DISCLAIMER: This Blog is not meant to harm or shame any owner who has relinquished a horse to HAPI Trails. It’s intention is to share the in-depth stories of the horses that come into our program. We do not wish to negatively label or categorize our horses… abused, neglected, or traumatized but to share their story and the success they have achieved.
HAPI Trails will never make random comments, judgment calls, speaking ill of others, or situations on social media. We maintain respect for the individuals involved and for the horses. We understand that all situations are unique and carry with them their reasoning and circumstances.

Reatta & The Importance of Rescue

A short life filled with uncertainty and confusion now finds a forever life filled with love and understanding.

Little Reatta had seen a lot at only four years old, and most of it was not good.

After being bought from a horse trader who kept her tied to a tractor tire in the middle of a parking lot, Reatta, we are sure, thought her life would change for the better. She was purchased along with another horse from this horse trader that we’ve known about for many years. The stories accompanying those horses are always the same… either tied to tractor tires in winter without water and room to warm up or small pens with no water, minimal feed, and lack of care. Idaho laws are poorly enforced and do little to help law enforcement when they want to intervene. Their hands are tied if there is feed on the property, whether it’s being fed or not.

In Reatta’s case, sometimes, good intentions don’t go as planned. We aren’t sure what happened over the next six months for her and her pasture mate; we only know it wasn’t good.

We don’t always share the harsh side of rescue, even though we experience it almost monthly. Purposeful neglect and abuse are hard to determine and are often not the case. Big egos, lack of education or understanding for the right care, lack of funds, limited physical ability… the list goes on for why things don’t go well for the horses. We can’t always say for sure. And honestly, we don’t care why; we only care about changing it. Helping to change the ego, education, funding or physical need and helping the horses.

We know neglect was not purposeful in Reatta’s situation, but that’s how it ended. Lack of education and understanding and just not asking for help. The neighbors saw what was happening and had offered to help; when none was taken, they called the sheriff. But it was too late. The day after the Sherriff was called, Reatta’s pasturemate died of starvation.… in February, after one of our biggest snowfall winters in years.

Dealing with death is also something that rescuers have to work through. Heartbreaking slaps in the face. This one was especially harsh. Had we known about this horse’s true condition, could we have been able to pull her away from death’s door? How much sooner would we have needed to be involved? We learned that the pasture mate was 400lbs underweight… evidently months sooner.

Part of our protocol when taking horses is placing them in quarantine and having the Vet and farrier treat them within their first two weeks of arrival. For Reatta, our Vet was there within two days. She, thankfully, was not as bad as we thought. She was four years old and still growing. Yes, she was thin, and her coat smelled like oil and was coarse. Based on feed needs, we started her out slowly with high-fat, oil and supplements. If you feed a starving horse too fast, you can damage their liver and kidneys. It has to be slow and steady so their body can readjust to processing food. It is a delicate dance that most rescue know all too well.


This is where the success comes in.

Reatta has a heart of gold, and it showed in her curious nature and gentleness. Her love of play, kindness, and willingness gave her a zest for life. She immediately became a favorite of our volunteers. She was funny too, like throw your head back and laugh at her antics. Once healthy and fit, she moved to a true pasture and got a pasture mate. A 30+-year-old Mustang that had walked out of his owner’s pasture. You may have heard about him. Search and Rescue had to pull him from a snow drift after he experienced a seizure that left him disoriented in the middle of the night; he found his way hundreds of yards from home, stuck in a drift. He came to HAPI for a few months until the fences melted out. Reatta loved him, but accepting the youngster took him a while.

Once Spring arrived and she was a healthy little horse, she got the opportunity to work with one of our trainers. She, of course, excelled and loved all of the attention and adventure. Adoption soon followed. We know her future will forever be HAPI!