Proud to be an American!! Crossed Sabers Stable and The Second Wind Adoption Program (SWAP)   40 million visitors every year As many as 530,000 hits in one day As many as 5 million visitors in one month from 113 different countries Visitors from every continent of the world Thousands of adoptions (of 65 different breeds of horses) in homes today Horses adopted in 46 of the 50 states and Canada Between 70 and 300 adoptions each year, 12 year history PRIMARY MISSION OF CROSSED SABERS STABLE AND THE SECOND WIND ADOPTION PROGRAM Prevent animal abuse/neglect of all the equus species and the need for rescue through adoption, there by being a catalyst for “Rescue Prevention” by placing horses into quality homes before the need arises for rescue or intervention by authorities. Make up for the lack of state protection laws by having adoption contracts that govern minimum care and use of each horse. Allow exceptional adopters the opportunity to purchase their adoption horse with a safe selling contract that will protect the horse for life, after any where from a 2 to 5 year probation period for certain horses but not necessarily all horses and all adopters. Whenever possible, provide all horses (everyone in the equine family) including race, show, eventing, fox hunting, steeplechase, contest & working horses, polo ponies or any other sport or endurance horse an easy transition to a second career and give owners in every facet of the horse industry and private owners a viable, safe place for their horses to go and a more humane place than a bad home, selling or giving the horse to just anyone or resorting to unnecessary slaughter. Offer educational and support services to horse owners/donors and adopters (transportation, foster homes, training, follow up, guidance with problems, lessons and clinics for adopters).  Offer adopters training services (lessons, clinics, training of their adopted horses, continued follow-up to insure continued success with their adoption horse, and organized trips to regional, state and national horse events that can be both educational and fun). Whenever financially and physically possible, provide horses in the Adoption Program ground and under saddle training to insure every chance for success in their next home. Provide horses that are in need, the required vet care, rest and rehab needed to get better and find companion horses or horses that can no longer be ridden or driven a safe and loving home for the rest of their lives. Give people that might not normally have a lot of up front money to buy a trained horse but can afford the daily care of a horse have the opportunity to adopt and experience the joys of horse ownership and for kids to be able to grow up with horses and learn responsibility, dedication and the satisfaction to a job well done and to offer people, individuals, families and kids opportunities that can be both educational and fun but additionally that gives families and friends something that they can experience together that is good for the body, mind and spirit. When possible, support equine and animal rescue in times of natural disasters. When possible, support state and regional officials with abuse cases by being the expert in care and conditioning of the equine and by giving them a place to send horses that are taken from owners for abuse or neglect. When possible, as a secondary mission, support other equine and small animal adoptions and programs. Support all rescue and adoption programs in order to offer a more educated, well managed, unified approach to animal welfare.   SECONDARY MISSION  SUPPORT SERVICES Basic And Transitional Job Training For Horses Lay-Up, Rehabilitation From Injury ESMT, Farrier, Dental, Grooming & Clipping (At Swap HQ) Equine Appraisals For Donors Spend A Week, Pick Your Horse Program Cinderella Program (extreme make over for the healthy horse) Life Line Program (financial support for minor injuries and illnesses) Over Night Boarding And Housing For Donors/Adopters And Their Horses SWAP Association Membership And Benefits Estate Planning (Preparing Your Animals For Your Death) Emergency Rescue And Disaster Assistance To Authorities, Adopters And Donors Short Term Boarding Horse Transportation Services and referrals EDUCATIONAL SERVICES Advisory Program For Adopters Local And Regional Adopter Follow Up And Assistance SWAP Quarterly Newsletter SWAP Educational Library For Adopters Training And Riding Instruction For Adopters Student Internships, Work Studies And College Credit Sponsored Trips To Educational And Fun Equine Events  Scholarship Opportunities Breaking And Training Services To Donors And Adopters Instructional Clinics Training (Training 101) Training Under Saddle (Training 102) Driving (Training 103) Horse and Barn 101 Transitional Training for Race Horses (STB, Arab, QH and TB) SWAP Code Ethics and Beliefs -SWAP will always be honest in all dealings, we also expect the same in our adopters and donors, the honor system is our biggest asset in helping horses and people. -SWAP will always do the right thing for the horse (as apposed to doing the easy thing) -SWAP’s focus will always be in helping horses, keeping horses from abuse, neglect, miss use or over use -Safety for the horses and people is paramount to us, the rule is the horse does not get hurt and the people handling it does not get hurt, SWAP uses all safety management aspects available to keep horses and people safe -SWAP will never force a horse to do anything, we will use natural means only in use and training of horses -SWAP will never use drugs, injections or meds to ride, show, train or transport horses -SWAP will not use dishonesty or omission of important facts to place a horse into a home or in order to get an adoption fee -SWAP will always be against anything that hurts horses and horse people -SWAP will accept every horse that we feel we can help and place into a home -SWAP will never sell a horse or send a horse to slaughter, nor will it ever support slaughter as means to address the huge problem of over breeding horses in the US -SWAP will never do anything against the law and we will not support or associate with anyone that is doing anything against the law -SWAP’s standard of care will always be above the industry standard for horses and we always want even better care for our horses in their new homes, we are only the half way house so of course, we want better than we can provide to them here. -SWAP will always look at a horse as an individual and give the individual what it needs to succeed, what it needs to be happy and healthy. -SWAP will do everything it can do help a horse find and fill a job or several jobs… with the understanding that giving a horse a job will many times save a horses life. -SWAP believes you must educate people first and foremost in order to have horses in good homes and we believe the adopter must be happy with their horse for the horse to have the best home, we believe the person is the biggest part of the puzzle and the most important part of the team. -SWAP will always have an open book and open door to all other rescues/adoption programs for the purpose to helping horses, we support the sense of teamwork and will never treat another rescue as a competitor even if it means a loss of business or income for us, the welfare of horses is paramount. What is ours is theirs if it helps them do their job for helping horses. -SWAP will never ride a lame horse. If you see someone from SWAP riding a horse in a picture or video, consider it sound. -SWAP will not diagnosis horses without veterinary tests nor will be accept diagnosis’s from vets or the individual horse person without the appropriate tests being completed, the horse deserves at least that before making decisions about their entire life. -SWAP believes that there are no bad horses, but only horses that need help, training, understanding, possibly a change in jobs, handlers, riders or environments. SWAP will always give the horse the benefit of the doubt as we know that all horses with problems have those problems because of people who did no know about horses, did not spend the time they needed, did not care about them or it was just a bad fit for the horse or person. -SWAP believes there is a perfect person out there for every horse. -SWAP believes and knows that even the very best horse person can have a change in their life that may force them to have to find another home for a horse, that is why we are here for our adopters and donors and are prepared to help them in times of crisis (divorce, loss of job, illness, injury, etc) -SWAP understands that this is not a job of popularity, but a job of responsibility to horses and sadly we often have to do things that makes people mad, we have to tell them no when they are not a good match for a horse, we have to tell them no when they have been dishonest on an application, we have to tell them no when they are not financially stable or don’t have safe facilities. We have to fire volunteers when we find out they are only out for themselves and not for the horse. We have to testify against abusers, frauds and criminal horse traders in criminal cases, we have to be there with the police to go in to take abused and neglected horses. Our customers, the horses can not speak and unfortunately the people that we make mad by doing our job are usually very verbal. We do not believe in being affected by the nay Sayers, the chat rooms/forums or bulletin boards, the “Enquirers” and rags of the internet, and those that we have made mad by doing our job, people who are hiding behind an email address, saying things about people they would never have the nerve to say in person or say in a court of law or under oath. We will never be affected by the negativity of these arm chair quarterbacks who do not have the nerve or drive to get up off the chat rooms and do something good, to make something of themselves and their lives and it will not keep us from our job. Every person you have ever greatly respected probably had entire websites trashing them and their work. We believe if you are going to be in the public eye you better be able to stand the heat of standing up for what you believe is right for the horses. We will stay focused on our mission, regardless. -SWAP feels a strong responsibility to expose people who are doing bad things to people and horses, abuse, neglect, over use or miss use of a horse, selling horses they do not own, using fraud to sell horses, etc, especially since it seems the law is ignoring what they are doing and especially since these people use the internet to cheat people and they focus on the inexperienced people or programs like ours to take advantage.  We offer information to you on our blacklist before you sell your horse to a horse trader, use a transporter or protection from someone who uses horses only as a vehicle to make money, the horse trader who will drug the horse and lie about its age, training and capabilities, from those who will use your horse up and then dump it like an old shoe.  Exposing bad people makes them mad so they run to the chat rooms and talk about us and programs like us and lie about us. You see that is all they can do because they know they were wrong, they have no legal recourse because it’s only slander/libel when it is not true. We’ll accept that heat because that exposure saves horses every single day and that is so much more important than the mud slinging.  Every animal welfare program has a blacklist just like ours but none of them will publish it, so thousands of people are not getting the benefits of the critical information that protects them and their horses. Right now someone is getting ripped off and some horse is being hurt by someone who is on a blacklist owned by a program like ours but because they were too scared to publish it horses are hurt again and again and people are cheated or hurt. There is more important things than our popularity, we believe the horses are worth it. "You are either part of the problem             or part of the solution.       Be part of the solution."      A young boy was walking along the beach  as high tide came in.   With every crash of the waves he noticed that dozens of seahorses were being cast onto the beach,  where they lay gasping and squirming.   Hurriedly, he ran to each seahorse he could find  and gently tossed them back into the surf.   A man watching all this approached the boy and said;  "Son, what you are doing won't make a difference",  to which the boy replied,  "To that seahorse . . . it will". The  Woman  I will  Be I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed straw hat with ribbons     and flowers on it And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots And sit in the alley of my barn and listen to my horses breathe.   I will sneak out in the middle of a summer's night  And ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck meadow,     if my old bones will allow. and when people come to call, I will smile and nod, As I walk them past the gardens to the barn And show, instead, the flowers growing there In stalls fresh-lined with straw. I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel. And I will be an embarrassment of all who look down on me Who have not yet found the peace in being free To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at midnight hour With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For the Woman I will be when I am old. Baggage by Evelyn Colbath Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, All nicely tucked into my warm new bed, I would like to open my baggage, Lest I forget There is so much to carry - So much to forget. Hmm, Yes, here it is, right on the top - Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss, And there by my halter hides Fear & Shame As I look on these things I have tried so hard to leave- I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things And take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, To never re-pack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, But I do come with baggage - Will you still want me? A man of kindness, to his beast is kind. But, brutal actions, show a brutal mind: Remember, He who made thee, made the brute, Who gave thee speech and reason, formed him mute; He can't complain, but God's omniscient eye Beholds thy cruelty - He hears his cry! He was designed thy servant; not thy drudge, But know - That his Creator is thy judge. Unknown author from The Ladies' Equestrian Guide, 1857. Hug Your Horse   When your day seems out of balance and so many things go wrong, when people fight around you and the day drags on so long, when parents act like children, in-laws make you think "Divorce", go out in your pasture... wrap your arms around your horse. His gentle breath enfolds you and he watches with those eyes. He may not have a PhD, but he is oh, so wise! His head rests on your shoulder. You embrace him oh so tight. He puts your world in balance, and makes it seem all right. Your tears will soon stop flowing. The tension is now eased. The garbage has been lifted, and you're quiet and at peace. So when you need the balance from circumstances in your day, the best therapy that you can seek is out there eating hay!!     ~Mary Ann Miller~ The Horses' Prayer Feed me, give me water, and care for me, and when the day's work is done, give me shelter, a clean bed and a wide stall. Talk to me. Your voice often substitutes for the reins for me. Be good to me and I will serve you cheerfully and love you. Don't jerk the reins and don't raise the whip. Don't beat or kick me when I don't understand you, but rather give me time to understand you. Don't consider it disobedience if I don't follow your commands. Perhaps there is a problem with my saddle and bridle or hooves. Check my teeth if I don't eat, maybe I have a toothache. You know how that hurts. Don't halter me too short and don't dock my tail... it's my only weapon against flies and mosquitoes. And at the end, dear master, when I am no longer any use to you, don't let me go hungry or freeze and don't sell me. Don't give me a master who slowly tortures me to death and lets me starve, but rather be merciful and take care of me, by letting me run and enjoy a warm pasture. Let me request this of you and please don't regard it as disrespectful if I ask it in the name of Him who was born in a stable like me. Amen My ladies (at SWAP) have promised that I shall never be sold, and so I have nothing to fear; and here my story ends.   My troubles are all over, and I am at home...... standing with my old friends under the apple-trees.   Black Beauty If the only cost was love, we could save them all. I am an Animal Rescuer My job is to assist God's creatures I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection I have bought dog food with my last dime I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand I have hugged someone vicious and afraid I have fallen in love a thousand times And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends I don't often use the word "pet" I notice those lost at the road side And my heart aches I will hand raise a field mouse And make friends with a vulture I know of no creature unworthy of my time I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven But I believe there are Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind Some may think we are master of the animals But the animals have mastered themselves Something people still haven't learned War and Abuse make me hurt for the world But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind We are a quiet but determined army And we are making a difference every day There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan nothing more rewarding than saving a life No higher recognition than watching them thrive There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play who only days ago, was too weak to eat By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue I have been rescued I know what true unconditional love really is for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many Grateful for so little I am an Animal Rescuer My work is never done My home is never quiet My wallet is always empty But my heart is always full Author Unknown Just a Horse!   From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or,” that's a lot of money for just a horse".   They don't  understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."   Many hours  have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse,"  and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort  and reason to overcome the day.   If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a horse"  brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.     "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and  dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of  the moment. "Just a horse"  brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and  the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that  gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man."    So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand. "One Chance in a Million" It happened so sudden, 12 years in my past, For the rest of my life the injury would last. The cars hit head-on, not a chance to slow down, The next I remember, I lay on the ground. My hip joint was crushed beyond all repair. "You're too young to replace it," Doc said with a stare, "You will walk again, but never will run." These words hit me hard like a shot from a gun. Ten years came and went, the pain more severe. I said to my wife, "Time to replace it is here." When the surgery was over, Doc said to my wife, "He can't ride a horse for the rest of his life." We own our own farm with a full riding stable, So horses and riding put food on our table. I could sell horses and tack, and some money I'd make, But to ride one myself was a risk I can't take. And then it did happen, one night at the sale, As I stood selling halters inside of the rail. My wife came up to me with that look in her eye. She said, "There's a horse out back ready to die." As I walked to the killer pen and looked over the fence, There stood a starved gelding whose frame was immense. His eyes were three inches sunk back in his head; If he were lying down, you would have sworn he was dead. He stood sixteen-one, weighed about four and a quarter, His hair was three inches and not one-half shorter. A skeleton with hide stood before my own eyes. If he walked through the ring, it would be a surprise. As the barn door slid open and they led him on in, The auctioneer said, "Two hundred is where we'll begin." The kill buyer said, "Two-oh-five's all I'll give." I said, "I'll give two-ten just to see if he'll live." The bids then quit coming, not a sound from the crowd, The next word was "Sold" he said very loud. As the trailer backed up to the wood loading gate, I said, "Let's get him home before it's too late." He had to have help to step up to the floor, But we got him in and then closed the door. As I drove home that night, I looked back at a glance And said, "If he lives, we'll call him Last Chance." Well, we made the trip home, and he lived through the night. When the vet came next morning, he said, “What a sight.” We floated his teeth and trimmed all his feet, Gave him wormer and thiamin and a little to eat. My vet said his heart was as strong as a drum, If we brought him along slowly the rest may just come. Well, his weight starting coming and his health soon returned. He showed us his love he must have thought that we earned. He would whinny and nicker as I walked to the shed, As if to say, "Thanks, 'cause of you, I'm not dead." He would stroll the whole place without being penned, He'd come when I call, just like man's best friend. Three months had gone by since the night of the sale, My wife had him tied on our old hitchin' rail. I asked her, 'What's up?" as I just came outside. She said, "It's time to see if he'll ride." She threw on the blanket, saddle, bridle and said, "The worst that could happen, I'll get tossed on my head." As her seat hit the leather, he stood like a rock. With a tap of her heels, he started to walk. He reined to the left and he reined to the right, The bit in his mouth he sure didn't fight. He did what she asked without second thought. She cantered him on and not once he fought. When she returned from the ride with a tear in her eye, She said, "He's the one, would you like to try?" I thought to myself as I stood at his side, If this giant's that gentle, why not take a ride? It had been a long time, but the look on his face, Said, "Hop on, my good friend, let's ride 'round this place." We rode round the yard, then out through the gate, This giant and me, it must have been fate. He gave me back part of my life that I lost, Knew then I'd keep him, no matter what cost. I've been offered two-thousand, and once even three, But no money on earth would buy him from me. You see, we share something special, this gelding and me, A chance to start over, a chance to be free. And when the day comes that his heart beats no more, I'll bury my friend just beyond my back door. And over his grave I'll post a big sign, "Here lies Last Chance, a true friend of mine." Author Unknown Some formats used on this web site require special software that may not be included in your browser. For the following formats, please visit the associated web site to download and/or install free plug-ins. 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Proud to be an American!! Crossed Sabers Stable and The Second Wind Adoption Program (SWAP)