"...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."
-William Beebe

 Shopping Cart   •    SEARCH ALBC
ALBC Logo

 

 

This article appeared in the September/October 2010 issue of the ALBC newsletter. ALBC members receive 6 bi-monthly newsletters that contain articles about the breeds of livestock and poultry that we work to conserve as well as the people involved in these efforts. Members also receive an annual breeders directory that provides contact information for ALBC members who have breeding stock available, as well a list of products from these breeds that they offer for sale.

Please support our work, join today!

From the Sunshine State to the Sunshine Sanctuary
By Jeannette Beranger

As many of you may have read in the May/June issue of the ALBC newsletter, a crisis developed with the main breeding herd of the critically endangered Santa Cruz horse breed. The horses have been maintained by the Sunshine Sanctuary for Kids and Horses in Los Molinos, California, for many years. Owners Christina and Troy Nooner have been actively breeding and producing new foals to increase the size of the population. They also successfully promoted the gentle breed as therapy horses for children at the facility. The cost of maintaining the breed eventually came at too high a cost for the long-time stewards at the sanctuary. Due to a series of natural weather disasters and droughts over the past several years, the financial responsibility of maintaining a herd of approximately 25 horses took a great toll on the organization. The decision was made to disperse at least half of the herd in order to secure and maintain the sanctuary’s programs for children in crisis for the long-term.

To help conserve the herd, ALBC put out a call for assistance to members and supporters. In June that call was answered by ALBC members, William and Margaret Broussard of the Crescent J Ranch in Osceola County, Florida, and Leslie Williams of Renton, Washington.

The Broussards have a long history as noted Florida Cracker horse breeders and are well-versed in understanding the Colonial Spanish horse breed type. Because of the Santa Cruz horse’s Colonial Spanish heritage, the Broussards were drawn to the story of the breed and they felt their experience and ranch could help the conservation efforts with the breed. Dr. Broussard contacted ALBC and Dr. Phil Sponenberg to learn more about the horses and to discuss how he could be of help to the breed. Shortly thereafter, he contacted the Nooners to discuss how he might work with them to acquire a breeding group on his ranch in Florida. Although far from their home at the Sunshine Sanctuary, the possibility of having a secure and viable breeding population was the most important factor in deciding the fate of the horses. After much discussion, the decision was made to proceed with moving a group to Florida. The population structure was analyzed by Dr. Sponenberg who then created a conservation breeding strategy outlining groups of horses that could be bred with each other and still maintain as much genetic diversity as possible for the breed. With the information that was gathered, ALBC used Breeders Assistant to create a studbook for the Santa Cruz horse. ALBC will actively maintain the studbook as part of the conservation program for the breed.

In July thirteen horses were selected to make the trip to Florida. In the group were three stallions and ten mares, some of which have already been bred to unrelated males this season. Transportation arrangements were made with a professional horse transit company and the group left California for the Sunshine State several weeks later. The horses all arrived safely to their new home at Crescent J Ranch and were very pleased to be off the trailer after the 3000 mile journey. The horses settled in on the farm immediately and in no time sought out human company to the delight of their new owners.

Leslie Williams contacted Christina Nooner directly to see how she could help with conserving the breed. Her intention is to set up a similar horse program on her farm like the one at the Sunshine Sanctuary. She drove to the Sanctuary and met with the Nooners and instantly fell in love with the horses. The decision was made that she would purchase two pregnant mares and a gelding to begin her herd in Washington. As some horses left for Florida, these three made their way to their new home is Washington.  

The Sunshine Sanctuary has a firm commitment to the conservation of the Santa Cruz horse and will maintain a smaller but genetically valuable herd on the property. They will continue to use the horses as therapy animals for the children. Although the decision to split the herd was a difficult one, for the Nooners, the knowledge that the future of the breed is now more secure has been worth the challenges and tearful goodbyes. For the Broussards and the Williams, the adventure has just begun!
 
For more information on the conservation efforts with Santa Cruz horses visit the Sunshine Sanctuary website at www.sunshinesanctuary.org.

 

<<Back to Archives