Sam Elliott, once a severely emaciated horse, is now thriving at Black Beauty Ranch. A healthy horse, depending on their breed, should weigh between 900 and 1,200 pounds. When Sam Elliott was first surrendered and brought to Black Beauty Ranch by the Henderson County sheriff department in the fall of 2024, he weighed only 600 pounds. His ribs were visible, and his hips and back bones were protruding through his skin. “I was taken aback by the thought of someone letting their horse get to that point—so skinny,” says Stacy Gutheinz, equine animal care manager at Black Beauty Ranch. “I just started petting Sam and told him he was going to be OK, that he was safe now.”
Named after one of his caregivers' favorite actors because of his "laid-back, kind and cool demeanor," Sam Elliott recently celebrated one year since he arrived at the sanctuary. In that time, he has gained over 300 pounds and grown accustomed to his new surroundings. But after being neglected for so long, his rehabilitation was not easy, and it took a lot of hard work and dedication from the Black Beauty team who nursed him back to health.
Christi Gilbreth/Humane World for Animals
Christi Gilbreth/Humane World for Animals
Sam had to overcome several obstacles on his journey to recovery. When he first arrived, Sam had to eat small portions as his stomach acclimated to a healthy amount of food. His teeth were in desperate need of dental care, but with his weight so low, the veterinary team could not sedate him until he had gained enough weight back. The deputy who brought Sam to Black Beauty said that he was living in a very small pasture with no grass, just dirt and tall weeds. Because of this, Sam struggled with stomach issues when the team first tried to get him out into the grassy field for grazing. And because he was so used to being confined to a tiny area all alone, Sam had a hard time adjusting to his large 140-acre pasture with lots of new equine friends, wooded areas and a pond. But there was one horse who seemed determined to help Sam heal—his name is Traveler.
Christi Gilbreth/Humane World for Animals
Traveler came to the sanctuary in 2016 when he and seven other horses were found neglected, underweight, living in knee-high mud and lacking proper shelter. According to his caregivers, Traveler’s friendship was a huge help in Sam’s recovery. When Sam Elliot was first being introduced to his new pasture, he would stand by the gate and Traveler would keep him company. Sam’s care team would halter and take him for a walk out into his new pasture to encourage him to explore. Traveler would tag along and stay close to Sam wherever he went. Still, Sam would always end up back at the gate. After a week or so, the two figured things out together. After breakfast in the morning, they’d follow the other 16 horses out into the pasture and spend their days grazing and napping in the grassy field. In the summer, Sam and Traveler learned to enjoy splashing around in the pond and relaxing in the shade. Though Sam gets along with all his other horse companions, no one compares to his best bud, Traveler.
Gutheinz says, “Every morning, Sam and Traveler are first at the gate, ready to come in for breakfast; they never have to be called over. They are both the sweetest, easiest-going boys and seem very appreciative of the ‘good life’ they have now become accustomed to.”
Sam and Traveler will get to live the rest of their lives in sanctuary thanks to our supporters who make it possible to care for them at Black Beauty Ranch. At over 1,400 acres, the sanctuary is home to nearly 650 domestic and exotic animals rescued from research laboratories, circuses, the illegal pet trade, roadside zoos and other circumstances involving abuse, neglect and cruelty. Many of the animals, like the first burros to call Black Beauty home in the 1980s, came from public lands where they were threatened with extermination by the federal government. Today, they all have permanent, safe homes at the sanctuary.
Kathy Milani/The HSUS
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