Sonoma County CHANGE Program

Merry Christmas from the Sonoma County CHANGE Program!🎄🎄🎄

This is "Argus," CHANGE's very first foster horse. Argus was seized in 2007 from a sadistic hoarding situation where he had lived in a 12 x 24 pen for 15 years straight. He was just a weanling when he was locked in, as 'punishment' for existing. At 15, he was finally set free. It's one of the most tragic abuse cases CHANGE has ever handled. And one of our most unusual rehabs.

Argus' foster (and later adoptive) home kept a blog (savingargus.blogspot.com) chronicling his rehabilitation and new life. Here is a poem from the Christmas 2008 blog.

🎄🎄🎄
TWAS the night before Christmas
And all through the barn
Not a creature was stirring
Anywhere on the farm

The stockings were hung
On the stall doors with care
In hopes that Saint Nicholas
Soon would be there

The horses were all snuggled
Into straw-banked beds
While visions of sweet feed
Danced in their heads

And Argus was in his blanket
Chubby Half Pint going bare
Both hoping and wishing
Santa soon would be there

When out in the arena
There arose such a clatter!
They leapt into their paddocks
To see what was the matter!

The moon on the puddles
In the wet winter pasture
Made the night light so blinding
They breathed faster and faster!

When what to their
Brown horsey eyes should appear
But a jolly red sleigh
And eight hungry reindeer

In the driver's seat sat Santa
All dressed up in red
And he winked at the horses
As they spied from their beds

Then something odd happened
The horses grew brave
And Santa addressed them
Which made them quite grave:

"Now Argus! Now Half Pint!
Now Odie and Angel!
Now Ginger and Caleb!
And Ridge in the stable!"

"To your herd mates be kind
And don't waste your hay!
Take care of your riders
And love each new day!"

As dry shavings that before
The wild hurricane fly
When they meet with the winds
Mount to the sky

And suddenly the horses
Who before felt quite shy
Felt themselves flying around
With Santa in the sky!

So around the farm
The horses they flew
They looked down on the home
They loved and they knew

And then, on the house top
They thumped on the roof
And the family inside
Heard the pounding of hooves

"What's that?" they shouted
As they woke from their beds
"We thought we heard horses
Loose overhead!"

So out to the stables
The family they ran
Where they found it quite empty
'cept for the goat, Ann

They peered at the sky
For a sign of the equines
And for a moment, saw Santa
Riding Argus just fine

Then suddenly, and quietly
The horses were there
Munching hay and looking sleepy
As if they had no cares

So the lights were extinguished
The excitement went "p**f"
And the family missed Santa
Spying down from the roof

To each horse, he gave a gift
And when he got to the last
It was Argus, the white one
He'd seen on many a Christmas past

"You're a good horse, dear Argus"
Santa said with a tear,
You have suffered so long
So many a year"

"I promise you will always
Have a loving, peaceful life
With pastures and buddies
An end of all strife"

Argus thought quietly
About all the nights
And the bleak Christmases of waiting
For the arrival of light

This, his second Christmas
Of freedom and cheer
He'd been a real horse, a free horse
For more than a year

Santa sprang to his sleigh
To his team gave a whistle
And winking once more at Argus
He flew away like a missile

The horses heard him exclaim
As he drove out of sight
"Merry Christmas, dear Argus!
And to all --- a good night!"

🎄🎄🎄
THANK YOU to our community for supporting CHANGE so that we can help horses like Argus. Making a difference, one horse at a time, for 18 years now. ❤️🐎

🐎AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION Buck came to the CHANGE Program back in 2022, a beat up old stallion with a terrible injury. He underwent major surgery and spent several months in the hospital and rehab, and was gelded. Ultimately, he was adopted by a senior lady who has loved him hard for three years. Sadly, health issues forced her to return Buck to CHANGE.

Buck is sweet, mellow and easy to handle. He is a dream for the farrier and vet, loves to be groomed, and walks politely alongside you. Buck is about 25 years old. His only limitation is that he can't be turned out with mares, as he still remembers his stallion days. Although Buck has a long history of being ridden in parades, we have not ridden Buck. Between his age and a little creakiness from an old hind leg injury, we feel it's best to place Buck as a non-riding companion horse.

Buck has no special needs and keeps weight on nicely with just hay. He does not currently take any medication.

Please SHARE this post and help us find Buck his final home. Adoption application can be found here:
https://sonomachangeprogram.com/documents/CHANGE-ADOPTION-QUESTIONNAIRE-2025.pdf

More about Buck:
https://sonomachangeprogram.com/content/buck.asp