Sanctuary Herd
Our Sanctuary Herd includes horses that will live out their natural lives with us here at the rescue. These horses generally have higher medical needs, are elderly, or have specific traumas that make adoption not in their best interest. You can sponsor any of our sanctuary herd members to support their ongoing care! Find out how on our Donations Page!
Demon’s March (Kirby)
Kirby is the class clown! A former racehorse, he has been in sanctuary with us for a long time, almost as long as Dolly! We are working on his ground manners and groundwork skills, as well as teaching him new tricks with clicker training in the hopes of developing him as a breed ambassador for events! This goofy boy can usually be found pulling pranks on the trainers or other horses- opening gates for a jail break, stealing brushes (and sandwiches!) or playing with sweatshirt zippers.
Iron Chef (Chef)
Chef is an off the track thoroughbred gelding, who decided that racing was not for him- he would much rather be a bronco! After bucking off multiple people at the track, his future was in jeopardy until Chez Chevaux stepped in and took him on. He has spent the last two years learning to connect with humans again, and learning to trust. We hope to have him re-started under saddle and figuring out what he likes best soon!
Wild Package (Dolly)
Dolly is an off the track thoroughbred mare, who has been in sanctuary at Chez Chevaux for many years. She was brought in by the original founders, and Melodee worked with her extensively. She spent time doing dressage, as well as showing hunter/jumper. This older lady is slowly being brought back to health and gaining muscle, but is will remain happily in retirement with us.
My Plan (Einstein)
Einstein is a former racehorse, who has settled in well at Chez Chevaux, especially when Dolly is around! Those two are thick as thieves and can often be found near each other. Einstein is currently in rehab mode for an abcess, and then will be brought back up into more full time work as a part of the lesson program on site!
Summer Season (Summer)
Summer was a Premarin baby- his mom was forced to have babies over and over to produce the hormones needed to produce medicine. He was taken from her very young, and brought to live at Chez Cheveux. He was hand-raised by the founders, who cared for him and trained him over the years into a solid dressage competitor. While his skills are a bit rusty, we’re working on getting him all cleaned up and he is now supporting the lesson program on site! Summer is a super easy going boy, and really easy to get along with.
Shorty
Shorty is a half arab older gelding. He came in with Noodle and Reggie as an owner surrender, having lived with them most of his life. Shorty unfortunately came with some major health problems that prevent his being able to be adopted out. He will live out his days peacefully among the herd, eating as much as he wants and handing out nose boops and cuddles to any who ask.
Legacy Lives
Alaska Trip (Toast)
Toast was our lesson horse extraordinaire, and the one who started it all! She came to us from some young ladies who had rescued her from a not so nice situation. They weren’t able to meet her needs, so we were lucky enough to be able to bring her here! Toast was the heart and soul of our lesson program, and had an exceptional patience and grace about her. She was gentle with young or beginner riders, and knew how to challenge more advanced riders to be the best they could be. Toast got her name from a non-verbal student who asked me if she could bring her little service dog (whose name is Butter) out and put it up on the toasty horse. The name Toast just sort of stuck! The granddaughter of world famous Seattle Slew, our
Toast was truly something exceptional.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck our beloved girl in late October 2021. Initially, we thought she was colicking and got her to an emergency vet as quickly as we could. She spent several days at in the ICU at Pilchuck veterinary hospital, where it was ultimately determined that she had blood clot in her spine. There was nothing that could be done, so we sadly had to help her cross the rainbow bridge. She left behind Toast sized holes in our hearts, and four awfully big horse shoes to fill. We love and miss you!
Daisy
Daisy came to us from a complicated situation from a family that was trying to do right by her. They had entrusted her care to a family member they thought they could trust, who neglected Daisy and another horse, a gelding. Daisy was extremely thin, but she was also so kind and gentle with children.
She made good progress and started gaining weight back steadily, and then everything went wrong.
One stormy November night, night Daisy colicked. The emergency vet was called, and he pronounced that it was impaction colic, and that with treatment she should be fine. Treatment went well initially, and she began eating and drinking and passing waste again. A week passed, and she took a serious turn for the worse, and the vet was again called. This time it was impaction and gas colic combined, and there was nothing we could do.
Her two families- old and new, gathered together to bestow on her our last rites, and give her her final braid. We groomed her together, and spoke words of love and told stories about past antics, and then we let her go over the rainbow bridge together. Fly free sweet girl, go with our love.
Jet
Jet was an owner surrender, and came from a lady who knew she did not have the resources or knowledge to care for him appropriately. When he got to us, he wasn’t eating, and generally was in poor health. We worked really hard to get him back on his feet, and he rewarded us by being so gentle and kind we could put our tiniest clients on him- those between the ages of 2 and 5. He spent several months with us, fussed over and loved, then passed of natural causes- likely a combination of old age and previous neglect. We will miss you Jet, you were a truly cool little guy.
Dreamer was an owner surrender who came to us with a lot of previous trauma. We worked with her very slowly, allowing her to redefine for herself what being a horse was like. She was initially extremely aggressive towards people and horses alike, and very reactive. Dreamer had the worst disconnection from her right and left sides we have ever seen. Tragically, during one of her episodes of panic, she reared, flipped over backwards, and landed on her own head, breaking her neck. Our body worker happened to be there at the time to support a different horse, and said she had never seen anything like it, and neither had our vet. We are saddened by her loss and the loss of opportunity to help her find her baseline again, but have hope that she is now running free from anxieties and traumatic memories amongst the sky herd.
Dreamer
Valkyrie
Valkyrie came to us from an owner who recognized she was not the right fit for this mare, and did not have the skills needed to get her to be what she needed. Valkyrie was with us only a very short time, as she had a violent aneurysm and died as a result. Her death was extremely traumatic for all involved. Prior to passing, she had quickly stolen hearts (and kisses) from everyone who met her. She was so light on her feet, especially for a draft, that it really did feel like she had wings and could take off any second into the air. We’d like to think she has those wings now, in truth.
Flynn was a loveable senior paint gentleman, who somehow befriended the rather cranky Levi in short order. They could often be found standing nose to nose, as if conferring on secret matters, or preparing to hurl insults at the young whippersnappers in the stalls across from them. Just as frequently, they would be found playing their favorite games- namely Bitey Face and Who can Steal the Human’s Attention More. Flynn was an absolute ham, and a fighter to the end. He came from a family going through a nasty divorce, and though he was with us only a short two months, we are grateful for every day we got to spend with him, showering him with love and affection which he returned in spades.
Flynn passed away due to getting trapped in his stall with his back legs stuck on his stall wall- also known as “getting cast”. We called in a specialist rescue team, WASART, to whom we will forever be grateful for their efforts in saving him, as well as a veterinarian. Though we tried everything to help him, he ultimately was unable to stand on his own, and we had to make the incredibly difficult decision to let him go. We love and miss you Flynn, and take comfort in knowing you are pain free and cavorting with friends again.
Flynn
Shining Armor
Shine came to us from a feedlot with his mama, Princess Celestia, his suspected aunt, Princess Luna, and her daughter, Princess Cadence. When he got here, his growth was clearly stunted, and he had some physical abnormalities, for example dropped fetlocks and a congenital defect of his skull. Shine was a sweet little guy, with a big personality, and we tried many therapies to correct these issues. Sadly they became quality of life issues, and we had to let him go. He passed peacefully in the arms of one of our volunteers who loved him most in the world. Rest easy, little guy, we’ll take care of your family from here.