No Longer ‘Solo’: Horses Rescued from Lake Powell Two Years Apart Become Kindred Roommates at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

After being rescued from Lake Powell just three weeks ago, Solo was already acclimating to her new life at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Horse Haven in Kanab, Utah. The Sanctuary is the nation’s largest no-kill companion animal sanctuary and the headquarters of Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in the U.S.

The young horse had been stranded on her own for 18 months on a remote Lake Powell beach. A kind group of Arizona residents brought Solo hay every month and contacted Best Friends about helping.

A plan was hatched with the approval of National Park Service and Navajo Nation to rescue Solo when the water levels allowed. Overall, it took four hours to get Solo from the beach into the trailer on a boat for the 90-minute drive to the Sanctuary.

“It was a very collaborative effort to rescue this one horse,” said Jen Reid, senior horse manager, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Once situated at the Sanctuary, all Solo needed was an equine friend to share life with. Enter Emma, a mare who was rescued along with her foal, Marina, from Lake Powell two years ago.

Emma initially gave protective mama vibes since Marina was part of the rescue, which took 14 hours total. Once acclimated, the pair lived happily at the Sanctuary together until last fall, when Marina was adopted.  

Since both of the Lake Powell mares were in the market for a roommate, Reid recently paired Solo and Emma together.

“So far, it’s been a great success, as Ried illustrated. “The fact that Emma loves people has already helped Solo be more curious about us. She’s already given Solo more confidence with humans.”