Photo submitted to Times Observer Equine dentist Robin Wismer checks the teeth of a horse at Double Rainbow Farm.

It was important to look a horse in the mouth last week.

When older horses start losing weight, Milton Wallace of Double Rainbow Farms MLW Stable thinks about their teeth. “Most of our older horses have less teeth,” Wallace said.

Less teeth “causes waves in the teeth and cupping,” he said. “These two issues don’t allow the horses to grind their food properly.”

That leads to less nutrients being absorbed.

He has someone on call.

“Equine dentistry is one of the health maintenance programs we have for all the animals here,” Wallace said.

The others are chiropractic and farrier (hooves and shoes).

On Wednesday, Robin Wismer, the equine dentist, visiting Double Rainbow and took a close look at some rescue horses — a couple of donkeys — that had lost weight.

In some cases, he had to pull some teeth that were getting in the way of others doing their jobs.

Wismer donated his services — a $700 value — to Double Rainbow and the horses on Wednesday.

It was an important service for both the horses and Wallace.

He continues to care for the horses, but he is concerned that he may not be able to do so for long.

He said he is ‘overdrawn’ physically, emotionally, and economically. “I can’t continue to give if I can’t give,” he said.

In 2006, Double Rainbow Farm was a tax-exempt entity. A decade later, Wallace didn’t see the need to retain that status, and he let it lapse.

But, he continued to welcome horses, and other animals, that had nowhere else to go. The population grew rapidly over the past two years. “We got 16 to 18 horses because of COVID,” Wallace said. And now he has more than he can handle by himself.

The farm’s application for tax-exempt status has been filed, but he is uncertain how long it will take for it to be approved. Until it does, some entities are hesitant to grant him funding.

“We’re begging and pleading with people,” Wallace said.

In addition to the care that the animals require, he is running out of food.

“We have 30 bales of hay,” he said Wednesday. The 57 horses under his care “eat about two bales a day.”

It’s too early in the season to put the horses out to pasture for food.

He is also looking for volunteers. “In the summertime, we have all kinds of help,” he said. “In the wintertime…”

“In our crisis, we’re trying to do what we can… what’s best for the animals,” Wallace said. “We’re reaching out to other sanctuaries.”

The 2170 Thompson Hill Road facility can be reached at (814) 757-9158.