Rainbow Bridge - Bear Valley Rescue - Bear Valley Rescue, Alberta, Canada

The Rainbow Bridge

The rainbow bridge page is our memorial to those horses (and other animals) that have passed through our gates and over the Rainbow Bridge.
We also have a couple of horses on this page that aren't from our rescue... We're helping to memorialize some very special friends.

"Somehow, somewhere, in time's own space,
There must be some sweet pasture place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some paradise where horses go
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again"
~Stanley Morrison

Girlfriend

Sweet Girlfriend came into our care in late October, 2024, from a couple who had rescued her from a terrible neglect situation. Sadly, Girlie had several health issues including lameness, instability in her hind end, and very bad teeth. With dental care and proper feed she began to put on weight and enjoyed her mash enthusiastically. However it was apparent that she had pain that we couldn't manage so we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to lay her to rest just a month after she arrived.

Apollo

Handsome Apollo, lovingly cared for at his wonderful foster home by Marcia, crossed the rainbow bridge in October, 2024. He'd only arrived into our care in February of the same year. He was unsound since arrival but gained weight and did very well throughout the spring and summer. In October, though, he became much more lame and a vet visit and xrays confirmed that the changes in his feet and knees were no longer manageable. Our most sincere condolences go out to Marcia on the loss of Apollo. He was finally coming out of his shell and feeling at home. She had hoped for many years with him but it was not to be.

Music

Music (I Love Music), a beautiful appaloosa mare, was only with us a short time before she had to be euthanized in October, 2024, due to chronic pain from coffin bone rotation, the result of undiagnosed (we believe) laminitis. She arrived at the Rescue in August of 2024 and we knew as soon as she stepped off the trailer that something was not right. She was immediately started on pain management, received acupuncture and chiro treatment, had dental work & corrective farrier work, and was even tested for, and confirmed to have, PPID/Cushings, which she was also started on medication for. However, she was plagued with abscesses in her feet and, sadly, xrays confirmed that she had rotation of the coffin bone in both front feet that was beyond repair. Music was 27 years old.

Presto

Sweet old Presto, a blind appaloosa gelding, was laid to rest in October, 2024. Presto came to us in 2016. Some young international workers at a dude ranch were concerned about him as he'd been left on his own, blind, in a huge pasture, and he was not doing well. They convinced the owner to surrender him to us. Presto was a kind horse and did very well here, though sadly he outlived many of his special companions through the years, including Lumpy, Cricket, and Freckles. Presto was diagnosed with Cushings/PPID in 2019 and was started on medication for it. In 2024 he began to have anxiety issues, possibly from a tumor of some sort, where he would panic and begin circling. When his anxiety became more advance we knew it was in his best interest to let him cross the rainbow bridge. He was about 29 years old.

We said goodbye to lovely Tulip in August, 2024. She was 12 years old, which is very old for a pig, older than any of our other pigs were when they passed (11 was the oldest). I think she was lucky in that she was a crossbred or heritage breed and hardier than your average meat pig. Tulip LOVED scratches and was a favourite of many of the volunteers. She was the last of our pigs - at one point we had 11 - and we loved them all. They were each special but Tulip had always been the friendliest.

Mitze

Mitze (Futurity Belle), a Morgan mare born in April, 2005, passed away in late July, 2024 while at pasture. She was surrendered to us in May, 2018. We were told she'd been started under saddle as a four year old but she'd been left pretty unhandled for quite a few years and did not trust people at all. When we went to pick her up her owner didn't even show up to help and we had to set up a chute of panels to the trailer and tie her pasture mate Sunny to the trailer and then go hide and wait for her to go up the chute to her friend so we could catch her. She settled into life at Bear Valley quickly but she never completely got her over mistrust of humans. Her best friend was Diva, also a Morgan mare.

Gypsy #1

Beautiful Gypsy#1 passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at pasture in July, 2024. Gypsy came to us from a neglect/hoarding situation in 2008. She was pregnant and has a lovely colt (Donner) who was born that October. Gypsy was with us for over 16 years and was likely into her 30s when she passed away. She was always healthy and sound throughout her years with us. If you were leading her and she didn't want to go where you were taking her she'd just duck her head and pull away. We quickly learned to watch for that and she eventually decided it wasn't worth the trouble, as there was never anywhere 'bad' that she had to go. Thank you Mary Kay for sponsoring her for many years.

Hunter Ridge was a sweet, gentle 19 year old Thoroughbred gelding. He came to us from auction in pain and poor condition. Right away we knew he wouldn't be with us for long and he has was laid to rest only one week after coming to Bear Valley. He had been suffering with severe ringbone and likely had been for a long time. Although it's so difficult to let go of a horse we've just rescued, we must remember that sometimes it's the most humane decision for their well-being. It is heartbreaking to receive horses in such condition where no recovery is possible. Please do them a kindness and let them go peacefully at home. That he was allowed to live with such a painful foot for months and then on top of that be hauled off to auction while prolonging his suffering just to make a few dollars (he sold for only $100!) and delegate him to more suffering being hauled to slaughter is cruel and inhumane by any stretch.

Princess

Princess (Rich MS Poco Doc) was a beautiful, registered, palomino Quarter Horse mare that we purchased at auction in 2010 for $550. She was supposed to be bred at the time but turned out not to be, which was just fine with us. As with many broodmares, she hadn't had much handling before coming to us but while here she was able to live out her life with her horse friends and pasture mates, with regular hoof care, deworming, good hay in winter and lush pastures in summer. Princess started to lose weight and stopped eating in early June of 2024, when she was 28 years old. In spite of doing all we could to help, it was a losing battle and we had to make the decision to lay her to rest.

Kitty#2

Kitty was only with us for 3 years before she had to be euthanized when she fractured a bone in her fetlock in June, 2024. Kitty was surrendered because she wasn't able to be ridden as she suffered from PSSM2 and she also had a crooked back foot. She was a good girl though, and just 10 years old when she passed away. Her friends Marilyn and Nan will miss her.

Lorelei

We purchased Lorelei at auction in 2012 as a weanling. She had a crooked back leg, front legs that weren't perfectly straight either, and a pronounced overbite (parrot mouth). She was one of my favourites though, and with regular dental and hoof care she did very well. Sadly by May of 2024 the angle of her crooked back foot was becoming more severe. She was starting to experience lameness and when medication was not able to keep her comfortable we had to make the decision that it was her time to cross the rainbow bridge. I will miss her a lot.

Ice

Ice was a lovely, kind, Appaloosa mare, born in 1999, that was surrendered in July, 2020. She was very well broke, an ex-cutting horse, but she was now blind in one eye and had arthritis in both her front knees. Ice did so well as part of the seniors group. She was on medication for her arthritis and also got HA injections which kept her comfortable. As is always the case though, over time the arthritis progressed until we were no longer able to manage her pain and she was laid to rest in May, 2024. She was a gentle mare and a favourite of many of the volunteers.

Ezzie

Ezzie came to the Rescue in June, 2019, from an impound lot when she was about 2 years old. She was very thin and covered in bites from other horses when she arrived. She was also completely wild. Ezzie developed a large sarcoid on her front foot. We had it removed but it grew back. We then treated it, twice, with immunocidin injections and, though it shrunk down, it again grew back both times and continued to get larger. Sadly there were no other options for treatment and, as it was becoming infected and we weren't able to resolve it, by May of 2024 we had to make the difficult decision to put Ezzie to sleep. We were heartbroken, as she was still so young.

Bonny

Bonny (Bonito Tormenta) was a thoroughbred mare, born in 2004. We originally purchased her from auction in 2008 and she was adopted out the same year. She returned to the Rescue in fall of 2015 as her owners sold their farm. Bonny was never raced and unfortunately did not get a lot of handling during her adoption. She was a lovely mare though, and was very bonded with her herd mates. Bonny developed arthritis in one of her knees in early 2023, likely from some trauma such as a kick. She did well with pain management but by May of 2024 it was harder to manage her pain. We'd hope for alternative therapy to help her but xrays revealed that there was nothing more we could do. Run free Bonny!

Bee

Bee was a lovely Quarter Horse mare, born approx 2009, that was surrendered to us in September, 2018. She had a (minor!) cut to her back foot that hadn't healed so she was going to be killed. She was also slightly underweight. We were told she'd been started under saddle at some point but then was used as a broodmare. With a wash and some antibiotics the cut on her foot healed quickly. Bee was such a sweetheart but unfortunately she did not have good feet. She had problems with abscesses and dropped soles in her front feet. Proper, regular, farrier care made a big difference but by May of 2024 she was having more difficulty. Xrays showed that there was considerable damage to her coffin bone in one front foot and we had no recourse but to lay her to rest. We're sorry we couldn't do more for her.

Dexter#2

Dexter#2 came to us in late 2021 as an owner surrender. in March of 2024 we noticed he was having difficulty urinating and a vet exam unfortunately showed that he had a large growth inside the tip of his penis, either a tumor or sarcoid. Given Dexter's age (27 at the time) and the size of the growth we knew surgery wasn't an option for him and we had to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep. We've seen so many different illnesses and injuries and diseases over the years but it seems we always have new ones occurring. Dexter was very healthy otherwise and it was so unexpected to lose him.

Diamond Dan

Diamond Dan is a perfect example of how proper, daily, care can make a huge difference in a horse's life. Dan came to us in 2011 when he was about 30 years old. He was underweight and was surrendered because his owner didn't want to provide the extra care an older horse needs. Dan was with us for over twelve years! He was in excellent health right until the end. Sadly, he colicked in late March, 2024 and, when he didn't respond to treatment, we quickly made the decision to lay him to rest to avoid any suffering. We will all miss Dan, he was such a kind old horse and he LOVED to be brushed and scratched. This photo was taken just 2 weeks before he passed.

Ridge

Handsome Ridge was came into our care in January, 2024 and was laid to rest shortly afterward. He was so very kind and gentle but he had progressive arthritic and lameness issues that caused him serious discomfort. Almost immediately we had to make the decision to put him down. No matter how short a time some of our horses are with us it is always difficult. Thank you so much Marcia for being his loving foster mom even though it wasn't for long before he crossed the rainbow bridge.

Jamie

Jamie was a very lovely young palomino gelding who was only with us for just over a year. He came in with a badly twisted back foot that we were told had been broken when he'd been stepped on as a foal. It was a situation that made us very angry in that, if the foot had been at least splinted at the time of the injury, he could have had a decent quality of life. The bones in his foot had fused but without that correction they had fused at a bad angle. Jamie had extensive xrays and farrier work while with us to keep him comfortable but when it came to the point where he'd be sore for days after playing too hard with his friends we knew it was time.

Winnie

Beautiful Winnie was laid to rest on January 24, 2024. She'd come to us over 7 years previously with chronic laminitis and rotation in her front feet. She did very well with proper continuous hoof care, weight loss, controlled diet, and pain management when required. She developed some arthritis in her knees in her last year and received joint injections for that. Sadly at some point we can only do so much and we had to make the decision to let her go when pain management was no longer successful. Thank you Andi for being her sponsor for her years with us.

Bandit

I lost my personal horse Bandit in December, 2023. He'd severely damaged a tendon in his front leg the previous year. With lots of rest and therapy he recovered well, but late that summer he re-injured the same leg, likely aggravated by adhesion and scarring from the previous injury. Sadly there was nothing we could do as all 3 tendons in that leg were compromised. I'd purchased Bandit, a papered APHA colt, for $225 as a foal in 2003 at the first auction we'd ever attended. I'd only ridden him twice in 20 years but that didn't matter. He was such a handsome boy and kind too.

Jigger

Our little man Jigger was laid to rest on December 11, 2023. He'd been with us for over 13 years and was well into his 30's. Sadly time catches up to all of us and we had to make the decision to let him cross the rainbow bridge. He was such a character, we'll miss him so much.

Lark

We tragically lost yearling filly Lark in early December, 2023, most likely to colic. She had only been with us a few short months. and was just coming into her own. Lark was so sweet and friendly. All losses are hard, but losing the youngsters is especially sad.

Freckles

Freckles was a blind appaloosa that came to the Rescue in July, 2022. He instantly became best friends with Presto, another of our blind appaloosas who had been alone since the passing of his previous friends, first Lumpy and then Cricket. We were so glad that Presto and Freckles had each other. Sadly Freckles began to have recurring colic episodes likely from intestinal tumors. While at first they weren't too serious and he was able to recover quickly, in late October, 2023 he became ill again and he was unable to recover and we had to make the decision to let him go. We feel so badly for Presto and hope that we can find a new, quiet, friend for him though we know we can't replace Freckles. They were a match made in heaven.

Sundancer

Sundancer was surrendered to us in Jan 2023. She had a badly abscessed tooth, long overdue for removal, that made it painful for her to eat and resulted in significant weight loss. Delay in treatment resulted in her jaw bone becoming chronically infected. After proper dental work and 6 weeks of antibiotics, Sundancer gained weight and was feeling and looking much better. However, due to very poor and very few remaining teeth, Sundancer was unable to sustain herself by eating grass or hay and required several daily hay mashes each day. Sundancer was moved to a foster home and enjoyed the remainder of her days, free to roam and relax in pasture with her best friend Molly the mule. On Nov 1, 2023, it was decided that euthanasia was the most humane and kindest option when, over the previous week, laminitis in her front feet compounded the arthritis in her hind ankles added to her health complications. Sundancer was a beautiful, sweet and gentle mare that will be missed by those who knew and loved her. We are glad that we could help her to enjoy her remaining time in our care.

Buck #2

Buck#2 was an old QH gelding that came to us in 2016 when he was about 29 years old. He was a grumpy old ranch gelding with arthritic knees but with proper feed and pain management he did so well, eventually even becoming not so grumpy and forming some friendships with the other seniors. In late 2023 he developed a heart murmur and on November 3rd, 2023 he took a turn for the worst and we had to put him to sleep. He was strong and doing well right up until his last day and we are thankful for that.

Chase#2

Little Arab gelding Chase#2 was only with us for 2 years. He was about 25 years old but had suspensory ligament issues in one back leg. Sadly by fall of 2023 he started to have pain in his hips as well and we had to make the decision to let him go.

Bella#3 (Grinalta's Jazz)

Bella was a beautiful warmblood mare that was also so very kind and gentle. She was adopted out for a number of years but returned to us when she developed dental issues. With proper feed she did very well, though she began to experience occasional impaction colic episodes. They were never severe and she always bounced back quickly, but she tragically passed away suddenly on November 1, 2023. We will miss her large presence. Bella was such a good girl.

Raymond

Raymond was such a special horse. He went through so much and in spite of that he was very sweet. He came to us in August 2020 with severe injuries but he recovered well. Sadly his knee was also badly damaged and after 3 years we could no longer keep him comfortable. It was still very difficult to let him go but we knew it was best. He was laid to rest November 2, 2023. You can read Ray's story on his special page - Ray's Rescue.

Flower

Flower was a little mare that was given to us by a meat buyer in 2015 when she was about 2 years old. Flower had some major conformation issues and weakness in her back end. With Vit. E supplements and proper care she thrived for many years, but by 2023 she started to have some more weakness issues and was lying down more often and for longer periods. In October of 2023 we had to make the decision to let her go, before winter set in. Thank you Karyn for fostering her and being her sponsor for most of her life. Flower was a favourite of many of the horses in her group and Benji the donkey especially will miss her a lot.

Grover (Diamond)

Little Grover the mini came to us in 2019, badly neglected and with seriously overgrown hooves. He was diagnosed with PPID (Cushings) as well and was likely born with dwarfism which contributed to his hoof deformities. Grover was tiny, but mighty. Regular farrier care improved his hooves and he received medication for his PPID. He was everyone's favourite and the boss of the mini herd. He did well until the late spring of 2023, when he developed a serious abscess in one of his front feet. Xrays confirmed that there was a fair bit of damage but he was still sound so we kept his foot wrapped and he was doing well. Sadly though, by late summer he became more uncomfortable and we knew it was time to let him go. He was laid to rest September 15, 2023. Thank you so much to his long time sponsors who helped us care for him. He was definitely a special little guy.

Moose

Moose came to us September 1st, 2023. She had been found alone, without her mother and badly injured, with numerous puncture wounds and abscesses. Sadly we couldn't save her and she crossed the rainbow bridge on September 27, 2023.
We believe Moose was about 2 weeks old when we got her. She was dehydrated and her injuries were quite severe - we believe she'd been attacked by a predator. She had large infected abscesses on her front and back left legs, chest, and a through-and-through puncture on her neck. However, with around the clock care, her wounds drained and healed very well, but, except for when she first arrived, she was unable to stand on her own. We knew there was more going on so we had her neck x-rayed and were heartbroken to learn that she had a dislocation at her C1/C2 vertebrae and as a result limited sensation in her front feet. Possibly as her swellings had gone down and as she grew heavier the dislocation became more pronounced. In any case there was nothing we could do. Moose's loss was one of the most difficult and shattering that we've experienced. We're so sorry, little girl, that we couldn't give you the life you deserved.

Thunder#2

Thunder was a 30 year old gelding that came to the Rescue in September, 2023. He had health issues that included being underweight and arthritic, along with a dropped fetlock in his rear leg. Sadly, shortly after arriving here, he injured the hock of his bad leg and there was nothing we could do for him except let him go peacefully.

Finch

Beautiful colt Finch was born to new intake Swift only 5 days after Swift came into our care in August, 2023. Tragically we lost Finch at 10 days of age to colic. We noticed he wasn't feeling well one evening and rushed him to the vet but there was nothing that could be done to save him. Everyone was heartbroken over his loss.

Mocha#3

Sweet old mare Mocha#3 was euthanized in August, 2023 due to progressive lameness. She came to us with arthritis in her knees but did well with pain management. Sadly there came the time when we couldn't manage her pain any longer and made the decision to let her cross the rainbow bridge.

Mae

Mae came to us in March, 2022. She was in pretty bad shape due to arthritis. We really thought we'd only have her a few months as we were doubtful we could keep her comfortable. However with proper dental care and pain management she actually did very well for over a year. She was on monthly Adequan injections and was even able to run. However, as we all know, it's not a cure, and eventually we had to make the decision to let her go in July, 2023. Her best friend Liv, who came to us with Mae, will miss her a lot. Thank you for foster parents Jen and Mike for taking such good care of her.

Acoma

Gentle Standardbred gelding Acoma was laid to rest on July 14, 2023. He was only with us for just over a year, after we purchased him off a meat truck. He'd won over $40,000 harness racing and was 22 years old. He had issues with his hips and after a year we were no longer able to manage his discomfort. He had a really good year with us though. He loved his mash and enjoyed his body work sessions and massage.

Morgan

Morgan was a little mare that we purchased at auction as a weanling for $75 in 2012. She was born with crooked front legs. She had eleven wonderful years with us but by mid-summer of 2023 she began to have pain in her joints that couldn't be managed and we had to make the decision to help her cross the rainbow bridge.

Reba

Lovely Reba (AQHA Jim Jim Reb) was purchased at auction in Feb, 2008 for $425 as a pregnant mare. She was with us for many years until arthritis and old age caught up with her. When she stopped eating in June, 2023 we knew it was time to let her go. Reba was never a great fan of people but she still thrived under our care for the years she was with us, and in the end we like to think she may even have been fond of us.
Her best friend Dan will miss her.

Angel Sonnet

Sweet foal Angel Sonnet was only with us for a few short weeks. She was a wildie foal born with severe laxity in her front feet.
You can read her story on her Rescue Page - Angel Sonnet.

Paige

Lovely Paige was with us for about one and a half years. She was best friends with Queenie. Paige suffered a serious colic episode and we had to quickly make the decision to let her go as we could not alleviate her pain. Paige was only about 21 years old but colic knows no boundaries. Paige was a lovely and kind mare.

Valentino

Valentino was a tall, handsome gelding. He came to the Rescue in 2012 from auction. He had been owned by a trail-riding place and was dumped at auction due to what they said was a shoulder injury. He was never a great fan of people but he had a good many years with us. He developed lameness in both front feet as he aged but we were able to keep him comfortable. As often happens, the lameness got progressively worse though. He had various treatments ranging from massage to cortisone and HA injections but by April, 2023, we were no longer able to keep him comfortable and we had to make the decision to lay him to rest. He was about 24 years old.

Ruffles (G TS Jesse)

Ruffles was such a sweet Standardbred mare. She came to Bear Valley in September, 2022 at the age of 23. She had been losing weight and her owners were moving and didn't want to take her with them. We treated Ruffles for ulcers and her appetite and demeanor improved greatly, but she was not putting on weight. Sadly, blood work done in April 2023 indicated that Ruffles was in advanced kidney failure that she could never recover from and she had to be put to sleep. After months of daily care her passing left a huge hole in our hearts.

Queenie#2

Queenie was a Belgian/Quarter Horse cross mare that came to the Rescue in 2017. She had occasional lameness that was well managed but by winter of 2022-23 she was more uncomfortable. Xrays taken in April 2023 revealed that she had lesions on her navicular and coffin bones that could not be treated and we had no option but to have her euthanized. She was a lovely, kind mare and only 24 years old.. Her friend Paige will miss her.

Zen

Gorgeous Zen was with us for 15 1/2 years. We bought her, with her foal at side, at auction in 2007 to prevent her going to slaughter, along with 10 other foals from the same breeder. Zen was also pregnant and had another foal the following year. She was the most beautiful mare, and was healthy and happy through all of her years with us. On Feb 7th, 2023 we found her down in the pasture. We don't know if she had heart failure or a stroke, but she was almost comatose and we knew there was nothing more we could do except to have her humanely euthanized. Thank you Heather for being her sponsor through many of the years Zen was with us.

Jesse

Beautiful Percheron mare Jesse passed away January 15, 2023 due to severe colic. We had battled so hard to bring her through the health issues she had the previous summer and she was doing very well. Sadly, with severe colic our options are limited, especially given Jesse's age and size. We will all miss her!

Trumpet

We were devastated, so soon after the passing of Tinker and Bean, by the loss of little donkey Trumpet. Trumpet was only with us for 4 and 1/2 years but was larger than life and everyone's favourite. In March of 2022 he battled illness over a week-long stay at the vet clinic to come home healthier and happier than he'd ever been. The following nine months were very good for him. Sadly in late December of 2022 he became ill again, possibly from the stress of the extreme cold weather we'd been having. Despite another stay at the vet clinic he was unable to recover and suffered liver failure. We had to make the heartbreaking decision to let him go on January 4, 2023. Run free and strong little man.

Our hearts were shattered on December 31st, 2022, with the sudden passing of Bean and Tinker, our 2 pygmy goats. We'd had some severe cold weather and it was hard on a lot of the animals. We'd moved the goats and Moe the llama into the barn but Tinker was already not feeling well We took him to the vet on December 30th and he was diagnosed with and treated for mild pneumonia, while Bean had not shown any signs of being ill. We were devastated the next morning to find both Bean and Tinker had passed away overnight. We are just so heartbroken. Moe, who was their protector and best buddies with Bean, was so sad. Some days it is difficult to continue on.

Flare

Handsome Flare came from a dude ranch in 2018. He had been neglected for a few years and had lameness in one front foot. We were able to keep him comfortable for several years with pain medication and injections but the time came, in December 2022, when that was no longer helping and we let him go. He was a kind and gentle horse and a favourite.

Amirra

Lovely little Arab mare Amirra, was with us for six and a half years before age caught up with her. She had PPID (Cushings Disease) but like most Arabs she was spry, sound, and doing well, right up until the end. She reminded us of a cat as she seemed to have nine lives. In the last year of her life she only had 5 molars left but still had a healthy mouth and did well on her twice-daily mash. Sadly in December, 2022 she stopped eating and began to develop neurologic issues which meant if she laid down she couldn't get up again and we made the decision to let her go on to greener pastures. She's now running free with her friend Vida.

Hershey Q

Hershey Q came into our care in November, 2022. She passed away from colic the day she arrived at her foster home. We don't know what caused it but it was so severe that the vet could do nothing for her and we had to let her go right away. No matter how long or short their time with us, they all matter.

Hope

Hope, a very pretty little pony mare, passed away suddenly from a tragic pasture incident on November 13, 2022- we believe she was kicked in the head or neck. We had originally purchased Hope from a meat buyer in 2008 as a weanling and she was adopted out the same year. She was returned in the fall of 2015 as her adopters had sold their farm. Hope was one of my favourites and we were so sorry this happened, but sadly we can't protect them from everything. She was with us for many years and they were good years.

Sheba

Sweet little Sheba#2 was put to sleep on October 31, 2022. She had been lame when she arrived into our care a year previous and we were able to keep her comfortable for most of that time but in the end she became progressively worse and an xray confirmed that there was nothing more we could do for her. We know she's now in green pastures and pain free.

Salsa

Spicy Salsa had a tragic pasture injury in late October, 2022 and had to be euthanized. Salsa is a purebred Quarter Horse mare, born in 2010, that came to the Rescue originally from auction in 2012. She was one of 16 horses we had purchased that were part of a receivership sale. She was a lovely red dun mare and had been with us for quite a few years, with some interesting stories along the way!

Cash#4

Gentle, sweet, Cash(#4) passed away due to colic in October, 2022. He was with us since June, 2017 and we believe he was well into his thirties. He was a favourite of everyone and got along well with his other senior herd mates. I don't think I ever saw him lay his ears back once. He was missing most of his teeth by the end but he relished his twice daily mash and did very well over the years. Rest easy, old man.

Hudson#2

Handsome, tall, Hudson #2 had only been with us a year when he seriously injured his foot and had to be euthanized in October, 2022. Hudson was quite a character, often flighty and bossy but also at times very sweet and cuddly. He was a bit of a walking disaster though, getting more than his share of minor and sometimes major injuries for no obvious reason. Sadly he somehow got a puncture wound to his fetlock that pierced his tendon sheath or possibly the joint itself, getting a serious infection in the process. There was no treatment that would have offered him a good outcome, given his temperament and fears. Still he will be missed, especially by his best friend Betty the mare. Thank you to Gwen and Jay for being his sponsor.

Hailey

Hailey (Haileys Super Comet), a 21 year old APHA mare, was only with us a short time in October, 2022. She came in very lame on a deformed front foot. We had her xrayed and the foot was deteriorating, likely from a previous bad case of founder that left her with severe rotation and infection. The coffin bone was dropping through her sole and causing her pain. It was not a difficult decision to let her go, but we were sad that she'd been left to suffer for a long time without treatment. If caught soon enough it may not have been a death sentence for her.

Tilly

Tilly was euthanized October 4, 2022 after 11 years at the Rescue. She came from a breeder who sold her because they needed money quickly. Tilly had a scar on her back leg when she came to us and she re-injured her leg in the same place in 2021. Sadly after months of care we were unable to resolve the injury and subsequent infection and made the decision to let her go.

Macie

Beautiful Macie was laid to rest September 27, 2022 after 10 years with us. We don't know exactly how old she was but she was already old when she came into our care. Macie was a matriarch of the seniors group and had a long and lovely retirement. When she went off her feed and became frail we knew it was time to let her go. We know she is now happy with her horse friends who passed before her.

Teddy#3

We are heartbroken to have lost sweet Teddy#2 only a short while after he arrived here, in September, 2022. He was surrendered to us by someone who took him in from a bad situation. He'd injured his back as a foal, was underweight, and also had only one testicle descended. Sadly a thorough vet exam showed that he'd fractured his pelvis previously and it had healed poorly, causing him continued pain and lameness. We had to make the decision to let him go and while it was best for him, it was still very difficult, as he had been improving in body condition and was a favourite of everyone. Rest easy and pain free Teddy.

Lucas

From Luke's foster family:
Luke (Lucas) was born in 1990 and passed away peacefully August, 2022 at 32 years old. We were fortunate to be looking for a horse to foster just after he had been picked up by Bear Valley Rescue from his previous owner. We believe the timing was somehow meant to be. He was with us for nearly 5 years. He was a heavy pulling champion in his time, having the size, strength and heart to compete. However, he sustained injuries which caused chronic pain that, at the end, could not be managed.
Luke was big handsome fellow with a calm, friendly, gentle disposition who loved attention, to be brushed and his treats. He was faithful and protective of his friend Daisy, the donkey, and the two of them enjoyed their time grazing and scratching each other’s backs. Luke and Daisy would nicker or bray to one another if they were separated. Luke was a majestic horse that was stoic to the end, never complaining, always nickering when greeting you, and thankful for his care.
We loved him very much and he will always be remembered.

Jetta

Lovely Jetta passed away in August, 2022. She was a beautiful Standardbred mare but sadly she developed several health issues in her last year with us and we had to let her go when we could no longer keep her comfortable. She was lovingly fostered for a year and a half before her passing and is buried at her foster home.

Fantasia

Fantasia was a sweet and gentle little Arab mare. She arrived very thin and in spite of lots of extra feed and attention and 2 dental floats, she failed to thrive. In spite of her poor weight she LOVED her extra feedings and was spry and happy to the end. She spent a few weeks on lush summer pasture before crossing the rainbow bridge in the summer of 2022. Her foster home said: Our friends' kids have groomed and hugged Fantasia daily since she arrived. I would like to think they packed years of love into a short time.

Cricket#4

Cricket, a lovely, blind, appaloosa mare, was only with us for about 15 months before we had to put her down due to chronic laminitis. She had become best friends with Presto, another of our blind horses, and it was really hard to let her go, but we had to do what was best for her. She was laid to rest in late June, 2022.

Rhonda

Rhonda was an owner surrender in 2o18. She went out to foster in 2019 until her passing from colic in May, 2022.
From her foster home:
Rhonda was a lovely mare – so gentle, calm and sweet. She fit right in with the rest of our herd and was a pleasure to be around and look after. We are glad to have known and cared for her for the short time she was with us . Thank you for that privilege.

Dixie#2

Dixie#2 came to us with an arthritic front knee in March, 2021. Sadly, the arthritis progressed quite quickly to the point where her pain couldn't be managed and the joint stability was compromised. Dixie was quietly euthanized in early May, 2022. Her best friend Kat misses her a lot.

Onyx

Onyx, a beautiful black draft mare, passed away in April, 2022. She had only been here since the previous fall, arriving with 3 other draft cross mares that were pregnant. Onyx had a ruptured prepubic tendon, most likely from too many heavy pregnancies. We knew she wouldn't be with us long but were glad we could at least make her last months comfortable and enjoyable

Lucky#5

Lucky#5 was a nice gelding that came to us in 2019 as an owner surrender. He had some off and on lameness that unfortunately got progressively worse over time. By March of 2022 we were unable to keep him comfortable with pain medication so he was quietly euthanized. Lucky was best friends with Solon, who will miss Lucky a lot.

Goldie

Goldie (Refiners Gold) was a Standardbred mare that won over $266,000 in her racing career. We lost Goldie in March, 2022 at the age of 22. She was down and unable to rise on her own. We were able to get her up but she could not bear weight on her hind legs well, nor remain standing. We had to make the decision to let her go. Our vet thought she may have had a lesion on her spine. Even though Goldie seemed to have a grumpy demeanor I really liked her, always making sure she got extra treats.

Todd Cow

Todd Cow was about 30 years old when she had to be put down due to heart failure in March, 2022. She had only been with us a short time ( 1 year) but she had a ton of personality and had a good last year.

Thelma

Lovely Thelma was a little mare we purchased at auction in 2013, along with her foal Alice. She was also pregnant and had another foal, Angel, the next year. Thelma suffered a severe abscess that developed into a serious infection in her foot in Feb, 2022. We did all we could to help her recover but in the end we had to let her go. She was laid to rest on March 16th, 2022. She had 9 good years here but we will miss her.

Tag

Tag, a 24 yr old gelding, came to us in Feb/22 from Sask, after being rescued from severe neglect. He was a such nice old boy and Macie, one of our senior mares, fell in love with him instantly. Sadly Tag developed a severe sole abscess just a short month after arriving here. We did all we could to treat him but his heart gave out and he passed away on March 5, 2022.

Elly#2

Elly was a kind old mare that came to the Rescue in October 2021 as an owner surrender. Sadly she was already suffering from advanced arthritis and heaves. We did what we could for her but by February, 2022, when her comfort was compromised we had to make the decision to put her to sleep.

Vida

Lovely Vida, a Tennessee Walker mare, was quietly euthanized in late December, 2021. Vida came to us as an owner surrender 3 years previously. She had a serious sinus infection when she arrived that we were able to clear up. However by fall of 2021 Vida began to have some pain and stiffness in her hips. In spite of pain medication and injections, sadly by winter she was lying down more often and then started having difficulty getting up. She fit in very well with our other senior horses, was always kind and so nice to be around. Her best friend Amirra is going to miss her a lot, as we all will.

Bacardi

Bacardi (Rollin Right) was a lovely old Thoroughbred gelding that was abandoned in the foothills. We were able to take him in and he soon went to a great foster home where he spend many years being loved and spoiled before old age took it's toll. He was quietly euthanized Dec, 2021.
From his foster family:
Bacardi has been with our family for just over 5 years. Sadly, we had to say our goodbyes today. Bacardi was a beautiful boy, loved licorice and peppermint treats, his breakfast and supper mash, neck rubs and belly scratches. Loved to walk the property with us; no lead or halter needed- he'd happily walk alongside us (our family often joked that he was more like a puppy than a horse). He became the protector of our herd and would run and snort at anything or anyone he was unsure of. When he ran you could see the racehorse he used to be; all beauty and grace.
We are so grateful for every day we had with our special boy. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed. Bacardi was 30 years old.

Norma

Norma was such a sweet old girl. She came to us in 2012 when she was 26 years old. For the last 6 years she was in a loving foster home until she was euthanized in December, 2021 at the age of 36.
From her foster home:
Norma was such a sweet and spunky old girl. She was always happy to see me and would knicker in her deep voice that always made me smile. She had good friends while here: Brandy, Dan (even though it was a rocky start with them and she got injured chasing him around when he arrived), Jetta, Manny, and Pedro. She loved belly scratches and would try to block me from getting out of the pen if I hadn't scratched her long enough. She is missed by us all. People who give up the old horses are missing out on so much. I realize it is very expensive to keep them, and even with the worry that comes with them, they give back so much just being in our lives. I know for me it is the best part of my day.

Dru

Dru came to us from auction in 2007. She was pregnant and had a healthy foal later that year. In 2014 she went to a foster home where she lived out her remaining years until age caught up with her. From her loving foster family:

Dru (Drouilly’s Girl) was a lovely Thoroughbred mare. She raced as a 2 & 3 year-old, then was used as a broodmare for many years. When she was no longer useful for breeding, she was discarded. Fortunately, Bear Valley Rescue took her in. We fostered Dru for 7 ½ years, providing her with a final home where she would be cared for and happy in her well-deserved retirement years, as all horses should. However, when her quality of life declined due to poor health and painful limbs, we knew it was time. She was part of our horse family and we will all miss her.
Dru passed away peacefully on Nov 8, 2021. She was 30 ½ years old.

Matt

We lost Matt, an 18 year old Standardbred gelding, less than 2 months after he came into our care. We were asked to take him in after he'd been left to fend for himself for quite a few years. Sadly Matt had severe arthritis in one hind pastern that worsened quickly and he was becoming completely lame. There was nothing more we could do for him, save give him a peaceful end. Matt was very sweet and we are so sorry that we were unable to give him more time.

Heidi

It was with great sadness that we lost lovely Heidi, the gentle Belgian mare, in October, 2021. Heidi was only with us for 3 weeks before she passed away from heart failure. Even though she was here for such a short time, everyone fell in love with her. Heidi was so emaciated when she arrived but was doing well, with a dental float to improve her teeth and gaining weight, enjoying her daily mashes with gusto.
We are so sorry we couldn't enjoy her company for longer but are thankful she had the short wonderful time with us that she did.

Tyler

Tyler (Thoroughbred 'Little Taylor') was quietly euthanized October 2021 at the age of 31. Tyler came to us in 2014 in poor condition. He did well for many years but developed a tumor on his neck in 2021. As a result his health became compromised and he started losing weight. Thank you Janine for giving him the best care during his time with us. Tyler was such a character.

Ruby

Sweet Ruby (#3) was euthanized in October, 2021. Ruby came to us 2 years prior with a very serious wound to her wither. The wound closed up but with a small weeping fistula that continued to drain. She had surgery in early 2021 in attempt to facilitate healing but unfortunately there seemed to be a deep tract behind her shoulder blade that was inaccessible to the surgeon. We had hopes for a full recovery but it was not to be. By October she developed another infection and began to lose weight so we had to make the sad decision to let her go.

Babe

Beautiful Babe was a pmu mare that came to us in 2003, one of our first rescues. We'd purchased her from a pmu farm that was selling some of their mares. We don't know how old she was but she passed suddenly on pasture in late summer, 2021 after 18 good years here and was beautiful and healthy right to the end. We'll miss her colourful, unmistakable silhouette.

Junior

Magnificent Junior - registered Morgan ZR Societys Statusmaster - passed away unexpectedly while at pasture on Sep 11, 2021. Junior was a stallion for 15 years before coming to the Rescue in 2014. He had his little herd of mares here (and Stoney the gelding) and they spent all their time together. The girls (and probably Stoney too) will miss him very much. He was lovely to handle though he was bossy with the other horses.

Ptolemy

Handsome Ptolemy was with us for 13 years before passing away from heart failure in August, 2021. Ptolemy was best friends first with Clydesdale Pharaoh, and after Pharaoh's passing, with Shire Eddie. Ptolemy, in spite of his size, was always quiet and good to handle. He will be missed.

Alistair

Alistair developed issues in his back and was euthanized quietly in August 2021 when he was down and unable to rise. Alistair came to us in poor condition in 2020 but was a very nice gentleman, good to handle and kind. He had a year of yummy food, medication for his ailments, and loving care while he was here. We are happy that we were able to give him that before having to let him go. Thank you to his sponsor Emma for helping us to provide that.

Josh

Josh, a lovely Thoroughbred gelding, was euthanized due to a serious injury in August, 2021. Josh was an owner surrender in 2017 and was adopted out for 3 years before coming back to the Rescue in the spring of 2021. We were so very sad to lose him but it was the kindest thing to let him go.

Soda

Soda came to us from auction in 2013. We didn't get any history on her and she wasn't too fond of people but she had many good years living with the herd and her best friend Claire. Tragically Soda passed away suddenly when she suffered a serious injury at pasture in the summer of 2021. She had a puncture wound to her groin area and it's possible she injured herself while trying to scratch her belly on a tree.

Delphi

Delphi, aka Bailey, came to us through the Alberta SPCA in early 2016. She was an older mare and was in poor condition when she came here. She spent the next 5 1/2 years well cared for at her foster home before being quietly put to sleep in July, 2021.

Farrah

Farrah came to us in July, 2011, as a young horse that had suffered an infection as a foal that left her with a deformed front foot. With proper farrier care she did well for many years, but in the end there came a time when pain became an issue for her and she crossed the rainbow bridge in July, 2021. Thank you Deanna for the many years that you fostered Farrah.

Atticus#2

Majestic Atticus#2 was a very tall Standardbred gelding that came to us as a 2 year old in 2015. Atticus had a few challenges in his short life and then tragically received an injury to his foot in late June, 2021 that he could not overcome. Despite doing everything we could his prognosis was so poor and he was in so much discomfort that we did the kindest thing and had him put to sleep.

Scout

Scout came from a domestic violence situation in late June of 2021. She'd been ill just a few weeks before we got her and we believe whatever it was recurred shortly after she came into our care. Despite doing everything we could for her we had to let her go when her condition continued to deteriorate. Scout was a lovely mare, an American Mustang and 26 years old.

Kona

Little Kona came to us in June, 2021. She passed away suddenly of an unknown cause, possibly a lightening strike, after being with us only 2 weeks. She was born with a crooked front foot but was very sweet and gentle.

Scoops

Scoops came from a hoarding situation and had a twisted front foot that had been neglected. With proper care he did well with us for over 9 years and was quietly euthanized in July 2021. Thank you Karyn for the years you fostered him and continued to sponsor him.
This is from Karyn's son on learning from Karyn of his passing: "Oh Mere, I am so sorry. You made Scoops' life immeasurably better and his big heart flourished in the home you made for him. I'll always remember his big soulful presence at your farm. He was a big gentle grassland god."

Big Bucks

Big Bucks was loved and admired by many of our volunteers. He was such a handsome horse and very gentle. He came to us with an old leg injury that, though healed, caused him some grief with recurrent cellulitis. He was underweight when he arrived but did so well on mash. He was with us for over 5 years before we had to make the sad decision to have him put to sleep in late July, 2021.

Silk

Silk was euthanized at her foster home in June, 2021 due to a severe bout of colic. We purchased Silk in 2005 from auction. She was lovingly fostered, along with Shamrock, for over 9 years until her passing. Thank you Marie for giving her a great retirement.

Flash Fox

Lovely Flash Fox, a Tennessee Walker mare, was quietly euthanized Jun 2nd, 2021. She would lay down most nights and was having more and more difficulty getting up the next morning, despite regular medication and acupuncture treatments. We decided the kindest thing was to let her go before it came to the point that she was not able to rise at all. Flash Fox was a sweet and gentle mare and we had hoped to have known her for longer.

Honey

Honey (Ern's Black Honey), a beautiful TB mare, was euthanized May 11, 2021 at her foster home. Christian cared for Honey since she was surrendered to the Rescue in 2019.
From Christian:
I had to put down my 30 yr old foster mare Honey this morning from a major impaction. I had the privilege of caring for this sweet soul for almost 2 years and am grateful I was able to spoil her. RiP HONEY, I will forever miss your morning nickers

Titan

We helped Titan cross the rainbow bridge in April, 2021. He came to us 4 years prior and was in his 36th year. Despite several health issues, such a Cushing's Disease, swayback, and bad feet, Titan enjoyed a lovely retirement with us, especially in his last year with his Cloud and Soft Ride boots which kept him SO comfortable. He was a favourite of visitors and volunteers alike and will be very much missed. Thank you to his sponsors for helping with his care.

Stiles (Dan)

Stiles, aka Dan, registered name Direct Male, came to us in 2014. He was a Thoroughbred gelding that won over $300,000 in his racing career. He went on to do other things including chuckwagon racing and pleasure horse. He was adopted almost immediately after arriving here and had a loving home for 5 years, at which time he was returned to us when his adopter could no longer afford to keep him. He had numerous health issues while he was adopted, including some serious injuries and losing one eye, but he always managed to bounce back. In the end though we believe he had cancer and despite our best efforts was not able to recover. He was euthanized quietly on a beautiful sunny day in early March, 2o21. Thank you Corry for giving him everything he could possibly need, and Jen and Mike for caring for him in the end.

Bo#2, with us since 2013, passed suddenly in February, 2021. Bo came to us from another Rescue that had closed down. He and a mare, Ringo, that came from the same Rescue, were best friends. Ringo passed away in 2019. Most recently Bo became friends with another mare, Thelma, and she will miss him too, but we believe Bo and Ringo are together again.

Eddie

Eddie, our huge (18.2 HH) Shire gelding, was impossible to miss, and his personality matched his size. Eddie was with us for 11 & 1/2 years. When he came to us in 2009 he was very, very, thin. We thought he was an old man but it turned out he was still young. Eddie had stringhalt and unfortunately developed some neurological problems as he aged. He was doing well until February of 2021 when he began to have difficulty bearing weight on one of his hind legs. Sadly, there was nothing more we could do for him and we had to let him go.
Our heartfelt thanks to Eddie's sponsor, Anne, for helping us to care for him, for working with him, and for coming out to be with him in the end.

Shay

Beautiful little Shay passed away tragically from colic in February, 2021. Shay was one of my favourites, even though I'm not supposed to have favourites. We bought her at auction in 2007 for $150. We didn't get any history on her but she was very scared of people. Over the years she became much more settled. She was halterbroke but didn't like to be caught. Shay had a couple of health issues over the years and was at the house being treated for a facial swelling when she died suddenly. We are so sorry to have lost her. Thank you to Ken and Linda for sponsoring her for many years.

Lucy

Lucy was one of our first purchases from a feedlot, in February 2004. We paid 35 cents per pound for her ($640). She'd likely been a pmu mare (she had a number brand on her) and was pregnant when we bought her, having a beautiful blue roan filly foal, Aspen, that spring. Lucy started to have discomfort in her hip in 2020. Over time we were no longer able to manage her pain and by early 2021 we had to make the very difficult decision to let her go. Lucy was a big part of our life and we're so sorry that she's gone. Her best friend Shadow misses her too.

Toby

Toby came to Bear Valley in 2009 at the age of 7. His owner was going to euthanize him but a caring person convinced them to surrender him to the Rescue instead. Toby was with us for over 11 years. Most of those years were spent with his best friend Bella, until her passing in November, 2019. Toby was born with a sway back. It wasn't a problem for him when he was younger but as he aged the sway became more pronounced. By early 2021 he was no longer comfortable despite receiving pain medication and an HA injection so the decision was made to let him pass peacefully.
We had a good 11 years with you, and now you and Bella are together again.

Hondo

Hondo, a very handsome grulla gelding, was euthanized quietly on Dec 10, 2020, 4 years after coming into our care. Hondo was a rodeo horse for most of his life, quite well known and winning lots of contests. He was surrendered to us as he got older and became lame - his owner wanted to ensure that Hondo got the retirement that he deserved. Unfortunately Hondo did have soundness issues due to his many years of rodeo. We did what we could to keep him sound, including neurectomy surgery that helped for a couple of years, but eventually, with winter setting in, we had to make the very difficult, but most humane, decision to let him go.
In an unusual twist, Hondo and Champ (below) came to the Rescue together and they passed away within a week of each other.

Champ

Champ came to the Rescue in December, 2016, along with champion rodeo horse Hondo. Champ was little but so full of personality. He passed away suddenly from colic in December, 2020. We'll miss him so much. Thank you Naya for being Champ's sponsor.

Ted

Ted, an extremely thin Thoroughbred gelding, came to the Rescue in November, 2020 from a horse dealer. By tracing his lip tattoo we found out that his registered name was Flag and he was born Jan 24/2006. During his racing career he won $19,275. He was so underweight and lethargic when we got him that we knew it was likely he wouldn't be with us for long. Despite our best care and treatment, Ted was only with us for 10 short days before he passed away. It is sickening that someone let him get into the shape he was in. He was let down in so many ways.

Eclipse

Eclipse passed away suddenly in a tragic accident in November, 2020. He had been at the rescue for over 12 years as a permanent resident. We're sad that we were never able to get him over his fear of humans, but he had a good life living with the herd for all the years he was with us.

Sapphire

Sapphire came to us in October, 2020. She was found alone, without her mom, at only a few days old. She was so sweet and responded well to our care, but within a week it was clear that something was wrong. With xrays it was determined that little Saffy was likely born up to a month premature. As a result, her bones were not fully developed and as she grew and gained weight, her joints were collapsing. Tragically there was nothing that could be done and she had to be humanely euthanized.
In spite of not being able to help her in the end, we will always be there to try and to do our best for all the horses such as Saffy that come to us in need.

Percy

Percy was euthanized peacefully at his foster home in October, 2020. Percy came to us in 2013 as a yearling, from a horse feedlot. He was extremely thin and had crooked back legs. With proper care he improved and was fostered a few months later. Sadly after 7 years at his foster home it was determined that his hind joints were beginning to cause his more pain than could be managed with medication. Thank you Jen for caring for him throughout.

Trey

Trey was a little mare that came to us in 2008, along with 5 other horses, all of them starving and the 3 mares pregnant.
Trey regained her health and had a foal that spring (Emily). Trey was with us for 12 years before passing away suddenly from a tragic pasture incident in late July, 2020. It appeared that she was rolling and fatally punctured her back when she rolled over a small sharp stump. We hope she passed quickly when it happened. We were happy to have her with us as long as we did. Thank you Tretton for being Trey's sponsor.

Toregene

Toregene was a sweet yearling Thoroughbred filly that came to us in the summer of 2020. She had a massive swelling on her face when she arrived. We had several vets examine her and xrays were taken of her head. Originally the diagnosis was a misplaced tooth that was causing her grief, and we'd even booked her for surgery to correct the problem. However when we took her to the clinic for her pre-surgery exam, it was determined, upon further examination, that what she actually had was an ameloblastoma - a large tumor in her skull that affected the position of her teeth and also restricted her breathing. Sadly it was not something that could be corrected with surgery and we had to make the decision to let her go. In the short time she was with us everyone loved her and we were all heartbroken that we couldn't do more for her.

Phoebe

Phoebe was a beautiful Arab mare that came to us as part of an Alberta SPCA seizure in 2010. She had a few difficulties to overcome during her years with us and because she was not fond on people in general it made treating her a lot harder, but we were able to persevere and she had a good life with us. Sadly we had to let her go in the summer of 2020 when we could no longer manage her discomfort that was due to a foot injury from a few years before.
Thank you Cheryl for being her sponsor for many years.

Dawn

Dawn, a beautiful appaloosa foal, came to us in May, 2020. We received a call about her late in the afternoon and immediately rushed to pick her up. She'd been attacked by predators, resulting in some serious injuries, and her dam was no longer around. As soon as she arrived we did everything we could for her. With immediate care she regained strength and seemed much better by nightfall. However the following morning her condition was deteriorating again. We'd just called our vet to come put her down when she passed peacefully by herself. We were devastated that she wasn't able to recover from her injuries but of course we had to try. Thank you so much to Amber and her family for contacting us and for doing what you could.

Terry

Terry was a handsome gelding, one of the 'hungry herd', a group of 14 starving horses from an impound that arrived here in Feb, 2014. Terry was one of the few from that herd that was actually halterbroke. He had crooked front legs but was healthy otherwise, once he'd regained his weight. Unfortunately, by early 2020 he began to develop neurological problems in his back end, manifesting in a stringhalt gait and progressive weakness. We had to make the difficult decision to let him go in late March, 2020. He had 6 wonderful years with us and spent his last winter at the house getting extra care and grain. Thank you to the McEwens for sponsoring Terry.

Chanel

Chanel was a very special percheron cross mare. We bought her from a horse dealer in 2014 as she was headed to slaughter. Upon arrival at the Rescue she was underweight but very sweet, and over the next 5 years she thrived under the care of her foster mom Janine and her sponsor Kerry. She was probably 30 years old or more by the winter of 2019. Sadly, age caught up with her and she was euthanized in January, 2020.
Following is a tribute to Chanel by Kerry, her sponsor:
It was an honour to sponsor beautiful Chanel, in part as a tribute to my late father William John Busby, who had worked with Percherons on the family farm at Reston, Manitoba. Chanel had a grand presence, and to see her prance through the field with her graceful gait would take your breath away. Her personality made us laugh. She was always curious as to what was going on, well mannered and private in her toilet. Chanel preferred to open the gate for herself, was tolerant at grooming sessions and at playing dress up, yet amusingly stubborn when not in the mood and indeed dismissive when she was done visiting. Being with the herd was always on her terms, as long as they were within hearing range. Chanel is now part of the star formations in the magical night skies over Water Valley, where we listen for her whinny in the breeze.

Star#3

Star#3 was surrendered to Bear Valley Rescue the summer of 2017. Her knee had been injured many years before, but her disability did not dull her spirit. Star was fostered in 2018 where she remained until her passing, Feb 10, 2020. She embraced her new home and seemed happy in the companionship of her equine friends. But at the end, her pain could not be controlled. With much sadness, Star was provided a humane and dignified passing. She was 30 years old.
Star will be fondly remembered as the sweet and gentle mare that she was.

Ringo#2

Ringo#2 was a lovely mare that came to the Rescue in 2013 from another Rescue that had closed down. I believe they had purchased her at auction to prevent her going for meat. She was slightly lame in one front foot but managed well on occasional pain medication for the many years she was with us. Unfortunately by 2019 she was becoming more lame. With xrays it was confirmed she had calcification at her DDF tendon from an old injury. We elected to try neurectomy surgery to give her some more pain free days. She did well with the surgery but shortly after her recovery she suffered detachment of the tendon and had to be euthanized in early January, 2020. We were so sorry to lose her. Her best friend Bo also misses her.

Flecka

Little Flecka came to the Rescue in October, 2019. She was a very sweet pony mare, about 25 years old, but she was badly foundered and had undiagnosed Cushing's Disease. Sadly, despite our best efforts, she was not able to recover from the founder and within a month we had to let her go to end her pain.

MIssy#2 (Shakira)

Missy#2 (Shakira) was surrendered in April, 2014. She was a lovely Thoroughbred mare, born Feb 22, 1994, and she thrived at her foster home for over 4 years. She became ill in late 2019 and despite the best care her condition worsened and she had to be euthanized. As a young prospective Thoroughbred she sold several times for between $4000 and $8500, but she never raced and in the end she was given away (to us) for free, which is a fate that befalls too many horses as they change hands over and over again.
This is from her foster mom:
Missy , like so many, when she was no longer useful or profitable, was neglected and discarded. We had to earn her trust with good care and patient handling. She soon realized she didn’t have to worry and could relax and enjoy her retirement alongside her pasture friends. We are glad she could be with us for her last years and we miss her very much.

Kiwi

Kiwi came to Bear Valley in early 2010, a beautiful 2 year old registered Quarter Horse filly - 'She's My Saving Grace'. Kiwi was born blind but was well-handled as a youngster. As a result she had lots of confidence so that you often couldn't even tell she was blind. She shared a paddock with Blizzard and Kahlua, 2 of our other blind horses. She was summered, along with the other 'blindies', at one of our wonderful foster homes where they all got more space and pasture. Kiwi suffered a severe bout of colic in early December, 2019 and had to be euthanized. It was tragic and unexpected and leaves a hole in our hearts.

JuneBug

JuneBug was a darling little 25 year old mare that came from auction in October, 2019. She was severely emaciated and in shock. She should never have been taken to an auction in the first place in her condition - she wasn't even eating. We were going to have her euthanized shortly after bringing her home; we'd even booked the trailer to come get her body after she was going to be put down, but she rallied and recovered her appetite that same day. We did everything we could for her and she had many good days over the next month but sadly she became seriously ill one day and we had to let her go. She was such a sweet old girl, she should have had a better ending.

Brandy#3

Brandy#3 was a little Anglo Arab mare that came to Bear Valley in 2015 . She was lovingly fostered by Jen and Mike for more that 4 years. Brandy became suddenly ill in Oct, 2019 and had to be humanely euthanized at the age of 34. Her horse friend Norma, another Bear Valley horse, misses her a lot.

Bella#2 was a little mare that came to Bear Valley in 2011. She was only about 2 or 3 years old at the time and had a slight club foot. She was best friends with Toby the gelding for most of her stay with us. Sadly her club foot began to contract badly in 2019 and she was having trouble walking. We did surgery to correct it that summer and it improved for a while but it was a not a permanent fix. She started to become quite lame so we had to make the difficult decision to let her go in Nov/2019. We, and Toby, will miss her a lot.

Sweet little Gemma came to Bear Valley as a 2 year old in 2006. She had conformation issues that gradually became more pronounced as she aged. She was quietly euthanized in November, 2019 after 13 years at the Rescue. Thank you Roxy for first bringing her to our attention. Thank you Brooke for being her sponsor. We're really going to miss her. she was here for a long time and was very special.

Blondie came to Bear Valley in 2008 along with her foal, Slinky the mule, and several other neglected horses and ponies. Blondie was never a big fan of people but she was beautiful and loved getting treats. In the last year of her life she developed an immune-response problem that manifested as sarcoids all over her body. We tried various treatments but eventually the sarcoids started to interfere with her ability to eat and breath properly so she was euthanized in November, 2019. Blondie spent her last few months at the house and really enjoyed getting her twice-daily mash and extra treats.

Lumpy (aka Leo), was with us for 3 1/2 years before he passed suddenly in November, 2019. He was in rough shape when we got him, as he'd been pastured with some stallions and was covered is cuts and bites. Leo was a such a nice, gentle, old soul. He was best friends with Presto, a blind appaloosa. Presto will miss him a lot. Like most grey horses, Leo had non-malignant melanomas on his body. While he had large visible ones, it is likely those he had internally that ultimately caused his demise.
We are glad that we were able to give him a really good retirement before he passed.

Dallas#1 (Forty Foot Fred), a Thoroughbred gelding, came to the Rescue as a surrender in 2006. He was adopted out to a home almost immediately and went on to have a successful jumping career. He returned to the Rescue in 2016 and was lovingly fostered by Janine for 3 years and through a severe eye injury. Sadly, Dallas developed neurological issues in early fall of 2019 at the age of 20 and had to be euthanized that October. He was a lovely horse and will be missed.

Willow#2 was found wandering in the forestry west of Sundre in the summer of 2019. We believe she was dumped by someone who didn't want to care for her because she was lame. She stayed at the Rescue for a 2 week impound period (because she was a stray) and then, as per LIS protocol, was sold at auction. Fortunately one of our friends purchased her but it was determined she had severe navicular and had to be euthanized. Why someone would throw away such a sweet mare, rather than lay her to rest peacefully, we'll never understand. Thank you to Sue for taking a chance on her and then doing what was best for her in the end.

Adonis came to us with a severe injury in the summer of 2019 - he'd been impaled by a stick into his underbelly near his sheath. With emergency vet care we thought he was making a good recovery but sadly it wasn't to be. He took a turn for the worst after about a week of good progress and we had to make a quick decision to end his suffering. Adonis was actually one of the colts we gelded at Big Horn First Nation the previous year. He was so very nice and quiet and friendly.

This little wildie foal came to us injured in June 2019. He was quite lame. We found him a wonderful foster mare and he was thriving, but upon xray of his injury it was determined that he had a broken bone in his upper leg and that infection had already set it. Unfortunately there was nothing more that could be done for him and he had to be euthanized as he was in pain. Thank you so much Cherie for fostering him and giving him a mom, though it was for such a short time.

Gypsy#5 came to the Rescue as an owner surrender in 2014. He bonded with Thelma, one of his paddock mates, and he had many good years with us. Gypsy started to have minor strokes beginning in early 2017 but we were able to manage them well until late summer 2019 when he passed away suddenly at the age of 30.

Jesse was an incredibly sweet little mare that was surrendered in the summer of 2019. She was blind in one eye and lame when she came to us. Sadly it was determined almost immediately that she had a fracture and had to be euthanized. Thank you so much Katie for being there for her in the end.

Patience, a big Standardbred cross mare, came to the Rescue as a surrender in March, 2019 as her owner was unable to manage her care and she had lost quite a bit of weight over the winter. Patience's health improved a bit but she wasn't thriving. In early summer with bloodwork it was determined she had extensive kidney failure and had to be euthanized. She was a great mare and it was very sad to let her go. Thank you so much to Christian and Dee who fostered her and were with her in the end.

Dusty#3, a 13 yr old Quarter Horse gelding, came to the Rescue in the fall of 2018, an owner surrender. He became ill suddenly in the summer of 2019 and despite treatment he passed away within a day.

Chief passed away suddenly due to an injury in early March, 2019. He came to us a few years before, along with Leo(Lumpy) and some feral Morgans. Chief was quite fearful and being blind in one eye didn't help, but he had his friends, Valentino and Magnus, and was happy out on pasture. Thank you Julia for sponsoring him. You certainly had a special connection with Chief.

Beautiful Star (#2), an older Arab mare, passed away suddenly in early 2019. She was a lovely mare that came to us a year before from someone in financial difficulty. We are so sad that she left us so quickly and without warning.

We are heartbroken on the sudden of loss of Twobits. She slipped on ice and broke her leg and had to be euthanized in early December, 2018. Twobits was a registered QH mare (Podocos Twobits), born in 1994, that we purchased at auction in 2011. She was pregnant when we bought her and she had a beautiful little red roan filly born in 2012, but sadly little Topaz only lived for 2 days. Twobits was not sound but she did well with pain medication. She was fostered most summers with a lady who wanted company for her own mare, east of Calgary, and she'd come home in the fall to spend the winter at the Rescue. Thank you to Shawna Taylor who sponsored Twobits for Tracy Gagne in memory of Lacey.

From Linda, Ellie's foster mom:
Ellie was for sale in a Kijiji ad Dec. 2013 – by someone trying to get a few last bucks out of her. She was at least 25 years old, so very thin, injured, and suffering from Cushing’s Disease. In hopes of preventing further suffering, Bear Valley Rescue took her in. We had the privilege of fostering Ellie for the next 5 years. Once Ellie was put on pain control for her injury, and meds to control Cushing’s Disease, she began to feel much better with a renewed lease on life. We provided her with the care she needed and deserved, free from human demands - in an attempt to make up for past hardships. She faced her physical challenges with courage and dignity. She happily spent her days with her best friend Miss Daisy, the donkey. The two were inseparable. But as time went on, despite our best efforts and Ellie’s strong spirit and will to carry on, by late 2018 her tired old body finally gave out and euthanasia was the kindest consideration. We are so sad that Ellie can no longer be with us and we miss her very much. She was a brave and gentle soul and she will always have a special place in our hearts.

Tacoma passed away suddenly and tragically, the result of an accident, in November 2018. He came to us originally through auction, part of a receivership sale. He was a very kind older gelding, though he had a wheeze, possibly from an injury to his nose, and he had stringhalt, which made it difficult, if not impossible, to pick up his back feet. Tacoma spent his last summer under the wonderful foster care of Cheryl, who also became his sponsor.

Russa, a beautiful, quirky little Arabian mare, came to the Rescue in 2009. She had been owned by a lady who had passed away, and a few years later her family was selling the farm and were looking for a safe place for Russa to go. Russa was about 25 years old at the time. She loved to be scratched and brushed, but would give everyone the run-around when it was time for her medication (she developed Cushings later in life). We had a scare with her health in the winter of 2017 and almost lost her, but she bounced back and had the best summer ever in 2018. She was doing so well, and then suddenly went down with severe symptoms on September 25th, 2018. She was in so much distress we didn't even hesitate to end her suffering. Her loss has left a big hole in the seniors family.

Shiloh was Mike's horse. We got him as a foal in 1997. He was a sweet horse though he certainly had his own idiosyncrasies. Unfortunately Shiloh had Cushings, as well as continuous bouts of laminitis and abscesses. In the late summer of 2018 he abscessed in one foot and foundered in all 4. He was in so much discomfort and with no improvement over a period of time we had to let him go. It was the most difficult thing to do and we all miss him, especially his best friend for the last 20 years, Shadow .

Rocky#2 was a sweet little foal the was surrendered to us when he injured his foot. Unfortunately the infection had spread to the bone by the time he came to us and there was nothing we could do in the end to save him. He was only with us for a few short weeks but he was an amazing little guy. Sandy and Lisa, our 2 international volunteers from Australia who where here at the time, gave little Rocky around the clock care and love. He was thriving in all aspects, gaining weight and becoming stronger, except for his injured foot. It was so sad to have to let him go, but it was the only kind choice we could make. Rest in peace and pain free little man.

Rusty#2 was a tiny mini foal that was only a couple of weeks old. Some caring people had taken him in when it was obvious he wasn't thriving where he had been born. He did well with them for a short time but when his condition worsened they asked us if we could step in to help provide him with the necessary vet care. We took him straight to the vet and with around the clock care, little Rusty seemed to be recovering for the first day but unfortunately his condition began to deteriorate again quickly by morning so it was decided to let him go. It was determined that most likely he had been suffering from some form of meningitis or brain infection. Even though he didn't make it, he had an impact on us all.

Shantique, an Arabian mare, was surrendered to the Rescue in the summer of 2016, at the approximate age of 25 years. Someone had convinced her owners to give her up as she was thin and not being cared for properly. Shantique did very well here, but in spring of 2018 she began to have problems with her lungs. We almost lost her in the early spring but she rebounded and did quite well until late August, at which time she relapsed and we had to make the decision to let her go.

Berlinetta came to the Rescue in the early summer of 2014, one of a group of 12 Morgans that were surrendered. We drove all the way out to the Saskatchewan border to pick them up. Berlinetta was the oldest of the herd and the dam of several of them. She was quite underweight when she arrived at the Rescue but with proper dental care and feeding she did very well for over 4 years. She became ill in the summer of 2018 with congestive heart failure and was euthanized quietly on August 9th at the age of 30.

Little Pharlap was laid to rest May 14/18. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to Cheryl, his loving foster mom. Pharlap was purchased at auction in Feb/2016. He had severe angular limb deformities, and rather than caring for him or putting him humanely to sleep, he was sent to auction to be sold for meat. Thankfully one of our wonderful volunteers was there to purchase him on our behalf. He spent a few weeks at the Rescue before going to his foster home, where he was well loved and cared for. Sadly, with his physical challenges, his was a short life but still a worthwhile one.
Cheryl had this to say about Pharlap:
Honestly, he is the most remarkable little guy, will do anything and everything with or without a halter. It breaks my heart to lose such a clever, kind little horse.

Frank the steer was born at the Rescue in the dead of winter, December 2004. We weren't told that his mom, Runaway, was due in calve before spring (I'm sure her previous owners had no clue WHEN she might be due) and poor Frank's ears froze off before we could get him warmed up. He was much loved though, and passed suddenly in December, 2017 exactly 13 years later.

Lola came to Bear Valley from a feedlot. The meat buyer had purchased her at auction. She was headed to slaughter when we intervened. We found out that Lola had been owned by the same people pretty well her whole life, but they still were willing to sell her at auction and risk her going to slaughter, all because she'd grown old and developed arthritis in her leg and shoulder. Lola was with us for a year and a half before we had to make the sad decision to let her go, once we could no longer manage her arthritis, but she was very happy here, enjoying her friends and her daily mash.

Tuffy came to the Rescue in 2015 at the age of 24. He was a ranch and rodeo horse in his previous life. For the last year of his life he was fostered at a wonderful home but he had developed neurological problems, most likely the result of hard use when he was younger. It the summer of 2017 he started to have more trouble getting around, and by winter of the same year the difficult decision had to be made to let him go.

Lovely Annie was purchased at auction in 2005. She was pregnant, and had a foal later that year. It seems Annie wasn't even halterbroke, but she was a friendly mare and beautiful too. Sadly she passed away unexpectedly at the end of September, 2017. We are so glad that she had 12 wonderful years here with us.

Thirty , an older gelding that came to the Rescue in late 2015 from an impound lot, was laid to rest September 22, 2017 when he became ill with colic. We had hoped he would recover as he wasn't that sick at first, but when his symptoms worsened we knew it was time to let him go. When Thirty first came to us he was quite underweight and neglected, but he was a nice old boy in spite of that. We were told that he was a 'spirit horse'. Thirty gained weight and did well on pasture in summer and on twice-daily mash in the winter.

Taylor was a lovely older Quarter Horse mare that was surrendered to the Rescue in 2012 when her owners sold their farm. Taylor had a crooked front leg but it didn't bother her much until she was over 20 years old. Sadly by late spring of 2017, when her leg and shoulder started to bother her and she spent more time laying down, we, along with her foster home, had to make the difficult decision to euthanize her.
From Karyn, who fostered Taylor for most of the years she was with us:
She was a beautiful, beautiful girl that loved to talk to her ‘Nanny’ as she called me. I tried to make sure she was always warm in the winter and looked after properly as a princess should be. I will miss her terribly and will always love her.

Timber was a handsome gelding that we bought at auction as a yearling colt in 2013. Timber had an injured shoulder (he shouldn't have been at the auction to be sold in that condition!) and we did our best to ensure he was comfortable as long as possible in spite of his injury. He was fostered by Karyn until spring of 2017 at which time the sad decision was made that his pain could no longer be managed and he had to be put to sleep.
From Karyn:
I will miss his beautiful expressive brown eyes and I will love him forever. I tried to give him joy in playing and running with his friends Mori and Scoops. He did so love to be scritched on his neck and chest.

Fly (AQHA Major Fly By) was a Quarter Horse bay mare born in 2001. She had very bad heaves but managed well on medication to control it. She was surrendered in late 2016 along with her foal Glory#2. Fly had been badly neglected in the past and was reluctant to trust as a result but she was a nice old mare while she was with us. Fly passed away suddenly in March, 2017.

Mugsy was a sweet little pony mare surrendered to the Rescue in 2012. She was well over 30 years old and quite underweight due to her age/teeth when she arrived, and was also diagnosed with Cushings Disease . She did well on a mash feed and was a lovely addition to the 'seniors' paddock. Sadly Mugsy had to be euthanized after a short illness in early 2017. Thank you to her previous owners, the Elson family, for sponsoring her throughout her stay with us. Mugsy is very much missed.

Snips was an Arab gelding, born in 1989 and surrendered to the Rescue in 2007, along with Torque, when their owner passed away. He was fostered out for a number of years and then returned to the Rescue in 2013. We lost Snips on January 2nd, 2017, when he had to be euthanized due to a severe bout of colic.

Sweet old Luke came to Bear Valley in late fall, 2016. Though he had been owned by the same people for the previous 25 years, he ended up at a feedlot heading to slaughter at 27 years of age. He was underweight, lame, and neglected, but such a gentle old soul. He was only with us for a couple of months before having to be euthanized due to illness, but we are glad we were able to spoil and love him for that short while.

Pal, a draft/ fjord cross gelding, was surrendered to the Rescue in 2009 and fostered out almost immediately as a companion for another horse. He was loved and cared for at his foster home until his passing in the fall of 2016. Thank you so much for his foster family for caring for him until the end.

Penny (Fu's Flash) was a pretty little Thoroughbred mare born in 1990. We bought her from a horse dealer in 2007 before she was to ship to slaughter. Penny had an injury to one front foot that caused her some lameness. She was fostered with a family that loved and cared for her for 8 1/2 years. Late in 2016 Penny developed bleeding from her guttural pouch which, in spite of intervention, was not able to be controlled so she was euthanized quietly and buried on the farm of her foster family.

Beautiful Boyd, a tom turkey, passed suddenly in the fall of 2016. He was pretty old for a turkey, about 4 1/2 years old, which sadly is a lot older than most turkeys get to live. Boyd was our meeter and greeter, always showing off for anyone who came to visit. He would follow us everywhere and always had to be involved in everything that was going on. Boyd will be sorely missed by everyone.

Copper was a little Haflinger cross mare that came to the Rescue in December, 2015. Her owner was having personal difficulties and asked us to look after Copper for a few days. The few days turned into months and she ended up staying with us permanently. Sadly though, Copper colicked and passed away suddenly in the fall of 2016.

Ace#2 was surrendered to the Rescue in 2013 and was fostered out right away. Ace was a very nice older gelding, gentle and kind. He passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 27.

Harold was born at the Rescue in February, 2005 to one of our first pigs, Berkie, who it had turned out was pregnant when we got her. Harold was the runt of the litter and we raised him in the house. Harold was euthanized summer of 2016. He was very personable and we will all miss him. Sadly we lost Harold's brother Gimper earlier that year as well.

Torque, a Thoroughbred gelding, was surrendered to the Rescue in 2007, along with Snips, when his owner passed away.
He was quietly euthanized late summer of 2016 at the age of 29 due to soundness issues that were getting progressively worse. Snips, who came to the Rescue in 2007 from the same home, misses his friend Torque a lot.

Sally#2, a lovely QH mare, was surrendered to the Rescue in 2008. She immediately went out on foster and spent 8 wonderful years there until she passed away summer of 2016 at the age of 28.

Rene (Walk Away Rene) was a beautiful and gentle Thoroughbred mare that came to us in 2015, extremely underweight and having recently lost her foal. She was discarded when she was no use as a nurse mare and thankfully through the efforts of some kind people she ended up with us. Rene was thriving at her foster home but she passed away suddenly in September, 2016, possibly from a lightening strike.

Little Shamrock#2 was an orphan wildie foal found west of Sundre, alone and near death, in May, 2016. Thanks to the quick efforts of some wonderful people she was rushed to the vet on our behalf, and recovered well within a week. We even found her a lovely new foster mom, a mare that had come to the same clinic and had just lost its foal. Sadly, just a few days after arriving at her foster home, little Shamrock suffered a kick in a freak incident that broke her leg and she had to be euthanized.

Tinsel was a pretty chestnut mare with a grey flaxen mane, one of 'the hungry herd', a herd of starving horses rescued in Feb/14. She was very friendly but didn't seem to have had much handling. Tinsel passed away tragically the summer of 2016 after sustaining a deep puncture wound to her inner thigh. In spite of the heroic efforts of everyone - friends, neighbours, volunteers - who initially saved her life, her wound reopened 10 days later and she passed away suddenly. She was such a lovely horse and a wonderful patient but sometimes even our best efforts cannot save them.

Gimper was born at the Rescue in February of 2005, one of a litter of 16 piglets. His mom stepped on him when he was a baby and as a result he had a weak back leg. Sadly, after 11 good years with us, his leg gave out and he had to be euthanized in June of 2016. Gimper was a very nice pig and we know he will be missed by his brother Harold.

Yola was a lovely turkey brought to us by Sasha and her husband, who had saved her from becoming someone's Thanksgiving dinner. Yola had a wonderful personality and loved her treats of fruit that the volunteers would bring her every weekend.

Wilbur the steer, fostered by Krystle, became ill and sadly, passed suddenly as he was being rushed to the vet. Our hearts go out to Krystle who raised and cared for Wilbur since he was a little calf.

Silver Wishes, a young Thoroughbred filly affectionately know as Swishes, came to us in December, 2015 , less than 3 years old and in extremely bad shape. She did well under the care of her foster parents Barrie and Karen, but sadly she had to be euthanized due to severe colic in April, 2016. We are so thankful that Barrie and Karen were there for her right from the start (they picked her up and brought her to the Rescue for us in December) and also in the end to alleviate her suffering. Her passing was a great loss.

Pet was a beautiful registered palomino Quarter Horse mare, going back to Kilobar and King Leo Bar on her sire's side. She was born in 1976 and came to the Rescue in 2006 when her elderly owner went into the hospital. She needed extra care because she didn't have much left in the way of teeth but she did very well on her twice daily mash. In her heyday she had done just about everything, from lessons to parades, and she was the true matriarch of the Rescue. Pet was very maternal and loved foals, and in 2015 when we got Filly, the orphan foal, Pet stepped right in as her foster mom. After 10 years at the Rescue, Pet was quietly euthanized in April, 2016, just 12 days short of her 40th birthday. Her passing has left a huge hole in all our hearts.

For Julia:
Gabby was a very special girl to me. She taught me everything I know and everything I will know in the future is due to her. Even though Gabby wasn't mine, we had a very special bond and no one quite understood how we got on. I had my first show with her, my first canter, my first jump and very shortly after that jump, my first fall! I will never forget how Gabby came over to me and had her head down and such a worried expression on her face when I was down. It was magical.
Thank you Gabby and I know you're running free wherever you are now. Keep those other horses in line and I'll see you soon.

Dangler was a lovely old Thoroughbred that was surrendered to the Rescue in 2006. He was fostered out for many years and was euthanized at his foster home at the age of 27 in 2015. Thank you to the DeGrandis family for caring for him so well for so many years.

Pansy, one of our first pigs, (and also my favourite) came to us in 2005. We weren't sure of her age but after 10 years with us she started to suffer from arthritis and when it came to the point that she had difficulty getting up we had to make the sad decision to let her go.

Tempest, a beautiful Morgan mare, had to be euthanized in the fall of 2015 after injuring herself in a tragic accident. We had hoped she would recover from her injuries but it was not to be and we had to make the difficult decision to have her euthanized.

Handsome Cash, a Saddlebred gelding with the most beautiful face, came to the Rescue in 2007 as a surrender from an outfitter. He had a hock injury that hadn't healed. Though he wasn't lame on it, eventually after quite a few years he developed arthritis as a compensation injury in his opposite hip. Over his last year he was great friends with Mugsy the pony and enjoyed life in the seniors' paddock. The time came when we had to make the difficult decision to have him euthanized as we could not longer keep him comfortable and he passed on July 3rd, 2015. Thank you to everyone who fostered and sponsored Cash during his time at the Rescue.

Summit came to Bear Valley in 2007, a surrender from another rescue. He was a lovely Thoroughbred gelding with some minor lameness that he needed rest to recover from. Shortly after arriving at Bear Valley, Summit went out on foster to Pat who lives in the Blackfalds area, along with foster Angel, an older mare with arthritis, and Nit, a little paint weanling that Pat adopted. Summit spent 8 great years under Pat's wonderful care before age started to get the best of him. In consultation with Pat it was decided it was time to let Summit go. Arrangements were made but Summit passed away peacefully on July 5th, 2015, the day before the vet was scheduled to come out. Thank you Pat for giving him the best retirement ever.

For Alex Johnston, who adopted Treasure from us - Kaydee (aka Treasure) was ordered to be euthanized after contracting EIA in 2011. She was laid to rest on my farm in Saskatchewan in June 2011. I adopted her from BVR in summer 2007 as a 2 y.o. and she was the first horse I trained from the ground up. She turned into a great little trail horse, with a good mind and willingness to learn. I used to jump on her out in the pasture, no halter or anything and sit on her while she grazed, or simply sit with her and look at her. She was so beautiful. I miss her tons.

Emmy was a lovely little Peruvian Paso mare who was surrendered to the Rescue in January of 2014. When she arrived here she was very underweight, had severe suspensory ligament issues, a bad hip, and she also turned out to be pregnant. Very sadly her little foal Thunder, born in 2014, only lived a few short days. Emmy spent a nice year with the other seniors but we had to make the decision to have her quietly euthanized in March of 2015 as we were no longer able to manage her pain.

Prince came to the Rescue in the summer of 2012. He spent almost 3 years here and was good friends with all the other seniors and was such a nice gentleman. He had arthritis in his front leg but did really well with glucosamine injections and occasional pain medication. When he experienced a severe bout of colic in March of 2015 we had to make the decision to have him euthanized as he was in extreme distress and we didn't want him to suffer. He'd lived a good, long ,well-loved life.

Twenty came to Bear Valley Rescue in early 2013. He was in rough shape as he'd been abandoned to die over the winter, but he had managed to survive and through the intervention of some lovely, caring people he ended up with us. Twenty had arthritis in his front legs and feet but he did well with pain management, glucosamine injections and various other therapies. Sadly in March of 2015 he developed an abscess which was too much for him so we had to make the decision to have him euthanized. He had so many people in his corner over the short time he was with us and the change in him over that time, from a cranky old man to a love bug, was wonderful to see. Thank you Angie for being his guardian angel over the last part of his life and for being here with him in the end.

Penelope was a beautiful filly we purchased at auction as a foal, along with her dam Louise, in 2013. Tragically Penelope colicked and died suddenly in March of 2015. We were so saddened at her loss.

Winky was a sweet little donkey who came to the Rescue in February, 2015. He and 2 other donkeys, Inky and Pinky, were left without a home when their owner passed away. Unfortunately the owner's family didn't know how to look after the donkeys and were feeding them incorrectly. Winky became very ill and in spite of our doing everything we could for him, Winky passed away 2 weeks after coming to us. We are thankful that at least Inky and Pinky were okay and we were able to adopt them out to a good home.

Heathcote was a beautiful Akhal Teke gelding, already 16 HH at 2 years of age. Tragically, sweet Heathcote broke his leg and had to be euthanized in late January, 2015. He was such a gentle young horse and so unique. We are heartbroken over losing him.

Munsie came to the Rescue in 2012, part of an estate dispersal. She was an older QH broodmare and was pregnant. Sadly her foal, Thunder, born a couple of months after she arrived, was premature and only lived for 2 weeks before passing. Munsie had trouble with hoof abscesses off and on (she was slightly lame when she arrived) and unfortunately by the summer of 2014 they were a continuous issue for her. By fall we had to make the difficult decision to euthanize her. Thank you Janine for making her last weeks as comfortable as possible.

Maydie, a solid sorrel appaloosa filly, came to Bear Valley as a weanling in the fall of 2012 from auction. She had a crooked front foot that eventually deteriorated to the point that she had to be euthanized in late summer, 2014. Jen, her foster mom, has this to say about her:
After Maidie was brought to her foster home and losing her Paint friend Sofie (another Bear Valley rescue) to a tragic accident, she then continued to relish and share her life with her new friend Percy until the end. Percy misses his friend he was re-united with from Bear Valley, but is happy she is with her sister Sofie and no longer in pain.

Montego, a beautiful dark bay 2 year old gelding, tragically broke a bone in his upper leg and had to be euthanized, June 3rd, 2014. Montego was one of almost 50 youngsters that came to the Rescue in early spring of 2013 from a slaughter plant feedlot. He was so lovely, one of my favourites, and he would have been adopted the week he was injured, if he'd been able to recover. Sadly broken leg bones in horses are very serious and often euthanasia is the only alternative as it is very difficult for a horse to be kept immobile and quiet while the bone heals, not even taking into account the costs of surgery. In Montego's case, the location of the break was such that there was no other option. We are heartbroken over his passing.

Coal, a lovely registered 2 year old QH gelding, came from a local auction in 2013. He had an abscess on his hock, which I can only assume is the reason no one bid on him, though it drained and healed within a couple of days of his arriving at Bear Valley. Quiet, friendly, already halterbroke, he was so likely to find a good home but he was not thriving and had a lot of trouble maintaining a good weight throughout the winter. On May 30th, 2014 he colicked and we rushed him to the clinic in Calgary, but he was in so much distress that we had to make the decision to have him euthanized. We are so sorry that we couldn't do more to save him.

Philomena came to the Rescue on Mar 9th, 2014, one of 10 neglected Clydesdales we purchased from a horse dealer. She had foaled the morning before we had bought her and it quickly became obvious to us she had a retained placenta and was very ill. We rushed her to the vet and over the next 10 days worked tirelessly to try to save her but she wasn't eating and continued to have trouble. Even though she seemed to have overcome the toxicity, she grew weaker and eventually we had to let her go. Fortunately we were able to find a replacement nurse mare (Bitsy, who came from a breeder and had lost twins the same day) for her orphaned foal, Fonda. Philomena was a lovely, gentle mare and though we lost her, we are glad to have been able to save her foal and in the process also to give a good home to Bitsy.

Delilah J (DJ) was one of the 18 starving horses we brought in to the Rescue in Feb, 2014. She was in bad shape and unable to stand during the first 24 hours she was here. With the help of many volunteers we were able to provide her with 24 hour care and to get her standing after the first day. We thought she was going to make it as she was up for 4 days straight but sadly she went down again and we were not able to get her to stand after that. She passed away one week after arriving at the Rescue. She touched so many lives in the short time that she was here. She was such a kind and calm soul, and we are so sorry we couldn't save her. The added tragedy was that we believe she was also pregnant.

Jasper, Nova, and Phoenix were 3 horses, part of a herd of 18, that were taken in by the Rescue in early 2014. Jasper and Nova were young fillies and Phoenix was a stallion. Sadly, due to their poor condition and the stress of the move to the Rescue they did not survive more than a day. Phoenix especially we were surprised did not make it as he was doing quite well at first. Jasper passed on her own and Nova and Phoenix were euthanized by our vet. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with this tragic situation and gave these horses the best possible care and love during their final hours.

Hannah (JamJam), was a sorrel QH broodmare, born Apr 12/83. She came from to us from a breeder in 2008. Hannah was fostered at Janine's in Water Valley for most of her stay with us. She was a lovely older mare and was almost 31 years old when she died. She'd had issues with her teeth and hoof abscesses in early 2014 but we thought we'd worked all those things out when she suddenly passed. Thank you Kelly for bringing Hannah into our care and thank you Stephanie Fulton for sponsoring her.

Teresa was a beautiful 2011 bay filly with a badly crippled front leg. Mary Ellen purchased her at auction for $20 in the spring of 2013. It is hard to imagine that someone raised her for 2 years and was then willing to send her to auction and slaughter in her condition but we supported Mary Ellen's decision to at least save her from that fate even if she had to be euthanized within a short time. She was friendly and halterbroke, her leg deformity most likely a birth defect. Teresa had a wonderful summer under Mary Ellen's care and then went on to Deanna's for winter foster but by mid-winter her joints were deteriorating at an alarming rate and she was quietly euthanized.

Bennie was rescued from the auction in 2009 for $50 He was probably already well into his twenties and was selling as 'well broke' (they actually had a saddle on him with 2 kids riding him at the auction) but he was extremely underweight, one of the worst cases we'd seen, and had pneumonia. He was also infested with lice. Once his health improved we were able to get his teeth floated. No wonder he was so thin, he only has 4 of the 12 molars he should have in his bottom jaw. He was so very sweet and really looked forward to his mash - if you were late he's started rattling the gate! We believe Bennie suffered a couple of strokes over the winter of 2009-2010 and eventually became deaf and blind so he was kept in a paddock by himself due to his disabilities. As with all old horses he liked to have a routine and was happy to spend his days soaking up the sun and taking things easy, though he also really enjoyed being taken for walks and had a real prance in his step. Bennie passed suddenly, we believe from a heart attack, in early 2014. Thank you Karen Middleton for sponsoring Bennie in memory of your horses Brownie and Barbie.

Cisco came to Bear Valley in early 2012. He was in his late twenties and quite underweight, needing dental work and a mash diet. He was a very nice old gelding and spent most of his stay at the Rescue under the care of Janine at Larosa Home of Rest for Horses. He received a serious kick to his groin area in late 2013. He seemed to recover well but developed colic-like symptoms a month later and it was discovered that he had a torn abdominal wall which resulted in a strangulated intestine. He was euthanized quietly. We are thankful that he was at least active and without discomfort up until his last day. A previous owner of Cisco's, Debra Lawes, sponsored him during most of his stay at the Rescue.

       Chance passed away suddenly at his foster home. He was a tiny little pony that someone rescued from
         severe neglect and surrendered into our care in 2008. Our condolences to Michele, his foster mom, who
         had cared for him over the last five years.

Hitch was a lovely old dun mare we purchased at auction in the spring of 2013, in serious need of some loving and TLC. Her EID paperwork said she was 5 years old, but she was closer to 25 or 35. She was very underweight and her teeth were pretty bad. She was only with us for a short period of time but while here she had chiropractic and acupuncture therapies, and Janine her foster mom was doing stretching exercises with her and giving her lots of special care. Her condition improved immensely and she looked fantastic. Sadly, just before Christmas that year she went down and couldn't get up. We believe HItch's heart was giving out on her, and she was quietly euthanized. Thank you to Janine for caring for her so well during that summer, probably the best summer of Hitch's life.

Brandy came to Bear Valley in 2007 all the way from Manitoba. She had been a pmu mare and was a bit sore on her front feet. With regular trimming and minor pain management she did very well and although she was never a friendly mare she did eventually become settled in her little herd and daily routines. We lost her suddenly late in 2013 when she had to be euthanized after going down and being unable to rise, in spite of all our efforts to help her.

Cosmo was a gentle old gelding we purchased at auction in the summer of 2007. He was always slightly lame in his front, we assumed he had ringbone or founder and that was why he was discarded at auction. Cosmo was with us for 6 years, always doing well with minor pain management. In the summer of 2013 his lameness started to increase so we had his feet xrayed and surprisingly he had no indications of either rotation or arthritis. While he didn't seem to be in pain he did have trouble with his coordination and getting his legs moving or holding his leg up for trimming. We assume he may have had a tumor pressing on his spine and when he began to have more and more difficulty moving around we had to make the decision to have him euthanized.

Sarcee, a Thoroughbred mare (Exclusive Victory), came to us from an outfitter in 2007. She had a fairly bad leg injury that had not healed, which is why she was surrendered to us. After some great foster care her leg did heal and she was adopted out for a period of time (2 years). However she developed lymphangitis in that same leg, so her adopter returned her to us. We had some success with treating her leg again and she was fostered out for a period but had again come back to the Rescue when the inflammation returned. We were using several therapies on her leg including laser, cold soak and sweat wrap, and naquasone/salix injections, (we even tried bloodsuckers!), and while she had periods of improvement, invariable she would also have periods of inflammation where she was quite lame and in discomfort. Eventually her bad days outweighed her good, and she was quietly euthanized in the fall of 2013.

Old Red, a Hanovarian gelding, came to the Rescue as an owner surrender in 2011. He was a much loved gelding belonging to an older lady, and she had had him most of his life. Red had a tracheotomy due to a disease of his larynx about 10 years before and it caused him no discomfort or problems. He had also developed bladder control issues (he was 28 years old when he came to us). Old Red was a very nice old gentleman and was with us for 2 years. He became ill in the late summer of 2013 and we weren't able to definitely diagnose his illness. Despite trying numerous therapies his health continued to decline and he was euthanized quietly a week later. I clipped some of his mane and tail to send as a memento to Sharon, his previous owner.

William the goat was born here at the rescue in -30 weather in early 2004, to Isabel, who came to us pregnant. William was a real character and was always the first at the fence to greet visitors. When he was young it took him about 3 years to figure out how to climb up the side of their huts to the top platform. He became ill during the fall of 2013 and despite our efforts to save him he died a few days later.

Napoleon was such a sweet little pony, only 9.3 HH. We purchased him at auction in 2013. Unfortunately the group of horses he came in with all came down with distemper (strangles), which is not unheard of when they go through an auction setting. Napoleon had a very bad case of it though he seemed to recover well. However a couple of weeks later he became very ill. We rushed him to the clinic where they tried everything but by that evening it was decided that euthanizing little Napoleon was the kindest thing to do. Our vet at the clinic had a post-mortem done on Napoleon the next day and it turned out he had a massive internal abscess, also known as bastard strangles. Napoleon was such a character and we will miss him even though he was only with us a short time.

Shandra came to the Rescue in February, 2012, one of several horses we'd taken in from an estate dispersal. She was underweight and we believe she'd been a broodmare most of her life. With a teeth float that summer she improved a lot. Despite a minor colic episode in late 2012 and a bout of pneumonia in early 2013, she was doing very well, with a beautiful coppery sheen to her coat and lots of spirit. Sadly she died suddenly, cause unknown, while out on foster with Cisco in September of 2013. Though we were very saddened by her passing, she had a really good life while with us.

Lucky#2 came to the Rescue in 2008 as an owner surrender. He was in pretty rough shape when he arrived, underweight and with abscessed teeth, but with proper dental care and his daily mash he quickly regained his health and became a fixture here at the Rescue as head of the 'seniors' herd. Lucky was everyone's friend and would often groom the other horses or engage them in playful nipping games. Not long after Lucky arrived one of his previous owners, Richelle, found out he was here and she sponsored him throughout his stay with us and she would often visit him as well. Lucky was well into his early thirties by 2013 and he had suffered a couple of strokes over the last 2 years but he recovered and did well up until that spring. Sadly we had to make the difficult decision to let him go when he began to have problems getting up and we all miss him, especially his best mare friend, Pet.

Kiwi the sheep was euthanized in spring 2013 when she became ill. She was such a lovely sheep, very friendly and quite vocal! She became ill the day before she was going to leave for a new home where she would be with other sheep, and we had to euthanize her as her health deteriorated very quickly despite our intervention.

Crockpot the goat was euthanized in spring 2013 due to illness. Crockpot came to us as an owner surrender in 2010, along with Kiwi the sheep and Waffle the goat. He'd been having trouble maintaining his weight over the winter of 2012-13 but was in good spirits otherwise. However in spring he suddenly went downhill very quickly and in spite of doing everything we could we had to make the decision to let him go.

Sue Chataway was euthanized quietly at her foster home in January, 2013. Sue was a beautiful QH mare that came to Bear Valley in 2007, pregnant and originally from a pmu farm. She had a her foal in 2008 and was fostered out shortly after her foal was weaned. Thank you Jenn and Mike for looking after her for her last five years.

Patches came to the rescue in 2012, along with 2 other appaloosas - Kahlua and Mac. Patches was such a beautiful horse with her lovely, spotted coat. We lost Patches suddenly when she went down and couldn't get up in the early winter of 2012. We worked so hard to try and help her but eventually had to let her go. Thank you so much to our neighbours for their help with Patches - your compassion made her passing as bearable as it could be.

Major was a very handsome, older saddlebred gelding who came in as an owner surrender. We were very saddened by his sudden passing at Christmas, 2012, due to unknown causes. Though he wasn't at the rescue for even a year, he found his way into everyone's heart. His horse-pal Cisco missed him a lot.

Soliel's foal, born Aug 14, 2012, passed away at the age of 3 days. He was gorgeous, but was born with hypothyroidism. We came to know him so well though, over 3 days of intensive intervention to try and give him a fighting chance. Already, just hours after he was born, he would nicker to us, and he took all our poking and prodding in stride, but he was not able to overcome his illness.

We lost beautiful Echo, a 13 yr old Arab mare, to a lightning strike in 2012. She was only at the Rescue for a short time, coming in as an owner surrender earlier that year. Such a sudden tragedy, and she was so beautiful and personable. I miss her as she always nickered and came over to say hello when she saw me.

Little Thunder was born June 25/12 to our rescue, Munsie, and sadly was only with us for 2 short weeks. We believe he was born prematurely and he developed pneumonia along with an inguinal hernia and possibly had other internal issues. He was a fighter though and a sweetheart, with so much personality for such a little guy.

Crystal passed away suddenly, possibly from colic, as we found her dead in the field. It was one of those awful situations when you count heads and realize one is missing, and you know something bad has happened. She was such a nice little filly, only 2 and still waiting for her forever home. She came to the rescue as a weanling, from auction.

Topaz was born to our rescue Twobits, on May 6th, 2012. She was only with us for 2 short days before we lost her, most likely because she was born with a very large umbilical hernia that may have strangulated her intestine. She was such a beautiful little foal and we are so sorry we couldn't save her.

Roseka came to us in 2006 and was euthanized due to colic in the spring of 2012. She spent many happy years at her foster home, as attested to by her foster mom:
We fostered Roseka as a companion for my horse, who has lameness issues. When we got her, Roseka was sweet, but it took her awhile to trust us, and she was quite arthritic. My horse was so happy to have a friend who moved at his speed and didn't pick on him that they bonded right away and were inseparable, giving him a new lease on life. My horse had a couple of health scares over the years that we had Rosie, and she was always there to protect him and let us know he needed help. Over time, she came out of her shell and won us all over with her pretty face and delicate manners. She was a girly girl, and always wanted to be brushed and fussed-over, and loved getting her hooves trimmed, and would even trot to the farrier's truck! Roseka was in her 30s, and we sadly lost her to colic, but are so happy to have given her the happy retirement she deserved, and she'll be very much missed.-Carolyn

We lost Juno suddenly in March/12 to illness, most likely colic, just as we were rushing him to the vet. We purchased Juno in late fall, 2009, from a horse dealer where he was waiting to be shipped to slaughter. Juno had punctured his eye and rather than treat it, his owners left him in pain and discarded him. Juno lost the vision in that eye though we were able to treat it and save the eye itself. Juno also needed major dental work and was underweight as a result. He certainly enjoyed his morning mash! Thank you Janine for saving him and fostering him for most of his stay with us. Juno spent the last few months babysitting the weanlings. He was such a nice gentle giant and we are glad he was able to have a few good years with us.

We said goodbye to Storm today. Storm was an old bay gelding who was quite underweight when he came into our care as an owner surrender. He enjoyed his mash and fit in well with our other geriatric horses. He was sore in his pasterns due to arthritis and received chiro/massage and acupuncture, but eventually we had to make the decision to put him to sleep as the coming winter would be too hard on him. Sleep well, Storm.

Thank you Alexandra and Wolfgang for fostering Beth, she had a great life with you for a number of years as a companion for your horse Hoots:
Our lovely Beth died on December 8, 2011. We found her that morning dead in the barn, where she obviously died from a stroke or a heart attack. She was a fantastic old lady and we are happy that we could give her a few wonderful years with her friend Hoots. The last few months she was kind of a service horse for him as he was blind like a bat since spring of 2011 and she took very good care of him. After Beth died we had to put him down as he was totally lost without her. We miss our horses badly, but decided no more horses as we are not the youngest ourselves anymore.

Nelson passed away suddenly at his foster home. Nelson was a wildie weanling from west of Sundre. He was so sickly and small when we got him but he soon became the biggest pocket-pet in the pasture. He had a severe puncture injury that entailed an emergency trip to and prolonged stay at the vet clinic (thank you Dr.Irwin and staff at Moore's) and he recovered very well, but then sadly passed away a couple of months later due to colic. Thank you Katey and family for giving him such a good home while you had him.

For Daryl-Anne, who adopted Baby from us:
I just wanted to let you know that we adored her and she was such a wonderful horse. She loved to be around us and she was such a good girl. She loved to ride for hours in the fields and trails around the country and she could even jump small jumps. I trusted her completely and we had a lot of great times together. Even though we only had a short time with her it was a wonderful time and I'm so glad we got to have her. She was very well loved and taken care for and she will be deeply missed. I think she was truly happy here as she loved her herd-mate Smoothie. She was absolutely a character who was smart and funny and just loved to be loved. Thank you for allowing her to be part of our family. She was an amazing horse.

We lost Spirit suddenly, we believe to colic, in 2011. We purchased her as a yearling from a feedlot where she was heading to slaughter, back in 2005. She was totally wild and unhandled, but incredibly beautiful. Marion, Spirit's sponsor from Austria, has this to say about her:
It was the first year I visited Kathy in Canada. It was 2005 when I walked down the pasture with Kathy to check the horses. I saw all those beautiful horses and everyone was special but one was catching my eye – it was Spirit. She was so beautiful and interesting. She was very shy and I wanted to get her confidence so I visited her every day and all I did was walking beside her. After a short time I could touch her and soon I also could put on a halter. She was very smart. I had always reward crunchies with me but the stronger horses were always in front of me to get the crunchy so Spirit couldn't get one. I ran away from all the horses and she soon knew that she had to follow me to get the crunchy. Sprit was a very smart horse. I could adopt Spirit although I am living in Austria and so Spirit could stay in the herd at Kathy's farm. Although she had to die very young I am sure she had the best life a horse could have. I am very sad about her sudden death and I will never forget her.

We were saddened by the sudden loss of Windy, a pretty little filly we purchased at auction. She never even made it onto our available horses page.

Cash was with us for over 6 years. We bought her at auction in mid-2005 by outbidding the meat buyer. We had her quietly euthanized at 26 years of age because we did not want to put her through another winter as her arthritis was getting worse. She was another of those nice, quiet, older mares that are discarded once they've outlived their usefulness. Cash (registered name 'Give Her Cash') was very well-bred, a granddaughter of Dash for Cash. She raced 6 times as a 2-year-old and had 8 foals. She had a good retirement with us; she really enjoyed her acupuncture treatments.

Shadow, an elderly pony mare passed away peacefully on Oct 8, 2011, close to her horse buddies and surrounded by love. Shadow came to the Rescue in 2007 at 19 years of age, along with her dam, Ginger. She had become very mellow and even affectionate in her last year at her foster home - a good sign that she was happy. Thank you to Wendy and everyone at her foster home who looked after her so well.

Gypsy (#3), came to us very underweight and pregnant at the age of 3 years, the victim of a contentious divorce. She also had arthritis in both her front knees. After she foaled (her foal was Sugar) she was fostered by Steve and Patti and did wonderfully for over a year but eventually the arthritis and resultant abscesses were causing her too much discomfort. She was quietly euthanized at her foster home and is buried there. Thank you Patti and Steve for looking after her.

Sky (My Blue Jodi) was one of our first rescues. She was a PMU mare we purchased through PMUfoalquest in 2004. She had a deformed back foot that we weren't aware of when we purchased her but of course it made no difference to us, we would have taken her whatever her problems. Sky had over 7 good years with us. Thank you to Janine, and Ashley and Dan, for fostering her for various periods during her time with us. Sky also was pregnant when we bought her and she had a beautiful blue roan colt, Bullet.

For Lindsay, who adopted Mason (Slim) from us: I think that everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Mason would agree that he was a very strange animal. Mason had a heart of gold and when I met him, as scared as he was, I could tell that he was a very gentle horse. When I brought him home, I had no idea that my life would be forever changed. Mason taught me so much about life and I now have a much deeper understanding of horses that I use to retrain horses that just need another chance. Mason had a great 4 years with me and when he died, he had put his head on my lap as he lay down and took his last breath while looking right into my eyes. He changed the way I think about life and he will always stay with me. He had a calming way about him, and it's amazing that he was able to overcome his fear of people. There is no doubt that Mason knew how deeply he was loved.

It was with a heavy heart that we made the decision to euthanize Zephyr. We rescued him at auction as a weanling in 2007. He suffered a serious kick to his side as a weanling that broke some of his ribs, was a bilateral cryptorchid and required major surgery to be gelded and he also seemed to have allergies. He was so sweet though, and one of my favourites. He became ill in the summer of 2011 and after several weeks of treatment, we had to let him go as he just wasn't getting better. I'll miss you Zeph.

Queenie never actually came to Bear Valley, though she was a Bear Valley rescue. She had foundered badly and was taken in by someone on our behalf. Unfortunately she was in such bad shape that after a couple of months the decision was made to have her put to sleep.

Navajo came from Manitoba; I believe she was a pmu mare. She was a very sweet and gentle mare but she had a deformed arthritic leg that eventually caused her enough discomfort that we made the decision to put her to sleep. Until that time she had a number of good years with us and also as a foster with Janine in Water Valley.

Cracker was such sweet old girl. She was one of our first rescues, in July 2004, a registered QH mare named Dewy Dot San. We bought her at the auction where we outbid the meat buyer for her. As we were leaving the auction, the meat buyer whom I'd outbid asked us why we bothered buying these old horses, as he said 'I'm going to end up with them sooner or later'. I told him he was mistaken, he'd never end up with the ones we could save! She was with us for 6 1/2 years before she passed away after a bad fall at the age of 32. We will miss you Cracker.

We lost Jessie suddenly to colic. He was such a sweet and gentle horse, only 3 years old, and he was just about to leave for his new adoptive home when he died.

Sally, who came to us through a horse dealer and was with us for a number of years, had to be put to sleep as she had some back problems that worsened as she grew older. She was very sweet, a really nice mare.

Buddy was put to sleep quietly on Sept 10, 2010. Buddy was blind when he came to us, but had a good year or two before he had to be put down due to lameness before winter set in. He spent his last summer under the loving care of Kendra, in a nice big paddock with lots of grass (and few obstacles! ). Buddy went very peacefully, it was as good an experience as it could be. He had lots of treats and a good loving scratch that morning and was of course still munching away on grass. He was a good horse. He will be missed.

For Molly Petryshyn:
Charlie passed away on August 12, 2010. He was 33 years old and we got him when I was 6. He was in a very bad predicament, he was underweight and he wasn't eating, but then he started to get better and then we built our relationship. It was the best, he was my best friend.

This is a sadly neglected horse that came in from the Alberta SPCA in the spring of 2010 along with 28 other horses, part of a hoarding/neglect seizure. He was such a sweet horse but he had a broken foot and the SPCA made the decision to have him put down. At least he went with a full belly. Though he was only here a few days we still want to remember him. He didn't have a name when he arrived but now he's got two - Simba Braveheart.

We had to make the very difficult decision to euthanize Crackerjack. He was a beautitul bay we got from LIS (Livestock Inspection Services). They had seized him and asked us to take him in. He appeared to have broken his foot at a young age and it healed crooked but he wasn't in any pain from it. However it turned out that Jack was not gelded, but a bilateral cryptorchid (retained testicles). Though he was very sweet and nice to handle, his stallion-like behaviour around mares forced us to make the decision to put him down. We didn't have the facilities to keep a stallion and it would not have been fair to keep him penned up, and we couldn't justify the cost of surgery to geld him even if we could have found a vet that would have been willing to do it, especially with his foot the way it was.

Sadly, we at Bear Valley Rescue have had to say good-bye to our dear Samson. While we could not halt the devastating progress of his ringbone, we were able to give Samson three great years with Janine at Larosa Home of Rest for Horses, where he won many hearts and became Kerry’s Beloved. We are profoundly grateful for the excellent care Samson received from his farriers, and Dr. Chad Hewlett (Energy Equine Veterinary Services). Samson was, indeed, a good and well-loved horse, and he shall be missed.

Rocinante (“Roz”) came to Larosa Home of Rest for Horses four years ago from Bear Valley Rescue. In her twenties, and despite her poorly healed broken leg, she was a sweet, beautiful mare. Unfortunately, her damaged knee was becoming unstable and painful, and she was put down peacefully with Samson —on Thanksgiving Day, 2009—before the difficulties of winter set in. Bear Valley Rescue is so thankful that Samson and Roz were able to enjoy their final years at Larosa through the compassion of Ed Johnston and the generosity of his daughters: Laurie, Robin, and Sarah.

Payton, a very old little Arab mare, came to us on New Year's, 2007. She was SO thin that at first I would only post her picture on the website with her wearing a blanket. She did so well on her mash though, and she had a couple of wonderful years with us before having to be put down due to colic. We will miss her. She was such a character and LOVED her food.

Ginger was a sweet old pony mare that passed away at her foster home - thank you to the Ekvall family for looking after her. Ginger came to us as an owner surrender along with her grown foal, Shadow.

We purchased Cloud at auction; he was such a gorgeous, gentle gelding, and was adopted shortly afterwards by Michelle.
For Michelle, who gave Cloud a home: Cloud came to live with us for a short time. Cloud was a special horse, he was a gentle teacher for my family and a wonderful pasture mate for the other horses. He loved to have his neck rubbed and any treat that had molasses in it. We love and miss him very much but we are thankful for the time we got to spend with him.

Lady was one of our first pmu mare rescues. Though she was only 16 years old when we got her, she was arthritic, underweight, had bad teeth and a fistula on her shoulder, and was also, of course, pregnant. She spent almost 5 years here at Bear Valley before we had to put her to sleep due to her arthritis. I think after several years we managed to gain at least a little of her trust. Her foal, Rain, grew into a lovely mare and is still here at the Rescue.

For Kelly, who lost her mare Tess:
Tess, my 14 year old "non-conformist" standardbred mare suffered a devastating injury and had to be euthanized. She was my true friend and I will miss her terribly. She was one of a kind.
"You took me to adventure and to love. We two have shared great joy and great sorrow. And now I stand at the gate of the paddock watching you run in an ecstasy of freedom, knowing you will return to stand quietly, loyally, beside me." Pam Brown

Lovie, the sweet old one-eyed mare we rescued just hours before she was to board the meat truck to the slaughterhouse, was fostered out to a wonderful home until she passed away. Thanks so much Shauna for caring for her and she became a much-loved fixture at the stable where she lived.

Eddie, the beautiful foal, who was born to our rescue, Dru, was lost tragically to colic at only a few months of age.

Skelly was a sweet but emaciated old horse that we picked up from a horse dealer. He was only with us a few days before he had to be put down due to heart failure but at least he had a kind end with us rather than what he was facing when he was discarded.

Tulip the donkey had to be put down when she developed ulcers. We bought her at auction and were told she'd been in a movie, but she never really trusted people and must have had a rough life.

Ike (Icarus) broke his leg in a tragic accident and had to be put down. We bought Ike at auction and he was completely wild but he became one of my favourites, the most playful horse I've ever known. He was my bud, I miss him very much.

Anyone who came to the rescue when we first started up will remember Big Joe. He was one of our first rescues, in 2004, and Mike's favourite. Joe had a hard life as a baby - he had serious scar tissue from being gelded, had a scar around his neck where someone had left a piece of twine tied around it, fluid build-up around his heart, and was extremely thin. We rescued him from the feedlot thinking he was old and on his last legs but it turned out he was only 2! We gave him some good years before he had to be euthanized in 2008 due to his health issues, and he'll be missed a lot.

Luna, a beautiful 2 year old filly originally purchased from a horse dealer as a weanling, had to be euthanized due to a serious illness. It is so difficult, especially with the young ones, to make that decision, but that's part of the responsibility of caring for them.

Snowy, purchased from an auction, was only with us a few short weeks. She was the typical sweet well-broke little Arab mare, but obviously as soon as she had health issues she was discarded. We at least were able to make her last few weeks good ones.

We lost Twiggy suddenly after an injury. She was a sweet 2 1/2 year old bay filly that was just coming into her prime. We had her for 2 years and sadly she was still waiting for her forever home, but we were glad to have her and to know that she had a good life while she was with us.

Cleo passed away suddenly in 2007 from a serious bout of colic. We purchased Cleo and Nellie together at an auction in 2005. She was a real personality, her own horse right to the end. We'll miss her a lot.

Nellie, the old grey mare, was with us for 3 years. before she was laid to rest in 2007. She must have been well over 30 by the time we had to put her down, but she gave us a beautiful filly, Sundae (yes, she was pregnant when we bought her at auction!) and hopefully by the end of her life Nellie had come to realize that people were not necessarily a bad thing.

We purchased Pumpkin and Winter separately at auction but they bonded immediately. Winter was so thin and had the most overgrown hooves and his tail was one big matted wad. These were two really sweet, kind old horses. We're so glad we were able to save them and thanks so much to Joan for fostering Pumpkin and Winter through the last years of their lives and for being with them to the end.

Bear, aka Black, was an amazing old guy we bought at auction, thin, old, going grey, the shaggiest horse I'd ever seen. He thrived under the loving care of his new owner, Debbie, until a sudden illness took him. Thanks for giving him the best years of his life Debbie, and thanks for the courage to do what was best for him in the end.

Tess was a little chestnut filly from the feedlot. She was so thin and undernourished, she couldn't even stand up once we got her home. Unfortunately distemper, starvation, pneumonia and hypothermia were too much and poor little girl just couldn't survive. Too little, too late. No one cared for her while she was alive and we could only care for her once she was already dying. At least she didn't die in that horrible place.

We got Dani back when we first started rescuing and when she was delivered she made a run for it as she was being unloaded from the truck. She ended up heading east about 3 kms and lived for several weeks at a neighbour's until we were able to catch her! Dani developed a tumor in her jaw a few years later and had to be put down when she began to have difficulty eating.

Ben was Janine's first rescue. He was such a patient and sweet old guy (witness his picture, putting up with Ace's shenanigans!).

Emma, a 26 yr old QH mare with a badly deformed front leg, spent her last summer under the wonderful care of Jane, one of the sweetest people I've had the pleasure to meet. She was quietly euthanized when her leg started causing her too much discomfort.

Jake was a big draft/appaloosa cross gelding, a real sweetheart, who came to us as an owner surrender. His arthritis got the best of him unfortunately, and we had to make the decision to have him put down.

Lohan (Lola) was a standardbred mare purchased from a horse dealer in very bad condition. She never did recover completely but she had the best last year of her life under the loving foster care of Paula and Twyla at Autumn Hollow Sanctuary.

Dempsey, a beautiful QH ex-pmu mare came to us pregnant and suffering badly from founder. We did all we could for her and she was able to have her foal (Dee) but she never recovered completely and had to be put down the following year.

Sienna, a pregnant QH ex-pmu mare, blind in one eye, died from colic but not before having a beautiful filly (Charlotte). Charlotte the foal was subsequently adopted by Silk, another pregnant mare we'd purchased at auction, when she was orphaned at 7 weeks of age by Sienna's passing.

Rosie was one of many ex-pmu mares that came to us in poor condition - badly foundered, thin, pregnant. She died suddenly from colic only a few months after arriving at the Rescue, and sadly we lost the foal she was carrying as well.

Sera (Serendipity) was a sweet donkey we purchased at auction. She had to be put down due to a severe bout of colic.

Belle was an old Brown Swiss cow we bought quite a few years ago. She lived longer than most cows get a chance to live, but eventually we had to put her down as she had, most likely, hardware disease.

Chester was a wonderful standardbred gelding we rescued from auction, where he would have gone for meat because he had a cracked hoof. He had to be put down shortly after going to his new home with Kira, due to a tragic injury. I'm so sorry Kira that you didn't have more time with him.

Cisco was one of the first donkeys we bought at auction. He had very badly overgrown feet. Unfortunately due to lack of handling before coming to us he was not good with having his feet picked up. We had to have him sedated in order to try and trim back his hooves and his heart stopped while he was under sedation.

Scout was my first horse and the world's greatest horse ever. I had him for 22 years. He was prone to founder but we were always able to manage it well so that he was sound up until the end, but when he had another flare-up at age 32 I made the decision to have him euthanized, as by this point he was missing most of his teeth and we didn't have a place to keep him that would give him the care I felt he deserved. It was the most difficult thing I'd ever had to do but I knew it wasn't fair to him to put him through another winter. If I'd had the means and knowledge then that I have now I probably could have given him more good time.