Ziggy's Refuge was lucky to inherit 8 beautiful Andalusian horses which when we purchased the property. Most of the horses have lived here for a majority of their life and under the care of several different property owners. They were used for breeding and showing during their "working years" on the farm. Several buyers have made offers for them, but just like the rest of the animals here, we want them to live out the rest of their lives here in "retirement," able to live happily and do as they please! Keep reading to learn a bit more about each horse.

Our youngest stallion is Reynoso is an ex-show horse, born here on the farm over 25 years ago, and sired by Rijoso. Reynoso is extremely friendly and athletic... not to mention gorgeous! He is spunky and sometimes stubborn, but we love him so much that he can truly do no wrong, even when he's dragging us across the barns and pastures! Although he is about 20 times their size, Reynoso shares some of his pasture with his four goat best friends - watching these five unlikely friends graze and even run around together makes us laugh every time.

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Cormarand, aka Cormie, is our second stallion. He was originally brought over from Spain to be a stud horse and show horse for the previous owners of the farm. Cormie now lives his days out in retirement, getting plenty of love and with a giant pasture all to himself to explore. He also loves people and loves to give little mischievous love nibbles to everyone who visits him. Cormie has a bad hip, which would prevent him from ever being ridden again. In the wrong hands, Cormie may have ended up at a slaughter auction, deemed no longer useful if he could not be ridden. We've had vets tell us if Cormie lays down, he may never be able to get up again. As though he's laughing at all the odds he's beat, Cormie rolls around on the ground like the wild man he is at least once a day, getting as dusty and muddy as he possibly can, and gets right back up with ease. 

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In our back pasture live three other horses: two geldings (El Magnifico and Ranger) and one mare (and Niña). Niña and El Magnifico are a precious mother/son pair. Niña isn't as attention-seeking as the other horses and it takes her awhile to warm up to people, but that doesn't mean she isn't full of love. She adores her son El Magnifico and spends most of her time shadowing him. This pretty girl loves carrots and acts playfully when she thinks nobody is watching. El Magnifico is the spunky, spirited opposite of mellow Niña. He can get into mischief sometimes, especially if it involves food, but to us, he's just as perfect as can be! He is the pesky little brother to our old man Ranger.

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Last but not least is precious Ranger. Ranger is 36 years YOUNG... yes you read that right! A beautiful paint Andalusian, his sweet white face brings us so much joy. Ranger is an angel in every way, is easy going, gentle, polite, and loves his friends with all his heart. Old man Ranger is loved by everyone who meets him, and nearly everyone finds it hard to not slip him extra treats when his friends aren't looking! Ranger amazes us every day with his youthful spirit and gentleness. Ranger is in incredible shape for his age, and other than taking a long time to eat his food (we separate him from his friends and closely monitor his weight to make sure he eats enough), his golden years have fortunately been in good health.

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While taking care of older horses in retirement is a privilege, it also comes with heartbreak. We have lost three of these beautiful horses since acquiring the farm, and will forever cherish the memories we shared with them.

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Rijoso, who was Reynoso's father and our eldest stallion passed away on new year's of 2022, and it was a devastating loss to us all. He lived in a pasture with the three cows and his best friend Maxwell the donkey. Rijoso was most laid back stallion ever and loved everybody he met. When we first bough the farm, Rijoso had a several open, festering melanoma ulcers (this cancer is especially common in white horses), and his previous owners had tried many treatments and surgeries that didn't work in eliminating the cancer. This cancer is very difficult to treat in horses, with some treatments even spreading it faster. We decided to focus on Rijoso's quality of life, and utilized a more homeopathic approach. His ulcers miraculously healed after introducing tumeric paste into his diet, and he was not in pain. Our vet believes Rijoso had some internal melanoma tumors, and one day, without warning one of them burst. Rijoso had a seizure right as our vet arrived, and she helped him pass. It was a shock, to us it seemed like Rijoso would live forever. We are grateful for the 5 wonderful years we got to share with this special boy.

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Two beautiful sisters named Selerosa and Conquistadora once lived in the back pasture with Ranger, El Magnifico, and Niña. They were much more shy and easily spooked than their friends, but gaining their trust over the years and watching them transform was truly rewarding. In Spring 2020, we suffered the sudden and devastating loss of our sweet Conquistadora. She was the head mare of the herd, spunky and bossy, but all her friends looked to her as their leader. Going out first thing in the morning to feed breakfast one day, Jay found her in immense pain from colic. Our vet rushed over and concluded she was suffering from a twisted gut. We helped Conquistadora cross the rainbow bridge, and though our hearts were broken, we were grateful to help her pass in the same lush pastures she way born in almost 27 years prior. Selerosa took the place of her beloved sister as the "head" mare, and almost exactly one year after her sister's death, we found Selerosa colicing. We rushed her to NC State where they determined she had a twisted gut causing necrosis, just like her sister had suffered. Though we miss them both, it brings us peace knowing these two beautiful sisters are romping around heaven together.