Meet Gypsy & Tonto

Gypsy & Tonto

Many find our sanctuary a very special place. Human and horse alike have come upon these grounds under unusual circumstances, often by chance and just when there is nowhere else to turn. It happens as if the wind carried both their sorrow and prayers to our front gates when the conditions were right and we were able to receive them. They come from all over, to rest their heads, heal their hearts or pass on to a more peaceful place, free from suffering, having in their last moments, known there were those who cared about and loved them without condition.

That was the sad and true story of Linka and Lillie, two little Shetland ponies we had prepared a special and comfortable place for, and who led a wretched life, crippled from lack of proper care of their hooves which grew like skis, and had to be humanely euthanized in February 2015, on the property which they had originally resided. We are fortunate however, that our sanctuary has luckily become a dream for two other little ponies, Shetlands, named Gypsy and Tonto, our newest arrivals. Here is their story as told by their previous owners:

“We moved from the city to a hobby farm about 6 years ago and Gypsy and Tonto lived on the property. The previous owners were not able to take them with them and their fate was uncertain, so we committed to keeping them. Our son has loved the experience of caring for the ponies. We are now having to spend more time away from the property due to educational and family commitments. We felt it was not fair to Gypsy and Tonto to not be given adequate time and attention. So we made the difficult decision to find a new home for them. We did not want to give them away to anyone or sell them, as we had concerns about whether they would be looked after and treated well by any new owners. We were so thankful to find Calan Horse Sanctuary. The horses there are so well cared for with plenty of space, love and attention. We will dearly miss Gypsy and Tonto and hope to visit them occasionally at their new home.Thank you so much Alan and the Calan Horse Sanctuary.”

Joe Rapanaro