Feed our over 100 horses

Chinese New Year begins on February 17 and it is the Year of the Horse. We absolutely will be celebrating the Year of the Horse. However, this Year of The Horse is extra unique. It is the Year of The Fire Horse, that only happens once every 60 years. It is viewed as a year of optimism and opportunity. The Fire Horse represents intense energy for innovation and bold action, amplifying the Horse's natural drive for freedom and success.

In the spirit of the Horse, we would like to highlight some of the amazing horses that you help provide care for at Horses of Tir Na Nog. Each of these horses represent a different stage in our journey as a sanctuary over the years.

Missy has been with us since we started in 2003. Missy is a miniature horse and she is feisty. When Missy came to us, she had a lot of trust issues to overcome. However, her trust has extremely increased at our sanctuary. Though we still think of Missy as that little girl, she is now 34 years old. She suffers from Cushing’s disease. As a result, she is on a highly specialized diet. Missy also has a history of laminitis and has been more sore-footed than usual lately. We put her in boots and this has helped her be more comfortable. In spite of these health issues, Missy is doing well. She loves to flirt with her stall-mate, Todd and play with her neighbor, Rita.

Many of you know Simone, our beautiful mare rescued from the brink of death by Animal Services in 2008. Simone was the worst neglect case San Diego County animal control had ever seen. The County Animal Control went to great lengths to nurse Simone back to health. Now, Simone is home, where she will never be starved or neglected ever again. In early May, Simone’s left rear leg swelled and she lost interest in food. Although we were able to resolve the swelling in her leg, her appetite failed to return. This led to scoping her and a diagnosis of significant ulcers. Two months later, a second scope showed that the ulcers have resolved. Simone has been able to get back to a healthy weight. We are so relieved to see that Simone is doing much better. Simone is one of the sweetest horses, despite her sad origins. We are so blessed to be able to care for her.

The last Year of the Horse was in 2014, when we welcomed Qianli Ma to the ranch. She came to us from County of San Diego Department of Animal Services, who rescued her as a stray. She was found within yards of the U.S. Mexico Border. A notch in her left ear led to speculation that she somehow managed to cross the border into the U.S. At the time of her rescue, she was underweight, covered in ticks, and in need of foot care. X-rays revealed a birth defect that made her unable be ridden. “Qianli Ma” means a horse that covers a thousand li a day (310 miles). In traditional Chinese, it was a complimentary name given to a person of great talent. Fitting the Year of the Horse, she is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent, and able. Qianli Ma's weight shifted dramatically, leading to the diagnosis of a late-term, high-risk pregnancy. On May 9, Qianli Ma defied all odds and gave birth to a healthy filly. At a special 100 Day Celebration in August 2014, the little filly was given the name Zhen Zhen, meaning “Very precious.”

We are so blessed to be able to care for so many amazing horses at Horses of Tir Na Nog. It is thanks to you that we can provide feed for our over 100 equines. For many of our horses, our sanctuary is their first taste of freedom. We want every resident to have confidence, joy, and comfort until the end of their days. Thank you for all that you do for our sanctuary.

We wish you a Happy Year of the Horse!