We want to share more of Jaina’s journey with you...
This mare’s journey has been tremendous—some parts horrific, some parts hopeful. From Wyoming to Oklahoma, Texas to West Virginia, Kentucky to West Virginia, back to Texas, to Florida, and now…Virginia.
Can we make her next stop her last one—her forever home?
Jaina’s journey has been long and difficult, but it’s one of hope and tells a story of a horse rescue, Heart of Phoenix Horse Rescue, that has stepped up to go above and beyond.
Jaina was a feral mare from Wyoming and was likely used in the breeding of bucking stock foals. In 2020, she was dumped, along with a herd of about twenty other draft and draft-cross mares, at an auction in Oklahoma. She was feral, but also had knowledge of people.
Along her journey, she encountered people who were unkind to her. The herd ended up in Texas in a hold with some malnourished herdmates that were ready to foal. They were marked for slaughter and some had a slaughter microchip. Jaina was headed across the border for the meat market in Mexico, likely for dog food.
In February 2021, Heart of Phoenix (HOP) went down to Texas and picked up nine feral horses from this herd that had waited there for over a year without anyone else willing to step forward to help them.
In March 2021, Jaina was evaluated as a horse for the ATFO, but she was passed over by all trainers at that year’s ATFO pick up. She was aggressive (biting, striking, and injuring a trainer).
From there, HOP identified specialized trainers to work with Jaina and evaluate her for every possible potential occupation.
In sharing Jaina’s story, we hope to shed light on how much Heart of Phoenix and the horse community have done to give Jaina every chance. We hope to shed light on the challenges that are inherent in the rescue of horses. And we hope to help spread the word about Jaina and her needs.
Jaina’s jouney has been long and challenging. Share her story and help us spread the word about her journey and progression.
Our goal for Project Jaina
To raise $5,000 as soon as possible so we can bring in three specialized trainers for Jaina to help with her progression in order to assess if she can become an adoptable companion horse in 2024. Help us reach our goal!