There is a big difference between “rescue” and “sanctuary” in the animal world. Rainhill Equine Facility is an equine sanctuary, which means when we accept a horse into our lives, it is for the life of the animal. There are many rescues out there in every town and city, big and small places, working to help animals through their hard times. Most, I hope, are good places just trying to help the helples with a meal or two, a kind word, a pat on the head and, hopefully, a new home. An animal is a big commitment. It needs you every day of its life. Sometimes, folks get overwhelmed with the needs of their new pet, and in the blink of an eye the animal is once again homeless. It always makes me sad, and I can only imagine how the animal feels.
The horses that Rainhill cares for have been through it all and then some. If you don’t know about Rainhill, let me just say that we take in disabled horses that no one wants. We have 39 blind horses and several others with various “limitations.” When these horses arrived here, they had nowhere else to go. This was their last hope, the last stop on the way to nowhere. They walk off the trailer and wonder, “What now? What will this new place be like?” Soon, they learn it is a good place and they remember what it feels like to be loved and cared for.
We recently took in a new horse from a rescue that was closing. Let me be perfectly clear – caring for horses is hard work and sometimes folks think it will be fun. They think, “How hard can it be?” and “It’s not that expensive.” Well, it’s hard and expensive.
The new horse’s name is Raje and he is a darling, older gentleman. The details of his life are murky, to say the least. The rescue where he came from was not sure of his age, breed or background. It seems he was purchased from an auction – state, date, details unknown. No big deal. I always say the horse tells me the truth about his life. Wherever he came from, somewhere along the line, he had good owners. He has perfect manners and is absolutely beautiful. He does have a large, ugly scar on a front leg which I’m sure was life-changing for him. Whatever he was being trained to do came to a halt when he suffered that injury. He does seem to have had another injury to his back legs that makes him move with a little wobble. None of this matters to me. He is beautiful and perfect in my eyes and now he has found his forever home at Rainhill.
If you’d like to help us care for this deserving horse, please don’t hesitate to reach out and say, “Yes, I’d love to help Raje by becoming his sponsor.” For only $25 a month or a one-time payment of $300, you can help us care for Raje. You can visit and I’ll send photos and updates.
Thanks for reading our little stories and may God bless you for any help you may provide.
-by Karen Thurman
270-777-3164
Rainhill Equine Facility
11125 Ky. Hwy. 185
Bowling Green, KY 42101
