Rain is a 20 year old grade Arabian gelding who came to live at the Sanctuary long before the Sanctuary existed. He is now the horse who has been with me the second longest. Rain was originally my personal horse to replace my soon-to-be-retired Arabian, Ace. I fell in love with Rain immediately. Who wouldn't want their own "Black Stallion" even if he was a gelding?!
It took a long time to bond with Rain. We had many failed attempts at trail rides before I sent him to the trainer. Not long after returning from the trainer, Rain fell very ill. I believe he ate something that very nearly killed him and as such, he's had a compromised system. I have a feeling that he had a photosensitivity reaction, at least that's why my research leads me to believe. Even now, 13 years later, Rain still does not have hair on the backs of his white socks.
Because of his near death illness, I also believe that he is now even more suseptable to weather changes. Being in South Dakota where the weather always changes, it's a bit tricky to keep him feeling comfortable. He either had heat stroke or heat exhaustion so in the summer months, we have to keep a very close eye on him to make sure that he is well hydrated and staying cool in the shade. In the winter months, he now has thin skin and a thin winter coat so on goes his blanket not long after the first snowflake flies.
Rain was my personal horse until 2017 when we decided to add him into the Sanctuary.
Rain's personality is a mix of Arabian ornery and inquisitiveness. He's not outgoing by nature but he is an instigator of many wild dashes through the pasture. He loves to make sure the herd gets riled up and tires to provoke others into a good gallop. Chaos decided to become Rain's shadow and even now, years later when Chaos is bigger and second in command, Rain is the only one to put Chaos in line (besides Dude).
Rain has been a very good riding partner after years of miles and even though he's retired, I've been fortunate enough to pull him out and ride with him on occasion. He deserves to retire fully and enjoy his time as a pasture pet.
Knock on wood, Rain has been a fairly healthy horse after his near death illness but we keep a very watchful eye on him. He lives in a blanket from December until April and if need be, we'll start him on grain if it looks like he's losing weight.
Rain would love to have a monthly sponsor to keep him in a wardrobe that some women would die for. Rain's monthly sponsorship is $50 and would buy him a bag of Ramona feed and put money back towards a multitude of different blankets (heavy weight, medium weight, rain sheets, etc.) He's a horse that needs a wardrobe to fit the seasons. In return, you'll receive monthly updates and pictures of Rain (most likely instigating gallops through the pasture or him sleeping in his two favorite spots in the drylot).
You can sponsor Rain through PayPal at www.paypal.me/Borderlands or via mail at
Borderlands Horse Sanctuary
PO Box
26160 457th Ave
Humboldt, SD 57035
#MyValentine
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