Shakti’s Story
Shakti originally came to Colorado Horse Rescue in September of 2013 from a loving owner who was in need of support finding a great home for her beloved horse. This now 30-year-old registered Quarter Horse has transitioned through ten homes throughout her long life, never by any fault of her own. This extraordinary mare is a great example of why every horse needs a reliable safety net.
Young Shakti began her life with every possible indicator of success and stability. Shakti received quality training early in life and had a long, dynamic riding career with multiple riders and owners. She has competed in shows, ridden out on the trails at length, and has been a teacher to many young, first-time riders throughout her various homes. With every life-changing circumstance that fell upon her many owners, Shakti experienced yet another transition. This reality combined with Shakti growing older and her riding ability becoming more limited, a strong safety net became imperative for her. Thankfully, when her owner in 2013 was needing to rehome Shakti, they reached out to Colorado Horse Rescue for our services. Through our comprehensive matching process, Shakti successfully found a home through our placement program. However, in 2022, Shakti found herself in need of our safety net once again when her most recent owner needed support rehoming her due to changing life circumstances.
As a 30-year-old horse, we knew that it was imperative that we find sweet Shakti one final home. We are delighted to report that Shakti has found her final home! Shakti’s adopter captured Shakti’s needs well:
“Shakti will be 31 in June, and while she is quite healthy and sound, she deserves a soft landing spot, with fewer steps between her shelter and the water trough, less competition at the hay feeder, forgiving ground cover underfoot, and even some pasture grass to nibble on… She’s working harder to keep weight on this winter, and we are hoping a slower, calmer lifestyle will help her conserve her calories, and enjoy being spoiled in her last chapter of life.”
After a long career as a riding horse faithfully serving the many people she encountered throughout her life, Shakti has now found a retirement home with a wonderful human who has committed to providing a loving, comfortable last home to senior horses through our program. Shakti seemed immediately at home when stepping onto her new property alongside donkey pal, Rubeus. Her adopter warmly described:
“Shakti is not done with this life yet, and she’s made that clear in the light trot she picks up occasionally, and her penchant for a nice back scratch.”
The CHR Safety Net
At CHR, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive matching process which focuses on finding the best possible pairing between horse and human in order to ensure that each horse is entering a stable, long-term home. Every CHR adopter knows that our gates our open for them and their horse should they need support in the future. Despite our best efforts to make permanent placements, even the most well-intentioned adopters sometimes find themselves in situations which require them to rehome their horse. We do not see horses returning to CHR as a failed placement but rather our CHR safety net in action. Our rehoming services are for new and old guardians alike, and we are honored to be a safe place for all horses in need. Shakti is a great example of the CHR safety net in practice, and we are so thankful to have had the chance to find her a last, loving home. Happy homecoming, Shakti – you deserve it!
Written by: Grace Degnan | Edited by: Tauren Feuerstein