Aureole Ranch Horse Rescue

by Laird Durham

When Anne Houghton, CEO of Aureole Ranch Horse Rescue, was three years old, her mother bought her a pony. So began a 35-year love affair with horses. Today, Anne cares for 16 horses, a mule, a donkey, and two goats — all of them rescued while on their way to a slaughter house.

Anne told me that some 20,000 horses are sent from California each year to slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico where they are butchered and exported as food to countries in Asia and Europe. The horses come from thoroughbred breeders and racing stables, drug production operations, riding academies, trek outfitters, cattle ranches, and private owners. Most of those horses are purchased at livestock auctions where they are bid on by “kill buyers,” fattened up in feed lots, and illegally transported to Canada or Mexico.

Aureole Ranch is a “virtual” ranch. Anne doesn’t own any land. Her horses are scattered from Southern California to Washington, where they are maintained by fosterers, and by Anne and her husband, James, who personally care for most of them at three locations in Calistoga, Petaluma, and St. Helena. Volunteers lend a hand from time to time, to feed, groom, exercise, and clean up after them. Cleaning up is a big job. A

horse puts out an average of 30 pounds of manure a day.

Anne and James have full-time day jobs. She is the tasting-room manager for the Maldonado Family Winery in Calistoga, and he is a chef for the Trinchero Estate winery in St. Helena. Much of their income goes to pay for the horse-rescue operation – literally eating up about $30,000 a year at $3 for a bale of hay. It costs $200 per month or more to board some of their horses.

Aureole Ranch Horse Rescue achieved Federal, non-profit status last year, so Anne now can offer tax deductions for foster care. They are actively seeking people to foster horses, to adopt them, to volunteer to help care for them, to provide grazing and stable facilities and, of course, to donate money for

the operation.

A Horse For Kelly To Ride

Monique Beal of Santa Rosa is one of Anne’s horse fosterers, whose daughter, Kelly, 16, is the care giver. Kelly has been riding horses since she was 5. When the Beals moved here from San Diego about a year ago, they began looking for a horse for Kelly. They met Anne through her winery job, and became fosterers for a 15-year old Saddlebred gelding named Chance, rescued from an auction. The Beals pay to board Chance at Cloverleaf Ranch, and are responsible for veterinary care and bi-monthly shoeing done by a professional farrier.

Kelly provides the care: grooming, companionship, and bathing.

Whoa! Bathing? A horse gets baths?

“Oh, yes, Kelly,” says. “Horses get dirty just like dogs, and have to be bathed. Of course, right after I give Chance a bath he goes out and rolls in dirt.”

Kelly rides Chance 3-4 days a week, so fostering is a better alternative than a riding academy. Her preference is English riding, which makes Chance’s background as a show horse a good match. Kelly does both trail riding and ring work, and has bonded well with the horse. Chance usually is in pasture when Kelly arrives at the ranch. When the horse sees her he whinnies and runs up to her at the gate.

Monique believes fostering a horse and caring for it teaches young people patience, discipline,

and respect.

It has taught Kelly a love for animals that she expects to carry over into an adult occupation: she wants to become a veterinarian. If she goes away to college in another 2 years, the Beals will return Chance to Aureole Ranch.

“If we have to give up fostering Chance I think we would continue to pay for his care,” Monique says.

Horses Are Just Big Pets

When most people think about horses they think of them for riding, racing, or working cows, along with pick-up trucks and horse trailers. But for many horse fosterers and adopters, horses are pets and companions, rarely ridden. That’s how Stacey Windbigler, 44, thinks of them. She says she spends more time telling her troubles to her big Percheron, Samson, than she does riding him. At 6 feet 2 inches tall at the shoulder, Samson towers 14 inches over Stacey. Stacey says he is the biggest horse she could find.

“I’m not the only one who thinks of horses first as pets,” Stacey says. “I see a lot of women with hay bales on their SUVs.”

As many animal owners have found, Stacey thinks owning an animal develops a bond and mutual respect. “I have learned as much about myself as I have about my horses,” Stacey says.

Stacey became a fosterer for Aureole Ranch when she was looking for a companion for Samson. She began fostering a Thoroughbred mare, Megan, rescued from an auction in Washington. Stacey and Samson became so attached to Megan that Stacey adopted her.

What is the difference between fostering and adopting? According to Stacey it is the level of commitment.

“It would be a good idea to start by fostering a horse, and then adopting later if a bond develops, and the finances work out”, she explains. It costs about $700 a month to foster or adopt a horse, including boarding charges, feed, and care from vets and farriers. Stacey spends more than that by giving her horses a lot of herbs, both Chinese and domestic.

Stacey has a deep love for animals of all kinds, developed from the time she was young in the remote mountains of Northern California where there were few kids her age. When she was 7 years old she rode steers in a rodeo, and always had dogs and cats, but never a horse. Now, besides her two horses, she has two dogs, two cats, three mini-burros, and a pond full of turtles. Stacey has two grown daughters and a ten-year-old son. Stacey and her husband are looking for 4-5 acres of land where they can build their dream house and pasture their animals.

Anne Houghton is eager to find adopters for her horses as well as fosterers. “Every horse that is adopted gives us another spot for a rescue.” she says.

CARE – Cornerstone Assisted Riding & Equitherapy

 

By Marsha Dorgan

Thirteen-year-old Maya Derr, sits high  in the saddle on Frank, her favorite 28-year-old Welsh Pony, flashing a grin as big as the state of Texas. The Napa youngster, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is one of the 12 disabled students in Cornerstone Assisted Riding & Equitherapy. The five-acre CARE site in rural Napa offers riding lessons, which, not only teaches equestrian skills, but also provides self-confidence and esteem, physical therapy and tons of love and smiles.

CARE, a non-profit organization, has been in the Napa Valley since 1985. They moved from American Canyon to their new Napa digs in 2012. We work with children with disabilities from 8 to 18 years old. We also have a few adults with disabilities,” said Bonnie Becker, CARE treasurer and a volunteer. Many of our kids have never ridden before. The lessons are also extremely good for building core strength. We have a girl in a wheelchair, who when she first came had to be lifted onto the horse,” Bonnie said. “And now, she can get on the horse on her own with some help. That’s the type of progress we want to see.”

Maya arrived with her mother, Ashley Deer, around 3 p.m., on a sunny Wednesday afternoon all smiles and giggles anticipating her lesson. As her mother pushed Maya’s wheelchair up the ramp, two volunteers prepared her favorite equine buddy, Frank, for mounting. With minimal assistance from the volunteers, Maya hugged Frank’s neck while wiggling her leg over the saddle, edging her feet into the stirrups Then, Frank was led into the covered arena where CARE chief instructor Sharon Commisso took over. Sharon started as a CARE volunteer in 2005. She is now certified with the Professional Association Therapeutic Horsemanship. Sharon led Frank around the arena with volunteers on each side of the horse. “I usually start with a game. We match the students to the horse. There are balance issues we must take into account,” Sharon said.

Many of the kids are accompanied by a sidewalker on each side of the horse as it moves around the arena. Sharon believes there is more value in the lesson than just learning to ride a horse. “It stimulates the nervous system and gives the kids balance coordination, physical strength,” she said. “And it also is a great tool for social skills. They learn good manners, how to listen and follow instructions and the bond with the horse is amazing.

“It is so rewarding to see that big smile from a child who suffers from autism while they are sitting on the horse. It is something for them to look forward to,” Sharon added. Maya’s mother Ashley whole heartedly agrees “Maya just absolutely loves coming here. She looks forward to it,” she said. “It’s so good for her to get out of her wheelchair. It’s just amazing to see how far she has come. She just loves Frank (the horse.) She wrote a story about him. And Frank is the gentlest animal. He’s just perfect for her.” Ashley has high praise for Sharon and the volunteers. “They are incredible. They are all so caring and really love their students,” she said. “I can’t say enough good things about them.”

Amy Youngs, 27, who suffers from RETT, is one of the few adults with disabilities enrolled at CARE. Amy has been at Cornerstone (CARE) for 10 years,” said her mother Kathy. “Amy is non-verbal and has scoliosis. Her doctor recommended we try ’horseback’ riding for Amy. It worked extremely well.” Kathy also touts the social benefits of CARE. “Amy loves it and looks so forward to coming here,” Kathy said. “It is really wonderful for her self-esteem. Amy is no stranger to the world of horses. We go to Tennessee every summer. Amy rode her first Tennessee Walker when she was 15,” said Kathy, beaming.

Ron Reid has been a CARE volunteer for 10 months. “I get personal satisfaction volunteering with Cornerstone. Just seeing how happy these students are is the high point of my work,” he said. “I get just as much out of it as the kids do.”

Many of the five CARE board members are volunteers as well. Sharon is the only paid employee. The volunteers also train and care for the horses and maintain the stable and the outside and inside arenas. In addition to old-timer Frank, there are two other horses Roscoe, a 24-year-old Quarter horse and youngster Annie, 15. The organization is funded by donations and fundraisers.

Lessons are available Monday and Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Cost is $40 a lesson for 10 sessions. Information is available carebayarea.org or 888-922-7366.