Brad and Reenie Miller weren’t looking to rescue a horse when they purchased General Longstreet in Schuylkill in 1996.

“We were looking for a horse as a pet,” Brad Miller said.

It turns out, however, that they were saving him from an owner who didn’t give him proper care.

“Something didn’t seem right,” Miller said of the first time he saw General Longstreet. “Turns out, he had been living on rotten tomatoes.”

General Longstreet, 28, now holds command over 14 other horses living at Harbour Stables Inc., a horse rescue farm on Larch Road in Stonington.

Miller believes that finding General Longstreet was no accident.

“The Lord had His hand in it. He placed us where He wants us,” Miller said.

Harbour Stables is a nonprofit farm that restores the health and dignity of animals found in need of care, according to its mission statement.

“We are taking the animals from an uncertain future,” Miller said.

Once the horses are back to health, they are placed in caring homes. Many horses have been given good homes after first traveling through the pastures of Harbour Stables.

“We’ve placed 54 horses over the years,” Miller said.

Some of the horses were removed from abusive homes or companies.

Bo, an 8-year-old Belgian, was rescued from Canada. When his mare was pregnant with him, her urine was collected to make the hormone medication, Premerin. The foals of these mares are of no use to the companies, and are often sold in Europe as food. Bo now shares a pasture with two other draft horses.

Other horses were given to the stables by people who could no longer care for them. Some people sold their horses because of financial difficulty, while others got too sick to care for the animals properly. Whatever the reason, the people at Harbour Stables make sure the horses are safe and cared for. The Millers carefully screen people who are interested in adopting the horses.

“We get a lot of phone calls and people stopping by who are looking to adopt horses; we keep all that information,” Miller said.

When someone calls looking to give away or sell a horse, the Millers help to place the animal. Even though they are at capacity, the Millers always have room for horses that are in serious danger.

“We won’t turn away an emergency case,” Miller said.

All horses stay at the stables for at least 30 days before they are offered for adoption.

“In 30 days, you can start to learn the animal’s personality a little bit. We try to group them by personality,” Miller said of the several separate pastures on the property.

Miller also takes some of his horses to elementary schools so children can learn about the animals. Miller had a miniature horse who went everywhere.

“He went up the elevator with me,” Miller said.

The horse has since been given to a permanent home.

“We’ve had some really good horses that were great with kids, but a good home came along,” Miller said. “I would never deny them that opportunity.”

Harbour Stables is dedicated to educating pet owners and children on the importance of taking good care of animals. They also offer riding camps for kids and adults alike.

Camps are five days long and cost $65. The Degenstein Foundation has donated money to help offset some of the costs for those unable to pay the fee. Miller said the looks on the kids’ faces prove it’s worth it.

“The kids come here and get in and around the horses,” Miller said. “The horses just have a magic over them.”

“I love it, It’s wonderful here,” said Emily Lynch, who participated in her first riding camp.

“This place rocks,” said Josiah Bingaman. Bingaman is a family friend of the Millers, and often helps out around the stables.

“It’s fun,” added Teya Smeal, 11, who rode General Longstreet.

Harbour Stables also leases barn space to the Sunbury Animal Hospital.

“The vets are able to take care of the larger animals here,” Miller said.

Having a vet nearby is helpful to the animals since some of them arrived with serious medical problems.

Zip, 10, acquired equine protozoal myeloencephalitis when he was a show horse. The disease caused permanent nerve damage, so his owner sold him to the Millers. Zip spends his days on trail rides and patiently helping children learn to ride.

William Jacob Riley, a 2-year-old Arabian, is very small for his age. When his mare was pregnant with him, the barn where she lived was also used as a meth lab. Miller believes that the chemicals stunted Riley’s growth. Two other mares at that farm were pregnant. One foal was stillborn and the other was deformed and had to be put down. Riley’s mare came to the Harbour Stables after the police raided the meth lab.

The Millers are hoping to have some community events to raise awareness of the farm. Currently, all funds and supplies for the stables are acquired through donations and fundraisers.

They will have a bake sale in front of Tractor Supply, Shamokin Dam, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 18. They also hope to have square dances at the farm in the fall.

Eventually, they hope to provide riding programs beyond the camps, and are working to procure money to pay for the necessary insurance.

“We’d love to find a corporate sponsor to pay for the liability insurance,” Miller said.