Featured animal: Renaissance
Ren is a 14-year-old Clydesdale mare who joined the ANT herd this winter. In 2020 she was rescued from Canada by a young woman who brought her to Snohomish, WA, emaciated and scared. Her new owner slowly & carefully brought her back to health and gained her trust, but Ren was her first rescue and a draft horse is a BIG responsibility (literally & figuratively), and Ren soon needed to find a home with more resources to care for her. While we don’t know much about her background in Canada, from the moment she arrived at ANT she put her full trust in our team. And the herd peacefully welcomed her on a sunny evening in February, calmly greeting her as if saying, “You are safe here. You belong with us.”
A gentle giant, Ren towers above every horse and human she meets, but softly lowers her head upon introduction to each one as if to reassure them that she is as kind as she is big. She loves taking long naps in the sun and playing affectionately with Jackson & Buttercup, our minis, and she is wonderful with children and adults alike, offering her (giant!) velvety nose for pets and even accepting belly rubs! She is truly special.
At ANT we ask a lot of our horses: to open their hearts to new people that visit our farm each day, to go out in the busy world and stay calm while visiting care facilities & schools, and to communicate their feelings and needs with their human partners in our therapy sessions. Over the past few months, Ren has shown us that she is very receptive to the work we do here and willing to do all of these things. She is eager to learn and receive praise, and has shown an incredible amount of progress in just a short time.
Ren’s full name, Renaissance, was given to her following her rescue to symbolize the beginning of her new life. She is now having a second renaissance here at ANT as she discovers her strength as a therapy horse, and the impact she can have on so many lives. Ren is another beautiful reminder not to let our past define us.
Recently she had a check up with our vet which revealed several things:
- Ren has been diagnosed with heaves, an allergic respiratory disease similar to asthma in humans, though thankfully it hasn't yet progressed to a point where she is uncomfortable. We are doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't progress rapidly, like moving her to an outdoor paddock and soaking her hay to reduce exposure to dust, but heaves does worsen over time and medication may be needed at some point.
- Ren also has feather mites and lots of build up on her legs due to years of neglect. To effectively treat it, we had to shave her feathers (the fluffy hair around her feet) and will need to treat her legs every week.
- We were told that as a Clydesdale Ren would need to be shod, potentially every few weeks, which is very expensive. Fortunately our farrier, Christina Cline, has generously taken Ren on for frequent trims instead (some farriers don't want to take on these large breeds because it is so much work). Regular hoof care will be hugely important as draft feet flare and crack easily due to their weight.
- Our vet also thinks Ren has had a foal!
And finally, because she is so much larger than our other herd members, we need to purchase some size-appropriate tack and supplies to fit her needs and keep her comfortable!
If you’re able, please consider becoming one of Ren's sponsors ~ a monthly donation supports her feed, supplements, hay, bodywork, dental work, deworming/vaccinations, farrier, and tack costs, allowing us to devote our resources to serving more youth & veterans in need. Ren needs $2,400 in sponsorships to cover this care! As a sponsor, you'll receive behind-the-scenes photos & videos, special updates from Ren herself, opportunities to visit the farm, a keepsake photo, and more!
We believe Ren is a very special animal and feel it is important that ANT is her forever home. With your support, she will enjoy a life of purpose and loving care, sharing her gentle wisdom with people in need and experiencing the long term safety and security she has never known.
Please sign up today!
