Rio

Rio will never be "just another brown horse." Not only was he our only authentic brown horse, but he was truly one-of-a kind.

He arrived at Horses of Tir Na Nog in September of 2010. He was a retired polo pony that ended up at "A Children's Village," a partner of Fr. Joe's Villages in Campo. While he was there, he met our beloved Ms. Sugar, a retired Thoroughbred. After a while, they ended up at a private home.

Unfortunately, their new home met challenging times. Divorce, unemployment, death of a family member, and finally foreclosure all came crashing down on their new owner. This meant Ms. Sugar and Rio became "at risk" horses. The Tijunana River Valley Animal Rescue stepped in to help. The hope was to take both horses into their care and find adoptive homes for them. Unfortunately, both Ms. Sugar and Rio were lame, so they needed to find a sanctuary placement.

For the last three years Rio lived a life of leisure being pampered by the volunteers. He held a special place in our hearts because he was beautiful inside and out. He was always so friendly and gentle with everyone he met. He became a special companion for Deveny's Ruckus. He was young enough to play with her, but mature enough to serve as a calm, trustworthy influence in her life.

Only in his early 20's, Rio's passing came very suddenly and unexpectedly. While our veterinarians are unsure of what caused his death, it was clear that his passing was free of suffering. It appears that he simply fell asleep. Regardless of the cause, we have no doubt that Rio is now running and playing with the other residents of Tir Na Nog who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge ahead of him. Farewell beautiful Rio!