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Long term horse residents, Dawn and Khan, will be receiving training from local horse trainer, Reed Helsel. The CCSPCA is delighted to work with Mr. Helsel in hopes to find forever homes for these horses.
Reed Helsel was born and raised on a ranch in the Central Valley. He grew up riding and working cows, where he naturally gained a passion for animals, especially horses and working dogs. Through high school and into college he worked for a pack station where he learned the basics of shoeing horses, packing, and how to solve problems while in remote areas with very few options. When the time came for him to further his career, he took a job riding colts for Gary Van Hoosen, a reining horse trainer in Sanger, CA. During that time he was introduced to Keith Fund, a well-known farrier in the Fresno area. Keith gave Reed the opportunity to apprentice under him for two years. He taught him the anatomy of the hoof and helped to advance his skills as a farrier. Reed now shoes horses part time, but his true passion lies with training horses. When Reed isn’t on top of or under a horse you can find him training his border collies, fishing and camping in the mountains, or hanging out with friends and family.
Dawn and Khan are two of the 19 horses rescued from the Dana Kahler seizure in December 2011. If you remember, the CCSPCA seized 19 horses from Mr. Kahler due to counts of cruelty and neglect. This was one of the worst cases of neglect the CCSPCA had seen. Seven of the horses were found to be below a 2 on the Henneke Body Condition score (a 5 is considered normal), one was missing an eye, and many had various puncture wounds. The horses have been treated and nursed back to health. With the help and training from Mr. Helsel, we hope to be able to find loving homes for all the horses we care for.
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