The Story of Charlie

Two weeks ago we got a call about Charlie, a 15 year old mustang stallion. Charlie had been rescued by his current caretakers from a very bad situation in Redding. It was reported to us that Charlie had been kept on a chain. He bears scars where his halter had become embedded in his face. Charlie's current caretakers are to be commended for stepping up for this horse and for recognizing that they do not have the level of horse keeping experience Charlie really requires.

Charlie has an amazing presence - kind, lonely, sad, and somehow very, very wise. We wonder how long he has lived without the comfort of his own kind and what he has suffered since his "capture" someplace in Nevada. It is rather unusual for a mustang to be adopted as a stallion.

Becky found that someone, once, had done quite a bit of work with Charlie. He put his nose

in the halter, was very soft on the lead, and responsive to Becky's requests doing ground work.

We will be voting on Charlie entering the rescue this Tuesday. For this horse, our vote in pretty certainly going to be YES. His entry into HRHR does have a unique set of problems. Our first stop will be a visit to North Coast Veterinary Clinic for a gelding appointment. Charlie will then need confinement in a paddock when he has adequate movement to ensure proper healing of his gelding incision.

Taking any horse into the rescue requires a complex team effort starting with an evaluation of the kind of questions we really hate to ask . . .

• What will be the drain of HRHR's resources?
• Do we have the funding, volunteers, and appropriate facility to meet the needs of the horse?
• What will be required for the horse's rehabilitation? For how long?
• What is the re-homing potential for the horse?

We cannot rescue horses without a solid team of volunteers. Fortunately for Charlie our recent volunteer recruitment drive was a HUGE success and many wonderful people have recently joined our team.

I simply cannot imagine looking in Charlie's eyes and saying, "Sorry, we are full" or "Sorry, we don't have enough people to help you." Fortunately, that is not the case right now. Thanks to the incredible group of people that comprise HRHR, thanks to the many, many people who support us through donations, we have have a solid organization and are able to again respond to horses needing our help.

We know that we will not be able to serve every horse we are called upon to assist. Yet we will never say the words "sorry, we are full" and hang up the phone. When we are unable to take in a horse, we will work with the owner to find alternatives. Perhaps we can help develop a plan to deal with a crisis situation through our Winter Horse Response Team. Maybe we can help find referrals that will be helpful. We can certainly help by listing the horse on our "Horses in Need" page on our website.

On Charlie's behalf we want to thank the community that enables us to continue to rescue horses. YOU are responsible for making a difference in the life of this special horse.