As of January 2025, we have saved 17 horses and ponies.

Meet the Herd

Ponies on the Farm

#8 LEVON

Rescued in December, 2023. Adoptable now.

Levon is a 15.3hh, 18-year-old TB or TB/Standardbred cross who turned up at a kill pen in VA, sick and slated to ship the following morning. A former driving horse, he was thin, neglected, bearing serious scars. Well-mannered, sound and sweet, he started under saddle for the first time in April 2024 and is taking to his new job beautifully. Interested in adopting? Contact Us and fill out our Adoption Application.

#12 WAYLON

Rescued in March, 2024. Adoptable Now.

Waylon is a 14.2 hh BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Mustang gelding bought from a kill buyer. Based on his freezebrand, we know he is a 5-year-old brown gelding who was captured from the Antelope Herd Management Area in Nevada on September 14, 2019 as a foal. Branded unadoptable for reasons unknown, he was purchased from the BLM on May 15, 2022 as a 3-year-old, then turned up at notorious kill buyer auction a year and a half later. Our mustang was very fearful. It took a month to be able to pick out his hind feet without kicking.

Fast forward to summer 2024, and Waylon is coming along beautifully under saddle and known as the barn teddy bear. He loves attention and his new job both in the ring and on trails. Stay tuned!

#14 BUCKY

Rescued in June, 2024. Adoptable Now.

We got a call that this 14.1hh 4-year-old Mustang had been abandoned in a quarantine facility and hadn't left his 10x10' stall for over 60 days. Originally wild and free-roaming in Utah, Bucky had been adopted at age two, illegally sold to a kill buyer at age 3+, and then paid for but subsequently deserted with unpaid bills. We picked him up. He was impossible to catch and very head shy.

Bucky now comes to the gate to be haltered and has started under saddle. He is coming along wonderfully! Stay tuned.

#13 BLOSSOM

Rescued in April, 2024. In training.

Blossom is a 13.1hh 3-year-old Pony of the Americas who turned up at a bailout with a history of attacking children and adults. Labeled dangerous and aggressive, we took her on with the understanding that we would euthanize if we couldn't turn her around. She turned out to have severe undiagnosed dental problems driving her behavior and preventing her from being able to eat. She had changed hands four times in one year, steadily losing weight and acting out from hunger and pain.

Blossom is blossoming into an affectionate, eager-to-please hunter pony prospect. She is started under saddle and coming along beautifully.

#1 POTATO

Rescued in November, 2022. Long-term resident. Sponsored.

Potato is a 13.3 hand, 11-year-old, vision-impaired Quarter Pony gelding, and the cheeriest, most lion-hearted and loving pony imaginable. Owned by a kill buyer who gave him one week to be rescued via NY Last Chance Bailout, he had cataracts in both eyes causing blindness in the left and limited vision in the right. We fundraised for cataract surgery to restore vision to his blind left eye, but the operation tragically failed and the eye had to be enucleated. Despite only limited vision in his one remaining eye, Potato is happily back in work, training to be a therapy, lesson, and trail pony. He lives is sound, healthy, and absolutely loves to be groomed and ridden, especially by children.

#9 SHERMAN

Rescued in December, 2023. Long-term resident. Sponsored.

This kind fellow was on death's door when we pulled him from a bailout and brought him to Tivoli. He had Potomac Fever, choke, and was skeletal and dehydrated. He developed pneumonia. He wore driving shoes from being in recent work, with feet rotted through by thrush. His teeth were so neglected he could barely eat, and his eye was infected. He was estimated to be 30 years old. Why save him? Sherman really wanted- and wants- to live. He followed us around, nickering for attention and food, despite barely being able to eat. He kept trying! Sherman was saved by immediate medical interventions and ongoing follow ups, four meals a day, turnout and daily medications. Sherman is now a beacon of health! He is grazing and zooming around the field by day, and sleeping in a warm stall at night. And what is Sherman like? He is the sweetest, cuddliest, impiest little fella to grace the farm yet!

#15 PLUM & #17 baby REBA

Rescued in July, 2024. Seeking Sponsors. Nursing her baby until November, 2025.

This 15.0hh 17-year-old Quarterhorse mare sat in a North Carolina kill pen for a month, losing weight and doing poorly. We stepped in at the 11th hour when no one else did, only to discover she was pregnant several weeks into her quarantine. She arrived on July 29th. Her surprise baby mule filly was born on Aptil 30th. Mama and baby are doing beautifully. Plum will nurse for six months, during which time she will gently be brought along as a trail riding horse.

#16 TULIP

Rescued in January 2025. Seeking Sponsor. In Training/Rehabilitation.

Tulip is a 12.0hh, 12-year-old Welsh/Hackney pony mare we found in Tennessee. Crippled by founder and neglect, she was listed as possibly halter broke, possibly not. Her feet were long, twisted and curled and she was ill with Strangles, wormy and terrified. Unlikely to be saved, we rescued her and sent her to quarantine for 11 weeks before bringing her home. Tulip now has farrier and vet care every four weeks and is already unrecognizable. Incredibly, and despite radiographs showing severe founder and many years of neglect, she is on track to make a full physical recovery. On the training side, she is close to feral and working every day on leading and handling. Tulip is scared, but sweet! She can already be groomed all over and picks up her feet well. She will be an interested one to watch. Interested in sponsoring? Contact Us!

Adopted Ponies (rescue alumni)

#7 MOOMIN

Rescued in October, 2023. Rehomed.

In October 2023, Pony Up Rescue saved Moomin, a beautiful white Appaloosa 2 1/2-year-old filly neglect case. She was in a North Carolina kill pen in bad shape- wormy, starving, barely handled- networked by a local farm that assists with rescue. During Moomin's 15 months with us, she grew to 14.1hh, became healthy and strong, and was well-started under saddle. Steadfast, kind and well-balanced, Moomin found her family in May, 2025 and is doing beautifully with them!

#2 PEARL

Rescued in March, 2023. Rehomed.

Pearl is a 13.1 hand pony mare, breed unknown, estimated at 11 years old. She was severely neglected: emaciated, wormy, sick with bronchitis, and recently blinded in the right eye by a blunt force trauma. Pearl was deemed unhandled- not even halter broke- and was terrified of people. She did not know what grain was; during quarantine, a second horse had to live in the stall with her for five days to teach her to eat it. Pony Up Rescue intervened to save Pearl because she was unlikely to otherwise to be rescued.

While with us, Pearl gained approximately 200 pounds, learned to love being groomed, to cross-tie, bathe, go under saddle beautifully at the walk/trot/canter, trail ride and jump cross-rails. She found a fantastic home, alongside Moomin, with a family in CT.

#3 BREYER

Rescued in March, 2023. Rehomed.

Breyer, a 15.1hh "ghost paint" Quarterhorse cross gelding, came from a Texas kill pen. He was a sponsored rescue, rehabilitated and brought along by Pony Up before being rehomed with his sponsor. She and he are currently doing Liberty training together at their farm.

#4 OLIVER

Rescued in June, 2023. Rehomed.

Oliver was rescued by a sponsor from a kill pen in Peabody, KS. Purported to be a sound 15-year-old, Ollie turned out to be a 25-ish gentleman with arthritis and untreated Cushing's Disease driving low-level laminitis in his feet. A discarded, overworked ranch horse, Ollie arrived depressed, uncomfortable, and unaccustomed to affection, treats, or grooming.

Rehabilitated and adopted out to a non-profit in Virginia, Oliver became serviceably sound, loved being groomed, sought out human contact, and did therapeutic sessions with veterans. He passed away in a field in Spring 2025. Rest in peace, Oliver.

#5 AUGUSTUS

Rescued in August, 2023. Rehomed.

Augustus is an 11-year-old 14.2hh bay Morgan-cross gelding who came with a challenge: advanced high ringbone in the front right pastern. Young, kind and conformationally correct, Pony Up, working with our vets, opted to give the joint a chance to fuse, thus becoming painless. He was adopted out as a companion to a wonderful home where he is serviceably sound and doing beautifully.

#6 PENNY

Rescued in October 2023. Rehomed.

The Ulster County 4-H's Animal Whisperers Club "adopted" and named this beautiful pony Penny From Heaven. She is a 20-year-old 13hh dark bay Welsh-Standardbred pony mare rescued due to her need for immediate medical attention. She had a serious eye infection along with body pain, a puncture wound, lameness in the left front, and expected the worst from humans. A driving pony who seems to have known all work and no play, she has become a timid but affectionate, loving pony who anyone can lead and groom. Her new person will do liberty work with her and spend time with her every day.

#10 SPARROW

Rescued in February 2024. Rehomed.

20-year-old Sparrow turned up in a TX kill pen along with Tamarind. She was one of the luckier ones (as slaughter pipeline horses go) in that we pulled her out before much damage was done. Nonetheless, she appears to have worked very hard and deserved a stepdown job and soft landing. She is sound, safe and as gentle as they come. Sparrow found a wonderful forever home doing a few beginner lessons and trail riding with her adopter. She is beloved!

#11 TAMARIND

Rescued in February 2024. Rehomed.

We found Tamarind in a kill pen in Texas, too weak and old to survive transit to slaughter in Mexico. Listed as 16 years old, she was 28, worm-ridden, very thin, frail, and had two badly infected eyes along with arthritis. Her gratitude at being saved and loved back to health was palpable. A gentle soul who loves affection and radiates peaceful joy at having a new life, she was adopted out as a companion to a wonderful home in NJ where she is happy and healthy.

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