The Dorset Equine Rescue Inc.

06/07/2026

Exciting News for Vermont Supporters! 🐴🥃

We’re thrilled to share that the beautiful Cosa Salvaje Tequila Horse Bottles are now available locally at Manchester Discount Beverage in Manchester, Vermont!

As part of this special Year of the Horse collaboration, Cosa Salvaje Tequila is donating $5 from every featured bottle sold to The Dorset Equine Rescue to help horses in need.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Elle France and Tanya Tucker for their incredible generosity and commitment to helping horses. We are also deeply grateful to 802Spirits for purchasing several cases to make these special bottles available throughout Vermont, and to Randy and the team at Manchester Discount Beverage for supporting this effort locally.

Every bottle purchased helps provide care, safety, rehabilitation, and second chances for rescue horses.

If you are local, stop by Manchester Discount Beverage and pick up a bottle while supplies last!
If you are not local, the featured bottles can also be purchased online using the links below:

🥃 Cosa Salvaje Plata: https://cosasalvajetequila.com/products/plata

🥃 Tanya Tucker Limited Edition Plata: https://cosasalvajetequila.com/products/tanya-tucker-limited-edition-plata-1

Thank you to everyone who supports our horses and to our wonderful partners at Cosa Salvaje Tequila for helping make a difference during the Year of the Horse. ❤️🐴

06/07/2026

We are thrilled to share that Gypsy (now known as Sophie) has officially been adopted and found her forever home with Cynthia!

When Gypsy arrived at The Dorset Equine Rescue last December, she was in rough shape. At 23 years old, she was underweight, struggling with arthritis, and dealing with a painful eye ulcer. Over the past several months, she has gained weight, built muscle, received the veterinary care she needed, and reminded us all what a kind and resilient horse she is.

Sophie is beginning her next chapter with a wonderful adopter who is committed to giving her the love, care, and attention she deserves.

Congratulations to Cynthia and Sophie! We couldn’t be happier for both of them and wish them many happy years together. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happy ending possible.

06/06/2026

Today we gathered to dedicate and name our new shed row barn in honor of our longtime friend and supporter, Linda Backki.

Linda had a deep love for all animals, including horses, and was a dedicated volunteer, generous supporter, and dear friend of The Dorset Equine Rescue for many years. Her kindness, compassion, and commitment to helping horses in need touched countless lives and helped shape our organization in meaningful ways.

Surrounded by family and friends, we gathered to dedicate the new barn in Linda’s memory and celebrate the lasting impact she made on both people and horses. While she is deeply missed, her legacy will live on here at the rescue for years to come.

We are honored that this barn will serve as a lasting tribute to a woman whose heart was always open to animals in need.

Every horse that finds shelter within these walls will be part of Linda’s legacy.

Thank you, Linda. Your kindness, friendship, and love for horses will never be forgotten. ❤️🐴

Please see the comments for additional photos of Linda over the years.

06/06/2026

As the sun dipped behind the mountains, a deer stepped quietly into the field, reminding us just how special this place truly is.

Every evening here feels like a gift. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to care for this land and to serve as its stewards. The beauty, peace, and wildlife that call it home are constant reminders of why protecting places like this matters.

We never take moments like these for granted.

Thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible. ❤️

06/04/2026

Good morning from Shadow. ☀️🐴

It’s a beautiful day in Vermont, and Shadow is enjoying the sunshine, green grass, and all the simple things that make a horse happy.

Shadow is a handsome Morgan/Friesian cross who arrived with us in December as an owner surrender. He has settled in beautifully and we love seeing him enjoy peaceful mornings like this one, soaking up the sunshine and simply being a horse.

Wishing all of our friends and supporters a wonderful day. Thank you for helping us provide exceptional care to horses like Shadow. ❤️

06/04/2026

Just like Courage, Drifter was one of four stallions rescued at the end of December from a heartbreaking situation in NY. For years, he had been confined to a stall, living atop a mountain of manure. His stall gate had to be dug out before he could even be led to freedom.

Drifter is 15 years old and was casterated shortly after his rescue. Having spent much of his life as a stallion, many of those behaviors were deeply ingrained. In addition, years without routine veterinary and hoof care left him uncomfortable and lame, and we spent his first few months with us addressing his hoof and health needs and working to get his asthma under control.

Today, however, was not about where Drifter came from.

It was about where he’s going.

After months of rehabilitation, we felt he was finally ready for something every horse deserves: companionship.

Horses are herd animals. Friendship, social interaction, and the comfort of being with other horses are woven deeply into who they are. For Drifter, that opportunity came today when he was introduced to Hombre, another gelding.

We believe this may have been the first time in a very long time—perhaps ever—that Drifter had the chance to simply be a horse alongside another horse.

At first, he seemed to be figuring it all out. He followed Hombre around the pasture, carefully studying him and trying to understand this new relationship. One of the most touching moments came when Hombre groomed him and Drifter attempted to groom him back. It was a simple interaction, but an incredibly moving reminder that kindness, trust, and friendship can flourish even after years of hardship.

Despite everything he has endured, Drifter remains one of the sweetest horses you could ever meet.

Watching him move freely, stretch his legs, and begin to experience the joy of companionship is exactly why this work matters.

One small step at a time, Drifter is finding the life he always deserved.

Thank you to everyone who stands beside us and makes journeys like his possible. Because of your support, horses like Drifter are given the chance not just to survive—but to truly live.

Be sure to watch Drifter’s rescue video in the comments below. It offers a glimpse into the conditions he endured and makes today’s milestone all the more meaningful. 💙

06/03/2026

The Dorset Equine Rescue is grateful for the leadership and dedication Lisa Milot brings to animal welfare in Vermont. As an equine rescue organization that regularly responds to cases of neglect, abuse, and owner hardship, we understand the importance of strong partnerships and a coordinated approach to protecting animals in need.

We are thankful to have committed advocates and partners working to strengthen animal welfare across our state and look forward to the continued progress ahead for Vermont’s animals.

Lisa Milot is single-handedly working to modernize the ways the state investigates and deals with animal abuse complaints.

06/03/2026

Good morning from Poe and Indigo! These two boys may come from different backgrounds, but they share something in common. They both arrived at The Dorset Equine Rescue through situations that involved law enforcement intervention.

Poe, a Morgan gelding in his late teens, came to us several years ago as part of a group of seven Morgan horses from northern Vermont. Indigo, an 11 year old Mustang, arrived this past winter as a single horse in need of help in southern Vermont.

Here they are enjoying a peaceful morning grazing side by side, a simple reminder of how far they’ve come. Every horse that arrives here has a story, and while their journeys may begin differently, they all deserve the same chance at safety, healing, and a brighter future. ❤️🐴

06/02/2026

A beautiful day for a trail ride. ❤️🐴

Eve (right), a 9-year-old Standardbred mare, and Gemelle, an 8-year-old Friesian mare, recently enjoyed a quiet ride through the woods together.

We have begun Eve’s evaluation process and are taking things slowly as we get to know her. Right now, we’re focusing on calm, low-impact exercises designed to help her build strength and muscle while developing fitness and confidence.

So far, Eve has been an absolute sweetheart. She is kind, willing, and a pleasure to work with, and we’re looking forward to learning more about her in the weeks ahead.