River

Height:  14.0 hh (est)
Weight: 875 lbs (est)
DOB:  2017 (est)
Sex:  Mare
Color:  Bay
Breed:  Arabian
​​DNA:  1st Garrano
2nd Selle Francais
3rd Holsteiner
Adoption Fee:  $750
Category: Project

River's Story

River came to AAE with five other horses in June of 2025. Originally, a group of eight horses was seized by a Nevada law enforcement agency due to neglect, and two of the horses were in such poor condition, they were euthanized. While the case was in Court, the horses were cared  for at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, and we were told they gained weight and looked much better than when they were initially seized nearly three months prior. When we met River, she was sweet, but timid, and she was very attached to Huck. She was stressy with human activity! She was haltered with a bit of patience and hesitant to load onto the trailer, but with a little encouragement, she loaded behind Huck.

After settling in at AAE for a few days, River warmed up, and she was on her way to becoming a pocket pony with bad manners. She had no concept of personal space. Her body condition was fairly good; though, we were told the horses were living in a herd environment, so there was a good chance she was pregnant. River's teeth needed floating, and her hooves were quite long and needing a trim.

After she finished quarantine, she had her much-needed spa day (dental and hoof care, vaccines, deworming, and a microchip). She was pregnancy tested, too. Thankfully, there was no baby, no baby daddy! River's conformation isn't ideal. She was long in toe and a bit low in her hind fetlocks when she arrived. After evaluation, vet’s suggestion was to keep toes back and consider only for light/casual riding and not for any hard/heavy work or competition.
River is sweet and sensitive! She's making progress. Her courage is growing, and she's really enjoying attention. River transitioned well in her herd environment, and she's relatively drama-free, but on occasion, she can be a bossy mare. She's doing well haltering, leading, handling her hooves, and with the farrier, too. She does well with fly spray and bathing, and she’s handled the tarp and flag well. She’s been introduced to a saddle, but we’ll reserve further saddle work until she’s a bit more confident.
River is still nervous and she gets anxiety when separated from her herd. She needs more confidence to continue her progress. We're continuing with the basics and building River's confidence while she’s here. 
River is current with dental and hoof care, vaccines, and deworming, and she has a microchip. River is looking for a person or family that will be a patient and confident leader that gives her the time she needs to build trust and become more confident with humans. River has needed a blanket on cold, rainy days.
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In general, there is a lot of activity around AAE, including vehicle and foot traffic in and out of paddock/pasture areas, mucking with wheelbarrows, grooming and care activities, tractor and trailering, and weekly farrier visits.  There are resident dogs, cats, goats, cows, a mini donkey, a mini mule, and mini horses, as well as various wildlife, including frequent turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, deer, coyotes, and bobcats in and around paddock/pasture areas.  Tractors are used in and around pasture/paddock areas, trucks deliver feed, and a squeeze is occasionally used for unloading hay. A portion of AAE is situated along a highway with high-speed vehicles, trucks, and sirens. Horses at AAE are accustomed to a more active environment as opposed to a quiet/sterile environment. Some do well; others will do better in a quieter environment.​​