Shasta
For his entire 20 years, Shasta was leased out to dude ranches and outfitters as "seasonal stock." One year he might spend the summer carrying dude ranch guests on their first trail ride, while the next autumn he'd carry hunters on outfitting trips into the wilderness. At the end of the year, he'd be hauled off with the other stock to winter pasture. With each summer, he'd be shipped to yet another outfit for a new season of work.
A year ago, however, the company that owned him decided he was too old and that it was time to sell him off at auction. While they genuinely believed he would end up with a nice family somewhere as a children's horse, the reality is that many horses sold at auction -- especially the old ones -- go to slaughterhouses.
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We had heard about Shasta from the folks at a near-by dude ranch, where Shasta had been working the past few summers. He was clearly a favorite of the guests and their kids, who loved this big Appaloosa for his gentle, easy-going nature.
While he was adored by people, Shasta didn't fare as well with the rest of the herd, despite his size. Perhaps because of his age, perhaps because his eyesight was beginning to fail, Shasta was near the bottom of the pecking order in the herd. He was pushed around by the other horses, nipped at, and always one of the last to get hay.
So a month before he was due to be sold at auction -- in the fall of 2000 -- we drove over to the dude ranch, loaded him up in the trailer, and brought him to the sanctuary. After the life he's had, Shasta earned his retirement.
As it turns out, Shasta has become completely blind in the
past several months. He's adjusting, as best he can, to the
darkness, but he is very unsure of himself now and easily
frightened. He is still learning how to use his other senses
to avoid bumping into things. We know he'll eventually develop
the calm confidence of our other blind horse, Lena, but it will take time.
