In early August, Redwings received an email from Lost Hearts and Souls Horse Rescue in Santa Rosa that a horse was in urgent need. The horse was a 6-year-old thoroughbred at the Santa Rosa Fair track named Mountain Yodler. The horse had sustained a very severe bowed tendon on the track, and his owner was going to put him down the following morning. With the help of Lost Hearts and Souls Rescue, we were able to intervene and cancel the appointment to euthanize this otherwise young and healthy horse. Lost Hearts and Souls Rescue was even able to persuade the horse’s owner that it would cost the same amount to euthanize the horse as it would to pay for his transport to Redwings, so the owner agreed to pay, and our boy was on his way to Redwings the next morning.

We had seen a photo of Mountain Yodler in his stall the day he bowed his tendon, but that did not prepare us for what we saw when he backed out of the trailer at the end of his long 5-hour trip. A stunning and powerful animal stepped off the trailer ramp with the sweetest face you can imagine. We were overwhelmed by his amazing presence as he stood there and took in his new surroundings. One look at that sweet face told us this horse needed a new, more suitable name for his new start in life. We started calling him “Handsome Hank,” and the name stuck! It took no time at all for the entire staff to fall head over heels in love with this amazingly sweet and charming fellow. Hank is now happily adopted.