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Press Enterprise Article on The Golden Carrot

Caption to Photograph by DeeAnn Bradley/The Press-Enterprise
"In an isolated corner of Anza, Case O'Connor runs a rescue for older and disabled horses. Here, O'Connor pets Buck in the main pen."

Horse Haven .

Anza's Casey O'Connor helps aged equines live our their days in comfort

TOWNSFOLK

Casey O'Connor
Owner of a horse rescue,
and a riding instructor.

• 47 years old
• Anza resident
• Cares for rescued horses that are 8 to 40 years old

By: Molly Dugan

The Press-Enterprise

Anza - As she wanders around the stables, dozens of horses surround Casey O'Connor, begging for more carrots. They seem to know she can't resist giving them an extra nibble.

She rattles off the quirks of every horse roaming the arena, where they came from, what type of work they did, how many carrots they can eat in one afternoon.

In an isolated corner of Anza, O'Connor runs a rescue for 23 older and disabled horses. Once the horses arrive at the 27 acare Golden Carrot Equine Retirement & Rescue, they have a home and a loving caregiver for life.

"They are my family, my best friends," she said. "People threw them out, and I don't understand why. My mission is to save as many horses as I can, and make them as happy as possible at the end of their lives."

The horses range in age from 8 to nearly 40 years of age. They have shiny coats, full bellies and plenty of affection.

Many of the horses did too much jumping in their past lives, and have damaged tendons. Others worked too hard, packing supplies or pulling carts. Almost all of them wore out and ended up hungry and injured, O'Connor said.

"People don't want their horse to die, but they don't want to be bothered anymore," O'Connor said. "Owners tend to use horses as equipment. They're not. But they’ll do what we ask even when it hurts."

Older, slower horses are good teachers, she said. O'Connor uses them to show kids how to ride. She said they tend to be more mellow than younger, healthier horses.

O'Connor believes the older horses have a special sense – they know when they have a child riding on their backs, and they're more careful because of it, she said.

She gives free riding lessons in exchange for help filling the water buckets, cleaning the stalls, and grooming the horses.

Helen DeLatte takes her 15-year old granddaughter for lessons at the rescue. She can't afford to pay for the lessons, so the two of them help out instead.

"Casey is really good with the kids," DeLatte said. "She teaches them that there's more to it than riding the horse. You've got to clean the stalls and feed them. Having the kids do that makes them see that these aren't animals you hop up and ride, then turn out in the pasture and ignore."

"O'Connor is looking for more riders to come help out at the rescue. She said she doesn't have enough time to groom and exercise the horses by herself.

Many of the horses have special diets and need constant medical care. The horses get regular checkups with a vet, but O’Connor administers daily medication to most of them.

She acknowledges that caring for older horses is a challenge, but one that's well worth the extra effort. She believes that some other people who start horse rescues don't realize how much extra effort it takes to keep all the animals healthy.

"There's a lot of rescues that are scary," she said. "Because of that, everyone looks at you with a jaundiced eye."

O'Connor isn't taking in any more horses, but she connects people who want to buy a horse with those who want to get rid of one. DeLatte was checking out horse rescues when she met O'Connor.

"Casey's rescue is far superior. Even though the others have state-of-the-art equipment, her horses look so much better," DeLatte said. "She goes without so the animals can have."

O'Connor gets about $9,000 per year in donations, but that doesn’t cover all the horses’ expenses. She pay for their care out of her own pocket, telecommuting as a legal secretary.

She lives frugally, in an old trailer without a television, dryer or new furniture.

O'Connor started the horse rescue in 1997. She began riding nearly 30 years ago, saving her baby-sitting money to take lessons.

When she boarded her first horse, Bobby Sox, at a stable in Palos Verdes, O'Connor moved from student to instructor.

Bobby Sox, who died two years ago at 42 years old, was her inspiration for the rescue. She bought him when he was 16 years old, considered by many to be over the hill. He continued to give lessons up until his death.