Martin and Kathy Bass
with Chance and Chico

Trail's End

Home Is Where The Horse Is

By Hugh Jones

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Leaning on the fence, I watch as Abby introduces her brand new baby to the world. Chance and Chico amble up, flanking me, also watching intently. Chico's tall enough to look over the fence. Chance, nudging me, has to duck his head under the top rail. This is nice, I thought, just us guys hanging out, watching the girls. Mom thought otherwise, brushing by, flicking a curled lip. Turning to Chance, I ask, "So, what do you think?" He didn't say–kind of the strong, silent type. But Chico raised a leg and stomped his foot loudly. I'm not sure what that meant.

"Abby's a little protective," says Martin Bass, coming up to the fence. He and his wife Kathy own Trail's End Equine Hospice in El Reno. The hospice is their home, with 42 acres behind it. Chance and Chico are two of the residents. As the name implies, this is where horses, mules and donkeys come when they've reached the end of the line, though not all are at that stage–Chance and Chico have a long ways to go, and the filly was born just that morning. They even have a perfectly fine mini horse that the owner, for some reason, no longer wanted.

PetGazette has covered several shelters for dogs and cats. Trail's End serves the same purpose for the Equine species, providing a home for the abused, abandoned and neglected. At present, they have only 12. Of course, horses are slightly larger than dogs and cats, and the Basses do what they can on a budget.

"This is our third year, and it's all funded out of our pocket," says Bass. "We grow our own alfalfa, which cuts down on the feed bill. And we've had a few small donations, and some individuals have given hay. Nothing big, but every little bit helps." They did incorporate with the state as a not-for-profit organization, though the ponderous wheels of the IRS haven't turned yet. "Corporations are reluctant to donate, because we don't have that tax write-off to offer."

Their goal is to be a temporary home, adopting out those they can, but that poses another difficulty. "We try to find homes for them. I get an average of five to ten inquiries a week on the Internet," says Bass. "Problem is, everybody wants your classic 12-year-old gelding, ranch horse, ridable, kid broke, bomb proof...and we don't get those kind. Ours are often unridable, feeble, elderly. They want a horse they can use, not one that's just going to stand around eating up the pasture."

Add to that, the couple is careful about who gets to adopt. "We check them out pretty closely." There's a fairly lengthy form to fill out, and they will inspect the potential adopter's facilities. "We try to limit ourselves to this central area, because we may do follow-up visits too." People can donate horses to them, which requires a medical history. "We do have to be cautious about diseases. We request that the owner have a veterinarian run some standard tests. A horse could come in here with an illness that might not be fatal but could infect the whole herd. Then we'd get quarantined, and nothing could leave the place."

Bass also helps local and county law enforcement agencies investigate cruelty cases. If you've been bad to your horse, you probably don't want to see him coming–he's a police officer, on the El Reno force for 19 years.

"I've had plenty of experience when it comes to investigation," he says. "I can't go outside my jurisdiction, do a full blown investigation and get charges filed, but, if nothing else, I can tell people where to go to get something done. I can help document the case. We get a lot of inquiries on our Web site, some from people far removed, seeking advice.

Chance sticks his head in between us–seems he likes to be in the middle of things. Bass pats his neck. "This little guy has scoliosis. See, there's no curvature in the back where the saddle would sit, and he's got this big hump over here. Lady rescued him from a breeding farm of high-dollar paint horses. They were going to send him to the meat market. She took him, looked for somewhere to place him and contacted us. We couldn't say no. He can't be ridden; no one would want him, but he can stay with us. He's just as gentle and lovable as can be."

Agreed. I liked him right off. Chance deserves a chance, and he has it at Trail's End.

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