Buttercup

Buttercup was originally adopted in 2017 and then re-adopted in 2018. Fast forward and the neighbors elderly geldings both crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Buttercup alone and mourning. Stressed, lonely, and heartbroken, she dropped a tremendous amount of weight and became nearly untouchable for lack of handling.<br/><br/>Luckily, the adopters reached out for help, and under our lifetime safety net, Buttercup returned to us.<br/><br/>Buttercup is fairly straightforward to handle, but she does look for a quiet confidence in her handler. Her best match is someone willing to listen and meet her where she is.<br/><br/>Buttercup has some special considerations important for a prospective adopter to understand:<br/><br/>1) She was a pet for her first 8 years, started under saddle, and adopted in succession to two homes that were inappropriate for a quite green older horse, neither of whom understood that additional training and lessons would have solved their confidence issues (and honestly, no one in charge at the rescue during that time period understood that either, and so here we are all these years later).<br/><br/>2) She very likely would have been a candidate for a spay as a young mare. She comes into heat just from being pastured next to a gelding or from a change in her environment, and she is more sensitive/reactive while in heat. As a teenage mare, Regumate, Depo, or marbling would be options someone could explore. This is also why we recommend a MARE ONLY environment.<br/><br/>3) Paso experience is strongly recommended. She is sensitive, "flight" minded, and has absolutely no use for someone who trains with force, "flooding" or hard hands - and remembers the person in her past who did.<br/><br/>4) She is a horse that needs daily or close to daily handling. You can't turn her out in a field for 4 days and expect to walk right up and catch her on the 5th. This is due to the years she simply wasn't -- get her in a routine, and this will likely get better as it has in her current foster home.<br/><br/>She has been assessed by a professional with the following: If someone had a couple months to invest in her, she'd likely come around and be fine to ride. As a small organization, we simply do not have $3,000 to invest with the expectation we miraculously find someone who will take her on from there and continue her training/riding, and so we are offering Buttercup with two options:<br/><br/>1) Foster to adopt: Adopter is either a qualified "training level" rider or will place Buttercup in training with an APPROVED, qualified professional for 60 days of training (to include lessons with the adopter); at the end of 60 days, adoption becomes official or foster can decline to move forward.<br/><br/>2) Sanctuary foster: Buttercup can go as a companion mare to a sanctuary foster with an appropriate set-up in consideration of her needs outlined above. Safe Harbor retains ownership and will cover the costs of her annual vetting as well as end-of-life costs. Sanctuary fosters are required to file monthly check-ins with photos, and are located within the radius of one of our regular veterinarians. This is an excellent option for someone who wants a companion horse but may not want to "buy" another, or who wants a built-in support system.<br/><br/>Buttercup stands to be groomed, lowers her head to be haltered and seems to enjoy attention, She is excellent for the farrier. She has typical Paso rock hard, beautiful feet. She is up to date on all routine care (vaccinations, Coggins, deworming, farrier care), and is a fairly easy keeper on 1 scoop of Purina senior AM & PM and appropriate amount of hay for her body size and type.<br/><br/>If you are interested in becoming Buttercup's person as outlined in one of the options above, please visit safeharborhorses.org and complete an application.<br/><br/>** Inquires via shared sites will not be answered. As a foster-based organization, our adoption process requires a completed and approved application prior to meeting horses, out of respect for everyone's time and privacy. An in-person meeting is required. Answers to frequently asked questions are on our website. Thank you for your understanding. **<br/><br/>*Under saddle images are from 2016, prior to her first adoption.<br/><br/>If you would like to sponsor Buttercup's training or ongoing care, please visit https://www.safeharborhorses.org/donations or via PayPal using contact@safeharborsanctuary.org. 12/7/25 2:14 PM

Buttercup was originally adopted in 2017 and then re-adopted in 2018. Fast forward and the neighbors elderly geldings both crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Buttercup alone and mourning. Stressed, lonely, and heartbroken, she dropped a tremendous amount of weight and became nearly untouchable for lack of handling.

Luckily, the adopters reached out for help, and under our lifetime safety net, Buttercup returned to us.

Buttercup is fairly straightforward to handle, but she does look for a quiet confidence in her handler. Her best match is someone willing to listen and meet her where she is.

Buttercup has some special considerations important for a prospective adopter to understand:

1) She was a pet for her first 8 years, started under saddle, and adopted in succession to two homes that were inappropriate for a quite green older horse, neither of whom understood that additional training and lessons would have solved their confidence issues (and honestly, no one in charge at the rescue durin

Buttercup was originally adopted in 2017 and then re-adopted in 2018. Fast forward and the neighbors elderly geldings both crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Buttercup alone and mourning. Stressed, lonely, and heartbroken, she dropped a tremendous amount of weight and became nearly untouchable for lack of handling.

Luckily, the adopters reached out for help, and under our lifetime safety net, Buttercup returned to us.

Buttercup is fairly straightforward to handle, but she does look for a quiet confidence in her handler. Her best match is someone willing to listen and meet her where she is.

Buttercup has some special considerations important for a prospective adopter to understand:

1) She was a pet for her first 8 years, started under saddle, and adopted in succession to two homes that were inappropriate for a quite green older horse, neither of whom understood that additional training and lessons would have solved their confidence issues (and honestly, no one in charge at the rescue during that time period understood that either, and so here we are all these years later).

2) She very likely would have been a candidate for a spay as a young mare. She comes into heat just from being pastured next to a gelding or from a change in her environment, and she is more sensitive/reactive while in heat. As a teenage mare, Regumate, Depo, or marbling would be options someone could ex