Sanctuary Horses
Meet the horses who will be living out their days with us.
Our sanctuary provides loving pastures for horses who will spend the rest of their days with us. For each horse, we provide food, medical, and farrier care costing about $150 per month. We need your help! You can choose a horse to sponsor or donate directly to the rescue. Any amount is appreciated!
$25/month- Special Hearts Contributor- partial sponsorship
$75/month- Half Annual Contributor- For a full year we will provide you with a photo of the horse you sponsored and an annual update on how your financial gift helped out.
$150/month- Annual Contributor- For a full year of support you will receive everything listed above plus a Happy Tails t-shirt or hat
Please consider sponsoring! To donate use the links below for our PayPal or Venmo! You can also send a check to Happy Tails Have 14898 Elk Creek Rd, Piedmont, SD 57769
Doc
Doc is a quarter-horse mare in her late 20s. She also requires special feed since she lost most of her teeth due to aging. She is one of our sanctuary horses.
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Requests
QH
Sorrel
28
Mare
Timothy Pellets
Square Meal Biscuits
Xena
Xena is a blind red roan mare. She wasn’t always blind, we think she became blind after a pullback accident with her halter. Xena came to Happy Tails in 2017 from the reservation. She has some trust issues but once she gets to know you, she is a very friendly horse. Xena’s forever home is Happy Tails.
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Requests
QH
Red Roan
15
Mare
Senior Feed
Sonata
Sonata is a 25 year old paint mare who came to the rescue Sonata from Nebraska. Sonata’s previous owner had some life changes and had to move across the country and couldn’t take Sonata with her, so she contacted the Rescue. Sonata used to be a broodmare in North Carolina where she met her previous owner. Her previous owner worked at the barn where Sonata was a broodmare at. She requires a high calorie diet to maintain her weight since she is a “hard keeper”. Sonata came to the rescue with her pal William as sanctuary horses.
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Requests
Paint
Brown and white
25
Mare
Senior Feed
William
William came to the rescue in 2023 with Sonata. What we know about his early history is he also lived in North Carolina and was at one time trained in dressage. William has Cushing's which causes him to have trouble shedding out in the spring. But his Cushings is well managed with his diet and daily medication. He also has a condition called anhydrous, which prevents him from sweating appropriately when it is hot! So, to help William sweat, the vet told us to give him a dark beer in his food! He loves it! William is one of our sanctuary horses and needs a sponsor!
Breed
Color
Age
Hanoverian
Burnt Bay
31
Sex
Gelding
Requests
Timothy Pellets
Square Meal Biscuits
Dark Beer
Hanna
She is a sanctuary horse and Happy Tails is her forever home. When she came to Happy Tails, she was severely overweight with arthritis and inflammation. Happy Tails made a promise to her previous owners that the rescue would be her forever home. She comes to our events and gives pony rides to kids. She is our matriarchal mascot for the rescue.
Breed
Color
Age
Shire -
Thoroughbred
Paint
20
Sex
Mare
Requests
Protein Block
Coal
Coal is a quarter horse mare in her late 20s. She was part of the original breeding program at CoDreLea Farm and was sold to a man who abused her and her daughter Carbon. Both were rescued by Klara from the abusive situation and saved from going to the sale. Coal and Carbon’s situation are the reason why the rescue was founded.
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Quarter
Black
24
Mare
Requests
Senior Grain
Shaman-sponsored monthly
He has been trained as an equine therapist in an equine-assisted learning program. Shaman requires special feed since because of age, he has lost most of his teeth and can’t chew hay or tough grass anymore. He is one of our sanctuary horses
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Arabian
Black
23
Gelding
Requests
Timothy Pellets
Square Meal Biscuits
Fly masks
Montana
Montana is a sanctuary horse who is in her 20s and an appaloosa mare. She is very friendly but a little standoffish and can be hard to catch. She loves treats!
Breed
Color
Age
Sex
Appaloosa
Gray
20
Mare
Requests
Horse Treats
Carbon
She is halter-trained but has not been trained to ride. She is a beautiful solid black horse and will warm up to you once she gets to know you. She and her mother Coal were sold to a man who abused her and her mother. Both were rescued by Klara from the abusive situation and saved from going to the sale. Coal and Carbon’s situation are the reason why the rescue was founded.
Breed
Grade Quarter Horse
Color
Black
Age
Sex
17
Mare
Requests
Donations for hay
Stay up fly boots
Platnium GI
Stormi
Stormi is an unhandled quarter horse who is very curious about humans, but she is shy to touch. She loves peppermint treats and people talking to her! Carbon is her best friend!
Breed
Grade Quarter Horse
Color
Bay
Age
10
Sex
mare
Requests
Donations for hay
Blondie
Blondie's original owner moved away and was surrendered to us by the neighbors of her original owner. She has issues with arthritis and with her stifle, so she can’t be ridden and she receives daily pain medication, she became a sanctuary horse. Blondie loves attention and to be groomed.
Breed
Grade Quarter Horse
Color
Palomino
Age
23
Sex
Mare
Requests
Donations for Hay
Stay up Fly boots
Amy
Amy is an appaloosa pony who is blind but can still see some shadows. She likes people but can be standoffish, especially when people don’t announce their presence! She came to the rescue when her previous owners moved and couldn’t take her with her.
Breed
Appaloosa pony
Color
Grey
Age
23
Sex
Mare
Requests
Donations for Hay
KitKat
Kit-kat retired to Happy Tails from Suncatcher Therapeutic Riding Academy last year. He is a Welsh pony who is a spunky little fellow. He provided riding lessons to kids who are mentally or physically disabled, now he is living his best life at Happy Tails and sometimes gives pony rides to kids at our events.
Breed
Welsh Pony
Color
Sorrel
Age
Sex
25
Gelding
Requests
Donations for Hay
Floyd and Rosie
Floyd and Rosie were rescued from abusive situations and have made Happy Tails their forever home. With big personalities for such little bodies, all our volunteers and guests fall in love with these two Shetland ponies. They both make appearances at some of our events in town, especially around the holidays as Santa and Mrs. Claus!
Breed
Shetland Pony
Color
Rosie-paint
Floyd-grey
Age
25
Sex
Rosie-mare
Floyd-gelding
Requests
Donations for hay
Lori
Lori is a blind 10-year-old quarter-horse mare who came to us last summer. She was pretty thin when she arrived but you can see what good food and care can do. This girl does not currently have special feed needs but does have some special farrier needs due to an old unknown type of injury to her hind leg. This is not painful, and she moves well. She can be a little nervous around new people
Breed
Grade Quarter Horse
Color
Bay
Age
Sex
10
Mare
Requests
Donations for hay
Missy
Missy is a 25-year-old Arabian mare and is Lori’s buddy. She has Cushing’s and is on a special medication called Prascend. Missy is also nervous around new people but is curious and will sniff your hand. Once she gets to know you, she loves back scratches!
Breed
Arabian
Color
Bay
Age
25
Sex
Mare
Requests
Donations for hay
Donations for medicine
Jenna
Jenna is a miniature donkey who came to the rescue bonded goat named Nanabelle! Jenna is the friendliest little donkey you will ever meet and is very talkative! Her bray will put a smile on your face every time!
Breed
Miniture Donkey
Color
Grey
Age
25
Sex
Mare
Requests
Stay up fly boots
Angel- IN FOSTER
Angel came to the rescue with Alex. She was abandoned in a cow pasture and was taken home by Alex’s former owner who contacted the rescue. Angel has a small hernia on her left side. She hasn’t been ridden since this injury occurred but it does not affect her!
Breed
Arabian
Color
Grey
Age
25
Sex
Mare
Requests
Stay up fly boots
Cool Calories
Poco and Scooter-IN FOSTER
In 2021, we were contacted by the owner about these 2 horses who were having mild lameness issues and could no longer be used for their Dude Ranch cattle operation. Poco the buckskin was in his teens and had laminitis. Scooter, who was only 7, was diagnosed with potential degenerative suspensory ligament disease. Both horses were otherwise in good health. We were able to meet the owner at her vets clinic, complete all the necessary paperwork, and then these two horses went directly to a long-term foster home where they have been ever since. We were so happy to be able to help with these sweet horses and are very grateful to their fosterer.
Chili
Chili arrived at Happy Tails in the fall of 2024 after her owner noticed she was running into the fences of her pasture and vision issues. After she arrived, she went to the vet so we could figure out why she was having trouble with her vision if there was any way of reversing it, and if she could be adopted. Sadly, after an extensive eye and vision exam, it was determined that Chili had developed equine uveitis and that it couldn't be cured. Chili joined the sanctuary horses after that vet visit and is now best friends with Xena who is also blind and helps Chili navigate her surroundings as her "seeing-eye horse".
Breed
Quarter Horse
Color
Sorrel
Age
15
Sex
Mare
Requests
Donations for hay