LOPE Ranch Horses Available for AdoptionUpdated: 1.28.2010
Horses owned by LOPE Ranch have been donated by their race trainers or owners to ensure they find great new homes. LOPE rests and rehabs any injured horses, and often starts the retraining process for sound horses. Mostly, horses relax in a grassy turnout pasture and learn to be "just horses" again before being adopted into new careers.
Prior to purchase, prospective adopters of LOPE Ranch horses must be approved by submitting an online application form and passing a reference/veterinary check. Unless otherwise noted, all of these horses are at the LOPE Ranch near Austin, Texas.
If you are interested in adopting any of the LOPE Ranch horses here, please contact LOPE for adoption fees and more details.
NEW - FEATURED! Luck of the Bluff 5 year old @15.2-15.3H dark bay gelding. "Lucky" is just a puppy in a horse-sized body! Very cute and personable -- loves people and attention. Athletic and well built. Lucky strained his knee in racing -- but didn't chip or fracture the knee. He will need 2-3 months pasture rest to heal and then would be ready to start back into riding. Lucky has good feet and has been easy to handle. Mild cribber (on his bucket). Really likes to bond with people! (Photo) (Photo) (Photo)
NEW! Quick Chris: 4-year-old @15.2-15.3H chestnut filly. Chrissy is an adorable filly! She is very cute and feminine (doesn't like to get her feet dirty and keeps her stall tidy). Chrissy has a very small knee chip and is being evaluated to see if it needs to be removed. She has been well handled and likes people. Well bred (see pedigree). Very intelligent and sensible filly. (Photo) (Photo)
ADOPTION PENDING Rush Hour Mob: 7-year-old 16.2H bay gelding. Rush has been off the track for many years (only raced once). Has dressage training and some trail riding experience. Rush has arthritis in his ankles and is not suitable for higher performance work. But he has a wonderful temperament and lots to give to the right home! Would be ideal for pleasure riding, lower level dressage, trails, lessons -- Rush is even calm enough to be a "husband" horse. Adoption fee $500. (Photo)
Original Dancer: 8-year-old @15.2H chestnut thoroughbred gelding. We call this horse "The Kid" because of his curious, friendly personality. Kid is super smart and loves people. He never raced -- Kid got EPM as a 3 year old and stopped his race training. He's had a good recovery and can do trail/pleasure riding. Great feet, super easy keeper, very cute personality. Has been ridden western and has a little bit of neck reining started. Hasn't been in regular work lately and needs a tune-up -- but with the way he loves attention, that shouldn't take long at all. (Photo) (Photo) (Photo) (Photo) (Photo)
Heza Peacemaker: 12 year old @15.2H bay AQHA ex-racehorse gelding. Peacemaker retired from racing in December! Very intelligent horse with a kind eye. Well built and stocky, with a handsome head and neck. We've ridden him in the round pen -- he was a real gentleman! Well handled, likes people. Mild cribber. Peacemaker has had minor laminitis and thin soles. For now, he'll do best with shoes and pads (though eventually he may do fine barefoot). Work that involves lots of quick stops and turns (like barrels or cow work) would be too hard for him. But Peacemaker is approved for trail and pleasure riding (and with his kind personality, he should be great as a riding horse). Xrays of Peacemaker's feet are available. (Photo) (Photo by Monica Adams)
Catalissa: 9 year old @15.3H bay thoroughbred ex-racehorse gelding with pretty blaze. Catalissa is famous -- he once appeared on KXAN-News with Jim Swift! Beautiful, kind gelding. Catalissa won over $350,000. He fractured a sesamoid in his last race and then developed laminitis in his other front foot. He needs more rest time in limited turnout and some stall rest (when it's cold outside). But Catalissa is making steady progress -- his prognosis is positive for him to have a good life as a pet/companion horse. Catalissa is a very special horse with a great personality. All the other horses love him and cluster around his stall window to keep him company. We like to joke that Catalissa is secretly running a drive-through taco stand from his stall. Read an update on Catalissa on the LOPE blog. (Photo) (Photo)
