riding horse and he really got me interested in the mini's. He was always the talk of the crowd when people came out to the farm becuase he was so small and sweet and LOVED kids. Despite earlier treatment he just loved the little kids that doted on him. I taught him to pull the sleds and the big plastic discs that we used to sled on back when we had several feet of snow during the winters, and he just loved his job. He was always a sweetheart and always willing to do anything. I used to pony him everywhere I rode just so he could get out and view new places.
Unfortunately he coliced in the spring of 2005 and despite hours and hours of efforts he didn't make it. It was the first horse I had lost and it was very devastating. He tried so hard, but his poor body just couldn't last any longer. We hand walked him for 10 hours to keep him from rolling. The vet came out and pumped his stomach and we even tried rolling him on his back to get his system moving again, but it just wouldn't and surgery was too intensive for this old man, he had lived his life and it was time for him to cross the Rainbow bridge. Our family and all those who met him miss him dearly and there was never a better friend for my Quarter Horse than this little pony. He taught me to love the miniatures and really got me into the horse rescue after seeing how sweet one little horse can turn out to be, despite a horrible previous home, he was able to overcome his fear of people once he met them and learned to just be a happy little horse again. He is the reason I have miniatures now and the reason I offer my home to those in need.
2003-2006....All in all....it was 36 Appaloosa's that I rescued and placed in new homes. These horses were being bred every year, had very little hay or grain, lived on about an acre, was always too many horses on the property and lived in mud and feces. Nobody recieved farrier care or any deworming or any kind of vet work. I have put photos and info on some of the ones that needed more than just regular care, a little weight, and training. These horses were owned and bred by Rae Carpenter in Orange, VA. Even after multiple people calling authorities, 3 years worth of neglect photos from me, and several horses dying....he was never charged with abuse. He was only told to sell them and get down to only 6 animals. I was trying to be as nice as I could to him in order to get his horses so I could work with them and find them new homes, some of the young ones were very saleable once out of those conditions....but he thought it just meant more room for more to be bred and born. I finally had to back out after placing 36 of these animals. Animal Control only stepped in afterwards and recommended he get down to 6 horses. Sorry for the bad photos....I did not have a good camera at the time...These are a few of the horses I rescued:
CLICK PHOTOS TO VIEW LARGER IMAGES< USE BROWSER BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
Honey - very skiny Perlino Appy filly, both hind feed were Grade 3 Clubbed and insufficient nutrients led to sickled cow hocks in this poor little girl, she was so sweet too
This bay mare had worms that caused her to rub her tail completely off, her stomach was so big we thought she was in foal...but she wasn't
This sweet QH mare was very un-nourished and had a lot of discharge from her eyes and nose due to a chronic case of pneumonia she was trying to fight off
Old Gray Mare - She had mud encrusted on her stomach and legs that no amount of washing and brushing could get it off....it shed off in the spring. she had worms and several molars needed to be removed due to abcesses
Photos from the paddock these horses were forced to live in before they came to my farm, photos below are all after they've been taken to my farm.
Both Appy colts were suffering from pneumonia when they arrived, as well as heavy ascarid infection
Pretty leopard bay mare...suffered from an infected wound that she got from a barb wire strand wrapped around her left hind leg. Huge amounts of proud flesh developed above her fetlock joint and left a massive scar. Pictures show the ''healed'' version of her injury. Only surgery would help
As the story of Magic goes...he was found walking along the side of the road with just a halter on. A man decided to take in the pony and put him in with his goat herd and tried to find Magic's previous owners. No such luck, so Magic was given to another horseowner whose intentions were to use Magic as a companion for her horses. However, Magic being a stallion caused too many conflicts between him and her sporthorse and she was afraid for Magic's safety (her gelding could only stand so much of this restless boys behavior.)
She contacted me and asked if I would take him, as I do rescue and work with miniature horses. I was honored to be contacted for this case and was even more surprised at how gorgeous the little guy was when he was delivered on Dec. 1, 2007.
Since then he has been pastured with 2 of our full size horse weanlings, as well as my other miniature stallion, our mini colt, and mini gelding. He is with the boys and is doing great. Has settled in well and enjoying his new friends.
He is a little disrespectful in manners, probably just due to lack of handling and discipline, but he has a very sweet attitude and really looks to please, just needs the right direction in life. I am excited to say I was looking for a driving prospect and I believe I found one who will go all day long! He is a powerhorse and loves to work and just needs a job to put all his energy to good use. You can see from the photos he's quiet a beauty, and LOVES to show his stuff. With time I believe he will make an un-replaceable addition to our farm. Thanks to Sarah Zimmers for donating him to us, as well as Greg for taking him in off the street (literally!).
"Magic"
2000 Unreg. Miniature Black Stallion
Rescued 12/2007
Meet our dwarf....SIR WINSTON!-Came to our farm January 2008
-Came to our farm January 2008"Winston" came from a wonderful farm in Ohio that saw fit to donate him to our rescue. He will forever live out his life here. He is about 10 years old and is clearly a dwarf. He has a short back, neck and legs, but full mini size head and torso, ok bite, his hind legs bow out at the fetlock so he is pretty much walking on the side of his hooves which we give him joint supplements to help keep him comfortable and farrier work every 4 weeks. He is a fun little guy and has the best personality. We love him dearly and he will reamin on our farm forever with his blessed broodmares. He is only about 27'' tall, compare him in the photo to our 33'' mare. He is comfortable for the time being and we are lucky to have him.
Sir Winston
Toby
Meet our dwarf colt....TOBY!-Came to our farm October 2008
-Came to our farm October 2008"Toby" came to us from a breeding farm in West Virginia. Toby is a very sweet little colt, a bit shy at first, but an absolute adorable little guy with quiet a personality. Toby is just only a weanling still! He is one of the fortunate few who was born at a knowledgeable and responsible farm who took charge of taking aggressive car of his hooves and making sure they stayed as correct as possible while he is growing. We have his feet done every 3-4 weeks to keep them as correct as his toe wants to grow longer than it should and rotate to the outside which would cause serious lameness issues if not routinely cared for. **UPDATE: Sad news as it is, we new the chances with dwarves, Toby passed on due to heart and organ failure in April 2009. He will be greatly missed as he was a favorite around here.
