MISSION STATEMENT

Tearsong’s Equine Athletes, Rescue, and Sanctuary is an equine facility serving the greater San Diego area for the purpose of taking in and rehabilitating abused, misused, neglected, and injured equines that might otherwise become abandoned, go to auction, or be euthanized prematurely.

-          Rehabilitation/ rehabilitative care

Tearsong accepts rescue horses from the following backgrounds: abused, neglected, misused, and injured horses with a viable quality of life. There is no breed, gender, or age limitation.   The corporation with a staff of volunteers feed, exercise and groom these horses to bring them back to good health using principals of sound equine management in conjunction with supervised veterinary care.   Slow steady increase in calories and exercise along with regular grooming and handling.  Veterinary care is provided to resolve initial issues (for example floating of teeth to improve utilization of food, intestinal parasite management, vaccinations, massage therapy, physical examinations, and chiropractic adjustments) or to treat a problem (for example ; infection control in case of skin disease, lacerations, upper respiratory infections, diarrhea, lameness).

 

-    Retraining

The corporation’s  staff of volunteers keep rideable horses in training to ensure that they remain safe mounts for prospective adopters.    Often the horses come to the rescue with learned behaviors that need retraining or desensitization.   Some rescue horses simply need to keep learning new skills or relearning forgotten skills to keep them active and happy.   Only positive training techniques are used on the ground and under saddle.

Horses that arrive at the rescue are often fearful, usually unrideable, and sometimes dangerous.  Each horse is given time to decompress, relearn trust, gain weight, and recover form any injuries or pain prior to being placed in the adoption pool. The goal is to find homes where they can be happy, healthy, reliable partners to their human companion.

 

-    Retirement

The corporation will place a small number of horses in the sanctuary for retirement.  These horses live out their days in good health and in a safe, comfortable environment.  Enrichment is provided to keep these elders active and mentally happy. They serve as a calming influence to the new rescues and mentors to younger horses.  Being the senior members of the herd they know the facility, the staff and volunteers, and they help new horses settle in and relearn what it is to be a horse.

 

Young horse program

Confiscations of young horses from neglect or injury are taken very seriously as young horses are very impressionable. If possible, young horses are placed with a matron mare for security and bonding. These matron mares also serve to teach the young horses that the human caretakers are to be trusted. Training begins as soon as possible and progresses as the young horse matures both physically and mentally.

 

Future programs will include but not be limited to the following in addition to the current programs:

 

Public Education program

At a future date when funding is available, and staffing is at an optimum, the corporation plans to hold clinics and seminars to educate the public to the plight of unwanted horses and responsible horse ownership.

Clinics will be held to demonstrate the retraining techniques used at the rescue, diet management, no cost euthanasia, no cost or discounted gelding, first aid, and a fundraising BBQ.

Educational seminars will be advertised once curriculum is developed on a variety of topics such as geriatric care of equines, care of the lame horse, what avenues can horse owners may pursue if an equine companion must find new home, and other related topics.

The target audiences will be youth groups such as the Pony Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Drill teams, and adults in equestrian clubs such as a saddle or riding club, riding discipline specific club such as the California Dressage Society, and by manning a booth at  equine related fairs or shows to hand out educational materials.