At Misfit Toys, we specialize in rescuing elderly horses and providing them care specific to their geriatric needs. By providing them a quality home for the rest of their lives, we take away the worry and instability of being passed from one home to another, or the possibility of being neglected by those who may not understand how to maintain a senior horse and their very specific nutritional and medical needs. Our elderly residents bring cheer and joy to our days! We also welcome younger horses with soundness or behavioral issues into our sanctuary program to ensure their days are filled with love and care in an environment where their value is treasured.
We are very proud to present our wise cast of characters here.
RIP -Bert is our resident Geezer leader! He has been at our facility for two years and has performed a wide array of jobs here, from leading kids around to babysitting newly weaned foals. His favorite job is supervising elderly mares. Bert spent his entire life on the road pulling an amish buggy. We are blessed to have him here. ​
FOUND A HOME! Junior is an 18 year old, registered American Saddlebred gelding who pulled an Amish buggy for over 13 years, following a very short but successful show career as a young horse. Junie loves being groomed, back massages, and bonding with one person. Once very shy and untrusting of humans, he finally takes treats and is more than happy to eat his body weight in peppermints!
Saffy is a registered 34 year old Morgan mare who has a show record and was the dam to many successful show ring foals. Since she is a very unlikely gaited/pacing morgan, she was unable to be used as intended for lessons at her previous barn and was donated to our program. She now gives lessons to our disadvantaged students and is a joy to be around. Her energy level cannot be beat and we treasure every moment with this kind and loving mare.
RIP Taco is a very tall American Saddlebred gelding in his late 20's/early 30's. He has a personality as large as his body and gives the greatest hugs. Taco can be very timid but loves attention and sneaking up on people for tail scratches. He was rescued in very poor condition the fall of 2018 after a long life on the road. Everyone who meets Taco finds him to be a very comforting therapist and friend.
FOUND A HOME! Jude is a 6-7 year old American Saddlebred gelding. When we rescued Jude, he could barely walk. We fully prepared ourselves that he may have been saved just to put a humane end to his suffering. Luckily, with some rest, wonderful vet care, lots of love, and quality medication, Jude is able to run and frolick with his friends, despite having had EPM and a very enlarged hock with major arthritic changes. We are examining ways to treat Jude's hock even further to get him even more sound (right now he is about 75% at the trot, 90% at the canter, and walks with ease) Jude is kind and gentle, but very sensitive. We call him The Great Worrier. He is routinely maintained on ulcer medications to help his tummy and is kept in a small group, where he seems to do best.
Alana is an early 30s, pony sized American Saddlebred mare who thinks she is going to win the world's 5 gaited championship with every ride. You will not meet a sweeter, kinder girl than Alana. She is the first one to greet you every morning and bids you farewell at the gate. Her game disposition makes her a fun ride for all our advanced students and her sweetness makes her perfect for all the little girls who come visit and want to just brush a horse. She is truly an intuitive soul and will just sit with you if you are having a bad day, and as you can guess, makes it better instantly. Alana doesn't show her age at all and you will often find her being sassy or judgmental to other horses or people.
RIP - Elmo - privately owned
Elmo is a late 20's American Saddlebred and was rescued in July of 2017 He was useful to ride and drive but was quickly deemed unadoptable by his aggressive stall behavior (biting, ear pinning, chasing people out of his stall). Rescue Director Danielle's son Tadeo decided that Elmo just needed extra time and love, and so he adopted him and gave him just what he needed. Elmo is still rather particular about people being near him in his personal paddock and is prone to biting strangers, especially at feeding time. He does love one particular person (although that person is always supervised when around him for safety reasons). Elmo has come a long way and has given lessons for us. He does not appreciate anyone talking to him afterwards, though!
Didi Smalls -RIP
Didi was laid to rest in October of 2019 after her arthritic body could no longer be maintained comfortably. For more than two years, Didi brought love and joy to all of us here and was a wonderful herd matriarch. All of the horses would shuttle Didi from one place to the next during her final days, a true testament to the herd and family dynamics that horses share. She was a very integral part of our lives and will be very sorely missed.
Recent Videos of Our Residents
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