Razin
2017 black Pony gelding
Registered Name: none
Type of Rescue: Animal Control Surrender
Intake Date: 1/5/21
Adoption Date: 4/2/21
Length of Time with SAFE: 3 months
ADOPTED!! by Heather
Razin’s story: Razin and three other horses were seized by Animal Control after a 5th horse on the property died due to neglect. The survivors all suffered from overgrown hooves, lice, malnutrition, enormous worm loads, and lack of dental care, causing painful ulcerations in their mouths. Razin was the smallest of the group at 10hh and he looked very much like a baby, but his teeth showed that he was at least 4 years old. He looked like he might be a cross between a pony and a mini horses. He’s very dark bay with a bleached mane and tail, a star and snip, and two socks on his hinds. Razin was not down with being caught or touched when he first arrived, but he was a quick learner and it wasn’t long before it was easy to catch him. We also discovered after he arrived that he was a cryptorchid, which required surgery. The procedure went well, and Razin became a gelding for real.
Razin Today: Razin lives a great life with his horse friend, Liam, a dog named Quinn, donkeys and a wonderful new home with Heather.
Alumni Update: Razin (Logan)
Logan is besties with one of Heather’s dogs and he likes to play with assorted toys in the pasture. Heather has taken Logan to some Evan Bonner clinics and when she works her big horse, Liam, in the round pen, she follows with a session with Logan. 
Alumni Update: Logan (Razin)
Razin, known now as Logan, is living a fine life with his horse buddy Liam, three mini donkeys, four dogs and of course his loving human family. Liam and Logan have their own stalls, but they sleep together in Liam’s if they choose to go in at night. Heather takes Logan on trail walks and does groundwork with him. He’s one lucky little dude!
Logan, Heather and Liam
Logan and mini donkey friends
Alumni Update: Razin (Now Logan)
Razin, now Logan, recently had a dental check-up which revealed that he is actually younger than we thought! Wouldn’t we all want that kind of news?! It was determined that he appears to be closer to 2 years old than 5. He has been doing regular ground work with his adopter Heather, which he really enjoys. But, in his free time, enjoys granola bars, iced oatmeal cookies and greeting his peeps at the back door. He definitely has a fan club with is herd mate Liam, dog friend Quinn and mini-donkeys.
A home for Razin
We all felt the hope that the new year would bring us once 2020 was in the rear-view mirror. Of course, that took more time than most of us would have liked, but for a few horses at SAFE, 2021 was a start to a new, positive life. Razin and two other mares arrived at SAFE just five days after the start of the year. They had been living unhandled and severely neglected, suffering from overgrown hooves, lice, malnutrition, and enormous worm loads. Their lack of dental care caused painful ulcerations in their mouths. Little Razin was full of spunk from the start. He was the hardest one to catch when we picked him up, but also the most curious when volunteers were cleaning their paddock. Not long after, we heard from Animal Control, who had originally seized the horses, that there were another 4 ponies the owner had been hiding on his property. Two were stallions and another was a mare with a 6‑month-old foal. We gladly opened our gates to them too.
Once we realized that the owner had not gelded any of the male horses on the property, we started to wonder about our little boy Razin and why would they have chosen to only geld him. A blood test was unconclusive, but an ultrasound determined that Razin was in fact a cryptorchid, which meant his testicles had not descended. SAFE held a fundraiser and was able to raise more than enough money for his surgery.
It wasn’t long after his surgery that Heather came to SAFE to meet Razin and brought along her riding horse Liam and dog, Quinn to make sure it was a perfect match. Liam and Razin hit it off right away! We let them loose in one of our open paddocks and they ran around having fun. Terry, our Operations Director, even caught a video of Razin cuddling Liam while Liam stood there seemingly to not notice.
Razin, now Logan, headed to his new home at the beginning of April and made himself right at home with all his new friends, including some donkeys! It’s as if he’s been there forever, cuddling on Liam and even walking into Heather’s house when the door is left open. Our little squirt, Razin, has found a perfect forever home surrounded by many friends where he can just be himself.
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- Will you be my friend?
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- Let’s run together, bestie!
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- Razin meets Liam at SAFE for the first time
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- Razin meets more friends
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- We think Liam likes Razin
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- Breakfast time
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- Quinn and Razin are buds
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- Razin sneaks in the house
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- Liam makes a great pillow
Razin’s Surgery was a Success!
When Razin was seized by Animal Control along with a group of neglected ponies, he appeared to be a gelding. However, none of the other male ponies seized from that property had been gelded, which made us wonder why the previous owners would have gelded this young little guy and no one else. Being a bit doubtful, we had our vet do a blood test. Lo and behold, the test confirmed that Razin was in fact a cryptorchid, a horse whose testicles have not descended (or “dropped”) from the body cavity. So it was necessary to have Razin gelded using a surgical procedure that is a bit more expensive than a typical gelding. We were able to raise the needed funds through our community of generous donors and even raised enough to help pay for Jasper’s small surgery!
Razin headed to surgery at the beginning of March. It was the first time he had been separated from the other ponies, and we were worried that he’d be anxious about leaving his friends. Luckily, Jasper, our 14 year old Tennessee Walking horse, also needed a small surgical procedure done at the same time. He was Razin’s buddy and helped him feel safe leaving his herd and loading in the trailer. The two spent the night in stalls facing each other as you can see in the video below.
Razin’s surgery was a success and he is officially a gelding now! He has healed wonderfully and is sharing a paddock fence line with our two other gelding ponies, Quincy and Doolin. We thank everyone who contributed to help Razin become a gelding — you gave him a great start toward a brand new life!
Q13 Pet of the Week: Razin
Fundraiser for Razin
The Three Little Horses
Razin, Sundae, and Breve have been doing wonderfully at SAFE. All three have progressed greatly and are learning what it is like to be loved and to have human friends. Their haltering skills are continuously improving, and they even did well for their first farrier appointment! Breve only got two of the four feet done, but it is a great start. We were impressed with how well Sundae and Razin did!
Razin has been an excellent patient for the vet recently. During a recent vet visit we had a blood sample taken to help determine if he was a gelding or not. Surprisingly, the results came back inconclusive! After a second vet visit and an ultrasound, it was determined Razin had NOT been gelded and his testes had not descended. This is a unique condition, making Razin a cryptorchid. This condition can be treated with surgery which is only slightly more invasive than a traditional gelding. Now that we know Razin is not a gelding, he has been separated from the mares. He has a nice little set up right next door to his friends.
Four new faces (or 16 new hooves) at SAFE
On January 5, 2021, we welcomed four new horses to SAFE. These three ponies and one full sized mare had been seized by Animal Control after a 5th horse on the property died due to neglect. The survivors all suffered from overgrown hooves, lice, malnutrition, and lack of dental care, causing painful ulcerations in their mouths. They also have enormous worm loads, which we are treating careful to rid them of while avoiding an overload of toxins to their systems. The four horses seized are:
Valentine, a 16 year old grade mare, who suffered a laceration over her right eye during transport. Our vet was able to stitch the wound cleanly, and Valentine won our hearts right there and then with her kind and calm demeanor during the process. She is a good-sized mare who seems quite gentle, but we can’t tell for sure if she was a riding horses in the past or not. She’s very cute, with a huge blaze and a bright chestnut coat. Getting to know her will be an enjoyable process!
Sundae is a brown and white pinto pony with two blue eyes. She is estimated to be 25 years old. She’s reluctant to be touched, but she’s curious, so it probably won’t be too long before she comes around. Sundae will be offered as a companion. She’s a small pony, standing 11.0hh.
Breve is also a small pony (11.0hh). She’s a lovely chocolate palomino with a pretty blaze and one white foot. She’s estimated to be 4.5 years old, so she may have a future ahead as a riding pony. She’s also pretty shy, a little more so than Breve, but she’s getting accustomed to being caught and handled.
Razin is the smallest of the group at 10hh and he looks very much like a baby, but his teeth show that he’s at least 4 years old. He looks like he might be a cross between a pony and a mini horses. He’s very dark bay with a bleached mane and tail, a star and snip, and two socks on his hinds. Razin is not down with being caught or touched, but he’s already learning to be haltered and led. He’s got a lot of energy. He may be suitable for carrying a small child at some point, but he might do better as a cart pony.
Our new charges are settling in well. We were informed by Animal Control that their old owner had 4 more ponies hidden on his property, including two pony stallions, a pony mare, and a 6 month old. He has surrendered these to Animal Control, so they are likely to be arriving at SAFE by the end of this month.
