Berchert Ranch Animal Rescue
BARNEY & VEGAS
Barney and Vegas came to the rescue together. Barney had been seriously injured in a horse trailer incident. Both geldings (Vegas is the dark gray roan) were very high strung and nervous. Barney healed well from his wounds and both have gentled down and are very loving. When feed buckets are laying on their side all you need to do is ask Vegas to fix the buckets and he will upright them all with youthful enthusiasm. Barney doesn’t seem to have any tricks other than just being Barney which is good enough for us.
BEAU
Beau is our only mule. He actually found us on his own. One day we noticed this mule grazing with our horses. Through the brand inspector we located his owner who told us he was pastured east of the Arkansas River and had gotten out. We are located on the west side of the river. In order for Beau to get to our ranch he had to forge the Arkansas River, a very dangerous white water river. We returned him to his owner and thought that was the end of that. Several days later there is Beau back in our field contently grazing with the horses. Again we returned him to his owner. After about the forth time this happened his owner had had enough and said he was taking him to the sale barn unless we wanted him. Concerned with his safety on the river and the fact that we had fallen in love with Beau we said yes. Ten years later there have been no escape attempts and Beau is happy as a clam in it’s shell. Beau, as few animals do, chose his family and home. This is where he will spend the rest of his life.
HERSHEY
Hershey is an example of what we most commonly see. She is a loving and gentle mare who spent her life at a riding stable for people to enjoy. When she became too old to be profitable she was thrown out to pasture with no medical care and left to deteriorate. When we received her she was just a skeleton. Hershey’s teeth were floated and she was put on an equine senior diet. After six months she once again looked like a normal horse. It has been so rewarding to be able to help such a loving animal and to see that spirit come alive again after serving so many years only to be thrown out and left to die alone of malnutrition.
MAGGIE
Maggie came to us in the fall of 2016 with extreme malnutrition. She is from a region of Colorado called South Park, an area known for very harsh winters. Maggie’s condition was so bad that she had only weeks if not days to stay alive. She would have never survived another winter. Her personality is contagious. She is gentle, loving, and very curious. Maggie is enjoying life and is an inspiration to be around. We love her very much.
