While time will fade, these hoofprints, the ones left on your heart, will never disappear.

With her dark brown and fuzzy coat, Gemma was a little bit of a mystery. We didn't know why, or how, she was brought to the auction where she was purchased by a kill buyer. We did know she wasn't going to go easy; the kill buyer and auction staff tried to corral her into the trailer for the trip to the slaughterhouse. Gemma ran, jumped, hopped, skipped and scurried away. Tired of chasing her, the kill buyer eventually gave up and abandoned her at the auction house. Midnight’s Equine Rescue was able to offer Gemma sanctuary only after a strong and speedy auction worker swept her off her hooves (with his bare hands) and carried her into our trailer. At Midnight’s, we joked that Gemma was so quick that she should have been racing at Preakness or the Kentucky Derby.

Gemma was very social with our other horses; she was closest with our alumni India and Carly Rae. However, she was very skittish around humans; we believe that she was either never socialized or perhaps abused. Over the years, Gemma had slowly opened up to interaction, with the love and socialization from our volunteers (and their treats!)

Gemma passed away on October 6th, 2022. Upon consultation with our veterinarian and Department of Natural Resources, we are led to believe Gemma was the victim of a coyote attack. Our volunteers were devastated by the tragic loss of our sweet, resilient Gemma. She will be missed dearly.

Timmy was a Belgian Draft we found as a very fortunate accident, as we were sent to rescue India from a kill buyer at the New Holland auction. They had to pull Timmy off of the trailer in order to get to India. I remember seeing a young, large beast of a horse, with hip bones sticking out, snot running down his nose, and hooves that looked like they had been through a grinder. Once I spoke to the woman who had rescued India, she sent us back to get him. Too large for our small trailer, we arranged for a different rescue to transport him to us. He arrived safely to the rescue, a couple days after India, in 2013. Timmy had pneumonia, lice, and three abscessed hooves. We quickly learned that Timmy had to be heavily sedated in order to have his hooves worked on. 

His hooves were a constant battle, often developing abscesses at least once or twice a year. Although the hoof walls were growing back, they did not seem to be growing back normally. Unfortunately, Timmy developed an abscess that failed to respond to treatment. Timmy was humanely euthanized, to prevent and minimize suffering, on September 24th, 2022. 

Most rescue visitors and volunteers were either afraid or mesmerized by Timmy's sheer size. He was not outwardly affectionate, but loved apples, carrots, and being groomed by volunteers. Generous donors and volunteers enabled Timmy to live a peaceful life, filled with love, for his last ten years. His gentle spirit will be missed dearly by our community. 

Jakie was a 30+ year-old Shetland Pony that for many years pulled a cart filled with produce for street peddlers in the City of Baltimore, Maryland. After hours of pulling a produce cart, Jakie was kept in a ramshackle stable in West Baltimore until, one day, city officials condemned it. As a result, Jakie, along with many other carthorses, were sent to live in makeshift stables at Pimlico Racetrack in Laurel, Maryland.

After years of having only experienced the hard asphalt streets of Baltimore and the shelter of a poorly maintained stable, Jakie’s life took a turn for the better when, thanks to several horse lovers who wanted to help ponies and horses, was bought and sent to live at a horse rescue in Maryland. Eventually, he found his forever home in 2014 at Midnight's Equine Rescue and Sanctuary. 

Jakie was our equine ambassador, going to schools and fairs where he excelled at helping educate children and adults about ponies.

After a long, love-filled life at Midnight's Equine Rescue & Sanctuary, Jakie passed on October 23, 2020. He will be missed dearly by our volunteers and community. 

Lunar Eclipse "Luna" was one of our resident horses. Wendy purchased Luna when she was four years old. Her daughter, Kirsten, nine years old at the time, was eventing and needed a horse of her own. They evented for six years until Luna ended up breaking her pelvis while running around in her pasture. It was a long haul, but she recovered. Even though she was never again able to do the job she was intended for, she was always loved and cared for her until her last day!