Rescued horse sponsored by youth riders’ group
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
TRABUCO CANYON – Ulysses, a quarter horse rescued in August after being found scarred and emaciated in a river bed, got a little bit of holiday spirit from a local youth equestrian team.
In August, Ulysses was rescued by Hanaeleh after he and Maggie, a mare, were found in Riverside County. A call from a volunteer at the Riverside Department of Animal Services alerted Elizabeth Zarkos, founder of horse-rescue group.
Now, Zarkos has determined that Ulysses would be best taken care of at a horse-retirement facility. On Sunday, the Santa Margarita Catholic High School Equestrian Team ponied up to sponsor Ulysses and help gather money to help pay for his veterinary bills and future care.
The Santa Margarita team, made up of riders from throughout the county, also worked at the canyon rescue center spreading ground cover, pulling weeds and painting. It also helped clean stalls, feeders and buckets. The members were joined by the South Orange County Pony Club in their cleanup in Trabuco Canyon.
Hanaeleh is Orange County’s only nonprofit horse-rescue group. The all-volunteer group takes in horses from throughout the state. Most are abandoned, owner-relinquished or headed for slaughter. The rescue was founded by Zarkos in 2004 after she rescued an untrained Arabian horse from a feed lot in Chino. That horse went on to compete in dressage and Western shows. Her portrait is now the rescue’s logo.
“Hanaeleh has a symbiotic relationship with our community; we not only rescue and rehabilitate horses, but we encourage volunteers of all ages and abilities,” Zarkos said. “In return, we depend upon the continued support of our volunteers and local community groups. Without the financial and physical support of our community, we would not be able to continue our work of helping to save these horses.”
There are 11 horses at Hanaeleh, five of which are up for adoption. The rescue also receives calls every day regarding horses that need homes.
For those horses that Hanaeleh cannot take into the facility, Zarkos works to find them new homes. Hanaeleh provides this service at no cost to the community. The group gets no compensation for horses that are “networked.”
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