When this Belgian Draft gelding arrived at S&D Horseback Riding after being recovered from a feedlot, his condition told only part of his story. Underneath the weight he needed to gain was a strong, confident horse with the potential for a completely different future. His first days at S&D focused on giving him time to adjust, introducing him to his new herd, evaluating his health and temperament, and beginning his recovery at our Norco ranch.

Just three months later, his transformation is hard to miss. With consistent nutrition, individualized care, exercise, and time to acclimate to ranch life, he has gained healthy weight and is showing more of his personality. But S&D's Horse Recovery Program isn't only about physical transformation. Each recovered horse is evaluated to better understand what they know, what they're comfortable doing, and what kind of purpose they may have in their next chapter.

When the time was right, the S&D team saddled him up for his first ride. That important step helped us learn more about his training, riding knowledge, and abilities under saddle. Eventually, he was ready to leave the ranch on horseback and experience the trails alongside other S&D horses.

Today, recovered horses like him are an important part of the story behind S&D Horseback Riding in Norco, Horsetown USA. Through horseback riding experiences in and around the Hidden Valley Wildlife Preserve, our guests get to experience Southern California on horseback while their patronage helps support the care, feeding, training, and continued recovery of horses at S&D.

Every ride helps support our recovered horses and gives more horses the opportunity for a new beginning.