Missouri Forget-Me-Not Horse Rescue And Sanctuary

TO PROVIDE AID AND SANCTUARY TO ABUSED, NEGLECTED, ABANDONED OR DONATED HORSES THAT COME TO US IN NEED.

MFMN PROVIDES SANCTUARY TO APPROXIMATELY 80 PERMANENT RESIDENT HORSES WHO ARE EITHER ELDERLY OR HAVE SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS DUE TO BLINDNESS, FOUNDER, RINGBONE, JOINT ARTHRITIS, GENETIC DEFORMITIES, DENTAL ISSUES OR OTHER CHRONIC DISEASE. MANY OF THESE HORSES WERE GOING TO BE EUTHANIZED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY COULD NO LONGER BE RIDDEN OR WORKED. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THESE HORSES ARE OVER 20 YEARS OLD, A FEW ARE YOUNGER HORSES WITH GENETIC OR CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS, WHO WILL BE WITH US FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR LIVES.

REHABILITATION AND ADOPTION PROGRAM - MISSOURI FORGET ME NOT HORSE RESCUE AND SANCTUARY TAKES IN HORSES THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED, NEGLECTED, ABUSED OR DONATED. THE HORSES ARE EVALUATED BY A VETERINARIAN, HORSE TRAINER AND/OR OTHER KNOWLEDGEABLE AND EXPERIENCED STAFF TO DETERMINE IF THEY CAN BE REHABILITATED FOR ADOPTION. HORSES ARE PROVIDED WITH ANY REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT, INCLUDING GELDING STUDS, AND PROVIDING NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT, INCLUDING PASTURE, GRAIN, HAY AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AS REQUIRED TO RETURN THEM TO A HEALTHY STATE. THEY ARE PROVIDED HOOF CARE BY A FARRIER AND DENTAL CARE, IF NEEDED. ONCE HEALTHY, THE HORSES ARE EVALUATED BY A TRAINER TO DETERMINE THEIR RIDE-ABILITY. BASED ON THE EVALUATION, THEY ARE SENT TO A PROFESSIONAL TRAINER. ONCE THE HORSE IS DEEMED READY FOR ADOPTION, THEY ARE LISTED FOR ADOPTION ON OUR WEBSITE, IN OUR NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED AND REVIEWED AND HORSES ARE ONLY ADOPTED TO APPROVED APPLICANTS. AN ADOPTION FEE IS REQUIRED TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COST OF CARING FOR AND TRAINING THE HORSE. DURING 2022 WE HAD 16 HORSES ADOPTED TO APPROVED HOMES, AND WE HAD 36 RIDE-ABLE HORSES AND 52 COMPANION ONLY HORSES AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT THE END OF THE YEAR, NOT INCLUDING THOSE IN FOSTER CARE.

HORSE RESCUE PROGRAM - MISSOURI FORGET ME NOT HORSE RESCUE AND SANCTUARY WORKS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY TO FIGHT ANIMAL ABUSE, NEGLECT AND ABANDONMENT. DURING 2022 WE RESCUED 8 HORSES WITH A BODY SCORE OF 3 OR LESS. IN A FEW CASES, WE WERE UNABLE TO SAVE THE HORSE BECUASE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RESCUE IT IN TIME TO SAVE ITS LIFE. IN ALL CASES, WE TRANSPORTED THE HORSES EITHER TO THE SANCTUARY OR TO A VETERINARIAN CLINIC OR HOSPITAL, DEPENDING ON THE MEDICAL STATE OF THE HORSE. IN THE CASES WHERE THE HORSE DIED AFTER WE HAD POSSESSION OF IT, WE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISPOSAL OF THE REMAINS. HORSES THAT ARE UNABLE TO STAND ARE LOADED INTO OUR RESCUE VAN USING A SPECIALLY DESIGNED SLED. ONCE AT THE SANCTUARY, THEY ARE PLACED IN A SPECIALLY DESIGNED SLING, AND PROVIDED WITH 24 HOUR OBSERVATION AND CARE. IT SOMETIMES TAKES MONTHS FOR THESE HORSES TO RECOVER, AND IN MANY CASES WE FIND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE TREATED, IN ADDITION TO THE STARVATION AND NEGLECT ISSUES. WE FIND THAT AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN CASED FOR, MOST OF THESE HORSES BEGIN TRUSTING HUMANS AGAIN AND LEAD NORMAL AND HEALTHY LIVES.