🐴 SPOTTED DRAFT HORSE gets RELAXING CHIRO ADJUSTMENT at HORSE RESCUE FARM!

MOUSE, a 12 year old, Spotted Draft Horse (mix), gets a loving, therapeutic session with the Animal Cracker, Dr. Doug Willen at the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue farm.


SPOTTED DRAFT HORSE: INFO (https://breed-horse.com/north-america...)

HEIGHT: 15–17 hands
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Although the type has long been seen in Europe, this specific breed was developed in the Midwestern United States, particularly in Iowa
SPECIAL QUALITIES: Splashy coloring on draft horse frame
BEST SUITED FOR: An all-around draft and carriage horse
Spotted draft horses have been documented in art and mentioned in diaries and literature for hundreds of years. Draft-type spotted horses existed in medieval times—a brown-and-white draft horse served in Queen Elizabeth I’s court, for example, probably as a drum horse. While they have always attracted attention, until recently these horses were individuals that happened to be born as pintos, rather than being a true breed of their own.

In the United States, interest in Spotted Draft Horses was probably sparked when an Iowa breeder collected more than twenty of them in the mid-1960s. Other owners have gathered and occasionally bred them as novelties, but it wasn’t until 1995 that the North American Spotted Draft Horse Association (NASDHA) was formed to preserve and promote draft horses with pinto coloring and to increase public awareness of these rare and beautiful horses. Since then, interest in the horses has risen.


If you would like to support or adopt... here are the links below!
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue: https://www.gentlegiantsdrafthorseres...



Gentle Friends: https://gentlefriends.org/adopt


Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue was formed to facilitate the rescue of Draft and Draft Cross horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect.

The Primary Function of the Rescue
GGDHR promotes the benefits and uses of Draft horses of all breeds as trail mounts, schooling mounts, and competition mounts. We educate the public through the use of brochures, pamphlets, and public presentations on the topics of: horse slaughter and cruelty, the responsibilities of horse ownership, the over-population and over-breeding of horses, and how over-breeding contributes to the horse slaughter industry. Learn more about our educational outreach here.

Slaughter is a highly profitable market and most of the public is unaware that the buyers for the slaughterhouses frequent public auctions to purchase their horses. We attend the same public auctions, choose the Draft horses we feel are the most viable candidates for rescue, and then outbid the meat buyer.

We transport the horses to our facility, where the horses are quarantined for a minimum of 21 days for illness. During that time, we begin to evaluate each individual horse and learn its personality and training level on the ground and under saddle. We ride the horses under many different circumstances, and evaluate for what level of rider the horse would best be suited. During this time, the horse also receives any necessary veterinary care, farrier care, dental care, and training.

When the horses have completed their quarantine, they are available to be placed into adoptive homes under a strict contract. The horses are advertised on our website and on the internet to help find suitable adoptive homes. Each horse is evaluated with its prospective adopter, and if we feel the horse and rider are a suitable match for one another, then the adopter may apply to adopt that horse. At that time, GGDHR would perform a background and reference check, and may at times also conduct home visits, if deemed necessary.

GGDHR is primarily funded by adoption fees, private donations, and sponsorships which facilitate the rescue of future draft horses from slaughter.

GENTLE FRIENDS:
https://gentlefriends.org
Creating a compassionate, harmonious, and sustainable world for all animals through rescue, relationships, advocacy, and education.

Gentle Friends is a sanctuary for all animals, and we want to change your relationship with the animals in your life. Whether it is animals farmed for production, or your neighborhood crows, we want to change the way you see the animals in our shared world.

Gentle Friends makes it possible for everyone to experience knowing farm animals and appreciating our diverse and amazing wildlife. Our mobile program is available to visit your school or group. Understanding and experiencing the animals who share our world should be accessible to all.



If you want to come in for an appointment in NYC:
https://www.drdougwillen.com
Dr. Doug Willen
928 Broadway, suite 1200
NY, NY 10010

Edited by Michael Burns


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INSTAGRAM:
@dr.dougwillen