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[VISITING HORSES]
Congrats to our Executive Director and President Celeita Kramer
for her Selection to the 2009 Who's Who among Executive and Professional Woman.
Amazing, seems like every year someone recognizes her super work. Last year she
got the National Leadership Award for 2008 from the National Republican Party.
Bravo!!
stay up with our President/Executive Director, all the directors, volunteers and
riders (Crossed Sabers is on
Facebook too). All the CSS/SWAP supporters are having a big time sharing
stories, pictures, lots of good stuff about their horses.
TOP TEN WAYS YOU CAN HELP PROTECT
HORSES
(ASPCA and SWAP Suggestions)
1. BE THEIR VOICE
- your vote is your greatest weapon against injustice, so register and actively
support horse protection and preservation legislation.
2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE - Walk the talk. Don't support or attend cruel
horse activities such as Tennessee Walker events using "soring" techniques -
painful techniques to make the horse walk a certain way, or events that use
drugs to make horses achieve results. High-diving horse acts are cruel, as are
rodeo events that don't promote respect for animals and their health.
3. BE AN INFORMED CONSUMER - products made from horses like Premarin
(pregnant mare urine pills for estrogen replacement), are created through
horses' suffering. Your spending dollar is a weapon.
4. SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE - inform people what happens to race horses
after their short careers are over (slaughter plant bound), or where Premarin
comes from. Engage them in discussion.
5. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR SANCTUARY - these organizations
make life better for horses.
6. VOLUNTEER - your gift of time is valuable to horse groups and if
you have special talents, so much the better.
7. REPORT CRUELTY - if you witness abuse or neglect, report it to
local animal control or your county sheriff. Someone cruel to animals is cruel
to humans, too.
8. PROTECT THE AMERICAN WILD HORSE - mustangs have a special place in
our history and you can support federal and local legislation by writing emails
and letters to your government reps.
9. KEEP YOUR HORSE SAFE AND HEALTHY - if you own a horse, maintain
its health with regular hoof, medical and dental check-ups. Make sure they are
companioned as horses suffer living alone - even a goat makes a good companion.
Feed what the horse needs, if you are seeing ribs and hip bones, the horse is
not getting enough, if you can't afford to buy more feed, then give the horse to
someone who can, just be sure to check the person out and make sure they are not
selling the horse to slaughter or just going to turn out and sell the horse to
anyone that has the money. .
10. PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR HORSE'S CARE - your health and finances
change so what happens to your horse of you can't care for it anymore? Research
your options, including a pet trust. Horses live into their mid 20s and early
30s now - that's a lifetime of commitment.
Crossed Sabers Stable:
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As
many as 60 million visitors per year
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As many as 530,000 hits
in one day
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Visitors from 113
different countries
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Website Visitors from
every continent of the world
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Thousands of horses (of
65 different breeds) in homes today with SWAP
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Horses adopted in 46 of
the 50 states and Canada
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13 Year History
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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.
The perfect analogies for why we have the life
school tied into SWAP and animal welfare work:
"Everyone thought we took this broken down horse and
saved him but really he saved us"
Jockey Red Pollard from the
movie Seabiscuit
I rescued a human today
Her eyes met
mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I
felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too
exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped
at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my
cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the
shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my
kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the
future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down
on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle
fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell
down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel
door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I
would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I
would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in
her eyes.
I was so
fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a
human today.
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 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".
Some folks said they missed my great goals
list for 2009, so here it is back again
1. Spend an hour a day with your
horses, not just feeding, training and turning out, but real quality time doing
something that is enjoyable for the both of you. Grooming or hand walking is a
great way to bond with your horse and good for both you and the horse.
2. Get your loved ones more
involved in your horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we see horses coming back
to us. Don't just share the work, share the fun too and find something they
really enjoy doing with horses.
3. Learn a new discipline, go to
a clinic, a horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one of our clinics or watch a
training video. If you are an adopter you can check out books and video's from
SWAP's Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or
Bring your adoption horse here and we will help you. The better you are, the
more fun you will have.
4. Make a plan for your horse
after you are gone or if you have a major injury, let your Will Executor know
your plans. Make a plan for emergencies or financial bumps along the way for
your horse. Have a plan if you or your horse gets injured, even for the tough
times of year like winter (or summer down south and for a drought winter when
hay prices skyrocket). Ask friends, family and
neighbors to be part of your plan, most people that don't have horses or a farm
love the idea of getting away and helping. And people can not resist someone when they
are asking for help for the welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in
better shape to prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your
horses. Eat 1-1-1 (one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one
glass of red wine daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit
and get 2 sources of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day,
get a whole house water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of
apple cider vinegar every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease
can not grow in an alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat.
Get a good air cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the
fresh air and sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat
food, processed foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial
sweeteners, soda and don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients
and know exactly what is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy
organic, buy ocean caught fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk,
not packed or processed. Eat only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats)
bake/broil or steam everything. Get 8 hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce
commuting by car pooling, tight schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or
read the news only once a day or better yet once a week. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight training every day and it
will make you strong, lean, you'll look great and get wonderful complements from
friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work will be easier and more
enjoyable.
6. Stay clear of negative
people and those very negative chat rooms and bulletin boards, they seem
innocent but every time you go to them you lose a bit of your positive self,
they are truly emotional vampires that will leave only a shell of a person. They
are not based on the truth, they are based on harassment, complaining, whining
and dishonesty. We
all become tomorrow what we are around today, every person we come in contact
with defines who we are tomorrow so be careful who you choose for friends, even
the websites you go to as each of them affect who you are tomorrow. Do you want
to be a bitter, miserable, complaining person or do you want to be happy,
inspired and honorable, all that is affected by the decisions you make today.
Stay away from Toxic people and Toxic websites/forums that are negative or that
spend on their time talking bad about people or horses. What you are around
today and what you are doing today is what you will be tomorrow. Stop
Complaining and be Thankful for what we each have. If you become a target of
harassment or anyone saying anything negative about you, if you are doing only
good, positive things and not hurting anyone then ignore then, its all based on
jealousy and a sick sort of wish to be like you.
7. Read at least one book on training your horse
and one on care each year, if for nothing else but just inspiration. SWAP has a
great library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of
mailing it.
Click here to see our Library
8. Get carrots/apples every time you go to the
store, your horses will love you for it and always come running when you call.
Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots are sweet enough. Get rid of the
sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse once and for all.
9. Realize that if you are having a problem with
your horse, more likely than not, the problem is you. Learn more, practice more,
ask in a different way, be patient, change their environment or daily schedule
to better suit them. Taking better care of a horse always brings out the best in
that horse. Good feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the
elements, lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to just be a horse,
time with their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a good start. The
biggest part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse. If you are
struggling, then you need to learn more and get better.
10. Ride at least once a week, regardless of
weather. Use this time as your down time for healing, your therapy, your time to
relieve stress and the pressures of daily life. Even if you don't ride, go sit
and read a book in the pasture with the horses or sit in the barn and listen to
them munch on dinner, away from the crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace
and quiet, enjoy hearing happy horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
11. Spend time leisurely grooming
your horse once a week. Rubber curries are shine makers. You will have a
beautiful horse and a very loyal friend who will do anything for you.
12. Come and spend a week at SWAP
HQ, volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your
life plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help an animal in need,
whether fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out to check on our
horses in their homes or helps us approve adopters in their area. Find horses in
need and help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter auction, get it fat
and trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and volunteer
for your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good things you do
will come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a talent they can
offer and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good home, you have
changed their life forever.
13. Know that every goal is
obtainable and it starts with a single step. Take that first step today!! No
matter what it is or how big, YOU CAN DO IT!! Every goal that is written down
will come true (really!). Every famous person, every great or notable scientist,
author, trainer/rider, parent or friend started out as just a thought, just a
goal. Remember to take one step today to reach your goals.
14. Start every day with thinking
about, what is the most important thing I can do today to change my life and
make it better. Do that one thing and in 30 days your life will be totally
different. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you did that for 60,
90 or even 365 days a year. The opportunities are endless.
15. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That should be
every horse owners number one goal) do a long slow warm up (cold muscle is easy
to injure, a warm one is nearly impossible to injure). The very best cool down
is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out. Yes, get off the
horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good time for you to
bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a hot walker, do
something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the best rehab for
over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy and swimming your
horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to become more conditioned before going
into any training program... that means 3
months of at least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for
bones to become strong enough to jump or do any strenuous training program.
Don't start any upper level work, jumping or extensive training until the horse
is fit and at least between age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10
months (especially if the horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped
or worked in the last year).
16. Appreciate what you have and be
thankful. Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank
those people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more
that will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look around
and enjoy those things.
17. Get used to using favorite mantra's
and visualizations every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can
do this, I will do this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I
deserve the best' or 'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back'
and take two minutes every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep
to visualize the life you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts become
things, what you see is what you get, if you expect the best, the best will
happen, change your self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your life
will change for the better..
18. Each person is put on this earth for a
reason, each of us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find,
finding is a journey ... in the journey and the search you'll find your life
purpose. If you died in your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done
that you need to do or want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt
bridges to fix? People you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you
fulfilled your purpose in your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make
this better? Who do I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was I put
on this earth? What is my purpose?
19. Be an inspiration to your family, co
workers and friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get
discouraged, most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a
nudge. Instead of being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration.
You do believe they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is
negative, then you be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to
say it and believe it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or
causes more failure, achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in
a negative cycle, break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk,
achieve something small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of
achievement.
20. We all file a flight plan every single
day for our life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying,
the winds, the gravitational pull will change your flight plan and take you off
course, so you must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make
your destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps
in your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal
and figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan
is find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be... it
is obtainable.
21. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it
is sometimes) to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at
least one bite of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short
to not enjoy it thoroughly.
22. We learn the most and do our best work
when we have fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried,
scared or frustrated, when we anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is
then that you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant
ideas come to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless
or hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
23. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to try and wasted
energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with you at any given
time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50% becomes a lot of
people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not hurting anyone and you are doing the right thing, then go
ahead and do it. If you are wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually
the harder thing to do, the toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely
the right thing to do. Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or
says about you, do something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least
have them sitting on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she
has guts". One person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
1. There are at least two people in this world
That you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world Love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you Is because they want to Be just
like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, Even if they don't Like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you Before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, Something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has
Turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Always in hope and admiration,
Celeita
 shop at country supply
and use swap or swap123 for your country care code and SWAP will receive of percentage
of your purchase!!
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home
today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he
smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a
visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just
been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or
not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my
mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when
I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the
difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of
bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and
all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Our lives with
horses...
Our lives with horses are rich with feeling. You know this if you've ever.... choked back tears watching a new foal wobble to his feet for the First time ...or watched your good horse wobble to his feet
after surgery.... or seen the ends of the reins float straight out as a reining horse spins beneath them . . or chuckled to yourself as you watched a tiny tot on a patient pony trot through a barrel pattern at a saddle club payday ... or felt the building tremble as an eight-up hitch of feather-legged giants towed a hand-carved beer wagon into the arena ... or had your heart stop when you saw your horse lying motionless in the pasture on a sunny day and waited breathlessly for an ear to flick ... or cheered at the screen when 'The Man From Snowy River' slid Dennie down the mountainside, .. or when Seabiscuit made his final surge to beat War Admiral ... or cruised along the highway and seen a horse in a pasture and wondered what he's like to ride or pictured him as a prospect ... or sucked in your breath as a horse and rider approached a six-foot wall ... or sworn a solemn oath to your horse that together you would triumph ... or flipped through the TV channels and stopped when you saw a horse even when it was a commercial ... or laughed aloud when you rubbed your horse's face and he rubbed back ... or gotten chills hearing Dave Johnson's 'and DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!' (or 'Run for the Roses' circa 1980 ish?)
... or stood in awe at your horse in morning play as he sprinted around the pasture, then stopped, head erect, and snorted defiance at the rest of the world
... or been thankful to see wild horses grazing casually at the foot of a hill ... or felt calmed by the sleekness of a silky
haircoat beneath your hand ... or felt your jaw drop as you watched a Lipazzan
perform a capriole ... or if you've ever seen someone in the grocery store wearing a certain kind of hat, or boots, or buckle, or have a certain cut and length to their jeans, and felt some remote kind of connection ... or felt warmed by a soft nicker greeting as you entered the barn ... or slid your hand under your horse's blanket to straighten it out, only to pause in the glowing feeling that you get when you touch the
warmth of his coat... or riding on a trail with your horse, thinking how that trail over there looks nice and almost without asking, your horse has sensed your slightest movement in the saddle and he's now taking you there. ... or pulled up to your barn where you board and only your horse greets you with a welcoming hello from the sound of your car or your voice.
NOTE: Crossed Sabers can not fully guarantee the accuracy of
every page on this website which is huge (38,000 files and over 300
pages). We do not have the personnel or time to keep it up to date and accurate
for every situation as this Stable and all its programs has always been a
dynamic entity, ever changing and improving itself. We do try to make sure each
page is up to date and accurate but the best thing to do If you have a question,
is email or call us. Additionally Crossed Sabers can not guarantee anything that
anyone says about us on line, we have no control over other people and their
websites, forums or ads, all we can tell people is if you do not know the
person, their name, address and their history/background/education and location
do not trust what they say. That is true for everything on the internet. Some things said about us have been grossly inaccurate and did not come from CSS,
some come from past employees we fired for cause and from people we helped put
in jail on neglect cases. Again,
if you have questions about us, our services, our company structure, how we are
licensed, how we pay taxes, how we do things or anything at all, please feel
free to contact us, just don't assume that all you read on another website is
accurate or that it came from us, just call 304-873-3532 or email us at
secondwindadopt@aol.com,
To clear up some serious confusion, the horses
that have been placed into homes through SWAP have done so by an adoption
contract and application and the 7 were sent to another rescue for placement
were done so with a signed contract that governs care, adoption, release of
ownership and governs resale thus protecting the horse forever from slaughter,
abuse and neglect. If any past owners would like to see any of those documents,
we have all the originals in our files. Any and all original owners of horses
that have been released to other rescues have been informed of such actions as a
courtesy and respect to them. Horses that come to SWAP are owned by SWAP and
Crossed Sabers, SWAP notifies owners about their horses out of respect for them
and because we know they care. All programs and services listed on this website,
including SWAP is a part of Crossed Sabers Stable which has been licensed in WV
for the last 12 years. The Mountain State Horse School and Second Wind Adoption
Program, Inc. and Crossed Sabers International Horse School, Inc. was
incorporated on 4 Sep 08 to address the education needs and life challenges of
people and horses.
Buyer and Seller Beware!! Update on the
Robin Hollingsworth fraud case for those of you who have been asking. The SC prosecutor accepted a
plea bargain from her and dropped the case if she paid the people she ripped off
(the people she took money under false pretenses from), she did that so she was
let go but the 3 arrests will stay on her record and the record of what she did
to all those people is still on the books and will stay there. If she is caught
again I'm certain she will go to jail but people who are cheated by her must
stand up and testify.. If more people that she ripped off would have not
chickened out and backed out because of fear (Quote from them was we are scared
of her, she is crazy) she would be in jail right now but beware, she is still
loose and still taking free horses or companion horses that have things like
ringbone and navicular and drugging them and then selling them as high level
jumpers and competition horses on the internet. Her daughter works with her,
Amanda or Mandy, she helps her rip people off. Beware, I'm getting calls almost
every month where Robin has committed more crimes against people, taking horses,
not paying for them, bouncing checks, buying vehicles and horse trailers and not
paying for them. BEWARE OF THIS WOMAN!!
BEWARE: Do not buy a horse from anyone you do not
know, ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET, unless
they have websites like ours, names and addresses listed and have a long long history and
do not buy unless you go to see the horse and have it vet checked and you have
contact with the vet, not the seller telling you what the vet said. DO NOT GIVE
YOUR HORSE OR SELL YOUR HORSE WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT IS TO
HAPPEN WITH THE HORSE, RESELLING, USE/LIMITATIONS, FACILITIES NEEDED, ETC. It
you sell or give away a horse with no agreement, they could go to slaughter the
same day you release them to the buy or they could be sold and misrepresented,
living a life of neglect abuse, over use and miss use the rest of their lives.
If you need help doing written agreements, back ground checks on buyers and
sellers, just contact us, that is part of our 'SAFE SELLING' SERVICES. Your
horse's life depends on you being safe and thorough!
BEWARE: People are selling horses on the internet
that don't even exist so beware, the horse industry is full is liars, cheaters,
and thieves, even we have had to deal with them from potential adopters who were
in jail applying to adopt, to employees and former trainers who totally ripped
us off to people who don't even know us or had any experience with us slandering
us on forums and to adopters who don't think twice about breaching their contract or
selling their adoption horse to programs like ours and even 501c3's public
charities selling horses to slaughter auctions or being put in jail for neglect
and animal cruelty. The horse world is full of dishonesty which ruins it for all
us honest people that really care and always try to do the right thing, such a
shame. Just be very careful.
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ADOPTING
Apply one weekend, ride the next!!
CLICK HERE TO GET TO GET THE
ADOPTION APPLICATION this is done first to get approved as an adopter
CLICK HERE TO GET THE ADOPTION CONTRACT this is done once you are
approved and you've selected your horse (with our help).
Here's everything you need to adopt your adoption horse:
"Do
the most important thing first, not the easiest"
Check List for Adopting:
-
Be realistic about what you are
looking for and your recent experience.
Have realistic expectations about the horse and your own capabilities. As
a horse buyer or adopter, you will always spend the money or the time to get the
horse of your dreams. -
Applications can be found under ADOPTION APPLICATION
on
this web site. Print the application, fill it out and mail it to us.
Answer all questions that apply, Print clearly in blue or black ink.
We look for facilities and living conditions close to what the individual horse
has been accustomed to. The application must reflect the current situation, not
future plans.
-
Read all the information on
each horse.
Visit the adoption horse when you can.
Get
a vet check if there is any question about the horse's physical capabilities.
Upon selection of the horse, the Adoption contract is
filled out and signed and sent with the adoption fee.
Click here for the Adoption Contract
If you are using SWAP Financing and monthly payments,
click here for details and the
promissory note.
Plans for the
transport can be made once all original documents are at SWAP HQ.
Adopting can be the most
rewarding and wonderful experience of your life! There's nothing better than
knowing YOU made a difference in the life of a horse. Whether your adoption
horse is facing retirement after a strenuous career or just needs a change of
pace, our horses have a lot of experience and love to give. Regardless of the
reason you adopt, our goal is to satisfy the needs of our adopters and provide
horses with the loving homes they deserve.
We feel strongly that SWAP adopters are some of the best
horse owners in the world because they always go that extra mile for their
horse. They prove themselves daily from their first contact with us, to filling
out the extensive application and by providing the best home and care possible
to these great horses. We know that our requirements are stringent but we are
looking for strong people with big hearts that don't give up easily. Our
adopters are the type of people who spend their life "being part of the
solution, instead of part of the problem" and we commend them for that. If you
think that you have what it takes to be a part of the best, part of the solution
then we urge you to get your application in and join this proud family of animal
lovers and horse guardians, the SWAP family.
We strive to match our
horses with adopters in every way to be sure each horse and its new family is
happy. If the horse you desire isn't on our list, please fill out an
application and we'll contact you when it becomes available!
The Benefits of
Adopting From SWAP
-By Adopting from SWAP you are not
only helping the horse you adopt by giving it a good home but your adoption fee
goes to help more horses that are waiting to come into the program to look for a
home.
-Your adoption fee is at least
half of what it would cost to buy the same horse on the open market. SWAP
adoption fees are set at 1/2 of the estimated or appraised value of the horse
(what the horse could be sold at on the open market), most are set at 20% or
below.
-SWAP is not a rescue program, it's
an adoption program. We accept all types of horses; some very high quality
horses come to SWAP being retired from grand prix riders and even olympic medalists.
Many are coming from very good homes where the horse has always been cared for.
-85% of our horses come to us with some training
under their belts and experience being ridden; many come to us with professional
training and many have already had training in at least one job but are ready to
continue with that job or ready to learn a new one.
-SWAP is the only program that will allow you to make monthly payments on
your adoption fee and take the horse home with you, too. You can also pay your
adoption fee with personal checks as long as they have the adopters name and
address on it and the check number is above 500.
-SWAP also gives price breaks for
anyone who can pay the entire adoption fee up front, sometimes as much as 10 to
20% off depending on the horse, which can sometimes be enough to pay the
transport fee.
-Our
horses come from people who really love their horses, much like their kids and
only want the best home, so they have had the best care, all their health care
is up to date at all times, they are healthy and have been fed well. Many horses
come with all their tack, blankets, bridles and all the stuff that had been used
by the horse with their previous owner, saving the adopters thousands of dollars
in supplies and equipment. SWAP is 'rescue prevention' our mission is to get the
horse into a quality committed home before its care or home becomes an issue.
-We get the complete history of
the horse and it's passed along to the adopter.
-We help adopters make good sound
horse selections because we know that if you are safe and happy with your horse,
you will take good care of it. We are looking for permanent homes and our goal
is to do that.
-All horses that come into the
program are required to have all their health care up to date to be accepted
into the program. SWAP keeps them up to date while in the program. All rehab,
lameness, past issues with the horse are totally disclosed by the owner and SWAP
so you are thoroughly informed about the horse's past. These things are usually
hidden on purpose in sales and not disclosed at all during auctions and even catalog sales.
-SWAP looks for jobs for each
horse that we feel they can do for life and stay sound (without drugs,
injections or special shoeing). Many times you will see that we restricted the
horse from heavy competition or jumping. We don't do that because the horse
can't do that today but we do it because we feel they can't do that for a
lifetime and still stay sound. It is to protect the horse's quality of life and
may not have anything to do with an injury, illness or lameness but can also be
because of conformation and size of the horse. This is also
for your protection so you don't get a horse only to send it back after 5 or 6
years because it can't do what you want. That is not what we want for our horses
or the adopters.
-We do take rescue horses and horses taken by the
authorities but we designate those horses as a 'rescue' on their descriptions.
We feel strongly that every horse regardless of their background deserves the
very best home and some horses need us more than others. We understand that there are considerations with certain horses depending
on their past.
-Complete information from the donor and past adopters are available for
review by each approved adopter, this is pages and pages of information about the horse.
-We will answer all the
questions about each horse to all interested parties, regardless of whether they
are approved or not. Of course, this is only one person's opinion about the horse, which is many times
driven by that person's experience and the environment and job the horse was
doing, but it's still more than going to an auction and knowing nothing. The
only way you can know how a horse is going to do with you is go see it and ride
it but even then you really won't know until you get the horse into your home,
schedule, job, rider, handlers, feed, turn out and herd as all those things can
affect how a horse is. You experience is the biggest part of that puzzle.
-When
available, each adopter will have the complete history to include x-rays, vet
records, show records, etc, we will fax all records anywhere in the country and
Canada so potential adopters will have all background information.
-We place wonderful horses into
good homes for only a fraction of what they would cost to buy on the open
market. Giving adopters a chance to have a horse for life that they would never
be able to afford if they were buying. Many adoption fees are under $1000. and
all are less than 50% of what the horse would sell for on the open market. SWAP
has amazing specials every month and payment plans to fit into every budget.
-SWAP offers an enormous selection of horses. Thousands of horses of 65 different breeds have been adopted into 46 of the 50 states and
Canada. 90% are mares and geldings with the other 10% being made up of
stallions, colts, and fillies. 82% of the horses are registered; many of the
horses were imported from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
-The breeds
we get encompass
everything from the horses that we have all grown up with to the many wild
horses on American soil, such as the Mustang, Chincoteague and Assateague ponies
to the Cracker ponies of Florida. In addition to every type of racehorse,
competition/sport horse and warmblood to the more exotic breeds like Friesians,
Irish Draughts, Nakota’s, Mecklenburg’s, Lippazzans, Azetecas, Spanish Normans and Fjords. They
come to us trained in nearly every discipline from driving and pleasure riding
to eventing, dressage, barrel racing to even jobs like cutting and reining.
-Most all the
horses have extensive information on their individual page, loads of pictures
and video in the barn, in hand, at a lunge and under saddle.
-Opportunities
to go and ride the horse are available, vet checks can be completed prior to
adopting upon request (at the adopters expense) and many of the SWAP horses either have a microchip,
tattoo or brand to protect
the horse from theft or loss during natural disasters.
-We allow our proven quality
adopters to purchase and own many of the horses after a of 3 year probationary
period with a purchase agreement that will protect
the horse for life from abuse, neglect, misuse, over use and slaughter.
Click here to read about
purchasing your adoption horse. This is not automatic with all adopters but
something that is earned by following your adoption contract. We do not sell horses to anyone that wants it only for
resale.
-If the adopter's personal life
changes at anytime or if the horse is not working out, SWAP will always take the
horse back so you are never stuck with the horse. We do feel for the horse
to get the best care, the adopter has to be happy with the horse. Exchanges are
considered in some cases when the horse is being returned... SWAP will exchange horses and help the adopter find a different
horse or something more appropriate, read your contract to find our details of
exchanges but for the most part we are looking for adopters who plan to keep the
horse forever.*
-SWAP has a long list of advisors
that are available nation wide to assist adopters with problem solving, whether
it be training, veterinary or farrier assistance that is needed.
-SWAP has an established Library
of all kinds of reference material that you can check out, view and read for as
much as a month at a time, for less than non adopters and non SWAP Association
members. click here to see our
Library list.
-SWAP is probably the only program like this that allows breeding of its
mares and stallions as long as the contract is followed, the horse is released
for breeding by the original owner and you abide by the rules of the contract by
registering all foals which says the foal will be registered, professionally
trained and never sold at auction or in a catalog sale.
-Most all of the horses at SWAP
receive regular riding, evaluations and some are even trained while in our care. Many have
gotten professional training with the former owner. Many have experience showing
and competing, trail riding.
-SWAP will assist the adopter in
finding a transporter to move the horse to your location.
Adopting again, training, lessons and
clinics, equipment sales, services like equine sports massage therapy, riding
and driving instruction, breeding assistance and instruction, SWAP Spa packages,
the lifeline program, estate planning, SWAP Shopping, Horse Transport
assistance, emergency and disaster assistance, overnight and extended boarding
for people and horses at SWAP HQ, Cinderella care packages, discounts to horse
vacations, horse insurance, discounts to horse events and shows, discounts at
equine hospitals and veterinary service, equine products, discounted brokering
services, free advertising on a web site that gets between 3 to 4 million
visitors a month, discounted prices to horse racing events, car rental and
insurance, Scholarship opportunities. members get reference book check out for
less and horse adoption specials available only to them. SWAP members also get a
quarterly newsletter that covers new care and training techniques, updates on
horses, happy endings, events, clinics and specials for members only and a free
copy of our annual calendar and the SWAP 'I'd rather be riding Cookbook'
(see the SWAP Membership page).
-SWAP members will be allowed to
go into Member only pages that will be filled with specials and great deals for
members only. These could be wonderful raffles for things like maybe a training
session with SWAP donor and supporter Olympic rider and Silver Medalist McLain Ward or our adopter
and Olympic Dressage Trainer Heidi Erickson for a dressage lesson to great vacations offered at very low
prices to even internships at some of your favorite training facilities. (new)
-SWAP members are a voting body,
privileged to vote on things like scholarships, state and regional directors,
Our Annual Heros and award selectees, even names for unnamed horses or babies
born in the program by mares that come to us in foal, Voting on how money will
be spent on horses in the LifeLine Program and even selecting your favorite
pictures for the annual calendar. (new)
What we love to see in our adopters
(these are not requirements but things we do like to see)
-
The adopter has plenty of "Want To" A
huge heart and desire to help a horse have a better life, they will work through
problems and not give up and the type who will keep a horse forever. They
understand good horses are made, not
born. "Show me your horse and I will show you who you
are" is a favorite quote at SWAP. We are looking for an adopter
who is not looking for a cheap, perfect horse. They
have an understanding that horses are innocent animals, not machines, and they need
love, care and nurturing to be their best.
-
The adopter has reviewed their recent riding experience/training and
they look for something appropriate to that situation, the right horse for the
right job, environment and rider.
-
The adopter offers stability
(personal, home/family, financial, mental and emotional)
-
A good
base of knowledge or a solid plan for
learning.
The better you are, the better the horse will be for you and the wider range of
horses you can look at adopting, the more confidence you will have and the
better overall experience. The person is the biggest part of this puzzle, not
the horse. We can send a bad horse that is in awful condition to an experienced
knowledgeable motivated person and it will become both wonderful to handle and
beautiful to look at and we can send the very best horse with striking good
looks and the best training to someone who doesn't know anything that doesn't
care and the horse will become bad and go
down hill in no time. What the horse does is a direct result of the person handling and
caring for it and what they do, regardless of how expensive the horse is or how
well its trained and cared for when they got it!!!!! We believe every rider
requires professional training to be safe in the saddle, we also believe that
all horses require professional training for every job they are doing.
-
Good facilities
and supplies that are maintained, a way to care and sustain the horse, knowledge
to do so
Why horses come to SWAP:
 | Horse is finishing one career and ready for another |
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| Can't physically hold up to the rigors of its current profession or
doesn't like its current profession. |
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| No longer has a career as a broodmare or breeding stallion, either they
are not
producing or the owner is changing focus of breeding goals |
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Horse is like a child to the owner and they want to know its going to a
good home. It means more to them than the money to sell the horse.
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Owner is no longer breeding, showing, racing or giving lessons
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Horse is not winning enough to pay the bills
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Horse has training issues beyond owners capabilities, owner has training
issues beyond the horses capabilities.
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Horse needs to be the center of someone's attention instead of being just another horse in the barn
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Is a retired police horse, race horse, show horse but still able to start another career
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The owner is over horsed (needs a more laid back horse or more training)
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Family is moving and can't take the horse
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Family hardship, ie. divorce, health problems, loss of job, death in family,
retiring, down-sizing the herd or farm, rider is going to college, lack of time for the horse or for
riding
|
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Horse needs someone more advanced to handle or ride horse, owner has advanced
beyond the capabilities of the horse
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Child has grown out of the horse/pony
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Change in personal situation including pregnancy, deteriorating health,
getting married, old age
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Not going to make a race horse, not fast enough, doesn't have the desire to
race, doesn't have the physical conformation or size for racing, showing or
its current job
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Horse has special needs, needs to get out of the sun or heat of the south or
needs warmer climate, needs to ridden more, needs to be ridden less, have
allergies to a geographical region
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Change in equine business climate ... higher taxes, costs of keeping horses,
drought winters, etc.
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