ST. GEORGE — April 26 is National Help a Horse Day, but that spirit is celebrated every day at Best Friends Animal Society’s Sanctuary in Kanab, home to a wide variety of equines, from Appaloosas and Arabians to mustangs and Missouri fox trotters to thoroughbreds and quarter horses.
Current residents include Snickers, a former birthday party pony, according to a news release issued by the nonprofit. He came to Best Friends Animal Society’s Sanctuary in Kanab, in 2018 after a local animal control agency asked the organization if it could take him in from a neglect situation.
“Horses typically come to us because they were neglected, abused, abandoned or simply because their families could no longer afford to keep them,” Jen Reid, manager of Horse Haven, said in the press release. “No matter what their background or needs, Horse Haven provides refuge with people who understand and care deeply about their welfare.”
Residents at Horse Haven have access to outstanding medical and farrier care and benefit from a variety of natural horsemanship training methods. They get nutritious food, room to roam, love, attention and a beautiful canyon backdrop to help heal both physically and emotionally as they wait to go home for good, the release states.
For National Help a Horse Day, Best Friends offers the following tips for people wanting to help horses in their community:
- If you’re able to care for a horse at your home, always adopt. There are horses of every age, size, breed and temperament available at Best Friends and other sanctuaries across the country waiting for their second chance at a new life.
- Can’t make a permanent commitment? Consider fostering a horse to help create space at sanctuaries and rescues to take in more horses into their care.
- Volunteering is a great way to help horses at sanctuaries. Activities can include grooming, walking, feeding, cleaning and more.
- Donating funds and supplies is another way to support horses in care at sanctuaries and rescues.
- Support horse-friendly legislation at your local and state levels.
Now 33, Snickers is completely blind in his right eye, has limited vision in the left and has outlived his teeth, so meals consist of soaked feed buckets of sprouted alfalfa pellets and vitamins multiple times a day. He also has a history of laminitis and wears some custom glued-on shoes to keep him comfortable.
Reid said when Snickers first arrived, he didn’t want to interact with people, but he’s now a staff and volunteer favorite.
“Snickers frequently goes on walks and enjoys being groomed, although he can still be a bit crotchety at times,” Reid said.
Tours of Horse Haven are available every Tuesday and Friday at 10 a.m., followed by horsemanship demos at 10:30 a.m., at Best Friends Animal Society’s Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab. For more information, visit Best Friends’ website.