This week’s equine moving team: Redwings Equine Care Manager Sara Ruggerone, Ranch Foreman Jorge Padilla, and Trainer Melissa Clay.
–Redwings Horse Sanctuary, a nonprofit horse rescue founded in Carmel in 1991, began the long-anticipated move of their 70+ equine residents from Lockwood to their new permanent home in Paso Robles this week. This journey started in 2015, with a generous trust bequest making the purchase of 141 acres at 6875 Union Road a reality.
The property at Union Road was formerly Thompson Ranch, a pistachio grove and farm established in 1971. The purchase of the property necessitated the removal of all the remaining trees, as pistachio leaves, nuts and seedlings can be toxic to horses. During the intervening years, work has been devoted to safely fencing the property, creating 18 pasture areas, digging additional wells, adding electricity, and building structures such as an office, a hay barn, 2 mare motels, and a medical barn, which are necessary for the hea