Meet the Herd!
Melodie
Melodie is our lead mare (which means she’s the boss!)
Mel is a stunning Belgian/Quarter Horse cross who originally belonged to the Amish. She has problematic conformation—she’s pigeon-toed, meaning her hooves turn inward more than they should.
Because of this, Mel was always destined to develop arthritis as she aged. But she missed her path when her owners saw her impairment not as a limitation, but as an advantage. A horse with inward-facing hooves has better traction on a road, so they put her to work pulling a cart—knowing full well it would likely shorten her life and cause her pain.
When we rescued Mel, we worked closely with our skilled trimmer to mitigate the issue as much as possible. Over time, careful trimming has helped her plant her feet more naturally, reducing the likelihood of future complications. And, of course, life at the sanctuary is far gentler than the hard labor she once endured.
At around 1,300 pounds, Mel is a big girl! Her primary needs are proper nutrition and ongoing hoof care to keep her comfortable as she ages. Thanks to donor support, Mel now has the life she was always meant to have—one of care, kindness, and a true sanctuary where she will never be asked to suffer for someone else’s benefit or burden again
Sundance (“Sunny”)
Sunny joined us in March of 2022. Marc really wanted a horse that could do cool things and give him his “Roy Rogers and Trigger” relationship. And from what we saw prior to the online auction, Sunny seemed to fit the bill…
But when he turned up it was clear he’d been badly abused in the training process (as we now realise is all too common). He has a scar where his tongue was tied and nearly ripped out during his training; he was covered in whip marks, cuts and bites; and his skin was so thin and fragile that he bled every time he bumped into something. It’s truly heartbreaking what some people will do in the name of “horsemanship”.
Sunny may have missed his path, but now he has humans who love him and care for him, and who work to try and reestablish his trust in people. He’s an inquisitive boy, and we’re always finding him going through the grooming bucket or doing some “remodelling” of the fence bars. He and Mel are paddock companions and spend their days on the mountain eating hay together. Having found his path, Sunny is now Mel’s second in command.
Daisy
Daisy is a beautiful young grulla mare who missed her path and got into an argument with a barbed wire fence, losing the sight in her left eye as a result. Careless ownership like this causes many problems for horses. Worse still: Daisy’s herd rejected her when she became impaired.
Daisy’s eye trauma led to her developing a condition called uveitis - an inflammatory disease of the eye which is irreversible and usually ends up taking the sight in both eyes. Sure enough, around eight months after joining us, Daisy’s uveitis came back and left her completely blind. We worked around the clock with our vet to try and ensure she didn’t lose the eye itself…
Fortunately, Daisy is in the best place she can be: a small, manageable yard where she always has her bearings; a low stress herd who don’t seem to mind her blindness; and a constant equine companion in the form of Annie the Mini horse (who you’ll meet further down the page!)
But looking after Daisy is an ongoing commitment. As well as the usual expenses, she needs drugs to manage her condition and regular checkups from the vet, which is where your support is invaluable.
Annie
We do have a special place in our hearts for Annie the Mini Horse! Annie was our first rescue, arriving at the Missed Path Sanctuary in late 2020.
Annie was the head of her herd of thirteen mostly full-sized horses, just a few miles from us. She wasn’t abused, but had fallen into neglect as her aging owner became less and less able to take care of the horses he loved. Sad though he was, he was happy to see her go to a good home.
When she arrived, Annie’s halter had been left on her for several years, so it was in the process of growing into her face. The first thing we did was gently remove it. The pictures here show her recovery and were taken a year apart.
Annie is a happy, healthy mare who’s always whinnying to us from across the yard. She’ll walk anywhere with just a hand placed gently on her shoulder. And now she’s a companion animal for Daisy, so our blind horse always knows she has a friend nearby.
Annie is fairly low-maintenance, but she has the same needs as a full-size horse in terms of food, vet bills and keeping her happy and healthy. We hope you’ll agree she’s worth every penny!
Becca and Petie
Did we already mention that we have a special place in our hearts for our mini horses?
Petie and Becca joined the Missed Path Sanctuary in October of 2025. Their owner’s partner was requiring ongoing intensive medical care, and looking after her horses on top was more than she could handle. So she asked if we’d be prepared to give these adorable minis a home.
Becca came to us aged 22. She’s a sweet girl, but her coat shows the tell-tale signs of neglect. She has grey patches where a condition called “rain rot” was left untreated. We don’t think she’s ever really had a lot of attention or been made to feel special. She’s shy and a little withdrawn, but we’re working on gently bringing her around and showing her the love she deserves.
Petie is our smallest mini horse, weighing around 250 lbs. He’s a handsome boy who’ll melt your heart, but he’s a troubled soul.
Petie spent his first couple of years on a cattle ranch. Baby calves grow up, but mini horses don’t, and Petie was used for roping practice. Day after day, month after month, he was chased by bigger horses with riders who’d lasso him and wrestle him to the ground and hogtie him for practice. That was his life. No wonder he’s so nervous of people…
When these two arrived at Missed Path Sanctuary it was almost impossible to put a halter on them. They’d run from anyone who tried! Their previous owners worked around the problem by feeding them peppermints to get them to stop running—but that meant they ended up overweight and conditioned to want sugar. That sugar habit could have proved fatal for them, as it was likely to lead to laminitis (where rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin can disrupt blood flow and weaken the laminae in the hoof).
We spent weeks breaking their sugar habit—adding minced carrot to their food for sweetness initially, then bringing down the amount gradually until we eliminated it entirely. Now they eat a regular, healthy diet like everyone else.
They still have some way to go—Petie in particular remains reactive if he’s approached in the wrong way. But after six months of a regular routine with love and care, they are now able to be worked with like all the other horses and they take their place in the morning lineup.
This delightful watercolor of Petie was painted by
a member of the Asheville Plein Air painting group, who came to visit us a few weeks after Petie and Becca arrived.
Emil
Emil arrived at Missed Path Sanctuary in early 2026.
A Connemara Pony of 21 years of age, Emil started life in Romania as a lesson horse for children. Then he was brought to America and spent ten years at a nearby stables with a loving owner who doted on him.
Emil has recently developed a condition called Cushing’s Disease, which disrupts the hormones that regulate both metabolism and the stress response. That means he doesn’t reliably self-regulate—he may keep eating without feeling full, and can also struggle to settle after excitement or anxiety, staying heightened longer than is healthy.
In December 2025, probably as a result of his lack of self-regulation, Emil threw his owner, breaking bones in her neck, hand and ribs. She ended up in a neck brace, while he ended up being branded by the stables staff as a dangerous horse and moved out to the section where the problem horses go… people were even calling for him to be euthanized. Fortunately, he found the path to us instead.
With his owner out of action, Emil ended up being a little overlooked for a few months, so he turned up underweight and in need of a regular routine and some TLC. His regulation issues mean he’s not able to be integrated fully with the rest of the herd yet, but he stays adjacent to the main paddock, where he can eat and hang out with his friends in a controlled environment.
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