Navigation

Success Stories From SHARE

Every day, there are probably hundreds of thousands of animals in need of rescue. Some, unfortunately, cannot be saved in time, or are discovered and rescued too late.

Thankfully, that isn't the way that it has to be for every abused or neglected animal.

SHARE - and organizations like them - come to the rescue of these creatures and rehabilitate them. Then, animals can be offered to loving homes.

Below are the success stories of SHARE - creatures who found a wonderful home with a caring new family.

Snapper and Ellie Mae

Snapper was relinquished to the Dept. of Agriculture and later relinquished to Share. He was a very thin Thoroughbred with Rain Rot and very little hair. Snapper gained weight rapidly and the rain rot was cured. He gradually grew his hair back. Snapper has a wonderful personality and was adopted to a great home in Western Illinois to a family with two small children. He is now happily sharing his home with several other horses and ponies.
Later, Snapper was unfortunately returned to S.H.A.R.E, however he was so sweet and well behaved that he was quickly adopted out to a new home where he gives rides to grandchildren! Much to Snapper's delight, one of S.H.A.R.E more long term residents, Ellie Mae, was also adopted along with him! They are doing super well in their new home and are happy to have each other's companionship.

Our First Adoptee (H.P.) Harry Potter and Dillon

Our first adoptee is a pony named H.P. or Harry Potter. His new and permanent owner is Dillon. Dillon and Harry Potter go trail riding with Dillon’s mother. H.P. Follow Dillon along the lane as Dillon comes home from school. H.P. has become very bonded to Dillon in a short time. H.P. is scheduled to begin training to pull a cart in the near future. Dillon’s mother is a former horse trainer and feels this will be no problem for H.P.

Snickers

Snicker is a paint pony donated because the owner could no longer keep him. He has been adopted by a couple who were looking for a pony to train to pull a cart and to keep their Arabian Gelding company. Snickers now has his own 12x12 stall and turn out and lots and lots of love. He lives in a wooded area with the Arabian Gelding and a couple who just love him.

Shimar

Shimar was rescued from an overpopulated breeder out of state. She was so thin that her growth was stunted. Her original rescuer realized that the care was too much for her. Shimar had multiple cuts and scrapes from being with the other horses she owned. After she realized it was too much for her, she contacted us wanting to know if we could take her. We cared for her and treated her wounds. She was like a wild horse and after care and work, she has been “gentled”. She has been adopted by a 12 year old girl and is now being started under saddle. Hurray for Shimar!

Little Joe and Peso

When Joe was rescued from starvation, he was so weak that he had to be physically lifted into the trailer. After spending time at S.H.A.R.E, Joe had grown to be sleek, healthy and happy and was recently adopted and started under saddle. His new owner is thrilled and happily reports that Joe has been super well behaved with his new training and has been very sweet.

Peso was born at S.H.A.R.E. from one of the mares rescued from a farm where over 70 horses were being kept without food and water. Lucky for Peso, he found a new home at the same location as Joe! He delights his owner with his playful behavior, stealing brushes and getting into mischief!

Noelle

Noelle is a gorgeous young Quarter Horse mare. At 7 years of age this darling of a horse has excellent ground manners and handles like a halter horse. She is believed to be broke to ride and is a sweet heart. With a beautiful dark chocolate coat she is definitely a looker. Noelle went to her new home July 3rd, 2011.

Oliver

Oliver was probably the cutest pony you will ever meet. He was 38" tall with a super cute trot. He came into SHARE a little underweight. Share got him up to weight and gelded him. He was adopted by a family who came to look at Kiwi & Macho Man, but when Oliver absolutely fell in love with their granddaughter, it was a done deal and Oliver had a home, too! Oliver went home the weekend of July 3, 2011.

Baker

Baker was a barrel horse until he contracted EPM years ago. His owner retired him and Baker had a happy life just being a pasture pet until his owner had to abruptly leave her home. Fortunately her vet referred her to SHARE, who had the time to discover that Baker remembered that he was a well-broke show horse and not just a stunning snow-white horse. These days Baker is sharing his home with a mini and living happily ever after.

Cochise and Amber

Cochise and Amber live a very happy life in their forever home. Amber is a Haflinger that came to SHARE because the breeder was going to shoot her because she had a club foot. SHARE was able to give her the proper shoeing and care she needed and break her to ride so her new family can enjoy her.

Samantha and Chewey

Samantha came from a farm near Kankakee along with 4 other horses. Samantha was extremely skinny and had been treated poorly. SHARE was able to rehabilitate her and later find out that she was broke to ride. In Fall 2010, she went to enjoy her new home with Chewey, an Appaloosa, where the two of them can live the rest of their lives together. In August 2011, we received the following update from their adopter: "They are both amazing horses. They don't look too excited to go out on the trail in the picture. They are great trail horses and a joy to have around."

Tucker

Tucker is a big Belgian gelding. He came to SHARE because another rescue was closing their doors. That rescued had pulled Tucker off of the truck heading to the slaughterhouse at just 3 months old. They broke him to ride and he quickly became safe enough for anyone to handle, including kids. Tucker was adopted and is now living out his life in his own private pasture with an older Thoroughbred gelding. They have become best of friends.

Dazzle and Spirit

Dazzle is a little Paint mare. Dazzle is not only small but she also is deaf. It took a special person to take care of Dazzle's special needs. Luckily she was able to find a little girl of her own who rides her and pampers her. She lives with Spirit, another small paint mare, who was rescued from a farm in Kankakee in poor condition. The two spend their time grazing in their own pasture at their forever home.

Thunder

Thunder was a horse that had a lot of spunk. He was always very willing to do whatever you asked of him. He was able to find a home with a 4Her who has been showing him and spoiling him.

Lucky Charm

Lucky was foaled at SHARE. She was part of a case where 70 horses were seized. She is a Missouri Fox Trotter. Lucky was adopted out to a wonderful family who is loving her and is going to make sure she never ends up in a bad situation.

Bonnie

Bonnie is a Rocky Mountain Horse that we acquired from a seizure of about 70 horses. Bonnie was only a few weeks old when she came to us with her not very friendly mother. She quickly warmed up to us and we were able to find her a forever home. She found a family with other gaited horses and mules. She fits right in as her best friend while she was at SHARE was and older mule named Nate.

Matilda

Matilda is a teenaged Paso Fino mare. She came to us because her previous owners did not want to cut a fence after she was tangled up in it. Matilda was down for a significant amount of time before a neighbor came and freed her. As a result, Matilda coliced and the owners surrendered her to SHARE. We were able to provide her with colic surgery and medication to help her pull through. Matilda was an amazing horse. Never fussed about all the stall rest or exercise restriction. When it came time to find Tilly a home, we had numerous set backs. Many people were interested but not for the right reasons. Matilda finally found her perfect home and is being spoiled by her adopters! She lives in the lap of luxury being the princess she is in Missouri.

Honor

Honor was part of a group of 4 horses who was headed for slaughter in December 2010 as a 20-year-old former standardbred broodmare. Turned out at some point, Honor was very well-broke to ride and good enough to take to an open show with just a little polish from her foster family. Honor spent the summer of 2011 trail riding with her foster family and another foster horse, Molly. Ultimately, Honor's foster family decided they just couldn't part with her and decided to adopt her! We knew that anyone who gave Honor a chance would fall in love.

Sister

Sister was a registered APHA mare that was donated to us because the owners could no longer take care of her. She came in with a lameness issue which we had x-rayed and looked into by one of our veterinarians. She had calcification in a joint. This made her adoption prognosis very poor. Most horses that come to us with a lameness issue tend to stay with us forever as not many people want horses like that. Luckily for Sister, someone was looking for a horse to keep her blind horse company. Sister now lives at a wonderful barn where she is taken care of by excellent caretakers and gets turned out in a pasture with her new blind buddy. We could not have asked for a better home for her.

Gypsy Rose

Gypsy Rose was a yearling filly that was abandoned at an auction house when no one wanted to buy her. The auction house wanted S.H.A.R.E. to take her and we couldn't let such a sweet filly go. She found her forever home where she is loved and cherished and is a family horse.

Buddy

Buddy was a beautiful roan colt that came from a Quarter Horse breeder. The breeder had no use for Buddy as he had fractured his leg. S.H.A.R.E. agreed to take Buddy and give him the care that he needed in order to heal. S.H.A.R.E. also gelded him and started him under saddle. He was adopted by a loving family who uses him as a trail horse.

Mahave

Mahave came to S.H.A.R.E. as a starving Thoroughbred gelding. He was only about 1 year old when he came in. Because of the malnourishment he was never able to grow to his full height. He found a loving family home at a beautiful barn in Northern Illinois.

Bella

Bella was a Palomino blanket Appaloosa who was a complete sweetheart to be around. She came in with 4 other horses who were all being neglected. We lost one of those horses. Bella was one of the lucky ones that was able to be saved. She was kid broke to ride and once rehabilitated found a loving home.

Sundance

Sundance came from Arkansas where he was being kept in a small shed. He was a beautiful Pintaloosa that had not been handled very much. He was only a yearling when he came in. He found a home with one of our volunteers whose heart he stole.

Chrome & Scarlet

Chrome and Scarlet were from our group of 2011 Nurse Mare Foals. The nurse mare industry provides lactating mares to high dollar foals whose mothers are unable to nurse them. This is common in the thoroghbred industry where mares must travel to the stallion's place to be re-bred, leaving their colts who can be as young as one week old at the time.

The nurse mares have been bred just for the purpose of getting them lactating, and are ripped away from their own young foals. These young foals are a byproduct and do not receive much if any care. SHARE is one of several rescue groups who try to get these foals, nurse them back to health, and adopt them out. These foals had pneumonia and several other health difficulties but matured into lovely individuals who will not carry any issues forward from their rough start. ,

Samantha and Chewey's family (see above) and a neighbor adopted these two and we couldn't be more thrilled for them to join this lovely family!

Molly (the QH)

Molly was on her way to Canada with 3 other horses when a volunteer spotted the group and contacted us. We intercepted and were able to place all the horses into foster homes where they are receiving some much needed work. Molly went to a great foster family who started her under saddle and put some trail miles on her. Molly is an easy horse to ride and was a favorite for the volunteers when she returned to SHARE.

Get the latest pictures and read more about Molly's progress in her foster home!

Update: Molly was one of the horses we took with us to an adoption event at Tractor Supply Company. A volunteer rode her around bareback in the grass at the side of the parking lot at a busy TSC with just a halter and leadrope and Molly did great. (You can see pics, here.) She still needs work on the basics but she has a nice calm temperment that really makes a great horse. She has lovely conformation and is a nice, solid quarter horse. Someone is going to be very lucky when they adopt this girl.

Molly went to her forever home in September of 2011. She will e the only horse and will be spoiled rotten. This is a perfect situation for her!

Hafeeda

Hafeeda was able to retire with the breeder that had relinquished her to SHARE. The breeder was able to get back on her feet and take Hafeeda back to offer her the retirement that she deserves. Tandara Hafeeda is a well-bred mare who was imported by a Caspian breeder. Unfortunately when she lost her home, she had to turn her horses into SHARE. Hafeeda is now seeking her forever home. She is a sweet mare who maybe hasn't been extensively handled recently but she does a pretty nice job.

For more pictures and Hafeeda's progress at SHARE, visit our updates page.

Atlas (Trakehner baby)

Atlas was a lovely Trakehner weanling who came to SHARE from a Dept of Ag investigation of a breeder who had too many horses to keep track of. He came in with Kera, a teenaged broodmare, a yearling colt, and a 2-year-old colt (Zeus). Atlas was adopted by a nice young lady who will raise him to be her eventer and dressage horse.

Nik (Trakehner Yearling)

This Trakenher yearling came to SHARE from a Dept of Ag investigation of a breeder who had too many horses to keep track of. He came in with Kera, a teenaged broodmare, a weanling colt, and a 2-year-old colt (Zeus). He was adopted by a former equine professional to be a dressage and trail horse.

Daisy

Daisy came to SHARE and was a volunteer favorite because she was a great trail horse right off the bat. She was adopted by the father of one of our volunteers and lives in a lovely facility in Northern Illinois.

Inkspot and Rosebud

HWF Wind Song "Rosebud" and HWF Dark Obsession "Inkspot" are 2010 Caspian horses--Rosebud is a filly and Inkspot is a gelding. They are well-bred and registered Caspian horses, a rare and very old breed imported from Iran. Unfortunately their breeder lost her home and had to ask SHARE to help her place these two. They have found a really lovely home together where they will learn some good skills and enjoy life with each other and two other horses.

Big'un - a 2011 nurse mare foal

"Big'un" was one of our 2011 Nurse Mare orphan. You can read more about their story on their page. Big'un is the oldest and biggest nurse mare foal of the bunch with a January 2011 birthdate. All of the foals came in with pneumonia and required extensive medical care as well as milk replacer. However, they made a great recovery and will have no lasting effects from their rough start in life. We wish Big'un well in his new home!