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Saturday, May. 30, 2009

Horse sanctuary celebrating 30 years

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For 30 years, hundreds of wild horses and burros have found calm grounds and accommodations at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, Shasta County.

The 5,000-acre wonderland is home to about 300 animals, including a herd of Santa Cruz Island horses and a white stallion.

Before there was a sanctuary, many of the horses in the open land faced being euthanized by the U.S. Forest Service, said Wild Horse Sanctuary president Dianne Nelson.

"No one was coming forward to adopt them," Nelson said. "It was just gut-wrenching when they killed horses."

In 1977, when 80 horses were about to be euthanized, Nelson and her team stepped forward even though they had little clue how they would care for the herd.

Word of Nelson's efforts quickly spread, and suddenly, sponsors gave money. Volunteerism boomed. And a sanctuary was born.

After 30 years of service, the Wild Horse Sanctuary is celebrating its success in the coming months by hosting an open house, trail rides and adoptions -- all to continue the work of saving horses.

"It's because people care about the horses that the sanctuary survived," Nelson said. "I feel very fortunate to be a part of it."

Trail rides offered

"This is a very natural environment for them," Nelson said. The two- or three-day trail tours put participants in a frontier-style setting, Nelson said. "We climb ridges, reach a camp and have real cowboy cooking."

Small groups of about 10 take the rides to keep the experience intimate, Nelson said.

"We might see a hundred horses on the ride. Sometimes they hang around at the camp and check us out. It's pretty special."

The tours began in April and continue through the weekend of

Oct. 10. The cost is $435 to $535. Cabins and food are included.

Open house this summer

The sanctuary and parade horses will take center stage Aug. 15 at an open house that organizers hope will attract more volunteers and sponsors.

"It'll be just country fun," Nelson said.

The fun will include food booths, a parade, live music, horse exhibitions and rides, cowboy poetry and a farmers market.

The open house begins at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Adoptions available

In order to make room for older horses at the sanctuary, younger horses that are born on site are up for adoption for a $30 fee.

Each year, about 30 horses are available for adoption, Nelson said.

Prospective horse caretakers are encouraged to visit the facility before adopting to learn more about the horses or for a chance to witness their birth.