Sophie

Sophie is a striking Bay Mare born in 2008. She is a Dutch Harness Horse, a Warmblood breed originally developed in the Netherlands for driving. Despite her refined breeding, Sophie’s life was hardly a glamorous one. For years, she was used and driven hard by the Amish as a Buggy Horse. By the time she was fourteen, she had sustained several serious injuries including bowed tendons in both front legs. As she was no longer physically able to work, she was dumped at a low-end Pennsylvania meat auction and sold for slaughter. Miraculously, as she was in a kill pen scheduled to be loaded onto a trailer to a Mexican slaughterhouse, she was rescued by our good friend Gerda Silver of Gerda’s Equine Rescue. Gerda sent Sophie to Horses With Hope, an organization that helps to train rescued equines for riding. However, x-rays showed that Sophie had a spinal deformity and other physical problems that prevented her from having a rider on her back.

Sophie needed to be retired at a sanctuary. As they say, “Timing is everything!” When Gerda contacted us about Sophie, it just so happened that we had a gelding at the sanctuary who needed a mare as a companion as he did not get along with other geldings. On April 12, 2024, Sophie arrived at Equine Advocates and was introduced to Randy, an equine veteran who was retired here from the U.S. Army after serving as a Military Working Horse with the Caisson Platoon. We hoped that they would bond, and they did! It was absolutely the best possible situation for both of these wonderful horses.

As we do not know Sophie’s exact date of birth, we will celebrate her birthday each year on April 12, the day she arrived at Equine Advocates.

Sophie is proudly sponsored by supporters from Louisville, Kentucky; Rensselaer, New York; Valatie, New York; Cottage Grove, Oregon and Houston, Texas.

More Sponsors Welcome!

Photo credit: Michele Jacobs