Casey's Safe Haven

06/06/2025

Holly and Fiona want to sincerely thank everyone who had a part in Pancakes for Ponies. Petunia is nodding in agreement that it was a great event. The equine and Casey's people appreciate those who donated items for the raffles, volunteered at the event, the Moose members who cooked the food, and those who attended. Without everyone's help, it won't have been a success. From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU!
Our equine also want you to mark your calendars for our open house at the barn on September 27th. We are people helping HORSES helping people. www.caseyssafehaven.org

05/30/2025

Holly is rolling with joy because Pancakes for Ponies at the St. Charles Moose Lodge is less than two days away. Holly and all the rest of Casey's Safe Haven's rescues hope to see you there because your support provides them with a comfortable and well deserved good life. We are people helping HORSES helping people. www.caseyssafehaven.org

05/29/2025

Only three days until Pancakes for Ponies. There will be delicious breakfast prepared by the St. Charles Moose Lodge. We will also have fantastic raffles. Just some of the items raffled will include a Pampered Chef basket and also items from Harvey's Bookshop and The Royal Wren, both in Geneva, and local honey from The Sentient Beeing. We hope to see you at the Moose Lodge on Sunday. Thank you for your support. We are people helping HORSES helping people. www.caseyssafehaven.org

05/22/2025

It's time again for our annual Pancakes for Ponies. Please show your support for Casey's. Come join us at the Moose Lodge in St. Charles on the morning of June 1. Hope to see you there. We are people helping horses helping people.

05/16/2025

Today is National Horse Rescue Day! In honor of this day let us replay one of our all time favorite videos of Teddy and Cash. When you watch it, let us remind you that Teddy came to us from a loving home that, by no fault of their own, had to give him up. His legs were in bad shape. He was on his way to lameness, but with the correct feed, supplements, medicine and care through years of knowledge and experience, he is now able to run joyfully with his buddy Cash.
Your donations have helped make this possible for Teddy and the rest of the rescues at Casey's Safe Haven. We couldn't do it without you. If you are able to help us continue this work, please go to our website www.caseyssafehaven.org to make a donation. We are people helping horses helping people. Thank you very much.

05/11/2025

National Donkey Day was this past Thursday and if you thought there was even a remote chance we were going to forget our beloved Petunia—you were dead wrong. The reality is, even if there was a chance that we could have forgotten about Petunia, that mouth and those lungs of hers—heard from miles away—ensures we never ever forget our favorite donk. Because as we all know, Petunia has enough to say and more than enough personality…to be the voice of the barn for Casey’s.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Casey’s, than you quickly realized that nothing ever happens at Casey’s without Petunia involving herself in the action. A mini at the opposite end of the barn might be getting a treat for taking its medicine—and there is Tunia, yelling her lungs out at the other end of the aisle. Or, Prince may be in the arena and getting his apple cut up…don’t ask how she knows/hears but rumor has it, it is those ginormous ears of hers. And lest we forget, Petunia lets everyone at Casey’s and all of our neighbors know when it is time to bring her and the rest of the herd in from turnout.

Many people are very surprised to learn that donkeys are known for being super bright. If you were to doubt that fact, all you need to do is spend just a few minutes with Petunia and you will know it is true—so true!! But with National Horse Rescue Day just a few days away, we want to remind everyone that Petunia is at Casey’s because she is a rescue and an animal that requires, and receives, quite a bit of special attention.

Like all those who call Casey’s home, Petunia is a rescue that requires very specialized care. In the winter, she—like all donkeys-- struggles to stay warm and to address this, we feed her a very specialized diet. But the problem is, Petunia is an easy keeper—she gains weight from just looking at hay and grain. And so, we put in a huge amount of time designing and modifying/altering her feed and diet during the winter months. In the summer, we have the opposite problem: a day in the low 70’s often has Petunia struggling to stay cool. If she struggles in the 70’s, imagine how she gets once summer gets in full swing. We use a combination of stall fans, large aisle fans, and baths to keep her cool. But there again, we run into difficulty as Petunia seems to have a sign on her that says, “all flying bugs and insects you can land and live here on me.”

Even now, in just early May, Petunia already has signs of IBH from her sensitivities to all the nasty lil creatures who love to bother her. If you bathe her too much, she only attracts more critters. And to no surprise, her ears tend to provide quite the nice-sized condo for all sorts of insects. So beginning in late April and continuing all the way into mid-Fall, we make sure that Petunia is constantly protected with a regiment of insecticide creams and IBH creams. On many days, you can pretty much translate Petunia’s barking at Mitch to say, “hey, my ears and legs need a new coat of insecticide and some of that nice cream as well!” She loves her treatments and she knows how much better she feels.

Petunia is just one of the many reasons we do what we do at Casey’s—and love doing it every day, every month, and every year, year after year. Petunia and every single one of our residents motivate us to fight thru the financial hardship and difficulties which have plagued us in this post-Covid environment, why we fight to keep the home that they and we were promised to be our forever home, and why we fight thru the struggles of navigating the ups and downs of the not-for-profit world.

We at Casey’s do everything we need to do to ensure that Petunia and all of our rescues receive unrivaled medical care, training, and nutrition. We love what we do, and we will never stop doing it so long as we have your support. Please support us financially; please tell everyone you know about our wonderful animals and the wonderful home we provide for them.

And lastly, we hope you enjoy watching Petunia in one of her favorite daily moments—“the dirt roll” as we call it and as she announces it to the world.

05/11/2025

Happy Mother's Day from everyone at Casey's Safe Haven, but especially from our only equine mother, Freyja. Freyja is a beautiful, sensitive thoroughbred who became a broodmare when she left the track. As a broodmare, she produced four foals in her life. When she was not able to produce a fifth foal, she was sent to a slaughter house. Luckily, she was rescued. She had several owners since then. Her last owner, through no fault of their own, surrendered her to Casey's in 2020 where she found a best friend in Bandit. Their stalls are next to each other, and they share a pasture. For Freyja and the rest of our rescued equine to continue living the well deserved good life that they are, we need your help. Your donations help us continue our work of providing specialized food, medications, shelter, vet attention, and more. Please go to our website www.caseyssafehaven.org if you can help. We are people helping horses helping people. Thank you from Freyja and all our beloved equine.

05/10/2025

Upcoming Events, Barn Sale, Behind the Scenes News! - -

We had Dr. Golden out for our Spring Check for our rescued horses and minis! She gave all a clean bill of health and acknowledges their health to our barn manager/trainer, Mitch, for their physical and happy mental shape of our elderly minis.  Meet our oldest elders above - Beau (r) and Candy - Bo...

04/29/2025

Oh, Billy, you’ve been outed taking advantage of the sun and beautiful day. Don’t blame you! But we don’t want you fired.

04/19/2025

04/11/2025

After more than 13 years of rescuing , providing sanctuary, and finding forever homes for some of the most magnificent creatures in our world, Casey's is fighting for its life and is still in need of funding and support from its supporters. We would be grateful for any amount of donation. We would also appreciate you sharing this article /post with your family and friends. We want to continue our work with your help. We are people helping horses helping people. www.caseyssafehaven.org

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250406/news/horse-rescue-charity-gets-temporary-win-as-judge-blocks-sale-of-farm-it-rents/

A charity that takes care of abused, neglected and unwanted horses has won a temporary reprieve from having to leave the rural Kane County farm it calls home. Kane County Judge Kevin Busch issued a te...

04/01/2025

Beau and Candy, two rescues at Casey's Safe Haven, both just shy of 50 years old, and both, just like all the rescued animals at Casey's--desperately in need of your help.
Both of these lil guys arrived from a pony ride facility where they suffered through and endured years and years of abuse. Each of them handled their situation differently: Beau became violent, reactive, and learned to hate people; Candy--always happy and upbeat--decided her situation was not going to bring her down.
Both of these minis are just shy of 50; each looks and acts like they are in their teens. That, is all due to the care, the medical care, and the diets, love, and attention they receive at Casey's.
Many of you have asked for updates on the Casey's situation--they are still in desperate need of funding to help them through this terrible turn of events.

Because it is that important..........we're reposting
Prince Post 688--It Takes a Village
Over the last few years, all of you were first introduced to, and I’d like to think, have come to love or at least respect Prince and the journey he endured through and came out on top, from. I think most, if not all, understand and appreciate the time and effort that is required to confront, survive, and then train a horse like Prince. But, what you probably do not know is that with a horse like Prince, it takes a whole lot more than a good trainer, lots of training hours, and lots of luck.
We all know that Prince spent his first 10 years locked in a stall to never be handled, never interact with other horses, never receive training, never see the sun, never experience rain and snow, and to never taste a blade of grass. From there he was drugged, gelded, transported to sale, and sold to an unsuspecting, soon-to-be, victim. And we all know that in a matter of seconds, he nearly killed that person. In the subsequent hours, many rescues were contacted and asked to take him in; all said, no way. Of course, they said no; rightfully they said no—this was a horse who would not hesitate to try and kill someone. One rescue said yes, just one rescue: Casey’s Safe Haven. Somehow, they managed to get Prince to their facility, where he promptly rewarded their efforts by nearly killing a second person.
Everyone would have understood if at that point, they had said enough was enough. But, they did not and as we all know, they reached out to me and well, the rest is history. That isn’t the end of the story when it comes to Prince and Casey’s; it is merely the very beginning. It is merely the beginning because no matter how good your training regiment is, no matter how good or great your trainer is, it takes so much more.
In Prince’s case, Casey’s did everything right. And take it from one who has been called upon to evaluate the worst of the worst horses, at rescues throughout this country, there are some who do it right, and there are many who do it wrong. I’ve visited trainers and rescues where horses have been taken in to make a name for someone, to be exploited for financial gains, and as a fundraising, sale, or marketing ploy. I’ve seen instances where a horse’s problems and needs are not understood, respected, and properly worked with. I’ve watched as troubled horses with serious problems are forced into training work and expectations that totally fail to respect the depth of their many issues.
Thankfully, Prince saw none of that at Casey’s Safe Haven. From the moment I stepped into the picture, my many demands were met, respected, and enforced. He was kept away from other horses and people. No one, and I mean no one, was permitted to lounge around his barricaded off stall, talk to him, or make a spectacle of him; all things we quickly learned which set him off. He was provided a first-class diet to reverse years of malnutrition, lack of vitamins, sunlight, and proper care. We slow walked everything, and when I say slow, I mean SLOW. There were no expectations of or for him, so there was no pressure. Neither he, nor his story were exploited for any reason—be it monetary, marketing, or otherwise. He was given the space, and the time, to decompress and then, start all over.
My training, my work with Prince would have meant nothing, would have progressed to nowhere if any of these things had been any different. No price can be placed on things like consistency, reliability, protection, and feeling safe and not threatened when trying to do a hard reset on a deeply troubled, profoundly dangerous, untrained horse. In Prince’s case, it took a while, but once he realized he was in a safe place, his mind could settle and he could at least, entertain the idea of being handled and trained. It would be easy for me to take all the credit, but it would not be the truth; it would not be the reality of what it took.
In Prince’s case—it took a village.
And now, that village, that place that saved Prince when no others would, or could, finds itself in need of a village to save them. Casey’s has lost their lease and is in desperate need of funding to secure a home for their horses, to pay for ongoing operating costs, legal bills, feed, hay, and medical bills. With rescues disappearing at an alarming rate, I truly believe that those of us who love horses cannot sit idly by as one of the good ones is facing a tragic set of circumstances. Share, share, share the post. Donate if you can. Talk, talk, and talk to anyone who will listen and share Prince’s story and share the story of Casey’s—a rescue and sanctuary full of horses like Prince. No, they may not all be licensed killers like Prince, but most share tragic stories, serious social dysfunction, and/or profound medical problems.
Without you help, all of the Casey’s animals, Prince, and these amazing near Quinquagenarians Beau and Candy, will be homeless.

https://caseyssafehaven.org/

GofundMe from a volunteer: https://gofund.me/e8f9782b