COOPER

A 2,400 lb, fully blind Belgian with the heart of a golden retriever, Cooper came to haven from the Bowie kill pen in September of 2023, where he’d been dumped after a life spent pulling a plow for the Amish community. As a hospice sanctuary, we focus primarily on senior horses. We brought Cooper home to haven thinking he was much older due to his poor condition and cataracts. Once home, we checked his teeth- the indicator of age for horses- and realized… he’s just a baby! now A 12/13-ish-year-old, our youngest is our biggest! Blind from cataracts. Soft as they come. Always sneaking into other stalls checking for leftovers.

JACK BLACK

A 30 year old+ quarter horse, jack black was an owner surrender to the ranch at the humane society of north Texas. He arrived emaciated, overworked and in worse shape than their cruelty cases. During his rehabilitation at HSNT, he met Takoda. The two became inseparable, and Jack black served as Takoda's seeing eyes. One of Haven's core values is to never separate bonded pair, so we adopted them both. They arrived to haven in September 2024 as hospice cases, and it’s safe to say, they’re living their best days now. While jack black promptly quit his seeing eye horse gig upon arrival because, girls, he remains close to takoda as stall neighbors and enjoys all day groceries and well, girls.

INDIE

A 13-year-old paint pony with more grit and spirit than horses twice her size, Indie became one of haven's original four blind horses when she was run through the “loose sale” auction ring at Bowie in august of 2023- completely blind, terrified, bumping into walls, unable to find her way. the auctioneer laughed. We fought for her. We don’t know what caused her blindness, but she’s adapted with a little grace- and a whole lotta sass. She’s quirky, spunky, and loves a good scratch. The boys would be lost without her- she leads them all, like a sightless little general with a soft heart. She’s not easy to catch. She’s not easy to forget, either.

KING

The soul who started it all. Kelli took one look at King loading a truck to Mexico for slaughter with three other blind horses and decided in that very moment, not on our watch. A few phone calls and emails later, and all four loaded a truck to her instead. haven was born. King is a 19-year-old standardbred gelding who spent his early life in cart racing and then pulling carriages somewhere up north. The crimps in his tail were still deep when he arrived. His intake evaluation vet believes he was blinded intentionally, with chemicals. But somehow, he’s still a love bug. King adores his friends, and Indie is his best girl and source of comfort. He leans into affection, melts into brushes and cuddles, snores the absolute loudest and reminds us daily that healing is always possible. Blinded on purpose. Saved anyway.

FEMKE

When Femke, a 19 year old blind, friesian mare, arrived to haven in February of 2025 after being sold to slaughter in Mexico, she was fragile in every way- underweight, fearful and worn down by years of neglect and abuse. Her bonded partner, Luna, passed days before their intended arrival. Her grief was palpable, her scars distinct. Our vet took one look and said, “this horse has been through hell.” and still- she tried. she listened. She let us in. Femke has a brand that tells her complete and important story- foaled in the Netherlands to a world famous lineage, once a prized and expensive competitor, a passport with more stamps than most humans. Then, tossed aside due to her loss of sight or strength or age, maybe all of the above. The moral is this- no horse is safe or exempt from the inhumane United States slaughter pipeline.

Today, Femke knows the softness of gentle human hands. The peace of a quiet pasture. the comfort in knowing that every meal is guaranteed. Kelli always says that if haven had been created only for her, it would have been worth it. Friesians were bred originally for battle, and that makes so much sense. To be near femke is to touch the greatest depths, for femke is more a feeling than a story. our regal, warrior, goddess queen.

TAKODA

Ah, Takoda, our eldest resident. As our vet says, 30 years old sailed long ago. Takoda had both eyes removed in a common procedure called a “double enucleation” after surviving a cruelty case and being seized from a property by authorities in north texas- a rare act given inconsistent (to put it kindly) protections for livestock in Texas. Takoda was first entrusted with the ranch at the humane society of north texas and was not expected to survive the trailer haul to his first vet appointment, which was intended for euthanasia. Rumor has it that as he was waiting at the vet clinic, there was one blade of grass behind him. Takoda stuck his head under his body, reached alll the way back and grabbed that one blade of grass. The vet said, “there is still a fire in this horse. Today is not his day.” That was four years ago, and now? Takoda puts himself to bed every night in the stall between his best friend, Jack black and his girlfriend, Femke. He walks with a swagger that has us all convinced that the Marlboro man is in there. One thing we know for sure, his best chapter is this one.