Horses of Villa Chardonnay

Chardonnay

If you have read a few other pages on our website, you will already know that Chardonnay was our first rescue horse here in California.  She came to us from the pages of a website about 4 years ago.  She was being sold for $400 or they were going to take her to the slaughter because she had a bad foot and would not likely ever be ridden. Monika fell in love with her and had to save her. 

Full story here >

We drove in the middle of the night to Chico, CA to get her.  She was in pretty bad shape and definitely had a very swollen right rear foot.  She was beautiful - and still is. Just like a beautiful glass of chardonnay! Sponsor Chardonnay! >

Bingo

Bingo, about 10 months old, is an orphaned Wild Mustang, that we adopted in December 2010. He is stunning and turning into an Appoloosa, turning whiter every day! He is one of the more stubborn mustang foals we have and proving a bit difficult to train. We are still working with him and it will take a while longer. He is doing well and happy to hang out with his brothers, Pai and Kikapoo! He is in great need of sponsorship as he needs additional training. Sponsor Bingo! >

Pai

Pai, about 10 months old, is an orphaned Wild Mustang, that we adopted in December 2010. He is best friends with Kikapoo and they currently share a 24 x 24 paddock; if you ever come to the Villa Chardonnay Sanctuary, you can see him hugging Kikapoo.The both went to school at the Monte Roberts school in Santa Barbara. Pai took to his training very well and is more comfortable with people. We continue his training here at Villa. Sponsor Pai! >

Jacki

Jacki is the only fillie out of the 4 orphaned Wild Mustangs, she is also the least likely to be caught! She is very headstrong and also VERY attached to Pollywood, her "mommy". She did not make it to Monte Roberts camp, we had 7 people here trying to catch her - and she would not let us! We didn't want to injure her, so we didn't force it. She is beautiful with a georgous white blaze down her face. She is probably in the most need of sponsorship - or someone willing to donate training lessons. With all the stress they have been through, then orphaned by the BLM in Nevada during the round ups, these Wild Mustangs need all of our support! Please help us help this little girl!Sponsor Jacki! >

Kikapoo

Kikapoo, about 10 months, is the last of the Wild Mustangs. He is best friends with Pai, and they are always together.If you ever come to our sancturay, you may see him hugging and playing with Pai. Kikapoo took well to his training at Monte Roberts and we are continuing his training here at Villa. He does well being touched by people(with patience) and is wearing his halter on a regular basis. He is very sweet and will eat a carrot from your hand! He shares a 24 x 24 paddock with Pai. Sponsor Kikapoo! >

Cricket

Cricket, a 33 year old mare, is doing great these days! When she came to us she was rather thin and having difficulty gaining weight. We moved her into the barn to take special care of an old girl like her. We started by pulling 4 of her teeth. Our dentist, Christine Griffin, of Equine Well Being, came out and did a great job with her. She immediately started eating better. We also started her on ProBios probiotics, which helps the older horses to digest their food a little better. With so few teeth these days, Cricket only eats Senior Feed Grain. This becomes a substantially more expensive way to feed her, compared to a hores that eats alfalfa. This is the main reason Cricket is in URGENT NEED OF SPONSORHSIP. Please sponsor her today! Sponsor Cricket! >

Gopher

Gopher, an 18 year old Mustang Draft, is a very big boy! He is by weight, the largest horse we have at Villa! He came to us when his onwers had to move from their ranch and could no longer keep him. This is why they call them "gentle giants", that is Gopher. He is very sweet and gentle. Gopher is in need of extra sponsorship because HE EATS ENOUGH FOR TWO! Please help Gopher today! Sponsor Gopher! >

Dakota

Dakota, 27 year old gelding, came to us with his friends Nevada and Ziggy. They are all three very close. Dakota and Nevada live together, while Ziggy is in the barn still recovering from his cancer surgery. Dakota is a very sweet horse and sometimes gets bossed around by Nevada! It is tough to keep weight on Dakota and we feed him Senior Equine Feed and also the probiotics, this seems to be helping a lot as he has steadily gained weight. As one of our senior horses Dakota needs some extra sponsorship. Sponsor Dakota! >

Nevada

Nevada, a beautiful 29 year old paint mare, looks much younger than her years. Nevada is actually the proud mother of Ziggy (see below). Nevada, Dakota and Ziggy came to us together through the work of Ruthie Redfern-Coombs who made their rescue possible. The three of them were abandoned in the San Fernando Valley area at a stable. While many tried to take care of them for nearly a year, they could not continue and had to find them a home. Lucky for us, they found Villa Chardonnay...because we love them all very much! Sponsor Nevada! >

Ziggy

Ziggy, a 20 year old Palomino gelding, is such a sweet boy and what a good patient! Ziggy was diagnosed with cancer in March of this year. We thought initially that he would loose his eye, and hopefully survive the cancer. Dr. Brendan Mangan stepped in a donated his time for the surgery with Ziggy. God bless him as he is truly our angel with wings! He saved Ziggy's life and also his eye. Ziggy is still being seen by Dr. Mangan once a week or so and we are still giving Ziggy medication 2-3 times a day directly into his eye. Ziggy has never put up a fuss or had any problems with these months of treatments so far. Thus far the cancer has not returned, but we are not out of the woods yet and will keep you all updated. Needless to say Ziggy has some very special needs and could sure use a sponsor! Sponsor Ziggy! >

Majek

Majek is a very handsome 20 year old gelding. However, he knows he is handsome and is quite the ladies man! Majek came to us with a bit of a problem; he didn't like change and didn't like to be alone. So he did a lot of pacing, for days on end! He finally calmed down and go used to his bunk mates, Robbie and RC. Sponsor Majek! >

Sonny - Our precious Sonny passed away this past October

Sonny was such a sweet soul. He was an angel and a very popular handsome boy! We had Sonny for nearly 3 years when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. We worked very hard with a vet to try and save him. We had just started to provide his the medications that might save him when he passed away one early evening in his stall. We love him and miss him very much. God bless him and welcome him to the rainbow bridge with his friends King and Quincy who passed last year. Sponsor Sonny! >

Prince

Prince, a 6 year old, is very handsome and he knows it! He is a very good horse and we have broken him, trained him and tried to keep him away from the ladies! We just completed building him a new paddock with a shelter from the rain and sun. Prince is an arabian through and through in both temperament and attitude. His best friends are Teddy and Majek as they talk over the fence everyday. Sponsor Prince! >

Robbie

Robbie is our second baby- we have to admit, Robbie is not a rescue horse with a terrible past like many of our babies.  He is however an angel with wings. Robbie is the safest most generous horse that ever lived.  He is a sweet heart and will always protect his rider no matter what happens.  He is also an angel when it comes to other horses. The other horses often push him around, but he is always gentle and nice and lets them do as they please.  He is the best when it comes to children, he is very caring. Sponsor Robbie! >

Bella

Bella is a Tennessee Walking Horse and she is young and beautiful! She became fast friends with Chardonnay when she first came to Villa Chardonnay. Bella is a special needs horse because she was so abused when she was a baby.  She has a very good pedigree and her owners wanted her trained as a Tennessee walker, their methods can be highly abusive.  They chain their legs and do horrible things to get them to walk in the Tennessee Walker fashion.  We believe that Bella did not take well to her training and since we have known her, she has very severe emotional problems. Bella is not very approachable, especially by strangers. However, if you get inside her stall and start to groom her, she is the most gentle and loving horse that we have.  We currently have her under special training, and she is making good progress.  He is as close as we can get to a horse whisperer and he is making progress, so hopefully one day Bella can be fully recovered and happy. Sponsor Bella! >

Bart Star

Yes, just like the football star!  Bart is another Tennessee Walker he is a very handsome boy and likes to run the show in the pasture!  He used to be a little more defiant, but as he becomes more comfortable in the loving atmosphere of Villa Chardonnay, he has become more friendly and calm.  He used to hold his head very high when you try to put on his halter, now he just lowers his head as if to say” OK Mommy, go put me in the pasture for the morning”. Sponsor Bart Star! >

Ari

Ari is a very gentle soul and he very shy.  He is a gelding and was abused and tormented by a stallion.  When we got him he was cut up pretty badly, he had to jump a fence to get away from the stallion.  Ari is very sweet and generous.  He very desperately needs a stall and a home; we are trying to raise money to get him a stall. Currently he is alone in a large paddock day and night, with no shelter. We don’t want to put him with the other horses because he so docile that they push him around too much and he cannot get his own food. Sponsor Ari! >

Purple Heart

She is so tender and for the first 4 months we that we knew her she would not let us get close enough to let us take off her purple halter, thus she was named Purple Heart.  She is a sweetheart, but does not seem to like getting baths very much.  She is very hard to catch and is a little feisty. Sponsor Purple Heart! >

Pollywood

Pollywood is an ex-champion cutting horse. She has excellent breeding but was injured when she was young and became a brood mare. She foaled more than 20 babies in her life! She has certainly earned full retirement at Villa Chardonnay! At first she was very skittish near people as she spent most of her life relatively selcuded, except for her babies. One of our volunteers worked endlessly with her and she finally started to come around. She is now much more social and is also now the "mother" of the 4 orphaned mustangs we adopted in December! She loves being a mommy!Sponsor Pollywood! >

Brownie

Brownie is a chestnut Arabian, about 12 years old, and she is a little angel she likes attention very much.  She is friendly and well mannered. She likes to be brushed and groomed.  However, there is one thing she does not like, she does not want to you touch her hoofs!  Even when we just want to polish her hoofs! Sponsor Brownie! >

Neshama

Neshima means soul and this baby is just that.  She is the soul of her little herd.  She likes to be by herself; she is very peaceful and always comes running for her food.   She is about 10 years old and is very sweet.   We wish that she would play more with the other horses in her herd, but she seems to be a loaner.  She is beautiful white Arabian mare. Sponsor Neshima! >

Meyuchad

Mayuchad is a very "special" mare, that is what her name means. She has café colored freckles all over and is very pretty.  She often has allergies and has her eyes swollen.  She is very good and lets us take care of her and clean her eyes.  Most horses resist, Meyuchad is very nice and caring for the other horses in her paddock. Sponsor Meyuchad! >

Sorely

Sorely, 26 year old gelding, came to us with Jetta. They have been together for more than twenty years and will remain together here for the rest of thier lives. Sorely is a gentleman, always taking care of Jetta. He and Jetta used to be polo players with their previous owner. Their previous owner had become debilitated due to back surgeries and health issues. He has however been very generous with us including donating our 4 horse trailer that we now have. Thank you Danny! Sponsor Sorely! >

Jetta

Jetta is a sweatheart and loves her Sorely. They are almost always together. Jetta and Sorely used to be Polo players and are very well trained. Jetta also loves to be groomed and enjoys the company of the many visitors to Villa Chardonnay. She gets minor eye infections sometimes, but a good cleaning with chamomile tea always does the trick. Jetta and Sorely both love to be visited by their mommy Cindy who now lives in Texas, but occaisionally gets to visit. We truly thank Cindy for all of her help and support for all the horses at Villa Chardonnay!Sponsor Jetta! >

Freckles

I think Freckles is the neediest and friendliest horse we have at Villa Chardonnay.  If you just walk into the paddock where she and five other horses live, she is the first one to walk up to you and just wants your attention the whole time! She literally is like a puppy that lifts your hand with her head to pet her more!  She lets you kiss her and rub her all over.  She likes to eat out of your hand and is very friendly with the other horses.  She is only about 3 years old. Sponsor Freckles! >

Rocco

Rocco is not a horse! Sometimes goats need rescuing too! Rocco came with Gus, they had been living together for about 8-10 years before their owner died and they came to live at Villa Chardonnay. Rocco is the mascot of VC, he is headstrong (just like a goat, especially with those big horns!). In fact, we was so onery that we had to get him a friend to cheer him up. That is why we adopted Wilbur. They are now the best of friends and play together all the time! Rocco is not nearly as onery as he used to be! Sponsor Rocco! >

Wilbur

Wilbur is adorable and now Rocco's best friend. He talks all the time, he sounds a little like Katherin Hepburn in her later years...all shakey and wobbly! He is so sweet, he actually protects any and all visitors from Rocco. He will put his body between you and Rocco to make sure he never head butts you! Sponsor Wilbur! >

Erik

Erik is a Wild American Turkey! He is amazing...he is so social that he follows any people walking around the ranch...he will follow you anywhere you go. He will also gobble often, he starts around 6:00 am! Affectionately known as "Little Erik" he is smart as a whip and can run faster than the dogs! (This has been proven!) He is smart enough to put himself away at night, upstairs in the barn. He literally hears our voices in the house and will stand outside the window if you are in the kitchen, bedroom, where ever. We love him very much and he as quickly become an important part of the family! Sponsor Erik! >