SCCR Newsletter, Issue #27 - February, 2025

Second Chance Cheekye Ranch: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Rehome.

Second Chance Cheekye Ranch is a sanctuary for horses, donkeys, mules, pot-bellied pigs and dogs. Ask any volunteer around the ranch and you will hear a tale of how this incredible place has changed not only the lives of all the animals who call it home, but also the lives of the wonderful people who have dedicated their time and energy to helping these animals in need.

Rocking Ranch News!

Winter is not exactly prime time for equine adoption so Second Chance Cheekye Ranch owner Kris Latham was over the moon about this news. – 7-year-old mules Bobo and Monty were adopted mid-January and these two “brothers from other mothers” were adopted TOGETHER.

This handsome pair came to SCCR in spring 2023 from an Alberta Meat Buyer. Both were relatively unhandled but left with solid ground work and ready for the next phase of training.   Kris says their paddock-mate, Luke, will definitely miss the rough-housing and playing back and forth. Volunteers coming into Cheekye to muck will miss them too. There was often some seriously silly horseplay happening off to the right as we passed Northside.

Bobo’s and Monty’s new owners are an older couple who are lifelong animal/horse people. Also, he’s a farrier! They own an amazing property near Lillooet with lots of pasture and space to run around in. And this pair loves to head into the mountains on camping expeditions where Bobo and Monty will eventually join them. When they heard about SCCR, they’d been looking unsuccessfully for more than a year for a pair of mules to accompany them on trips. When they saw Bobo and Monty on the website, they called the ranch immediately.

If there’s a heaven on earth for mules, Bobo and Monty have just landed there.

Will you be my Valentine?

These two young geldings are ready to move to their forever homes. Zip and Bart are very different horses but each, in the right hands, will make a wonderful forever horse for some lucky person. Both these boys have a great set of fundamentals to get them going on their next adventure.

Zipper aka Zip is the kind of pony that dreams are made of! He’s a happy-go-lucky guy always looking to interact. Zip will be 4 this April. He was born here on the ranch, the son of Buttons, and maybe that homemade security is part of what gives him his confidence. Kris: “He was a little character from the moment he dropped out of the womb and onto Cheekye ranch. It was like HELLO ZIPPER!!!”

Zipper is maturing nicely, in his own energetic way! He stands happily to be groomed and have his feet handled. He’ll walk trot canter nicely on a line. Zip has worn both English and Western saddles and has even had SCCR’s Karen on his back briefly. She reports that Zip will be a good saddle pony when the time is right. “He will be a wonderful addition to any family who wants that great all-round horse that isn’t scared of anything. Zip may be little but he has a huge heart. And he’s so very smart!”

Beautiful Bart came to SCCR in 2021 with a group of young horses rescued from an Alberta meat buyer. He’s a sensitive soul and understandably had some trust issues when he came to us. It took a couple of months of daily slow gentling before Bart would let anyone put a halter on him. After that, he was keen to learn but still watchful and sensitive to any fast movement.

In the last several months, Bart has begun to bloom. Karen describes him as “having great bouts of confidence, fewer reactive moments and more relaxation moments.” He stands to be groomed, is good with his feet, can walk trot canter on a line, and is comfortable carrying either English or Western saddles.

Karen: “Bart has truly blossomed into this handsome, strong, big chestnut guy. He still has uncertain moments at times for sure but with the right leadership, Bart is going to thrive. He now trusts humans and will eventually find that special person who can help him finish his training to become that awesome and special once-in-a-lifetime partner!”

Won’t You Be OUR Valentine

There’s still time to make a meaningful difference at Second Chance Cheekye Ranch (SCCR) while reducing your 2024 tax burden. As a result of the postal strike in December, the Government of Canada has extended the deadline to receive 2024 tax receipts.  If you donate before February 28, you’ll receive your tax receipt for 2024, all while supporting the lifesaving work, we do at SCCR.

No donation is too small! Donate today at https://www.secondchancecheekyeranch.com/

Body Language -Ears

One of the first lessons a novice is taught is that when a horse’s ears are forward he is alert, paying attention and/or interested in what’s in front of him, and when his ears are pinned back close to the neck he is angry and about to bite or kick. But the ears have more to say than just that:

Turned out to the side. The horse is asleep or relaxed and may not be attuned to what’s going on around him. You don’t want to march up to this horse and pat him because he may be startled and react by running over you, whirling or striking out. Instead, call his name or make some noise, and don’t approach until he turns his head or otherwise indicates that he’s paying attention to you.

Turned back. If your horse’s ears are pointed backward but not pinned, it often means he’s listening to something behind him—he may be deciding whether to run away or turn around and check out the sound. When combined with a swishing tail or other signs of tension in the body, turned-back ears may be a precursor to pinned ears.

Rapidly swiveling. Ears that are flicking back and forth are a sign that the horse is in a heightened state of anxiety or alertness. He may be trying to locate the source of a frightening sound or smell, or he may be overwhelmed by too many stimuli.

Source: Equus magazine

Say It Isn’t So!

At the end of February Cheekye will reluctantly say good-bye to trainer Molly Maguire. After two years, she’s heading home to the UK. Originally from Brighton, Molly’s been around horses since she was a baby, thanks to a horse-loving au pair. After high school, she moved to North Wales for an 18-month internship training horses for work in tv and film. There Molly learned the basics of trick and stunt riding as well as dressage but became increasingly sensitive to the fact that the film business was stressful for horses. She quit, and in her early 20s started her own training business. Simple wanderlust brought her and her husband to Canada and the Squamish Valley.

“Working at Cheekye has been a big learning curve because the UK is so competitive with riding. It’s really refreshing to be with people whose mind-set is putting the horse first. Yes, the horse might be ridden for an hour a day but what can I do for the other 23 hours to make them happier?”

Amongst the family waiting for Molly in North Wales is Pajarito, an AndalusianX Molly rescued in 2018 from the bull-fighting business. She last saw him in November. “He’s well-cared for, living life to the full with his herd, but he was pretty stoked to see me. He hadn’t been ridden in 2 years but we went out on a trail ride and he was back to normal. It was pretty amazing.”

Just for Fun

New Sponsors!
(Sophia says thank you)

The Martens Family – Olivia

Kaila Jarvis – Sophia

For information about sponsoring a horse or to make a one-time donation click here or email sccrsponsorahorse@gmail.com

To help the rescue:

• Donate here to contribute towards saving these incredible animals.

• Learn more about the fate of horses who are not rescued, and how to advocate.

• Book a tour to learn more about the ranch and meet some of the horses who have been saved.

• Volunteer at the ranch. No horse experience necessary.