Teddy Bear, the colt rescued by Rose Corey, left, finds a good home and awards with Heidi Thompson. Courtesy Photo

After a year's worth of horse abuse cases, bureaucratic floundering and outcries from concerned citizens, two substantive horse rescue programs are coming into reality in Pierce County.

Pierce County Animal Control announced last week that they have selected four contractors for their Equine Rescue Management Network: Graham's Pegasus Program at Fox Run Farm, Rusty Bar Ranch in Roy , the Tacoma Equine Hospital in Spanaway, and E&K Stables in Auburn.

Each facility brings a specialized component to the network, from which will be created a comprehensive program of boarding and care, emergency transportation, vet services including surgery, and coordination of legal actions.

Fox Run Farm, owned by Margaret Mason of Graham, has amble pastures and stabling for fifteen horses at a time.  In addition, Fox Run has specialized facilities where advanced vet care can be performed.  As a bonus, Mason is a registered nurse and lifelong horsewoman.

On a second front, a private nonprofit organization called Ripley's Horse Aid Foundation is establishing a state-wide disaster intervention program that dove-tails perfectly with the county's rescue network.  Ripley's goal is to provide short-term assistance to struggling horse owners before the animals become ill, underfed or abandoned.

Ripley's has established programs in seven Washington counties, and, as of January, Pierce County as well, with the appointment of Rose Corey, the renowned rescuer of Valor and Teddy Bear, as county coordinator.

The most notable aspect of the Ripley's approach is their Hay for Horses program. Qualifying horse owners can receive hay, feed and vitamins on a temporary basis as a result of flooding and storm damage, economic hardship or any other emergent disaster.  Other services may include partial financial assistance on vet care, and if necessary, euthanasia.

Already, Ripley's has begun rendering aid in Graham.  In last January's storm, Rising Rainbow Arabian Farm, which sits astride a branch of Muck Creek, flooded extensively, causing heavy damage to one barn and widespread silting on the pastures.  As a result, the horses lost their grazing and exercise lands.

Rising Rainbow's plight was conveyed to Ripley's Washington State Director Wilma Tronstad, who promptly commissioned Rose Corey to arrange for a delivery of $2,500 worth of hay.

"It was enough to feed our 28 horses for a month," Rising Rainbow's owner MiKael Cailler said, adding, "We're very grateful - it helps keep us going."

"It's all about the horses," Corey said, smiling.

For more information on Ripley's, call Wilma Tronstad at 360-424-8250.

Teddy Bear finds true love
It was a blustery but thrilling day at Donida Farms in Auburn Saturday for one 13-year-old girl, Heidi Thompson of Tacoma, who boards her new horse she affectionately calls "T-Bear" at Creekwood Farm south of Graham. Teddy Bear, the weak and malnourished colt rescued from the Waller Rd. impound last year after suffering neglect and abuse, has been adopted by Heidi. Or, maybe one should say Teddy Bear has adopted her. Either way, Saturday was Heidi and Teddy Bear's first- ever horse show, and first blue ribbon.

"Heidi came out of the class of nine horses with the biggest grin I have ever seen. It did my heart good, we are so happy these two found each other," said Rose Corey, who along with her daughter Kelsey, who has been responsible for all of Teddy Bear's training, initially rescued the colt. "Heidi has had some not-so-good horse experiences before coming to Creekwood Farm, and has been a bit fearful of horses, understandably."

But these two are a team, and by the end of the day, Teddy Bear had accumulated a total of four ribbons: one first, one second and two thirds.